An infamous Salem Witchcraft Trials put fourteen women and five men to death after the widespread of blaming. The Second Red Scare, McCarthyism, greatly oppressed the freedom of speech and caused many people to lose their jobs . Now, are we, the Deaf, creating another tragic event by labeling many hearing people as audists without educating them how they can be improved? The term "Audism" is not for us to use to blame, but to define our long-time oppression and mourn at its existence. Blaming hearing people that way would make them afraid of getting themselves more immersed in our culture. Put away your pointy finger and let them to fight with us for our freedom.
This video shows all undergraduate Wheaton students (more than 2,000 students) singing "How Great is our God" together in ASL (there was no voice or music for the last two choruses, all remaining silent expect with signing). This is one of many things that are happening on the campus with educating hearing students and faculty about the Deaf culture. I hope this will inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and start educating hearing people locally.
My testimony on how God led me to Wheaton College and has been blessing me with a lot of opportunities to educate hearing people about the Deaf culture.
A Text Version of My Testimony: Last year I applied and was accepted to several colleges such as the University of Edinburg and the University of Aberdeen. I was thrilled especially because Aberdeen was my first choice. After my mom decided to let me to study aboard, far away from the home, I knew God must be telling me that Aberdeen is the best place for me to study. But, my brother later convinced me to apply to Wheaton College after telling me that one of his classmates almost went there. When I found out that I was on the waiting list for Wheaton College, I was determined that God was leading me to Aberdeen... or so I thought. One day in my office at the church, I felt as if God were throwing a lasso around my neck, and with an incredible strength, was drawing me toward Wheaton College, even though I fully understood that I was on the waiting list. I was not sure whether these feelings were from God or from me. So, I prayed about fervently and talked to the people I trust the most, yet I was not fully convinced. But, it got more and more clear. Next two nights I dreamed I felt something completely immoral, decadent, and horrifying while moving into a dorm room at Aberdeen. Next day after working in my office at church, I drove to a gas station and reached for the gas card that my father had given me that morning, but it had disappeared. I was completely perplexed because I remembered checking for it in my pocket an hour before, and it would have been impossible for it to accidentally fall ot of my pocket because my pocket was so tight. Afraid of it having been stolen, I looked everywhere around my car at the station, called my dad to cancel the card, and then drove back to the church to see if it had fallen out of my pocket somewhere around my office. It was not there, so I decided to check around the copy machine. A hearing church secretary was there—I decided to inform her what I was looking for because I didn't want to look stupid walking around. True enough, she had my gas card. At the moment she handed me the card, she asked me about colleges, and I told her that I was probably going to the University of Aberdeen, but I felt that God was leading me toward Wheaton College, but I was on their waiting list. Next day I found that she called Wheaton College on her own accord and one of the admission counselors told her to inform me to e-mail him. So, I e-mailed him and he responded, explaining that with over 300 students on their waiting list they pulled 30-40 students off the list last year; the previous year, they brought in only 3. The counselor also told me that I may not hear from them until August. During that time I continued to e-mail him updates of my test scores, accomplishments, and etc. The fourth week of May I opened the letter from Wheaton College and found the letter saying that I was accepted to there. I was full with joy since I cannot deny that God really wanted me to go there. Looking back, I now see why God led me to Wheaton college. Upon arriving the college, I was hoping that there would be several people who already know how to sign before, but it was not the case. However, I met right people and already there is an ASL community on the campus with more than 10 people who are able to converse in ASL fluently. We established ASL club and offered beginner and intermediate ASL classes last semester. There were more than 60 students in the beginner class and 15 students in the intermediate class; it was such inspiration to witness many people being motivated to learn more about the Deaf culture. I hope my testimony will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and start educating hearing people locally about the Deaf culture. Because God is answering the cries of the Deaf, please start accepting blessings from God and He will help you to touch hearing people's hearts that they will recognize our culture and language and together we will stop the oppression.
I'm trying not to be too romantic or realistic with this. The argument the Deaf uses against the audists, "Deaf people can do everything, expect hear", seems weak to me. I believe that Deaf people can hear, but simply in a different way than how hearing people hear.
Also, I forgot to add that Deaf people should realize that not only hearing parents refuse to accept that their Deaf children cannot hear in the same way they hear, but also Deaf parents with their hard-of-hearing or hearing children. On the bottom of line, all parents, both Deaf and hearing, ought to accept who their children truly are.
We need to discuss more about what exactly is the big vision we want to achieve for the future of our deaf children. One particular thing nobody can deny that it is capable of shattering our vision very easily is the infection AG Bell Association and other audist organizations are spreading all over the country.
