Deaf Civil Rights - US Chapter

Deaf oral history claims that people fought in wars up until the Civil War, when a federal law was put in place to ban the Deaf from serving their country in the military with the honors therein after a hearing soldier with a little power got angered by one Deaf soldier.

Watch this video to learn all the reasons why this is discrimination and the ban should be abolished, much as it was for g**s. https://youtu.be/0Vk80vbsV7o

To hold a ban against the Deaf doing something that Americans have a right to do, without hearing the arguments and sound proofs opposing this ban, is not inclusion, or equity of diversity.

Keith Nolan Explains How Deaf People Are Prevented from Honorable Military Service at ALDAcon2019 This voiced and ASL signed presentation was in Kansas before an audience of people post-lingually deaf and hard of hearing with the Association of Late Deafe...

One of the three basic to survive and thrive in the US that was agreed upon by the Deaf Community that attended in Washington DC was a right upon graduation from high school to have the same educational skills and understandings as hearing students.

I spoke with people who run special ed for Vancouver Public Schools just prior to Covid shut down, and at that time they insisted that they do everything they can to catch Deaf kids up to hearing peers when parents have failed to communicate with them in ASL for the first 5 years of their lives.

I would love to hear from Deaf teens of Clark County if they felt that they have the same English reading and writing skills, as well as everything else hearing students do their age.

So far I have noticed, and studies in the US we have show, only a 4th to 5th grade average English comprehension for Deaf Americans.

This means reading a voter pamphlet at all, or accurately, is quite unlikely for a large number of Deaf people.

It also means a great number of them will not score high enough on ACT and SAT to be accepted to some universities.

Likewise, when given written instructions on a job, a Deaf person may not understand, and fear being fired if requesting an ASL interpretation. So they may make mistakes leading them to termination.

It is VITAL that Deaf Americans graduate with the ability to read, write, and choose to go to college or get a job upon graduation of high school. If the majority cannot, that is a failing of both parents and the schools, and will lead to poverty and other problems for generations to come.

Is your company ?

Most are not. In fact, in Vancouver, Washington a lot of traumatic and discriminatory abuses have happened to the Deaf by ignorant and often well-meaning bosses that know nothing about what Deaf Culture is about, or what is inappropriate that they say and do.

For the most basic advice to begin your trip on inclusion and equity for Deaf customers as well as Deaf staff, watch this video. https://youtu.be/sg87ggAKcG8

And if you do not have any Deaf staff yet, that is something to consider too. Why not?

https://youtu.be/sg87ggAKcG8

Audism in the Workplace This video is created to educate businesses, non-profits, and government agencies about audism. It defines Audism, gives a few clues how to recognize it in p...