Privilege: It is precarious term. Often, when the word "privilege" is used by activists, it puts a negative connotation on the person (or group of people) who are being labeled as “privileged”. The definition of "privilege," as defined by the Merriam- Webster Dictionary is "a right or benefit that is given to some people and not to others; a special opportunity to do something that makes you proud; the advantage that wealthy and powerful people have over other people in a society." Are we using the term correctly?
When someone says, “You are doing well and have all of these things because you have hearing or Deaf privilege,” that shouldn’t mean that hearing or Deaf people should have to feel guilty about what they have accomplished. The comparison of hearing to Deaf is where the problem lies. The ignorant people that are denying interpreters, refusing accommodations, and abusing power to do things that are bad for the Deaf community are the ones that should be guilty. The Deaf community is already small enough as it is and the way we are towards one another just segregates us further. It's bad enough that we're set worlds apart from hearing people, but we shouldn't be set apart from one another. I say, let the real oppressors hear/see that we will not oppress each other like the real oppressors have done and are trying to do for the love of control, power and money.
It breaks my heart when the Deaf community is practicing reverse discrimination because there are so many people out there that are not welcome in the Deaf community. They get labeled as hearing or not being "Deaf enough" because they are either oral, lack knowledge of ASL, have the ability to speak, or utilize cochlear implant/hearing aids to access sound. They are not Deaf enough for the Deaf world, or not oral enough for the hearing world. Too often these days we spend so much time pushing people out because we are so angry for being so discriminated for so long but what did that lead us to? It is causing us to be blinded by anger and making it difficult for any of us to succeed. I know that hearing people discriminate against the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing ALL THE TIME by not giving access every day of their life. The Deaf community has been oppressed for so many years that it has become to the point where it is living in its own bubbles.
If hearing people is making effort to be involved in Deaf community, and are working so hard with us and getting betterment for the Deaf community, then who are we to push them out just simply because they are hearing or not Deaf enough? How are we supposed to be any different than "oppressed people" if we become like them drawing line of who can be part of the community just because they are hearing or not Deaf enough. How are we supposed to expect equal treatment from hearing people if we don’t do the same to them? If we don't embrace and support each other, the Deaf community living inside its own bubble will disappear soon.
We need to use our Deaf privilege and hearing privilege to educate and make right a situation that was wrong. Even though there are hearing privileges that exist, it can benefit the Deaf community instead of taking advantage of it. The hearing people should use their hearing privilege to the advantage of the Deaf community. The Deaf people should use their Deaf privilege to the advantage of the hearing community too. At the end of the day, the majority of people on Earth is hearing so we need to learn how to accept them, work with them and compromise with them to succeed. It is our duty to educate them about the Deaf culture and to make them feel welcome. After all, you know what it feels like to be oppressed, right? So why would you do that to someone else? It does not matter if you are hearing or Deaf, it is not okay to take another humans’ rights away. If you want the discrimination to end, whether you are Deaf or hearing, then let's be a team and let us be a wonderful example of allowing hearing, oral, CI, and those with hearing aids to be part of the Deaf community. We need to be great example that ALL people can be in one community whether they hearing or Deaf as long there is no communication barriers, teamwork, kindness, patience and understanding. Regardless of our hearing ability or our fluency at ASL, we are all one community, one world. It's about time we started acting like it.
I am Deaf, fluent in ASL and oral with cochlear implant. That is my life choice, not yours. I have not experience being discriminated by the Deaf community, but I advocate for the people that have. They deserve rights just as much as you deserve rights. Each of us has value. Don't discount anyone. We can be the change, we can promote equality and no Deaf or hearing will have to be rejected by either community. Let's stay focused on our goal of unity and keep moving forward. We can set the example and show the world how people with different backgrounds and cultures accomplish great things TOGETHER.
