May 2005

This article appeared at i711.com.

I think it’s a never-ending struggle.

I’m, of course, talking about the persistent use of “hearing impaired” and other related terms. Tom Willard, a writer who is also Deaf, published an amusing article in August 1993 about how Deaf people are portrayed in the media. He wrote that journalists have a tendency to use the same words in stories about deaf or hard of hearing people (i.e., “silent” or “through an interpreter”), and that they also tend to write as if “deafness” is something to be overcome. 12 years later, his article continues to ring true.

Someone recently sent me a real estate ad that upset some people. The ad said:
HEARING IMPAIRED? [Agent’s name deleted for privacy] now has hearing impaired agents to work with your needs.

I decided to fax this agent in case she wasn’t aware about the inappropriateness of using “hearing impaired,” and included a print out of the National Association of the Deaf’s comments on correct terminology (available at www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=103786) I appreciated her attempt at reaching out to deaf and hard of hearing people, though.

The faxed response said (all typos are hers), “Hello, Thank you for your informative fax. I hire hearing impaired agents and secretaries. They are the Ones that set up the ad for me. You might want to educate whom ever wrote you this letter. May God Bless you today!”

I replied that that this “letter” was actually an article from the NAD website, and that I was preparing to write a column about the use of ‘hearing impaired’ in general. I got a second fax, apparently from one of her agents, saying:

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ADD THIS TO YOUR ARTICLE AS WELL. THANK GOD FOR A COMPANY THAT HAS A TTY FOR REAL ESTATE. My name is [deleted] and I work for [name deleted]. I instructed [name deleted] to use the Words hearing impaired and tty numbers. We are most thankful to have a real estate firm that Cares about our needs. I am proud to be working for [agency] and we want our hearing impaired friends to Contact us via our tty or stop by our office any time. God Bless You All.

Hmm. This is an intriguing matter. Even with Deaf people’s complaints about the labels pasted on our foreheads by society, we’re shot in the feet (often unintentionally) by people who have hearing losses but prefer to identify themselves as “hearing impaired.” Maybe they aren’t educated on the history behind the use of ‘hearing impaired’, or maybe they choose to use those words.

I completely understand, and respect, how the majority of people with hearing losses do not identify with the Deaf community. I also have no problem with people who identify themselves as ‘hearing impaired’ – it is their choice, after all. Still, shouldn’t my identity be respected? Each time someone insists on calling me hearing impaired, it’s a slap in my face. And ironically, most of the slaps in my face come from individuals who have hearing losses themselves or from families of deaf people.

This has nothing to do with whether if they identify with the Deaf community, the hard of hearing community, the late-deafened community, the DeafBlind community or the hearing world; it’s about respect. Maybe it’s just semantics, but terminology has a huge role in how one’s self-respect is revealed. Words also reveal how far a group has come – especially a cultural minority like the Deaf community.

In school, I called myself “H.I.” simply because the teachers at where I was mainstreamed told me “deaf” wasn’t a good thing to be. I look back on those days with disbelief. How could I have allowed hearing people, who could barely sign, dictate my cultural identity? Would they have done that to a hearing kid from a different culture?

For us to be able to call ourselves Deaf without backlash is a major step forward, and enables us to reclaim our history, identity, and opportunities. How I identify myself really should be respected by everyone, deaf or hearing. Just because people don’t identify with Deaf culture doesn’t mean they can speak for us, or us for them. Why is it even an “us versus them” mentality, anyway? Shouldn’t we all mutually respect each other regardless of label and identity?

Perhaps this mutual respect is so difficult to achieve because people still do not accept the idea that there is a culture among Deaf people. Take the recent letter in the May 23 issue of People in response to a story about Marvin Miller’s plans for Laurent, S.D.:

Has activist Marvin Miller lost more than just his hearing in “Building a Town for the Deaf”? Through the miracle of the cochlear implant, my deaf child lives in the world of hearing. Deafness is not a culture but a disability. Miller gives new meaning to the expression “deaf and dumb.”_- Deborah Gideon, Pepper Pike, Ohio

Ouch.

