I’ve always hated Deaf Awareness Week. It was never about who we are as people, but who we are as “sufferers” of an affliction, a medical condition, a problem, an impairment, a disability, for which some medicos and deaf awareness raisers come up with such dehumanisating terms as neurologically devastated, implanted, or users of sign language or assistive listening devices.
Defintion by being deconstructed into miniature components, rather than the whole human being.
Ever since becoming Deaf Aware, I’ve come to hate, maybe not hate, but dismissive of some of the organisations that purport to represent us. As the Devil is aware, some actually do some good work, much to his chagrin. But the problem lies in organisations that use the “jack of all trades and master of none”, approach.
I’m in complete solidarity with GOD, Saltbar, Gwallgofi [friendly Leprechaun] and North Of The Stupid Line, and others, regarding RNID’s campaign, World Without Sound. It is actually quite derogatory towards Deaf people. The campaign, along with Deaf Awareness Week, does little to raise awareness about Deaf people as human beings.
RNID, as a long standing organisation, should be sensitive to this.
I must admit, that parts of the campaign, such as when they Subtitled Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus [now there's a touch of irony there or aptness there], and Trafalgar Square. RNID staff or hired hacks roamed the streets with signs, banners and placards with words that simulated sounds, is actually witty. I can actually see the humour in it, but it is being used in the wrong context. I, however, used the same pictures, and recontextualised them.
Now the question that needs is answering is, why is it derogatory towards Deaf people. The answer is quite simple really. If Deaf people regard themselves as a people with a culture and language, and do not consider themselves disabled or that sound is not central to their sense of well being, then how does a campaign such as the one RNID is currently running, raise awareness about this rather big difference? How does an organisation that purports to represent just about every Deafie and deafie in the UK, insult one segment of their constituents, but running campaigns such as this? How does the RNID further the betterment of Deaf people by rehashing the medical model, to the detriment of the segment of its constituents that define themselves as a cultural group?
In my post, The Tree Of Life, The Fruit of Knowledge, Of Good & Evil, published at The Devil’s Playground, I talked about hearing and deafness being polar opposites. One being the equal of the other. That problems arose because the hearing side did not understand the deaf side. RNID’s work, while beneficial to many individuals, is not healing the rift, or closing this schism between Deaf and Hearing. Indeed, a schism can be seen between the Deaf and deaf, who are polar opposites.
That’s how RNID operates. It mines that schism between the polar opposites that are Deaf and hearing.
While awareness of the physical and emotional consequences of deafness is a necessary, it is equally important that we understand that deafness, or absence of sound, is not the bad thing it’s made out to be. Deaf and hearing are different, and there are consequences yes, but one is not better than the other, nor more desireable than the other. It’s something we have simply deluded ourselves into believing is the case.
RNID knows very well what it is doing. It is not an ignorant organisation. It’s not a truly representative organisation, sure, but it is not ignorant.
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