Just a bit of Deaf Awareness, Conclusion

I want to make sure as I finish this series that you understand that I am NOT an expert. The only ones who deserve to be called experts on these issues are Deaf people and hard-of-hearing people. So remember that they are the best sources for learning about these things.

At the same time, I certainly have learned and experienced more than most, simply because it is the field of study I chose and career path I've followed.

So to leave you with a final thought: remember what you don't know. To make this a little clearer, I'll share another story:

I once observed the following:

A teacher who had a hard-of-hearing student with an interpreter in the room felt the need to say to the class with the most pitiful expression, "Have you ever muted the TV? You know what it's like when you mute the TV? Can you imagine if that was how it always was for you?? Can you imagine if you never heard the birds??" The teacher then proceeded to look at the hard-of-hearing student and asked while shaking their head back and forth, "Have you ever heard the birds??" The student looked at the teacher and voicing for them-self said "Yup." I thought the teacher was going to fall over;)

I must tell you, if I had been the students' interpreter, I probably would have lost my job that day by telling that teacher what they could do with their comments in the future! You see, this teacher was speaking out of two things: ignorance and pity. Not a good combination. She was ignorant in the sense that it's RARELY like the mute button is on for a Deaf person. Most can hear some! The teacher also showed their ignorance by assuming the student had never heard birds. But the worst of all of this was the pity. I couldn't believe this teacher would really have the nerve to use this student as a spectackle in front of the whole class, the student's own peers, to have a pity party for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. I wondered if the teacher would do this for say, a student who is in a wheelchair- would this teacher have the nerve to say, "Have you ever walked?? Ohh students can you imagine never walking!!" I don't think she would do this- I think she would see how embarrassing and insulting this would be for them. But for some reason we have decided it's okay to pity the Deaf Community no matter their embarrassment or hurt feelings.

So try to remember to say what you truly know, and hold or humble your tongue in areas that you just don't. And please, PLEASE refrain from showing such pity to people who do not want it! Think of an insecurity YOU have, and imagine if you were constantly pitied for it! Helpful? I think not! Encouraging? Hardly!

Thank you SO much for reading this blog and desiring to grow in your understanding of the Deaf Community! Hopefully in time and progress, we will all appreciate our differences more and equality will be recognized!