There are many different words in the English language that describes a negative attitude of a certain race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and so forth. Considering there are such people living on our planet that does not tolerate and accept diversity in other people, it has become necessary to invent words such as: racism, sexism, nazism, ageism, sizeism, and anti-semitism. Those ‘isms’ defines the very element of extreme ignorance and bigotry towards a specific person or a group.
When you are dealing with a bigot that is prejudiced to a race other than his/her own, they’re guilty of racism. If a male/female thinks that their sex is superior to the opposite sex, that’s sexism. If one is a supporter of Hitler and his nazi atrocities, then they are participating in nazism. If an employer does not hire a person because he/she is too old, or considered too young, that is an act of ageism. If someone exhibits hostility or discriminates against a Jewish person, that’s anti-semitism. Now, what do you call the act of discriminating against a deaf person? Audism.
*Audism (from Latin audire, and –ism, a system of practice, behavior, belief, or attitude) has been variously defined as:
1.) The belief that life without hearing is futile and miserable, that hearing loss is a tragedy and "the scourge of mankind," and that deaf people should struggle to be as much like hearing people as possible.
2.) The notion that one is superior based on one’s ability to hear or behave in the matter of one who hears. (Zak 1996)
3.) An attitude based on pathological thinking, which results in a negative stigma toward anyone who does not hear; like racism, sexism, audism judges, labels, and limits individuals on the basis of whether a person hears and speaks. (Humphrey and Alcorn 1995: 85)
4.) The corporate institution for dealing with deaf people—dealing with them by making statements about them, authorizing views of them, describing them, teaching about them, governing where they go to school and, in some cases, where they live; in short, audism is the hearing way of dominating, restructuring, and exercising authority over the deaf community. It includes such professional people as administrators of schools for deaf children and of training programs for deaf adults, interpreters, and some audiologists, speech therapists, otologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, librarians, researchers, social workers, and hearing aid specialists. (Lane 1992: 43)
5.) Lack of providing proper accessibility for the deaf anywhere, the ignorance of, or the neglecting of doing their research and providing equal accessibility. For instance, providing wheelchair ramps, Braille on buttons, but not captioning, or interpreting for the deaf, or other such deaf-related accessibilities.
For a long time, there has not been a definition of “audism” in the dictionary, in our society, and in general. The reason for that being, the very word “audism” generally is much more rampant than other ‘isms’ that exists out there- why? We are surrounded by audists 24 hours, 7 days a week, everywhere. In 1975, Tom Humphries coined the word “audism” in need for a word to describe the very act of hearing superiority. Capital D Magazine, (Vol. 1, issue 1)
Does that really surprise you? Think about it. We are surrounded by hearing people 24/7- and often, they don’t realize that they are guilty of audism. Most of them even feel justified in their beliefs. That’s exactly why the word “audism” took so long to be coined. So, in effect, the fact that the words such as racism, ageism, sizeism, sexism, and nazism- existed long before the word ‘audism’ is in itself, audism. The fact that audism does not register as something that is very real and present in most people’s minds is audism itself, because the root of the very problem is the ignorance, fear and superiority-minded of/over the deaf person.
When you go to the store, the cashier that looks at you funny, because you are deaf is an audist. In a school for the deaf, when a hearing administrator makes decisions concerning the deaf without consulting a deaf person, that is audism. When a school, institution, or a deaf-oriented entity hires a teacher or an administrator that doesn’t know ASL, is audism. When you go to the movies, and there is no closed captioning or open captioning on the screen, that is audism. When riding an elevator, you see Braille on the buttons, but no TTY for the emergency phone, or a captioning screen for the elevator music or PA systems- that’s audism. When a deaf person’s suggestion for improvement related to deaf accessibility is ignored, simply because they don’t feel that it’s important, or necessary, or the deaf person’s opinion does not matter- that’s audism.
