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From: Diane.Oliff@p0.f197.n253.z2.fidonet.org (Diane Oliff)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Decade Of The Disabled
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Date: 5 Jan 90 03:40:04 GMT
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In a message to Jack O'keeffe Of 129/26 <12-19-89 15:38> Vixen * wrote:

V**> I will admit, that I have been hurt by some deaf, who have
V**> been rude to the extreme to me, but in total, I am not sure

I wish that hadn't happened - I can only say, having grown up in the 'deaf 
establishment' from which a miracle has now in a large part removed me, I 
know that some people get hold of the idea that there is a 'right way' to be 
deaf and if you don't do what they are saying then you are to be criticised.

I remember getting a really hard time when I was about seven, and wasn't 
hearing anything comprehensible from the outside world, from a new 
administrator who spent about half an hour lecturing me (in sign and in 
writing) for not wearing an aid, ("you cannot expect others to help you if 
you won't help yourself") and only stopped when someone that knew me came 
into the room and pointed out that I had no ears nor any auditory canal, 
which would mean that not only was there nothing to hang an aid on but 
nothing for it to feed into either!

It's funny now, but it wasn't then.

Even after they bored some holes for me, it was still difficult to wear an 
aid on the plastic mushrooms they used to call prostheses (they had a habit 
of falling off and lying on the table looking like a nasty mistake the cat 
found outside), and there is an awful lot of people that believe that being 
deaf is both contagious and anyway we are doing it deliberately to annoy 
them and can understand perfectly well if we would only try harder.

I remember once, when I was getting a right going over for not 
understanding, and being yelled at (which hurt but didn't make things any 
clearer) pulling off the prosthesis and giving it to the other person and 
saying 'why don't you shout right into it in your hand ' which made me feel 
better at the time but wasn't the answer!

Love and good wishes to you Vixen - your wonderful messages and spirit in 
this Conference helped me when I was having a bad time earlier in 1989, and 
I wish you everything good in your life - you read like a wonderful and 
exciting person to know...

Diane Oliff  
 

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