We are NOT disabled.

It seems like many deaf people will only classify themselves as disabled when its convient, like when needing to collect ssi, needing the protection of the americans with disability act, or when needing services from something like the dss department at a college.
 
Oh the issue of disabled/not disabled I take a firm stand. Let me explain;

I am education student who was forced to take an inclusion class my first semester. Deafness ranges from mildly disabled to severly disabled. Do I believe it?? NO NO NO NO.

I told my ASL prof about this the other day and asked her opinion, she inturn asked if I thought she was disabled. I said, ofcourse not! The university is now changing the textbook for the inclusion class.

In the class we learnt that if an individual is severly disabled, they cannot go to a public school, they cannot be mainstreamed. Now this contradicts being profoundly deaf as a server disablility, you donot need to hear to go to a public school.

Deafness is not a disability, at most it is a disadvantage. (personally I dont think it is either, some days I wish I was deaf)
 
I agree... we are not disabled.

I don't understand why any deaf person would use deafness as an excuse for a handicapped parking pass? :dunno:
 
RDC_girl said:
In the class we learnt that if an individual is severly disabled, they cannot go to a public school, they cannot be mainstreamed. Now this contradicts being profoundly deaf as a server disablility, you donot need to hear to go to a public school.
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This is actually not true - many students with severe disabilities are mainstreamed.
 
Rabbit, next time if people ask you about knowing braille.. ask them if they know how to write and read latin.. or chinese. lol.. can really believe some people do assume such things, tho. My dentist assumed that we had only one sign language in the world... naturally I educated him on the subject.. no hard feelings!

Good point, RDC, deafness is a disadvantage in some situations when prejudices exist and unwillingness on others' part to adapt around it. Also, what do you mean by severely disabled?

Jasin, that is an interesting point and focus.
 
well, all deaf are still disabled for instance, they cant hear and speak but at least they do have a good vision.. that does make sense....
 
If you think you're disabled, then you are. It's all in how one percieves oneself. How you percieve yourself also has an effect on how others percieve you. Disability applies to anyone who lets it prevent them from reaching their potential.
 
In accordance to the Disability Act, Deafness is a disability. How one chooses to live with the said Disability is individual, and differs depending on circumstances. Before we start getting up in arms about Disability labels we should consider what that label affords us in terms of accessibility to a hearing world that would otherwise be out of reach. Consider a world without the Disability Act; it serves as protection of our deaf human rights.

I have no doubt that we can overcome our disabilities with glasses, Hearing Aides, interpreters, access to education, wheelchairs, braille, etc. However, because you've adapted to your disability doesn't mean the said Disability has magically disappeared.
 
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After reading this whole thread, why not say that deaf people have a disability rather than deaf people are disabled. I think it really changes the meaning of the label, dont u think?
 
Let's look at some definitions since everybody is riled up about words...

dis·a·bil·i·ty (dĭs'ə-bĭl'ĭ-tē) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. dis·a·bil·i·ties
1. The condition of being disabled; incapacity.
2. The period of such a condition: never received a penny during her disability.
2. A disadvantage or deficiency, especially a physical or mental impairment that interferes with or prevents normal achievement in a particular area.
3. Something that hinders or incapacitates.
4. Law A legal incapacity or disqualification.

dis·a·bled (dĭs-ā'bəld) Pronunciation Key
adj.
1. Inoperative: a disabled vehicle.
2. Impaired, as in physical functioning: a disabled veteran; disabled children.

n. (used with a pl. verb) Physically impaired people considered as a group: the physically disabled.

So....if word games is the thing then...pick your poison. This whole thing has been an exercise in semantics pure and simple. It really doesn't matter one way or another. We either are deaf or HOH and thus missing the full use of a sense that is considered a part of humanity.

Futile discussions about our present reality in terms of this word or that word really doesn't get us anywhere. I have to laugh at this whole thing as I can't quite figure out what this accomplishes. We need to move on from this sort of discussions and live our lives the best way regardless of obstacles in our paths.

