How to Help

Hi everyone,

Thank you to all who attended the forum yesterday! We’re currently working on uploading the recording to our website—transcribing an hour and a half takes time, so thank you for your patience.

Unfortunately, the forum included several upsetting displays of audism—discrimination or prejudice against individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Examples of audism in general include dismissal of deaf voices, making fun of deaf people, not providing proper access to information, etc. To address this, we need your help.

Please write to Rebecca Ropers in the Office of Academic Affairs at dropers@umn.edu and share your experience. Let her know that Dean Jill Pastrana’s dismissive behavior was unacceptable. You can include observations such as:

• Her facial expressions and body language

• Laughing at inappropriate moments

• Stepping back while Mary, Monica, Todd, and Michael were signing

• Avoiding questions from our Deaf professors

• Ignoring Deaf participants entirely

You’re encouraged to share how this made you feel—any emotional distress, anxiety, or mental health impacts you’ve experienced due to this situation.

If you were not at the forum, you can still write a letter. Wait until we upload the video to our website and watch parts of the video to understand what happened. Or speak to your own experience with audism on campus.

Let’s raise our voices and hold leadership accountable. Thank you for your continued advocacy and support. 

We will keep fighting the fight!

• Sign the petition

• Follow us on Instagram @save.deaf.studies.umd

• Email administrators and policy makers to express how you feel

  • Charles Nies, the UMD Chancellor - chan@d.umn.edu 

  • Rebecca Ropers, Office of Academic Affairs - vcaa@d.umn.edu 

  • Matt Massman, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations - vcfo@d.umn.edu 

  • CEHSP Dean, Jill Pinkey Pastrana - jppastra@d.umn.edu 

  • CEHSP Associate Dean, Scott Carlson - carls116@d.umn.edu 

• SPREAD THE WORD. This is an effort that cannot work without clear communication and access for everyone. Tell everyone you know and share as many direct sources as you can.