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Audism is a term used to describe discrimination against deaf or hard of hearing people, by for example assuming that the cultures of hearing people are preferable or superior to those of Deaf or signing cultures, or that deaf people are generally less capable than hearing people. It can also be used to refer to deaf people discriminating against those with hearing, but the effects of discrimination by members of a minority against a majority are not usually as consequential as the reverse. Audism exhibited by deaf people against other deaf people also occurs and is sometimes called dysconscious audism. Audism occurs when a deaf person is judged as incapable of a given behavior, occupation, etc. simply because they can't hear. Audism is a reflection of a belief in 'hearing superiority': an attitude of thinking one person is superior to another simply because they have better hearing. While it is technically correct to say that hearing people are capable of carrying out tasks that deaf people cannot (such as employment that necessarily relies on hearing like telephone work or sound engineering), it can cause offence to affected persons if this issue is not handled delicately. Bitterness associated with decades of discrimination (both passive and active) has in some cases resulted in reverse-audism developing, whereby those in the Deaf community believe they are superior to those who can hear. Audism can also occur between groups of deaf people, with some who choose not to use a sign language and not to identify with Deaf culture considering themselves to be 'better' than those who do, or vice versa. While opponents of audism argue that deaf people can do anything that hearing people can do except hear, they recognize that there are limitations for certain kinds of employment in which deafness could plausibly carry an increased safety risk such as service in the army or employment as a commercial pilot. Aside from such examples, audism's opponents argue that the deaf are capable of excelling in a wide range of settings and deserve equal opportunity.
[edit] The Practice of AudismAudism is practised both actively and passively.[1] While those who actively engage in audism are few, the number of passive audists are many. The passive audist is one who has not given much thought to his actions concerning Deaf and hearing, and is only behaving in such a fashion because he is not informed of the differences between Deaf and hearing people. Such people are generally not malicious, and only act from ignorance. The active audist knows fully that people are out there that are deaf, but actively believes that they must aim to "become" hearing. They occasionally deny that the Deaf Culture even exists. The description given above by Lane quite aptly describes the goal of the active audist: "dominating, restructuring and exercising authority over the deaf community." These people are less encountered in the long run, but they tend to be much more adamant in their views than a passive audist. They seek to pursue the goals stated by Lane by maintaining oral education as the main method of education of the Deaf, limiting the usage of American Sign Language within Deaf residential schools, and supporting laws that hinder the Deaf person's ability to freely interact with the world around, the latter in very extreme cases. While passive audism can be contravened through knowledge and experience, active audism persists against knowledge. [edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
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