Microaggression

Everyone experience microaggression regardless of their race, gender, nationality, background or disability. I personally had several experiences relating to my hearing loss.

I was born Deaf and I currently wear a cochlear implant which helps me hear well. There are several incidences where people thought I speak English really good for a Deaf person. This makes me feel a bit offended because I'm not like a typical Deaf person who uses American Sign Language to communicate. I tend to respond to them by saying, "Well, I go to a hearing school, have a bunch of hearing friends, and my entire family is hearing."

In addition, I get offended when someone said "I'm smart for a Deaf person." To be honest, being Deaf is not a bad thing. It is interesting how people still perceive Deaf people in a negative way. Of course, being deaf presents challenges, but it does not prevent one from becoming a highly functional independent person in today's society. Also, being deaf does not mean she or he is dumb. I get this all the time, even when I was growing up. This needs to stop. It is not that I blame people, but I blame the media that portrays Deaf people in a negative way.