Carpe Diem (Seize the day!)
 
shel, I respectfully disagree. The terms "disability and disabled" mean the same thing according to the Disability Act. Legislators and government have been debating this topic for decades, and I do not want go back in time and have these labels amended (the term disabled and disability have helped achieve accessibility ). Deafness is a medical issue according to law, thereby making it a "disability" or "disabled person".

Some people can't overcome their disabilities, and become "stuck", "baffled", "stumped", I'm not going to submit and say they are "disabled".

According to the Dictionary:
Disabled people: People with disabilities
Disability: medical condition restricting activities: a medically diagnosed condition that makes it difficult to engage in the activities of daily life.

With that said, I'm not ashamed of who I am, nor will I let it stop me from achieving my dreams. I say Affirmations of Love to myself daily, and I fully accept myself as a person with a disability. You and I are gladiators in this benevolent world. Peace and love to you friend.
 
Southern said:
Last night as the teacher was going over Deaf culture she talked about Deaf people not being disabled. She wrote I. King Jordan’s quote on the board, “Deaf people can do anything a hearing person can do, except hear”. She talked about Deaf people are NOT disabled do not call them that!
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I agree with this qoute, "Deaf people can do anything a hearing person can do, except hear." But, what about the military? US military is the job that I love to do but I can't because, you know, I'm deaf. I just want to fight for 9/11 victims and our country, the United States of America. But they won't let me in. Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard won't let me in. *sigh*....What a fucking idiot safety rules. Pardon my language, please.
 
jasin said:
By mainstreamed you mean what?
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Regular public school, regular classes. My high school had (counts) probably 3 or 4 students, counting me, with a significant physical disability (learning and psychological disabilities are important too, and can qualify as severe disabilities, but I'll leave those aside for the moment). Depending on how you define severe, at least 2, maybe 3, of us were severely disabled. Probably the "most severely disabled" student had CP - cerebral palsy. He used an electric wheelchair, and couldn't write or speak or really do much at all that needed fine motor control - he used a synthesizer to speak, and could only operate that by poking a special keyboard with a stick attached to a baseball hat he wore. He had an aid, and he used a computer to do all of his assignments and so on, but all of his classes were honors classes with the non-disabled students, he was involved with NHS and the student council and so on (in various officer positions, even), and went on to an excellent college. (And balanced all of this with being a Paralympian, to boot!)

I could give other examples, both at my high school, and people I've met later in life, but that's a pretty dramatic example right there. Actually, now that I think of it, all of the 3-4 students I mentioned above were in most or all honors-level classes, and all of us graduated in the top 3% of our respective classes. So to say that, "In the class we learnt that if an individual is severly disabled, they cannot go to a public school, they cannot be mainstreamed." means that either the teacher doesn't know what they're talking about, or the lesson was misunderstood. I think it's sad and frustrating - but quite indicative of where our society is right now - that education majors are still learning things like this, *especially* in a class that is supposedly about inclusion.

I'll close with a quote by a major figure in the disabled rights movement, Cass Ivins: "Special. It's such a pretty word, isn't it? But what it means is segregation."
 
Tousi said:
The politically savvy know when to call deafness a disability and when not to.:fingersx:
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Yes! On my tax forms I put that I am disabled and can get the $ back for my HA batteries. :D Also, I got plenty of good service & equipment through the Centre for Students with Disabilities when I was in College.

The trick is to know that you get the service because of a biological difference but that it doesn't DISABLE you. :)

rockdrummer said:
disabled
Function: adjective
: incapacitated by illness or injury; also : physically or mentally impaired in a way that substantially limits activity especially in relation to employment or education.
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I am not incapacitated or limited by my hearing status, though my family doesn't want me to learn to drive - their problem - I'm taking lessons now.