Did you know that there is such a term in the deaf community called “The Family Dog”? No, it doesn’t mean literally the family dog. It is a term to describe a deaf person that is left out to the point that their attention and treatment is comparable to how they’d treat a dog. Many deaf people, when at their hearing relatives’ houses, hearing friends, or a public gathering with hearing people, deaf people are left out- forcing the deaf person to entertain themselves somehow. Many deaf people would look at the ceilings, the wall, study people and try to understand them, or they would make best friends with the household pet. Did you hearing parents really think your deaf child did miracles by creating a special bond with your family pet? It’s no miracle… It was a desperate act of entertainment- so get that idea out of your head. The very act of leaving your deaf relative or friend out is audism at its best.
In some cases, some hearing parents are worried that their deaf child will “turn against them” if their child developed a deaf identity. In certain cases, their concern is validated- that is- only if they’re audists. Deaf children don’t turn against their parents just because they discovered their identity. They turn against them because they were audists and oppressed them, or treated them differently. In fact, the very thought or belief that their deaf child will “turn against them” just because they discovered their deaf self is audistic.
Many hearing parents cry when they discover their child is deaf. That's audism. The deaf child is capable of learning ASL and adapting. There are many successful deaf people that functions just as well, or better than the average American citizen. Many parents and people in society tend to feel sympathy for the deaf. It suggests that because they are without hearing, they are severely handicapped. In what way is the child severely handicapped? Just because he/she can't hear music, doesn't mean that they're severely handicapped. Just because they can't hear, doesn't mean they can't succeed out in the world. In other words, they are obsessed with hearing aids and speech therapy. That's a form of audism as well.
The fact that a hearing person would think that deafness is a problem needs to be fixed is audism. The whole existence of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and any other hearing assistive devices is a result of audism. It's also a direct result of ignornant audiologists' pathological need to 'fix' or 'repair' a deaf person's hearing- or to force them to hear. In fact, there are many deaf people that finds hearing aids useless. Why force them to wear them? Hearing aids causes ear infections in many deaf people, cochlear implant causes nerve damage and discomfort, and it encourages the idea that deafness needs to be fixed. Every single audiologist & speech teacher in the world is an audist, period. If he/she truly realizes that their very position is a result of audism, then he/she would have the widsom to make a career change.
Have you realized that clumping deaf people with other disabilities is audism? For instance- the special Olympics- the fact that they put deaf people in the special Olympics is outrageously audistic! Why? How are we physically incapable of doing sports? How are we incapable of participating in the regular Olympics? The mere suggestion that the deaf be a part of that is suggesting that they are incapable of competing in sports events like everyone else. It is suggesting that the hearing organizers, participators, spectators, sponsors, and activists believes that deafness itself is a disability. It suggests a mindset that all the ‘disabled’ people belong together, away from the usual society happenstances. That’s discrimination, as well as audism.
Just food for thought- The term: "Special Education". What does it have to do with teaching deaf people? What's special about it? Nothing. Think about it. How about this- there have been times where when a hearing person mentioned that they have a friend that’s in a wheelchair, and then the other hearing person says “oh yeah, I know a deaf guy”. That’s audistic and un-called for.
Sometimes audism has such an impact on a deaf person that without realizing, they participate in audism themselves. Once, I had a friendly discussion with a deaf person, about the topic of discrimination. This person asked me "honestly, which would you prefer- a hearing army to protect you, or a deaf army?" The point of that comment was to suggest that not every job is suitable for a deaf person. I pointed out "Well, I'd trust and rather a deaf army well equipped with assistive devices."
How about this one- Gallaudet University. Gallaudet is supposed to be the deaf center of America- many deaf people have attended Gallaudet University at some point in their lives. Many books on the topic of deafness has been published by the university, “Deaf President Now” happened at Gallaudet University, and many other such related things has occurred there- as it is a political hotbed for deaf politics.
Do you notice something odd about the name- 'Gallaudet' University? Who brought the idea that deaf people are independent, capable, and normal- to America? Was it Thomas Gallaudet? No. He was merely a vessel. The true hero here is Laurent Clerc, the deaf Frenchman that Thomas Gallaudet brought back to America to start ASL as well as promote deaf education.
