Yesterday was the final day of Women’s History Month, and I’ve been giving a lot of thought as to how women are perceived; specifically the underrepresented minorities within the echelon of the sporting industry and higher academia.
As a Deaf BIPOC woman, I know I represent the extreme end of the underrepresented minorities. But I also know that allowing our voices to be heard will enable us to push forth progressive changes that will lay the foundation for a truly inclusive space.
Yet, I am all too often left wondering and questioning my existence in an industry space that increasingly seems to send performative messages and is not prepared to give us a true seat at the table.
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I do not see people like me represented in the upper echelons in the business world, let alone the legal field; we are on the fringe..
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There seem to be promising signs happening everywhere, but at the same time, these are only designed for the white and able-bodied.
For example, CODA is a watershed moment truly for the Deaf community, but at the same time, it is a film that still pushes forth misconceptions and negative narratives of Deaf lives. Furthermore, it is a film only designed for the hearing gaze.
This also leaves me pondering whether hearing society is genuinely ready to provide an inclusive/accessible space for Deaf stories and Deaf voices that are not White instead of continuing to gate-keep us out of spaces.
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By extension, it has also become clear to me that there are many areas of higher education – especially in the realm of advanced degrees in business and law – that are closed off to the Deaf. As with my MBA/JD application journey that I have embarked on, it seems that the spaces that are designed to accept “diverse” candidates are not really diverse at all.
Diversity….what? Is that a buzz word those higher academics only use for “we will accept candidates that meet the checkboxes but not the Deaf minority” because of the ableist perception in the business world. I shouldn’t have to reiterate the data: only 17.9% of the disabled community as a whole can be fully employed and earn a living wage. When seeking admission to a top-tier, competitive MBA or JD program, there is the implicit expectation that an applicant who hopes to be successful in the process be able to show workplace experience that has been out of reach to most in the Deaf community.
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Why? Because Deaf individuals make people uncomfortable in a sense, and we force rethinking of business and academic practices that are already inaccessible to us.
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For the Deaf community, employment numbers and opportunities are minuscule. Historically, corporations have shown to be more likely to select people with non-hearing-related disabilities over Deaf candidates even when the Deaf candidate has the background needed for success in the position and will bring tools that will push forward innovative concepts.
But why?
Because Deaf individuals make people uncomfortable in a sense, and we force rethinking of business and academic practices that are already inaccessible to us.
I do not see people like me represented in the upper echelons in the business world, let alone the legal field; we are on the fringe. The only people I see in any position of power are white Deaf and in Deaf- centric fields, because that is often the only way Deaf people can find guaranteed employment opportunities that are not entry-level and allows for upwards advancement.
The glass ceiling seems very much so firmly in place for minority deaf women.
I question whether the higher academic space/business industry space is willing to take the chance on me and other candidates or whether they would rather simply maintain the status quo, because they know they do not have to make any changes in how they operate in their business/academic environment to simply ensure equitable access as required by IDEA/ADA bylaws.
We need much more than that.
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Photo Credit: ShutterStock
The piece was originally published on the LinkedIn Pulse here.
