Hearing Privilege & Unpacking in Action: A Story

(Part II)

Alison Aubrecht & Erin Furda: August 2012

I want to share this story because it’s true and it helps me see how audism and privilege prevail in my everyday life. I am becoming more aware of my own position of power and privilege as a hearing person and a big part of that is participation in events that other hearing people give me permission to participate in. Even when I realize the situation isn’t ethical, I tell myself it isn’t my fault. I didn’t set up the interview without any Deaf people present. I didn’t conduct an interview for an ASL teaching position over the phone. I didn’t decide there should be all hearing presenters at the conference. While I wasn’t the person “in charge” in these situations, I have always been left with an ill feeling, a feeling I am now learning to identify as participation in unethical or oppressive activity. I want to contribute to the dialogue on privilege and power and offer a real-life story . . .

I had been teaching ASL for three years when I found myself in a meeting at OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction). A chance meeting with an OSPI supervisor at the high school where I teach ASL led to an invite to a meeting in the state office. It was here where I met a woman named Amanda, also a hearing teacher of ASL at the high school level. We participated in a meeting that day together and a few weeks later I received an email from her inviting me to run a full day workshop at a conference later in the summer. I felt flattered. I was excited for the opportunity and accepted her offer. I contacted Bianca, a close friend who is a Deaf ASL teacher, and asked if she wanted to co-present with me but she already had plans to be out of town. I was disappointed but I let it go.

As time went on and I shared with some of my Deaf friends that I was going to present at the conference, I learned that none of them planned to attend. They said many Deaf teachers had stopped going because they didn’t feel respected when they had gone in the past. This is when I began really questioning the situation. Why was I asked to present when I was so new? Why wasn’t a Deaf teacher asked to present? Why were so many Deaf teachers choosing not to attend the conference?

I emailed Amanda and asked why she had invited me to present. She said it would be nice to have some “new blood” at the conference. Again, I felt flattered and thought maybe I could be something new and different for the group. I told myself even if there weren’t many Deaf people there, that I would be a good representative for them. I would do my best to uphold the standards they would expect and I would learn what it was really like there and be able to make more informed decisions for myself in the future.

The more I thought about it, though, the more uncomfortable I felt. What had I gotten myself into? Who was I about to associate myself with? Why weren’t there more Deaf people involved? Was I taking an opportunity from a Deaf person who was better or equally qualified? Why did I have such an unsettling feeling? Was I given this opportunity because I was hearing? Why did I accept the position?

I kept thinking about it and about two weeks before the conference, I realized I didn’t want to go if I didn’t have a Deaf teacher to co-present with. I had already committed to going so I felt I shouldn’t back out but I started to contact people to see if they would be willing to work with me. Would I be able to find a Deaf teacher who wanted to go to a conference with a majority of hearing participants and present with a hearing co-presenter they didn’t know? There was one woman I had in mind but when I emailed her, she declined. The conference was so soon and she had a full schedule. So, I contacted Bianca and asked for recommendations of who to contact next. The following day I got an email from her saying she had someone who was interested. Bianca had done the leg-work and shared my situation with a Deaf teacher from the University, named Karen. Not only was Karen willing and interested, but she was more qualified than me. Again, I wondered, why was I asked to do this when there are clearly Deaf people who are qualified and interested in doing the work?

I asked Karen to write up her bio and then I sent it to Amanda, along with an email informing her that I would have a co-presenter with me. I didn’t write everything I’d been thinking and feeling, but I did say that it was important to me to present with a Deaf partner. At that point I had decided I would withdraw my conference registration and refuse to present if I was told Karen could not present with me. Knowing there was potential for confrontation, I took a deep breath, sent the email, and hoped for the best. Amanda responded with a simple, “Thank you for this.” I wasn’t sure what to make of that statement, but I was glad that Karen and I were all set to present together.

Karen and I are currently working on our presentation and I am now looking forward to the conference. I am looking forward to our long drive in the car, to spending the day presenting together, to learning from each other, and to providing everyone the opportunity to work with a Deaf-hearing team, as opposed to a sole hearing presenter. It seems so simple but it feels like an entirely different situation to me now.

I want to ally with Deaf people and one way I see to do this is to be aware of professional opportunities I am given and to be careful and thoughtful about the roles I accept and the situations I participate in.

Some tips for unpacking:

1. 1.Make a list of all the privileges you may have.
   

2. 2.Take a moment, every day, to work on understanding and undoing your privileges.
   

3. 3.Understand that one act on one day does not mean you have completed the work of becoming a hearing ally. Don’t seek gratitude for your work in unpacking and/or becoming an ally.
   

4. 4.Identify small and large ways you can begin to actively change systems that grant you privileges in order to ensure that the playing field is more equal.
   

5. 5.Recognize that remaining “neutral” or “objective” can be a form of hearing privilege.
   

6. 6.Share information with non-privileged groups who may not be given access.
   

7. 7.If you take a position where you have the opportunity to work with Deaf people, or talk about Deaf people, make sure that you share information about Deaf people, give credit to them. Donate a portion of your profits to organizations led principally by Deaf people.
   

8. 8.Accept that making mistakes is part of the unpacking process and becoming an ally. Don’t give up.
   

Reference:

Tools for Liberation Packet, 2007 (www.safehousealliance.org)