Unpopular Things of Becoming a Deaf Person Uses Sign Language
“Aldi, you have to speak now. I ask you to speak without using [an assistive] device. You can speak,” Risma said
Mrs. Risma’s statement was hurting and disappointing because she had forced a Deaf boy to be able to speak without being given choices of communication. Deaf people have various of ways communicating such as sign language, oral speech, gesture, or writing/ typing. That’s part of the Deaf rights must be respected and admitted. But, unfortunately, she definitely didn’t know the CRPD and the disability laws in Indonesia, while a Deaf audient was named Stefanus has reminded of her.
Having hearing aids that could definitely make Deaf people can hear, it is a common thing of hearing people's thoughts on Deaf people. Although, the hearing aids are the only tool and help to identify is there a sound or not. That’s it. Getting hearing aids is just a formal, I think and I would consider that as a choice of that wearing or not, as Deaf people choices. I truly appreciate that her caring for the Deaf people, but it didn’t her action on limiting the freedom of communication choices. What he did is audism, because audism is the hearing people's superiority on Deaf people in which are considered being dumb, mute, and undeserved life. Tom L. Humphries was on his doctoral dissertation in 1975 and wrote it popularly about audism (source: Wikipedia). In his doctoral dissertation, audism is discriminate Deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) people on the perfect having hearing and speaking.
As Mr. Risma’s statement, the Deaf representative that showing their upset, disappointment, and demand to apologize and sitting down with Deaf community. Then, someone made a twibbon show supporting the Deaf rights and creating a movement anti-audism. But, still many people who were defending her, as a motivation to speak and maximizing the Lord’s given. Hearing people who defended her, are actually an audist. Too many audists are around here and everywhere. So sad!
I would say that isn’t fully blaming her, but the system has been broken over the years since the school was founded by the Netherlands and promoted the oral method where was officially being a Deaf curriculum by the ICED 1880 Milano. The ICED 2010 in Vancouver had apologized for the ICED 1880 and legally sign language that must be taught at all Deaf schools. The system is dividing our life that being hearing and Deaf, that is particularly must be hearing standard. Alexander Graham Bell was anti-sign language and said that sign language couldn’t help Deaf people learn and improve English. In his statement that oral speech helped Deaf people learn and improve English. (Note: ICED (International Congress Education for the Deaf).
Born a Deaf person, is the first thing to do is taking to the hospital, clinic, and the shaman that to recover “hearing impaired”, which an illness. The doctor would definitely that banned to teach sign language and recommend that have a cochlear implant and hearing aids. And, sure, hearing and speech therapy which that hoping to be able to speak and hear, where must achieve the hearing standard. Hearing privileged that have full access and have no issues of their life. Deaf people have many issues and must be recovered to be a hearing person as standardly, which looks perfect and better. The hearing parents who have Deaf children must over three times to paying than spent teaching the language for baby at golden ages. It which all these could I have to call it “Deaf insurance” who have been spending all through Deaf people life if hearing parents never teach sign language. Not easy for achieving the standard so that be able accepted by the community or family. Like you have read the white people privilege who the minority people lives at the white community. It’s called white supremacy, as the same as audism.
White supremacy is viewed that white race is the advantage race and the perfect than colors of skin. Like, what did white supremacy in America and some countries had issues and conflicts with the white supremacy. White supremacy is something that is against equality racial regardless of the color of skin people. The analogy I described as the same as audism that I’ve meant to the hearing people who never know sign language and Deaf culture.
What I’m expecting from her? Like what we’ve all hoping that she must apologize and learn sign language. Make real actions that we’ve expected, that is one of we can be accepted. Truly respect of her achievement in her career, but unacceptable at her action on Deaf people forced to speak.
Then, what are the dreams of 2045? My dream is just to acknowledge sign language and mandatory to be taught at all schools. That’s I call the education reform, which education must be reformed at all. That’s my hope for the dreams of 2045. I believe it will does.
Thank you, everyone!
