Questions of deafness at center of new film from CNN.com

[lori67]

Ok, I'm up for snacks and a word or two on the issue. 

I am currently taking American Sign Language classes and have spent a great deal of this school semester learning about Deaf culture.  (By the way, the Deaf community is referred to by using a capital "D", as it is considered their culture, much like being Irish or Canadian).  They do not consider themselves handicapped because they can't hear.  In fact, the only thing a Deaf person can't do is answer the phone, but with new technology, even that is becoming a possiblity.

I think a lot of the issues that Laura had were based on her fear of her son not being able to identify himself with any particular social group.  He may be looked upon by the Deaf community as having considered himself "broken" because he was deaf and got the implant, so he may not be accepted as a part of that group.  He may also not be accepted into the hearing community because he does not hear like naturally hearing people.    He'd be stuck in the middle.

I do think, that if it had been my child, I would probably do the implant, but also make sure that he learned to sign fluently so that there is an open line of communication between both parents and the child.  In the case of a child, if you're going to do a Cochlear Implant, it's probably best to do it early, so there aren't any speech delays later.  If you allow the child to remain deaf until he's old enough to decide on his own, he's already way behind on his oral communication skills. On the other hand, if you do the implant early and the child decides later on that he does not want to associate himself with the hearing community, he just doesn't have to wear the CI processor.

We have a very active Deaf community here in Nashville - most of the churches have Deaf Church every weekend, there are Deaf employees at our mall and they meet once a month at a local mall food court for a Silent Dinner, where they have an opportunity to interact and socialize.  I certainly do not consider any of them handicapped.  There are quite a few that have a higher level of college education than I do.

Pass some chocolate!
Lori

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Lori:

Thanks for your input - and a slightly different point of view.  Your association with the Deaf community is valuable in understanding this issue.  I concur with your conclusions regarding a Cochlear Implant for a child, so I won't bother re-hashing the issues raised by the TV movie and exhaustively discussed on this thread.   

I'm aware that the Deaf community (I got it) is determined to characterize deafness as a non-handicap and that is certainly their prerogative.  I'm rather skeptical of the honesty of that position but I see no reason to argue about it, either.  People may describe themselves in whatever way they want   However, because deafness is an absence of one of the most basic human senses, attempting to present it as now socially equal to one's race or sexual preference and so, render deafness something we pretend to ignore, even when we sometimes simply cannot, makes the concept of 'deaf pride' somewhat Quixotic, in my opinion, but then, no one asked my opinion.  I just offer it here as another POV.  As a person with SSD, I certainly have absolutely no desire to denigrate deaf people.  If members of the Deaf community choose not to view deafness as a handicap, so be it.  I truly hope that in the near future, technology will make that position totally realistic. 

Jim

[Soundy]

I have known deaf people who are perfectly happy deaf and don't wish to hear...or
if they do they hide it well...

With DJ the little boy at school... the little bit of hearing that he now has has so improved
his quality of life and change him from a sad often crying child to one we see smile... for
him the implant has been a blessing ... for others they may do OK without ...goes back
to each family must decide for themselves what is right for their child and personal
situation ... and if possible let the child be in on decision making if they can understand
what is going on and going to happen...

[leapyrtwins]

Lori -

thanks for shedding some light on this subject.  Your thoughts on the cochlear for children make a lot of sense to me. 

I'm curious as to how you became interested in sign language - it's something that's always fascinated me.  Was this something that grew out of your AN experience? or did you plan to study sign language prior to your AN?

I also think it's cool that there is an entire deaf community in Nashville    I can't say I'm aware of any in my area, but it's highly possible that I'm just out of touch.  Before I became SSD, I wasn't really aware of people with hearing issues - now it seems like I'm constantly noticing people who wear hearing aids.  I haven't run across anyone who wears a BAHA yet - except for a woman I met at a local ANA support group meeting about a year ago - but I'm keeping my eyes open.

Jan

 

[Pooter]

Jim - I reply not to have the last word, but to affirm that you did not degenerate to ad hominem attacks.  I hope you didn't take from what I wrote that I thought you had.  My point was only that I enjoy debate so long as it doesn't get to that point because there is no quicker way to destroy a healthy discussion than attacking someone personally.  I try very hard not to do that and I appreciate that you (and others) didn't do that.

Thanks for the skittles, Phyl. 

And thanks to everyone for sharing their experience and "take" on the issue.  I take away from it that everyone has their own opinion on the subject born out of their own life experience.  Like so many issues of the day, there really is no "right" answer.  "Right" is in the eye of the person / people making the decision.  Nothing more, nothing less.  As Kate would say (Hi Kate!), one size doesn't fit all.  See?  I've been reading the forum long enough to quote other people!

Thanks again, all!

Brian

[lori67]

Jan,

I've always had a desire to learn ASL and tried to learn from a book on my own.  Didn't work.  When I worked in a hospital, I realized that it would have been helpful at times because we had deaf patients every now and then and it would take forever to have to write things back and forth if there was no interpreter available.

After I lost hearing in one ear, I decided it was time to do something.  I had always just taken my hearing for granted and never expected to lose any of it, since I've always had what the audiologist descibed as "super-human hearing".  Hey, I'm a Mom, I'm supposed to hear everything!  So I decided I'd learn and teach my family so that if something happens to my good ear someday, I'm not left with no way of communicating.  Besides, i'm Italian and talk with my hands all the time anyway, so I figured I might as well make it an official language!

The League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has classes here.  You should check it out by you.  The libraries have classes a lot too, and they are usually free, but ours were all downtown and at inconvenient times, so I didn't take one of those.  I "graduate" ASL 1 in 3 weeks and then start part 2 right after that.

It came in very handy on the plane to Arizona last week because I couldn't hear well with all the noise and my husband was sitting across the aisle on my deaf side.  We had to resort to ASL.  Fortunately we know enough that we can get the general point across.  And, by the way, that DEAF RIGHT pin I ordered was a great way to keep my airplane "neighbor" from talking to me the entire flight.  She was a salesperson for some kind of makeup and was trying to sell to everyone in sight.  She figured she wouldn't waste her breath on someone who couldn't hear her!   

Lori

[jerseygirl]

Lori,

As usual, you see positive in every situation. You just keep me smiling! Thanks!

Reagrding the ASL: do you use both hands or you can get away with just one?


                Eve

[leapyrtwins]

The League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has classes here.  You should check it out by you.

Lori -

I'd love to check this out.  Is there a web site or something to get me started? 

Also, great idea about the ANA pin.  I ordered 2 deaf left ones after my AN surgery.  I'll have to remember to wear one especially when I'm traveling - sometimes the crowds are SO noisy.

Jan