Clerc was a deaf man, the grandfather of deaf culture, and all that is deaf in America. He is responsible for the existence of our culture, our language, our identity, and our pride. Without Clerc, there would probably not be a such thing as ASL or 'deaf culture' in America. Without Clerc, the deaf would have continued to be considered incapable, incompetent, be cast aside, and they would remain uneducated. Please keep in mind, Thomas Gallaudet originally went to England to learn the oral method. But, fate turned out in our favor and Gallaudet met Clerc. Fortunately, Clerc put Gallaudet on the right path and saved us from certain audistic hell.
Yet, Gallaudet University is called “Gallaudet University”. Why? Audism. Throughout history, hearing people have always taken credit for the deaf’s hard work. It’s time to push aside Thomas Gallaudet, credit him simply for bringing Clerc to America, and start recognizing Clerc as the one to thank, respect, & honor. In short, Gallaudet University should be renamed 'Clerc University'.
People who have audist attitudes are considered to be audists. Under this definition, deaf people who will not use sign language and who will not identify with the deaf community and consider themselves to be "better" than others who use sign language and are part of deaf culture, meet the definition of audism. Oralists that are associated with the Alexander Graham Bell Association falls under this category. Please note that Alexander Graham Bell encouraged oralism and was against the use & existence of ASL, and tried to stop the use of ASL. For that reason, I nominate him the biggest audist asshole in the history of mankind. Please excuse my 'French'.
When you think of a person as a racist, sexist, fascist, or a rapist, does it send a jolt or a shock throughout your body, or does it make your stomach turn? If it does, it means you are alive, and a human being. Now, since audism is now official, and now since the word ‘audism’ has joined the ranks of the evil ‘isms, does it shock your or make your stomach turn? It should!
Audism is a very ugly word, but quite necessary. It helps enable an audist to realize that audism is wrong, period. The term 'audist' is a term to describe an evil and vile person. An audist is a person that is just so horrible that we, as a deaf ‘race’ should fight for our right to be ‘viewed’. Not heard, but ‘viewed’. It’s time that we stopped tolerating audism.
Some people say “but… I didn’t know.” So what? There is the internet, use it! Those ignorant people have a responsibility to know everything about the people that lives in his/her society. We live in a very modern society, and there is no excuse for any evil ‘isms, including audism. Here’s a good example- homosexuality. I personally am not homosexual, however, I do have some basic understanding & acceptance of that community. I’m not African-American, but I do have a basic understanding of their perspective on society, and their culture. I’m not blind, but I have a basic understanding of the accessibility devices they have, the schools they attend, their terminology, and basic facts. This goes for every minority group in the USA. Why do I know about them? Because I utilized the use of the internet, and did my homework.
Now it’s time for hearing people to do the same. No excuses. An audist is an audist, regardless of the conditions, period. Racism, Sexism, Nazism, Ageism, Anti-Semitism, Nigger, Nazi, Old Fart, Kike, Mick, Faggot, Homo, Fatso, and Cripple. When do you think about those words, how does it make you feel? The word ‘audism’ should make you feel the same way.
LET'S STOP AUDISM!
Erick Ketcham, '97
To show your support for the fight against audism, please feel free to buy something from the deaf stuff section of cafepress.com, to send a clear message to audists. Notice there’s even a shirt for the dog? Say NO to audism!
'What can I do' to help stop audism?
1. Don't tolerate it.
2. Don't participate in audism.
3. Help spread the word 'audism' by telling people about it.
4. Discuss 'audism' with other people and understand its meaning & how it affects deaf people.
*Sources:
Audism.org
Gallaudet University's Audism FAQ
Audism at deafness.about.com
About Audism at Lifeprint
Dupor Deaf Art
Definition of Audism at www.wikipedia.com
Credits:
The deaf artwork shown in this article was done by Susan Dupor, a wonderful & skilled deaf artist.
Please feel free to visit her webpage. She has some artwork and posters available for sale.