Looking back at history, women were discriminated against based on their gender. Life as a woman was like being told what to do and shouldn't do by men. Women already had hard feelings about that, but even worse for Deaf women who felt discriminated against and thought there were limitations due to their deafness.
History has recorded the mistreatment of both Deaf people and women across time and cultures. Anxiety, terror, and depression were all too common. It turned out that all these feelings were self-imposed; Deaf women allowed themselves to accept and internalize such thoughts, damaging their own minds and bodies.
The results of the study indicated that Deaf women experienced and continue to experience gender-based discrimination from both Deaf culture and the hearing world, as well as social prejudice and stereotypes from the hearing world based on their deafness. These biases, in turn, affect their development, identity, education, vocation, income, relationships, and personal success (M. Harris, 2020).
People have been paying attention to Deaf individuals since 1794 when The Saint-Jacques National Institute for the Deaf-Mutes was created by Abbe Charles-Michel de l'Épée. Since then, the story has begun to change. We, the Deaf people, and Deaf women have an equal position and are worth everything the same as normal people, without a doubt.
Deaf culture and communities have historically been close-knit and detached from the hearing world due to communication barriers and the general treatment Deaf people have experienced. However, nowadays we have learned sign language and have been provided with good technology. What else makes us afraid to stand up? Only our own selves can hold us back. Let's be open and brave, choosing people who share our vision and mission to encourage us and keep us focused on the line.
Let's disregard people who never respect us as Deaf women; they are not even worth thinking about. What do they know about the special things we have? Deaf women should not be crowned with anxiety, depression, shame, and being left behind. Let's remember that we are also women, always crowned with elegant beauty, high values, and standards. Remember, as a Deaf person, we always have a special place in this fast-paced world.
Source: M. Harris (2020) https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1774&context=honors_theses
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