hoh and Deaf culture
- Thread starter Ash44
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can hoh people become part of Deaf culture?
Generally speaking no. At best you can be an 'affiliate' to it, so you have to make the choice really where you want to be and what status you are prepared to accept. You can learn French, it won't make you a French person.
As one who has 'been there and tried that', I can only offer my own experience and found that what you are, usually 'outs', i.e. if you were born with or have a degree of useful hearing and had an oral-based education then forget it. You will just keep trying to be what you aren't, and won't be happy.
You will find trawling through the various deaf and HI sites, that the responses usually end up with 'them and us' and get very heated and angry as a result. In the UK HoH and HI and those who generally come under the term of NON cultural deaf, have started to emerge as a stand alone sector too, to a degree they always were, but now are developing a 'culture' based around LOSS and not language and lifestyle. That is not to say we adopt the 'medical' model of deafness, but attribute to the fact we aren't a cultural deaf member that's all. Hopefully this will clear up confusion in supportive areas and direct that support to particular issues we have.
Put more simply we won't then get offered ASL classes when we need or require lip-reading ones !
Many here in the UK felt, we were 'in the shadow' of deaf cultural aspirations and getting short shrift and support from it, so it is an inevitable progression, we will speak for ourselves. Unfortunately this draws the definitive line now, between deaf cultural people and everyone else, which makes integration/assimilation/access a relative issue instead of a perceived direction and aim we all aspire to i.e. all deaf together all HI with them. Government equal rights laws will also have to be revisited in the light of the fact TWO separate and quite different types of deaf people and the HoH exist. Again, and rather simply, not insist we use services not geared for us, or insist we MUST work together. Much better this is done, in the spirit of equal right and access and not us turning up 'hoping' the deaf supportive system already well established, will let us in.
We can use funds which usually get sidetracked for other things, and put it to good use, i.e. set up stand-alone HoH services, we didn't feel cultural deaf had the expertise or right to distribute and set up, these services should be run by us, we all know what suits us best. A number of HI were put in the position of being FORCED to learn sign language to access HoH services which was ridiculous.
It was never the real case, so I for one, am glad the division that was always there, is now recognized as NOT an us or them, but the recognition that two sectors with differing needs and support/views exists.
Hope that isn't too involved for you
Generally speaking no. At best you can be an 'affiliate' to it, so you have to make the choice really where you want to be and what status you are prepared to accept. You can learn French, it won't make you a French person.
As one who has 'been there and tried that', I can only offer my own experience and found that what you are, usually 'outs', i.e. if you were born with or have a degree of useful hearing and had an oral-based education then forget it. You will just keep trying to be what you aren't, and won't be happy.
You will find trawling through the various deaf and HI sites, that the responses usually end up with 'them and us' and get very heated and angry as a result. In the UK HoH and HI and those who generally come under the term of NON cultural deaf, have started to emerge as a stand alone sector too, to a degree they always were, but now are developing a 'culture' based around LOSS and not language and lifestyle. That is not to say we adopt the 'medical' model of deafness, but attribute to the fact we aren't a cultural deaf member that's all. Hopefully this will clear up confusion in supportive areas and direct that support to particular issues we have.
Put more simply we won't then get offered ASL classes when we need or require lip-reading ones !
Many here in the UK felt, we were 'in the shadow' of deaf cultural aspirations and getting short shrift and support from it, so it is an inevitable progression, we will speak for ourselves. Unfortunately this draws the definitive line now, between deaf cultural people and everyone else, which makes integration/assimilation/access a relative issue instead of a perceived direction and aim we all aspire to i.e. all deaf together all HI with them. Government equal rights laws will also have to be revisited in the light of the fact TWO separate and quite different types of deaf people and the HoH exist. Again, and rather simply, not insist we use services not geared for us, or insist we MUST work together. Much better this is done, in the spirit of equal right and access and not us turning up 'hoping' the deaf supportive system already well established, will let us in.
We can use funds which usually get sidetracked for other things, and put it to good use, i.e. set up stand-alone HoH services, we didn't feel cultural deaf had the expertise or right to distribute and set up, these services should be run by us, we all know what suits us best. A number of HI were put in the position of being FORCED to learn sign language to access HoH services which was ridiculous.
It was never the real case, so I for one, am glad the division that was always there, is now recognized as NOT an us or them, but the recognition that two sectors with differing needs and support/views exists.
Hope that isn't too involved for you
Liza
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Ash44 said:
YES, in my opinion... although it is up to every individual how she or he may want to view deaf culture. You have that power, just like everyone else. You'll be lucky if you meet some really nice and laidback deaf folks who have a mature viewpoint on life
As for myself, I am deaf and a signer - I am interested in one thing regarding deaf culture: Art. I tend to shy away from conspiracy theories, rumormonging, and the rest of dichotomies that come with any culture. I think having dichotomies is a mistake, because it only contributes to problems rather than really resolving them. I don't buy into that, for it is only the darker side of human nature for anyone.
Perhaps you could attend DPHH parties?! Deaf Professionals Happy Hour for any one (hh, deaf, any type of hearing loss) who has a profession.
http://www.dphh.com/
Anij
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Yes , Hoh can be part of the Deaf Community - it might be different elsewhere , but where I live Hoh are welcomed into the Deaf Community.
Deaf is about shared experiences, challenges, language, and values. Now, at least from what I've seen that it's much less to do what the db level of hearing loss you have, and much more how you see the world. Of course I'm sure there are communities of " you have to have at least 90db bi-lat to be in" but I think they're getting to be much less common.
I'm Hoh, but i view myself as a Deaf person. I use a TTY , slignallers, CC, 'terps as needed, I use both ASL and english - and I have a deep respect for Deaf history, and culture. I've never once been told I wasn't "deaf enough" - at least not by any Deaf in the Deaf community.
Though I might do "ok" ( meaning I guess well ) hearing in one on one situations ... in public situations I'm unable to understand ANYTHING even if I can technically "hear" the noise - I'm unable to communicate unless I write things down, speechread, or use ASL.
Deaf is about shared experiences, challenges, language, and values. Now, at least from what I've seen that it's much less to do what the db level of hearing loss you have, and much more how you see the world. Of course I'm sure there are communities of " you have to have at least 90db bi-lat to be in" but I think they're getting to be much less common.
I'm Hoh, but i view myself as a Deaf person. I use a TTY , slignallers, CC, 'terps as needed, I use both ASL and english - and I have a deep respect for Deaf history, and culture. I've never once been told I wasn't "deaf enough" - at least not by any Deaf in the Deaf community.
Though I might do "ok" ( meaning I guess well ) hearing in one on one situations ... in public situations I'm unable to understand ANYTHING even if I can technically "hear" the noise - I'm unable to communicate unless I write things down, speechread, or use ASL.