March Deaf Reading/Reflection #1 - Coursework Example

March Deaf Reading/Reflection In my opinion, the Deaf President Now protest was a time bomb that had been waiting to explode for quite a long time. The protests brought to light a new reality that the disabled among us were not prepared to be sat on anymore. They wanted to be heard and represented in key organizations and movements at all levels. It is important to note that these protests were not just about university leadership; they echoed the feelings of all other disabled people across the country.

The move by the board of trustees at Gallaudet University to select a hearing woman regardless of “an intensive lobbying campaign, aimed at the search committee and the board of trustees, advocating the appointment of a deaf person” (Barnartt & Christiansen 4) was an indication of an unwillingness to accommodate deaf people in positions of leadership at the university. The most important point to consider here is that the deaf students had campaigned and lobbied for a deaf president, only to see their efforts trashed by an unfair decision.

In my opinion the protests were warranted. To make matters worse, the announcement of the selection of the hearing woman (Elizabeth Zinser) was made not by the board of trustees, but “the university’s public relations office” (Barnartt & Christiansen 4). This is a clear display of defiance and a “so what” attitude that would not and did not go down well with the deaf students. It also showed that the board of trustees did not mind treating the students with contempt as they did, and that there were poor relations between deaf students and the university.

One of the students by the name of Ducks was especially waiting for the selection of a deaf president because he “had been working for months to try to convince the board to select a deaf president” (Barnartt & Christiansen 4). Works CitedBarnartt, Sharon, & Christiansen, John. Into their own hands: the Deaf President Now and its consequences. New York: Routledge, 1996. Print.