Hearing Leaders in a Deaf Organization.

G'day Everyone.

I will NOT be silent. I will speak out LOUD and CLEAR. Controversial as it sounds to be, I must speak!

When Jamie Berke posted in the deafness.about.com blog of a Hearing Leader for the NAD, she had her own firestorm going on.

Link: http://deafness.about.com/b/2010/02/20/hearing-ceo-of-nad-acceptable.htm?nl=1#gB3

Gallaudet University and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, both wonderful high education institutions in our lifetime. Did you know that BOTH of these places were founded by *hearing people* that had a desire, interest, and qualifications to help the deaf community? They do! But that was ages ago now.

Both places have replaced their hearing leaders with deaf leaders .

However, in this age of Economic recession going on, both institutions can't afford to post something of a job description that says "Deaf apply only" out there. There are THOUSANDS of Hearing, deaf, and disabled people out of work these days. Among those with out a job, they may be a qualified person, who's got an ability to lead a deaf organization!

I was dismayed when the Gallaudet University presented 4 deaf candidates last year for the position of the President. I asked them: Why wasn't a hearing person chosen for this position? It later turns out all along that the Gallaudet Board of Trustees wanted Dr. Alan Hurwitz and no one else. Well, they got their wish.

But in 5 years from now, the next set of the Gallaudet Board of Trustees is seated, they may not be so lucky in getting to pick of who they want. They may have to be careful in their next search process and follow procedures carefully. Heck, I'm going to advocate that MORE hearing people get on the Gallaudet Board of Trustees in the present time!

NTID isn't going to be so lucky of their choices. RIT Board of Trustees is watching NTID's Presidential search process very carefully. I personally believe every candidate that applies for NTID's position of President will be carefully researched and found to be qualified, no matter if they are hearing or deaf! I know NTID will do a better job than GU has done.

And if you to say that a hearing person can't lead a deaf organization, you are wrong. How about the controversial selection of Hearing Football Coach leading the Gallaudet University Bison Football team? Impressive of the 5 years he's done and nearly winning a D3 championship, but Hottle bolted from GU for another college before his contract was up. Will another hearing football coach lead the Gallaudet Bisons or will we slide right back for a Deaf Coach? It should be noted that Ed Hoyt was the first YOUNGEST Deaf Football Coach at GU. Perhaps bringing him back would be the best thing to do and bringing back Mr. Grayton as well.

Friends, we are living in a hearing world. We must work with hearing people. If they say they are qualified to lead a deaf organization, then I say we must give them that opportunity. To deny them would be the equivalent of breaking an ADA law. We were given the ADA law to help us. But we were not given carte blanche to discriminate hearing people either on their qualifications to help lead the organization.

What if it came to the point where congress were to establish this:

Hearing Qualified Americans Act, or HQAA for short. What would that mean? It means:
Prevents deaf people from denying hearing qualified candidates from the right to serving and leading in a deaf organization.

So what if a hearing person does lead the NAD? As long they have a business plan, excellent qualifications, and knowledge of sign language or willing to learn ASL, they can do it.

To say that they are not "DEAF ENOUGH", that is a discrimination. "Not Deaf Enough" to lead a deaf organization would not stand up in court either when a person has all the qualifications meet for the job selection.

Let's quit saying "Deaf only apply". Let's quit saying "Not Deaf Enough" as well. The best person to lead an organization, hearing or deaf, will be the one chosen to do the work.

If we choose a person who's popular, but less qualified for the position, then the organization suffers as a result.

If we work together with hearing people, then success will be shared among the deaf and hearing communities as a whole.


If you want to give me flack about it. The comments are already moderated and I'm wearing my asbestos gloves.

Semper FI.