19/07/2026
Found this on FB.
I think it’s a great post because I feel most people don’t understand the difference between deaf and hard of hearing. But it needs a little bit of editing because some deaf CAN speak!
Throughout my life I’ve been bullied and excluded by both deaf and hearing worlds. Like when I’m in the hearing world they figured I’m deaf because of my deaf accent, lip reading, small gestures/ expressions, repeated conversations, misunderstanding and the frustrations. In the deaf world they assume I’m hard of hearing or hearing because I speak well and can’t sign proper, I get shamed, picked on and excluded, questioned, ignored, thinks I’m so up myself, a smart ass or a show off. There were many times when I’ve been expected or demanded to interpret for some people and that’s caused me a lot of anxiety and burnout, but other times it’s very different when I’m in a good mood, the people or the environment I’m in I offer to interpret the best way I can or jump in to help with communication.
My entire life I’m sick and tired of people’s assumptions, the bullying and exclusion. I have a lot of anxiety in both worlds because I feel like I don’t fit in well hence my confusion with my identity and it’s so damn exhausting mentally and emotionally. I was born proudly deaf and was forced to speak also my entire family never learned sign language so because of that I don’t have the full confidence in signing especially my identity as a deaf person.
Acceptance and kindness doesn’t cost anything! And learning sign language is beneficial to all 🌸🤟🩷🙌
