Over at Slate, they’re wondering how the deaf students at Gallaudet carry on with their protests. Answer: pretty much like anyone else. There are speeches, chants, drums, and, of course, T-shirts. Now, I’m not citing this article to make fun of it; not exactly. People with disabilities who do community outreach like to tell able-bodied audiences that there are no stupid questions. The only way we can get people to quit being so fumblingly awkward around us is to be open and encouraging with even the most basic inquiries. Still, I’m amused by the stranger-in-a-strange-land tone of articles like this. If Slate editors thinks deaf people are exotic, they should check out places like Berkeley or UW-Whitewater; gimps of all flavors are thick as flies on these campuses. Guaranteed to blow their minds.
