I am a proud Deaf American. No, I do not have hearing loss. Despite the fact that I listen to the TV too loud and sometimes have to ask "what?" a few times when someone says something to me, I am a hearing person. And yet, I am still Deaf.
You might be asking me how I can be Deaf while still hearing? Isn't a Deaf person somebody that cannot hear? No, that is not always the case. A deaf person is somebody that cannot hear, a Deaf person is something completely different. Can you see the difference? One is a lowercase "d" and the other is an uppercase "D." This is not a typo or mistake in the article, it's an important difference and meaning in the Deaf community.
Going onto my fourth level of American Sign Language (ASL), I have learned so much about the Deaf community and Deaf culture. I have learned that being deaf is not a disability. This probably surprises some people, it surprised me at first. However, deaf people do not see themselves as disabled. They're proud to be Deaf, they're prideful of their Deaf world and they want others to understand that.
I've attended Deaf events in Iowa City and they have changed my life. I approached the first one extremely nervous, terrified that I wouldn't be welcomed because of my clumsy signing and lack of vocabulary. I thought I would be judged for not being Deaf, just as hearing people judge the Deaf for not being hearing.
However, this was exactly the opposite. I walked in and the first Deaf man I approached asked for my name to sign me in. I was nervous and he signed faster than I was used to, so I gave him a confused look and started to panic. He immediately smiled at me, re-signed what he was asking, and looked at me to make sure I understood. And, I did. It was exciting. I was communicating and using the skills I learned in a classroom in the real world, with Deaf people. My professor was Deaf, and he was absolutely amazing, but I didn't know if the other Deaf people of the community would be the same.
The Deaf people at this event immediately welcomed me. They sat with me as we bowled, and let me sign about myself, as that was pretty much all I knew how to do at the time, and made jokes with me, laughed with me, and made fun of how I needed bumpers to bowl. I was having the time of my life and honestly forgot that I was different from them. It didn't matter to me that I could hear the bowling ball slide down the lane, and they couldn't. It didn't matter to them that I could only sign at a pace that probably took a lot of patience for them to sit through. We were just people, spending time together, and enjoying each other's company.
And every event I have gone to since then has been the same experience. I have been welcomed into the Deaf community, and I couldn't be more proud. Yet, as a "Deaf" person, I don't just go bowling and sign in my free time.
I am an advocate for Deaf people, and I fight with them. This means I spread awareness on Deaf beliefs, such as the importance of not implanting your children with Cochlear Implants. I care about their history, such as the fight against a hearing president at Gallaudet University and the touching moment when their DPN protests were finally successful and they received their first ever Deaf president in 1988. I talk about the importance of all Americans learning ASL and becoming more educated on Deaf culture. I care about the etiquette of ASL and learning the proper culture, such as how to interact with Deaf people, the importance of information sharing, and the pride of being Deaf.
It hurts my heart at how deaf people are treated, and I wish more people understood the importance of learning ASL and familiarizing themselves with Deaf culture. I don't expect every person to be an active member in the Deaf community, but by educating yourself on how to interact with deaf people and understand them a little more will create more cohesion for our country. According to Gallaudet University, in 2005 there were over 1 million deaf people in the United States, and the number has grown since. This means that there are over 1 million people in the country that most people cannot communicate with whatsoever. Please consider educating yourself, as I have. I am a Deaf American, and I am proud.
