Something to think about re oral only/mainstreaming

deafbajagal said:
I was successful at being oral, and I'm embarrassed by it. I shouldn't be. And I feel guilty when I know that it didn't work out for so many. Many of my deaf friends have no idea I can speak, as I hide it from them. Does that make me a hypocrite? Or does it make me respectful to them? I don't know.

I'm 31 years old, and I still don't know.

(Reaction from reading something Dare said)
Click to expand...

no you shouldn't have to hide it. Be proud Bilingual!
 
I've been bashed by deaf people for using speech, or at least shunned. Some will say, "Oh, then you are hard of hearing if you can speak" (and usually I'm more deaf than the one saying it). I believe that if my boss knew I could speak, he would not hire me as a deaf education teacher.
 
deafbajagal said:
I've been bashed by deaf people for using speech, or at least shunned. Some will say, "Oh, then you are hard of hearing if you can speak" (and usually I'm more deaf than the one saying it). I believe that if my boss knew I could speak, he would not hire me as a deaf education teacher.
Click to expand...

That is ridiculous! I can not believe that! I would say that is the definition of reverse audism :shock:
 
I've been bashed by deaf people for using speech, or at least shunned. Some will say, "Oh, then you are hard of hearing if you can speak" (and usually I'm more deaf than the one saying it).
Click to expand...
Ah yes...."deafer then thou" Deafies. :roll: Granted that sort of attitude does suck major league......but a) those Deafies are dying. I think I read that only about 1% of Deaf kids are voice off unaided/unCId now a days. and b) that attitude was born of certain holier then thou kids who thought they were better then ASL users b/c they were orally educated and thus "better educated" :roll:
and granted it does seem that the presense of a couple of "deafer then thou" types can seem like they speak for an entire community, b/c the pediatric Deaf community is so small.
But I have found that most people are very welcoming, as they understand that it wasn't our fault we weren't exposed to ASL until late.
 
It depends on where you live...I just moved to a new town that is full of "deafer than thou" folks. Ugh.

Most people here are cool, though. :)
 
Some will say, "Oh, then you are hard of hearing if you can speak" (and usually I'm more deaf than the one saying it).
Click to expand...
Oh don't you just love that? But then again, maybe they're talking about being functionally hoh......does that make any sense?
There are people on here who label switch from "hoh" to deaf.
 
deafdyke said:
Oh don't you just love that? But then again, maybe they're talking about being functionally hoh......does that make any sense?
There are people on here who label switch from "hoh" to deaf.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I know exactly what deafbajagal is saying. Deaf people have seen me talk to other people and they said "You are not deaf, you are HoH" but I've been profoundly deaf since birth! And I didn't get much out of HAs growing up, only environmental sounds and vowels. I'm as deaf as you can get without being total deaf. So deaf people here have made quick assumptions about me. Even when I correct them, they just kinda blow me off. Maybe they think that I'm one of those people who is "functionally HoH" but decided to call herself deaf. By their reactions, you'd think it's impossible for a deaf person to speak?!
 
deafbajagal said:
I've been bashed by deaf people for using speech, or at least shunned. Some will say, "Oh, then you are hard of hearing if you can speak" (and usually I'm more deaf than the one saying it). I believe that if my boss knew I could speak, he would not hire me as a deaf education teacher.
Click to expand...

It's cause your speech is "too good". I heard and I agree, you can pass without catching the attention of a hearing person. If you did have bad speech, that probably makes them feel more at ease that you are "at their level" is my best guess. Which is stupid, because to me if you put those skills to public and the hearing knew how deaf you were, it would cause shockers, exactly like your past experiences.

Crab theory really seems to hold back deaf culture. I don't get why some culturally Deafs can't think deeper than past the surface issues.. Seriously.
 
naisho said:
It's cause your speech is "too good". I heard and I agree, you can pass without catching the attention of a hearing person. If you did have bad speech, that probably makes them feel more at ease that you are "at their level" is my best guess. Which is stupid, because to me if you put those skills to public and the hearing knew how deaf you were, it would cause shockers, exactly like your past experiences.

