Stereotypes of the deaf and hard of hearing

SJCSue

SJCSue

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Every Tuesday night, I go to group counseling. Last night, I brought up that people stereotype me as being stupid because my speech is not always clear. :dunno: What are stereotypes for the deaf and hard of hearing?
 
One of the stereotypes i came up against time and time again was the assumption that deaf people are also all mutes.
 
Some stereotypes I've come across (note that some of these are opposites):
  • All deaf people can lipread and speak
  • All deaf people who can speak can hear the speaker.
  • All deaf people know ASL
  • All deaf people are stupid
  • All deaf people with hearing aids can hear

Of course, none of these stereotypes are true, but there are hearing people I've met who consider them to be true. :ugh:
 
SJCSue said:
Every Tuesday night, I go to group counseling. Last night, I brought up that people stereotype me as being stupid because my speech is not always clear. :dunno: What are stereotypes for the deaf and hard of hearing?
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I hate stereotypes in general. People need to get to know others befor the judge. And i understand that there is a communication barrier between alot of deaf and HH and hearing but the is still no reason to judge. My girlfriend can talk and it may not be the best speech but she is very smart and has alot to offer the world.
 
here's a stereotype i was thinking about... was going to start its own thread....

Deaf Standard Time....
Deaf are late for everything? if it's true... why?
 
people stereotype me as being stupid because my speech is not always clear
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I get that a lot too......I am DEAF. I can't modulate my voice for crying out loud! I hate having a deaf voice.
 
Murasaki said:
Deaf Standard Time....
Deaf are late for everything? if it's true... why?
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Oh Jeez; this drives me (hearing) and my fiancee (deaf) crazy.

One time we showed up on-time to a local deaf get-together that was supposed to start at 7 pm. The people who were running the event didn't even show up until 8:00. Drives us both nuts.
 
The most common stereotype that comes out to me is the surprise I get sometimes that I drive. Grrr! It's only my ears that don't work not my hands, eyes or feet.
 
In my HA days, it was the fact they thought I heard everything because I spoke so well. Of course, not all of them knew I was HOH either... The ones that did still made that mistake from time to time. :D

With my CI, I catch most everything now... :whistle:
 
I get this steroeptype of being stuck up often when they drive by and beep at me, they did not know I can not hear them.
 
deafdyke said:
I get that a lot too......I am DEAF. I can't modulate my voice for crying out loud! I hate having a deaf voice.
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People will label you as stupid if you reply incorrectly to a question or if you ask them to repeat themselves. Even if you had a "perfect" voice they'd still call you stupid.

Also there are those that think "deaf and dumb" whenever they hear "deaf" and then they think "dumb = stupid" not dumb = mute.
 
My mother told me that I had either said to her sister (my aunt) or grandmother, when the remark was made that I was 'deaf and dumb' that I said, "I am not dumb." If I could remember who I said it to, it would help. It would be noteworthy to say that my aunt (mentioned) was a first grade school teacher and always referred to her kids as "dumb dumbs."
 
ima hearie, and one sterotype i see that hasn't been mentioned, is people say deaf people don't tip well.


stereotypes in general are bogus, but they are a part of society, so all we can do is try not to stereotype others.
 
Ariakkas said:
ima hearie, and one sterotype i see that hasn't been mentioned, is people say deaf people don't tip well.


stereotypes in general are bogus, but they are a part of society, so all we can do is try not to stereotype others.
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Ariakkas ... that's because deaf people don't realize how much an hour do writers/writresses get paid and that they usually have to tip bartenders and bussers. I'm hearing impaired and used to work restaurants so I know about tips. In the past I usually paid at least 20% tips.
 
my mom was a career waitress, so i make sure to tip well. but i understand the arguement on both side, for people who dont believe in tipping. the worker gets paid an hourly rate, if its not enjough they should find another job...but if they did that then we wouldn't have any waiters/waitresses. im loose with my wallet tho so i always tip way more than i should.
 
I'm with you there. Just because they get an hourly (rather low) rate is a bogus issue. The whole idea of the job is that the tips would make up for the low hourly rate and the better one works typically the better the tip. Nothing wrong with that... If tips should be eliminated, then the hourly rate has to go up and some restaurants go out of business.
 
farmerjoe said:
People will label you as stupid if you reply incorrectly to a question or if you ask them to repeat themselves. Even if you had a "perfect" voice they'd still call you stupid.

...
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I'm hard of hearing and I almost always face the stereotype mentioned in this quote.. I cannot understand and so cannot correctly reply to what hearing persons say to me ... so I'm considered to stupid at times... it's really boring and drives me mad :pissed:
 
sr171soars said:
Just because they get an hourly (rather low) rate is a bogus issue. The whole idea of the job is that the tips would make up for the low hourly rate and the better one works typically the better the tip. Nothing wrong with that... If tips should be eliminated, then the hourly rate has to go up and some restaurants go out of business.
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Not that I'm saying waitresses, etc should not be tipped, but you do know that if the sum total of their hourly wage ($2.70, or somewhere around that) plus their tips does not add up to the Minimum wage, the employer must pay them the difference, so they are making at least minimum wage, right?

Now, if that continued, an emlployer would not like keeping that employee on his staff, as he is costing the owner money (theoretically) because of the server's poor service to customers (as evidenced by not getting many tips).

Again, not against tipping, just pointing out that they will get minimum wage, one way or another.
 
Ariakkas said:
ima hearie, and one sterotype i see that hasn't been mentioned, is people say deaf people don't tip well.


stereotypes in general are bogus, but they are a part of society, so all we can do is try not to stereotype others.
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I tipped them well. :)
 
ksbsnowowl said:
Not that I'm saying waitresses, etc should not be tipped, but you do know that if the sum total of their hourly wage ($2.70, or somewhere around that) plus their tips does not add up to the Minimum wage, the employer must pay them the difference, so they are making at least minimum wage, right?
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This is an unfortunate myth. If you don't earn the minimum wage, that's tough luck; employers aren't required to make up for it. Not that the minimum wage is enough to live on anyway (at least, in the US).
 
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