What stereotype are you?

[The deaf thing we will ignore for now they never listen anyway].  ATR recently contacted the Disability News Service in the UK with comment that suggest stereotypes are actually the mainstay of most disability and Deaf campaigns, they rely on it, despite publishing numerous attacks on the mainstream, for using the identity stereotypes they created for themselves.  Stereotypes that empower discriminations against those 'Not deaf enough', or 'Not really as disabled as..' or 'You went to the wrong special school...'etc. Read On:

Dear John,

Could DNS cover this issue of disability campaigners attacking mainstream for 'stereotyping' disabled people? As you are aware I find this subject contentious especially in the 'Deaf' sense, where promotion of 'support' etc is aligned directly with sign language usage, and indeed their perceived culture.

Numerous online posts by deaf individuals and  the charities that represent them, promote 'special need', special teaching etc, and an increasing demand for more 'support' to use their communication approaches, none of which is helped by mainstream being confused, despite ardent promotions and system support, for differentiating what type of deaf person you are, often identified by sign use or wearing a hearing aid, or lip-reading etc, you can't be impaired you can only be whatever current populist terminology is vogue.  Support = help = disability, the image hasn't really changed at all, but been enhanced.

Various attempts to put these questions online, to disability outlets/magazines or to systems/charities etc are met with hostility, personal attack, bans and blocks,  from hardline 'Deaf' areas, while disability areas run scared of empowering different viewpoints (Or pay lip-service to them, life is too short etc). The 'Deaf' community fast resembling a sect more than anything else.  The more culture they acquire the more sectarian they become and more introspective and undemocratic their practices and campaigning.  Disabled campaigners despite all their output are ring-fencing their own stereotypes to 'ensure' society DOESN'T see them the same or equal as anyone else, they need to stand out, not, fit in, they can only do this walking a fine line between labelling themselves or being ignored, (OK they are ignored already).

As soon as you say 'Disabled' or Deaf, or 'paraplegic' that is it, isn't it?  If you don't identify your area you cannot highlight its issues, but that plays into the stereotype too.  Is it then logical to attack as Disability Wales did, (but refused to respond to me). the poor sods in mainstream for it?

Devolution is ignored by DNS too, are you not over-focused on London to the detriment of the common cause?  If disabled are to be identified as Scots, Irish, Welsh or English lets clarify it.  The 'global' suggestion of disability isn't working is it? Disability and deaf media are increasingly out of touch with grassroots too, and their charitable representation  have no mandates or memberships, campaigners go it alone in defiance often, chaos really, when is DNS going to say it how it is?

MJ (ATR MEDIA)