When people learn that Service Coordinator, George Ketcham, MSW-S is Deaf, he can sometimes see the hesitation in their eyes. Too often, the assumption follows: if someone can’t hear, they must not be as capable.
“It’s a myth I’ve lived with my whole life,” George explains. “There’s this idea that Deaf people are less intelligent than hearing people. It’s not true, and it’s exhausting to constantly prove it.”
From classrooms where expectations were lowered, to workplaces where communication barriers are mistaken for lack of ability, this myth has weighed heavily on George and countless others in the Deaf community. He shares that many Deaf individuals push themselves harder in school or their careers just to be seen as equal. The emotional toll is real.
“I’ve adapted so much that I only feel my disability when society disables me,” George says. The problem isn’t intelligence, it’s access. When support, time, or accommodations are withheld, opportunities are lost, and stereotypes deepen.
The truth is simple: hearing and intelligence have nothing to do with each other. The Deaf community has its own rich language, culture, and history filled with scientists, artists, and leaders who continue to change the world.
George’s reminder for us all is this: “Deafness isn’t a limitation. The only limitation comes when people refuse to see beyond the myth.”