I’d greatly appreciate if anyone can explain this to me. I’m struggling to understand what is deaf rights, civil rights that is?

I have seen tweets, facebook statuses, blogs, etc demanding to have deaf rights/civil rights. I asked myself “what is there that we, deaf people, are banned from something that violates our human rights?”

I mean me being gay, we does have civil rights issue, for instance, unable to get married in many states, can’t get credited for federal taxes and such. Laws clearly stated we are banned from getting married. I’d name more but you get the point.

But with deaf, what is there that we are banned from in America? We can drive, we can get married, can apply, etc. 

I did ask a few deaf people and yet they threw a fit just because I asked a question, started bashing me and all.

A couple of others said the meaning of rights that we were denied due to our deafness. I explained that it have to do nothing with laws, the law did not tell them to deny us, discriminate us, etc. It’s all based on their ignorance, stupidity, etc. No such law that stops us from doing what we want.

Unless we are talking about other countries not for America? Maybe *that*, I would understand and support it completely but for America? I feel we have equal rights, just that we have to face ignorance all the time.

If it’s all about educating people the meaning of deaf and all then shouldn’t it be something else other than “rights”? I know there will be people out there ask what it means so either we have to come up with better explanations or use a different word other than “rights”.

Entertain me.. educate me.. feed me, whatever you want the meaning of “rights”.