In an April 23rd WesCeleb, the phrase “hearing impaired” was inaccurately used several times to describe Cara Miller ’05, who is hard of hearing or deaf. The distinction between these terms is subtle, but important. “Hearing impaired,” as I learned after letting the article go to print, emphasizes an individual’s inability to hear, rather than ability to sign and communicate.
It was my responsibility to catch this mistake. It bothers me that I neglected my editorial role by failing to contact either the writer or Cara to verify the term. It bothers me more that my knowledge of deaf culture is so sparse that it never even crossed my mind. None of the friends I asked knew about this distinction, either. This indicates an unsettling lack of knowledge about deaf culture on campus.
In light of this, the administration’s decision to cut back course offerings for American Sign Language right when the program began to take off seems ill-timed and poorly planned. The interest is there; sign language classes have been packed, and with the American School for the Deaf in nearby West Hartford, students have the chance to put their skills to use in the real world.
Wesleyan needs more ways to learn about the deaf community, so that students like Cara Miller aren’t forced to explain themselves to everyone else, over and over.
I encourage all to read Cara Miller’s Wespeak for further clarification about the Wesceleb interview and information about deaf culture on campus.
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