The Mind Hears Profile: Dr. Stephanie W. Cawthon
Audism. Ableism. Imposter syndrome.
The “big three” and more are addressed with honesty and vulnerability in an extensive profile of Dr. Stephanie W. Cawthon in The Mind Hears, a website by and for deaf and hard of hearing academics.
“I think many deaf academics and professionals come to realize the extent to which we internalize audism, which then sets up the tyranny of low expectations about us and can contribute to feeling like we’re totally fake (imposter syndrome).”
That particular insight in the profile, which was published April 15, has resonated on social media with her peers. So has Dr. Cawthon’s mission: “Working toward systems is my number one goal for the next half of my career.”
Dr. Cawthon also shares advice she’d give her younger self, the evolution of her identity as a deaf academic, and — after more than two decades in academia — what she knows for sure.