Audism: Discrimination Against Hearing-Impaired People - Essay Sample

Introduction

Audism, by definition, refers to the discrimination of the people who may be suffering from hearing problems and criticism of the actions they do, maybe in their day to day processes of communication with one another. It is a kind of discrimination like all the other discriminations, which include racism, ageism, sexism, and others, and it is practiced by different people in various ways. There are various types of Audism, which are practiced by human beings in their daily lives and discussed here are the various known types of Audism and the way people have been able to practice them on others in their lives.

Types of Audism

There are main types or rather examples of Audism which the deaf are taken through by other people in the day to day lives. The first example of Audism is the people not taking the time to converse with the deaf. Some so many persons do not want to associate with the deaf just because they cannot hear, or they are hard of hearing. Others avoid communication with them just because they don't want to be asked to repeat their statements so that the deaf can hear what they were saying initially (Ballenger). The disability of one not being able to hear is not a reason to discriminate against them and not talking to them. Still, it's an opportunity to be kind to them and assist them where necessary.

The assumption that deaf people cannot do things is the other example of Audism among the people. For example, deaf people are seen by others out there as people who lack the various abilities to do things like the normal works of life. There have been cases where people ask a lot of questions to the deaf (Stapleton). These are questions like whether they can drive, whether they still get married, whether they take part in sporting activities as such other things. The state of deafness does not mean that these people cannot do such things because this is just a disability. Therefore being deaf should not be the reason why the deaf will be seen as unable to do the daily works that other people do as a routine.

Others think that one being deaf is a tragedy, but this is not the case. For instance, others are sorry for the deaf because they believe it is a tragedy, and they end up telling them things that do not add value to them but instead break them and make them think that they have a problem that is not normal (Eckert). At any given time, no one should be sorry to the deaf because it is not a tragedy but just a disability that is normal in so many people. The patronization of behavior is a bad thing, especially to the deaf, because it leaves them with so many questions, and they may think that one is criticizing them because of their condition. For instance, some tell the deaf that they speak so well is offensive behavior. Instead, people should avoid telling them such things and find something better to say to them and make them feel that they are appreciated and recognized regardless of their conditions.

The last example of Audism that has been so common in deaf people is discrimination in places of employment. These people may be educated and with all the skills to qualify for a certain and deliver the best results in these jobs, but they lack the opportunity just because they cannot hear or are deaf of hearing (Ballenger). So many people assume that the deaf is not employable, and this makes the deaf live miserable lives without jobs to survive on. The worst is that employers assume that it is troublesome and hectic to communicate with a deaf or a person who is hard of hearing; thus, they consider not employing them for the available job positions regardless of the abilities and skills that they have.

How Audism Compares to Other Isms

There are many isms, which include sexism, ageism, racism, and others, which are discriminations based on gender or sex, the age of an individual and the race, respectively. These isms have led to severe discrimination among the people and are associated with all the bad things (Stapleton). Discrimination based on these factors has led to an unfair state of living for the people in all parts of the world, and there is a need to condemn them. Apart from the condemnation, there is a need to fight against them since the victims of these are negative ways and are traumatized. Such discriminations have caused the suicides of several victims over the recent past.

Conclusion

Audism and or the discrimination of the deaf is a bad thing and should not, for any reason, be tolerated. There are efforts to fight and counter Audism, and the efforts should be intensified so that a better society to live in will be created. The deaf only has a disability and not an inability; therefore, they are in a position to do whatever the other people who have no disability can do. Discriminating against them because of their state is humiliating them, and the societal people need to be informed well on how to deal with these people as any other person in the community they live in. The deaf should be treated with respect as the other normal human beings in the community, and the law against discrimination must be observed as far as dealing with the deaf from day to day is concerned.

Works Cited

Ballenger, Sheryl. "Strategies to avoid Audism in adult educational settings." Adult Learning 24.3 (2013): 121-127.

Eckert, Richard Clark, and Amy June Rowley. "Audism: A theory and practice of audio-centric privilege." Humanity & Society 37.2 (2013): 101-130.

Stapleton, Lissa D. "Audism and racism: The hidden curriculum impacting Black d/Deaf college students in the classroom." Negro Educational Review 67.1-4 (2016): 149.