As some of you know, I like to rag on my school (or rather, it’s constituents), for being not-so-Deaf-friendly. However, at a recent conference on campus, I got a swift reminder of how good I really have it.

The last few times I’d presented at this particular one, I had empty rooms; no one showed up. However, this time, I got a FULL ROOM. Standing room only. I was SHOCKED, thought for once, “Maybe this’ll go great! I mean, teleportation (my topic) is an interesting thing!”

So, I gave my presentation, entirely verbal (since the ‘terps were, well, terping for someone in the audience of a different one), and afterwards, opened the floor to questions.

I got 2 actual questions about the mathematics performed and 7 about my deafness and how I could talk “so well”.

Just let that sink in.

At a professional conference for mathematicians and physicists and programmers….I got 2 actual questions about my work and 7 people wanting to know the following:

How deaf I was

How I learned to talk so well

Telling me I’m “Smart” for someone “so deaf”

Why I was in math and not Deaf Studies or 'terping

Why I could do this but their deaf cousin couldn’t

If my deafness had any impact on my ability to do math

Why I didn’t sign the lecture and have it 'terped.

Note that none of the offending professors/professionals were RIT personnel; all were from different universities or companies.

I ultimately found out that, since I was scheduled for one of the earliest times (9 am), and word got around that I was deaf, people thought seeing a deaf person give a 30 minute lecture on theoretical math would be entertaining….and thus, my room became packed for the freak show. They further scrutinized my actions – facing them instead of the board when writing (out of habit of trying to make my lips readable), using gratuitous hand motions (more or less SIMCOM), and willingness to move around in the room to make myself visible, calling it all “unprofessional” and more or less told me I would never be able to command respect at another presentation like that.

Even in the higher levels of academia and professional studies, deaf people are still seen as nothing more than something to point and laugh at.

Just a little story for anyone out there who claims that deaf people or other peoples with disabilities aren’t marginalized.