Would this letter have been published had it contained racial or ethnic slurs? I think not. Yet the editors of People found it fit to publish, calling us “deaf and dumb.” It would have been equally hurtful had the writer said “hearing impaired” for me, because it represents so much more than just an insult for me.

So, yeah, it’s a never-ending struggle. The bottom line here is that even if people call me hearing impaired, I am Deaf.

UPDATE: The real estate agency mentioned in the above article quickly changed the wording to ‘deaf’ as soon as they learned the implications and history of using ‘hearing impaired.’ Kudos to them!

People has also sent me e-mail saying they will be printing an apology in the next issue.

Copyrighted material. This article can not be copied, reproduced, or redistributed without the written consent of the author.

This article originally appeared at i711.com.

Recently, a friend attempted suicide. She changed her mind in the process, and decided to call local suicide resources to try and get some help. Nine of the ten places hung up immediately when they heard that it was a relay call. The tenth one said, “We don’t provide interpreters,” and hung up before my friend even said a word. Eventually, she found a friend to confide in, but still needs counseling services that are American Sign Language (ASL) accessible.

Another friend had suicidal thoughts several years ago. When I drove him to the hospital at his request, he was sent home after an overnight stay because they didn’t have the appropriate services. The interpreters sent for this assignment all knew my friend through work. My friend was embarrassed and frustrated, and to date, has never gotten the counseling and help he wants.

There are countless Deaf people who want or need counseling services, but are unable to receive them due to different factors. One such factor is the shortage of interpreters due to video relay services and high demand for interpreters. I know a man who has had his appointments rescheduled repeatedly due to the unavailability of interpreters. Another factor is the discomfort of sharing personal information in the presence of interpreters, especially if you know many of the interpreters in your area. It doesn’t matter if interpreters are supposed to keep everything confidential; it’s still uncomfortable, period, especially if you’re sharing information about abuse or molestation.

In so many parts of the country – including major cities – there are very few or no counseling services or mental health services readily available for ASL-using Deaf people. The only alternatives are to look – usually with no luck – for counselors willing to provide interpreters (and who wants to deal with threatening mental health agencies with lawsuits if they don’t provide accommodations?). Then it’s even more difficult to try and find counselors who are familiar enough with Deaf culture and ASL to understand the intricate details of the Deaf community, where everybody knows everybody and nothing stays a secret very long.

What are solutions? There are so few currently available. I personally think our Deaf community is at a crisis point when it comes to mental health services. The National Association of the Deaf has a position paper and fact sheet in regards to mental health, and while these documents are beneficial, they’re not enough. We need to come up with immediate, successful solutions — and fast. This crisis is preventable, and it’s a tragedy to think about how many Deaf people have committed suicide just because services weren’t available or accessible to them.

One possible alternative is to utilize online counseling services. Of course, this isn’t feasible for people who don’t feel comfortable using written English — but there are legit, certified counselors who provide services via e-mail. This has been a wonderful alternative for some people who have a good mastery of the language, and don’t want to worry about whether they know the therapist or the interpreter. The process is quite simple: the client and the therapist e-mail each other on a regular basis or even talk via AIM. It can be a bit slower than face-to-face therapy, but is quite effective for long-term counseling.

Another alternative is something that hasn’t been utilized yet on a widespread basis: the videophone. There are ASL-fluent counselors who could use videophones for counseling sessions when appropriate. Using videophones would remove the obstacle of knowing the interpreters or therapist, and counseling sessions can be done from the comforts of the home and/or office. But the best benefit of this, I think, would be the ability to provide services anywhere. For instance, a person who lives in rural Vermont could access mental health services in, say, Washington, D.C. or even Las Vegas. It’d be cost- effective, time-effective, and a valued service filling a gap.

Meanwhile, until better alternatives are developed, people like my friends will continue wrestling with their emotional and mental needs, and feeling desolate and dismal about recovering from their emotional/mental pain. The Deaf community cannot let this go on anymore. We need to have mental health services immediately available and accessible for Deaf people in ASL with no rescheduling, no delay, and no cultural barriers.

After all, this is a life or death matter.

Copyrighted material. This article can not be copied, reproduced, or redistributed without the written consent of the author.

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