When did you first become aware of audism?

Some people seem to think Deaf activism comes from Deaf people from Hearing families who have experienced frustration in their lives with Hearing people. They think Deaf people from Deaf families do not experience these frustrations, so do not become activists. However, this theory does not explain people like Ella Mae Lentz and MJ Bienvenu, who are Deaf of Deaf, and strong activists for ASL and Deaf culture (and outspoken against audism). It seems that there must be some common factor that explains why some of us understand and believe in the concept of audism, while others deny its existence. In the vlog, I tell of my first awareness of audism, and ask you all to share when you first came to be aware of audism.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• AudismAware

[Averyofthemain]

What is audism, is this that people think you're stupid because you're deaf. I don't think anybody really believes deaf people are stupid.

[DeafSweetMind]

After all those experience that I was very struggled when I was a kid. Something bothers me in many ways as of disagree with people who tried to manipulate or control my life before the term of Audism exists. That is when I knew that I m different from them and with their audist attitude at that time. I am glad Audism exists that helps me to understand it better. So thats why I m outspoken for a long time. :)

[deaflinux]

I think I experienced deafism back in 1968 at the NJSD. My ASL signing was not that good at that time and I was being put down by Deaf students because they felt superior than I was in terms of using sign language. Audism experience I believe in 1975 when I transferred to a public school system and my writing was not up to par. The hearing students said, "Deaf people like you cannot write and you must be dumb!"