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Deaf Identity Revisited: 21st-Century
Pathways of Nomadic
Deaf Citizenship
In April 2014, deaf/sign language community members gathered for the last meet-
ing of the Flemish Deaf Parliament, a platform for participatory citizenship that was
initiated by Ghent University and the Flemish Association of the Deaf (Fevlado)
and organized by six local deaf clubs in the different regions of Flanders. This ini-
tiative of deliberative democracy explored an alternative method for deaf citizens to
engage in a dialogue on future perspectives in times of transition.
In a period of four months, more than 350 members came together in local com-
munity meetings to exchange their views on deaf education; the transition to main-
streamed education and lifelong learning; challenges in their well-being and heri-
tage, including transmission of social and cultural capital; equality in employment;
political participation; and quality of life for deaf elders. At the close of the final
meeting, a young deaf woman named Agnes, who until then had remained silent,
stood up to tell her story. Recounted here, her journey aptly illustrates many of the
facets of nomadic deaf citizenship that I explore in this chapter:I grew up orally. That has influenced the situation that I am in now. If you grow
up orally, you wonder, “What is my being deaf about? Who am I as a person;
am I a signer or oral communicator?” My identity switched back and forth, and
it didn’t feel right. Then, when I was 18, I came into the deaf world, an excit-
ing process. By that time, I had already started advanced studies (in special
education) in another region. I was feeling my way between two worlds and
experienced so many barriers. Since I had grown up orally, I thought that this
was how things should go. I had no idea about advocating. What was it for?
Then I had a troublesome internship and didn’t fit in with the team there,
which was in crisis and very confusing, with people coming and going and
new faces daily. I received feedback that I didn’t engage enough. I said,
“I am sorry, but I am deaf.” I felt I had failed. I knew that I was intelligent and
capable enough for a bachelor’s degree, but for a while I gave up. I had been
suffering for three years and couldn’t cope anymore.
Then, through the deaf world, I learned that access to higher education
was much better in another region. I wanted to finish my studies in special
education, but the requirements there were different so I had to start again.
So I thought, let go, and I joined a two-year social work course. My motivation
was low because I had to do it all over again and was already tired, but this
time I passed my internship.