cripchick’s weblog

shit. Today i actually asked a friend, who is Deaf, if she’d be okay if i didn’t learn Sign. Ever. It hit me how privileged I’ve been acting—to reap the benefits of deaf culture, to have Deaf/hh friends, to discuss deaf culture when i’m a hearing person,  and the worst, to appropriate deaf culture into something that represents disability culture without talking it over with anyone*… and the whole time, not even making an effort to learn the language, which is often the foundation of a people’s culture. Even doing things like making well-intentioned, slightly empty promises to her about learning ASL is basked in privilege.

Language is just the beginning, I know older hearing people who sign and think they get everything. For me though, what I’ve done worst is expect everything to come to me. Expecting deaf people to voice and lipread. Letting people complain about the cost of terps and taking pride in the fact that I didn’t think like that. Talking up inclusion and strategizing ways to get more deaf/hh people involved in OUR organization but never committing real time to understand their culture or learn when to be an ally and when to be a fellow disabled sister.  Making up excuses like: “talking with Deaf people is when I’m the most comfortable” because it’s the one time talking is “natural” since I don’t have to worry about making sound (you have to learn new ways of talking with a trach, such as me using my hands to stop air from going into my trach so that it passes over my vocal cords.)
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