ABSTRACT
At the Women's Studies Network Conference (London, July 1991), a conference that explored differences between women, we were reminded, for example, by the presence of a woman with a hearing aid, that we must not take hearing for granted. 2 We also made some basic assumptions about our ability to communicate, at a psychological level, across all our isms within the conference. Confronting our ability to communicate across our differences should be an issue in itself, as should be our ability to leave our carefully constructed realities and also open them to others.3 Dialogue is essential as we attempt the task of acknowledging difference and commonalities.
