Dysconscious Audism

Factors Contributing to Dysconscious Audism

Several factors contribute to the manifestation of dysconscious audism in deaf people. These include the power of the dominant majority, the acceptance of a pathological perspective of deafness, limited access to resources for the full development of a Deaf identity and Deaf consciousness, and acceptance of hearing paradigms.

The existence of more hearing people than Deaf people has resulted in an inequitable division of power. This is evident in all aspects of culture and society, including but not limited to education, medicine, law, and media portrayal and dissemination of culture. Even when deaf people gain access to platforms within these areas to share their perspectives, their position as a [Page 330]minority group that uses a different language and that holds different values places them on unequal terms with members of the dominant culture and denies them the power to effect change. The result of this inequity is that discrimination and dismissive attitudes toward deaf people and Deaf culture become an accepted norm within the dominant society, justifying the continued oppression of deaf people.

These hearing-centric norms have constructed “deafness” through a disability model, or what we call the pathological view of deafness. This promotes the perspective that a deaf person is disabled, unable to succeed in the dominant society without help, and in need of corrective treatment or services (such as cochlear implants or speech therapy). Because this pathological view is endorsed and promoted by the medical and education systems of hearing society, it further perpetuates society’s larger view of deaf people as inferior.

This has led to a lack of understanding about the importance of Deaf culture and American Sign Language (ASL) by members of the dominant society, resulting in a dismissal of the value and importance of these components in the development of a complete, healthy identity for deaf individuals. Most systems (medical, educational, legal, etc.) fail to provide access to these vital components for all deaf people in the same way that cultural transmission for hearing people is promoted. For some deaf people, the result is a lack of a fully developed Deaf identity.

Even deaf people who do recognize the Deaf experience as one of an oppressed minority and have had positive interaction and education within Deaf culture may unknowingly accept hearing norms and perceptions of deafness. As they grow up surrounded by hearing-centric norms, they may begin to accept hearing society’s pathological model, internalizing the “deficitthinking” practice, laden with audistic values. In most instances, Deaf individuals are not even aware that they have internalized audistic behaviors and attitudes, that audism is influencing their perceptions, or that they are perpetuating oppressive behavior. This acceptance, internalization, and perpetuation of dominant hearing norms and privileges by deaf people constitutes dysconscious audism.

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