Crab theory really seems to hold back deaf culture. I don't get why some culturally Deafs can't think deeper than past the surface issues.. Seriously.
Click to expand...

I had to google "crab theory". Interesting. Learned something new today. :)

It's a group mentality thing.
 
naisho said:
It's cause your speech is "too good". I heard and I agree, you can pass without catching the attention of a hearing person. If you did have bad speech, that probably makes them feel more at ease that you are "at their level" is my best guess. Which is stupid, because to me if you put those skills to public and the hearing knew how deaf you were, it would cause shockers, exactly like your past experiences.

Crab theory really seems to hold back deaf culture. I don't get why some culturally Deafs can't think deeper than past the surface issues.. Seriously.
Click to expand...

Curious...why all the blame on Deaf people and Deaf culture?

What aobut people telling us stuff like how we need to improve ourselves by getting CIs or there should be laws mandating every deaf child get implanted? How should we react to that...agree with them?
 
shel90 said:
Curious...why all the blame on Deaf people and Deaf culture?

What aobut people telling us stuff like how we need to improve ourselves by getting CIs or there should be laws mandating every deaf child get implanted? How should we react to that...agree with them?
Click to expand...

???
But that's not what he is talking about.
 
shel90 said:
Ok, then I misunderstood. My apologies.
Click to expand...

It's alright. There is no problem with standing up for what you believe in, like in the case you mentioned. "Everyone should get a CI". This stems from ignorance mostly and should be fought back.

But what I took from Naisho's post is sometimes in the deaf culture, deaf people who are perceived to "speak well" are met with some form of hostility and this can hold back deaf culture.
 
It's cool, I have nothing against the general concept and idea of deaf culture. If someone wants to get a CI or not, it is their own choice and entitlement to decide with all information given on the pros and cons of having one, the same with going an SL route - not just one kind, but all the kinds of sign.

What I was trying to say was more in regards to them putting down others who may seem "more hearing" than not. I have observed it going around on others. If deaf culture truly wants to be recognized as a desirable community, these 'deaf speakers' who have good speech are actually beneficial in getting the culture recognized. It's like Jiro's thread, "The Talking Deafie" is a spin of it's own.

If "talking deafies" were used in hearing societies, it would no doubt promote more awareness in society that deafs can function exactly like them - just they can't hear as well. Which in turn, theoretically speaking, could stabilize certain things like positions lost due to being seen as deaf in the job industry, for example.

I don't know if it would promote any direction toward oralness, but my point is that the "Deaf people are dumb and can't do anything" stereotype would get phased out in the long run.

Hearing audi's and an ASL teacher have asked me why my speech is "normal" given my deafness, I don't have a response other than saying I am oral mainstreamed.
 
deafdyke said:
Oh don't you just love that? But then again, maybe they're talking about being functionally hoh......does that make any sense?
There are people on here who label switch from "hoh" to deaf.
Click to expand...

Yes, at first I identified myself as HoH, because that is the label the specialists in the '70s gave me because they were audists. As an adult and discovering that I am and have been so since birth, in fact severely-deaf, I identify myself now as deaf (who is a late-learner of sign language)
 
shel90 said:
If the child doesn't have full acess to everything at school due to oralism , then it is most likely the child doesn't have full access to language, information, and etc outside of school.

That 24/7 inaccesibility is really really wrong, in my eyes.

If the parents aren't willing to learn sign language or the child can't understand spoken English most of the time, at least by being in a BiBI program, they have full access to everything.

The best case would be a BIBI environment both at home and at school. No risks for any language delays or deficits.
Click to expand...

I think I agree with most of this ^. I would consider myself someone somewhat socially inept only because I didn't really have an "equal" chance to learn social rules. Can I be awkward as hell? Sure. Can I be charming? Absolutely. But I'm constantly reminded of my upbringing by the situations I encounter today. Sometimes I freeze or panic in bigger groups. Sometimes my personal relationships suffer because I don't do enough reciprocally. Shrug. Probably would've helped to have socialized more with deaf kids. Academically successful because I'm more curious than anything else I can describe myself as. Perhaps I also wanted to fit in the mainstream program by earning decent grades and competing with "normal" kids.
 
Back
Top