What can disable us is what people tell us from a young age. I grew up feeling disabled because that's how I was treated for so long. Now I am learning to NOT see myself as disabled/broken.

doh said:
Similarly people assume that autism (and related spectrum things) are disabilities (which I vehemently disagree with). But that isn't to say that there aren't so-called "low functioning" auties for which their autism isn't disabling. Autism can be disabling for some people and I think that also extends to deafness: deafness can be disabling but it certainly isn't the case for everyone in every circumstance.

*dons flamesuit*
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Autism and related spectrum disorders are learning disabilities - they interfere with intake of information in some way. Doesn't mean that the person with Autism can't function - but some have difficulty functioning because of the severity of the Autism.

Hear Again said:
A disability is only "disabling" if you allow it to be. For the record, I am no less capable than a sighted-hearing person nor do I seek approval from sighted-hearing people. I could care less what they think of me. If I allowed the general public to determine my self-worth, I would have thrown in the towel a long time ago.

Your description of napoleon syndrome (if that's a real syndrome) sounds alot like people who are described as being "super Deaf" or "super blinks." (super blind)
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I almost never took up the towel b/c I had a family history of being "disabled" and fragile b/c of my hearing loss.

deafskeptic said:
It so happens that I like to play MUDs and once a hearing person when she found out I can't hear had a hard time understanding how I could SEE and play on a MUD. I remember several people trying to explain to her that I'm just deaf and not deafblind.

When people think about deaf people, they keep thinking of Helen Keller.

This hearing person wasn't too bright and she didn't know that England and Britain are the same country. I'm not making this up.
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:laugh2: That's just too funny! BTW what MUDs do you normally play on? I like the occasional MUD and wouldn't mind knowing a Deafie to look out for. :)
 
Texan Guy said:
I agree with this qoute, "Deaf people can do anything a hearing person can do, except hear." But, what about the military? US military is the job that I love to do but I can't because, you know, I'm deaf. I just want to fight for 9/11 victims and our country, the United States of America. But they won't let me in. Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard won't let me in. *sigh*....What a fucking idiot safety rules. Pardon my language, please.
Click to expand...

Hate to spoil your rant but I agree with the military in this matter. I wouldn't want you as a fellow soldier myself. Nor would I expect another soldier to want me myself.

It more than about doing everything but hear. You and I are liabilities on a battleground. You need all five senses (fully as possible) and hearing is probably the most important one when you are hunting another anywhere. It is split second timing and the one who detects the enemy first usually wins. Guess what, it is usually hearing that detects the other first. Sure, sight is more important when shooting. But believe it or not, hearing is just as important when you can't see where they are shooting from. Worst yet, there will be many times you will be fighting in the dark. Your sight doesn't help you as much there. Hearing becomes the critical factor.

Being a soldier isn't a game as it is life and death. The person with five fully functional senses beats a person four fully functional senses hands down in 97% or more most of the time (assumes one is talking about one missing hearing as a sense).

The truth hurts but one who can acknowledge that can go far in life...
 
mouse said:
shel, I respectfully disagree. The terms "disability and disabled" mean the same thing according to the Disability Act. Legislators and government have been debating this topic for decades, and I do not want go back in time and have these labels amended (the term disabled and disability have helped achieve accessibility ). Deafness is a medical issue according to law, thereby making it a "disability" or "disabled person".

Some people can't overcome their disabilities, and become "stuck", "baffled", "stumped", I'm not going to submit and say they are "disabled".

According to the Dictionary:
Disabled people: People with disabilities
Disability: medical condition restricting activities: a medically diagnosed condition that makes it difficult to engage in the activities of daily life.

With that said, I'm not ashamed of who I am, nor will I let it stop me from achieving my dreams. I say Affirmations of Love to myself daily, and I fully accept myself as a person with a disability. You and I are gladiators in this benevolent world. Peace and love to you friend.
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I dont have to agree with the definition. I consider myself as a person who has a disability, the inability to hear. I am not disabled meaning I am completely unable to do anything like a disabled car that doesnt work. I still have a working mind and working body. :)

Right, I wont let it stop myself from achieving my dreams.
 
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