All Deaf Children Should Get Cochlear Implants
“This is not about tweaking the genes of a hearing embryo, a technical impossibility. It’s about laying two potential children in embryonic form side by side and affording more right to life to the hearing one by making it illegal to issue preference to the deaf one … this is not about creating a hearing child and then making it deaf. It’s about not being able to give life and therefore equality to an embryo that is already deaf.
…as a deaf person I can’t help but feel slightly affronted that the bill affords more right to life to you the hearing reader, than me the deaf writer, were we to be lying side by side in embryonic form in a petri dish. Indeed, it makes it illegal to choose me over you” Rebecca Atkinson, Disability News | PatriciaEBauer.com » News Archive » ‘The Deaf Issue’
I read this last night and thought of several comments been made by strong proponents of cochlear implants at different times over the past year, that all Deaf children should get cochlear implants. These comments have been bothering me ever since, as it smacks of pure eugenics. In other words, are Deaf children valued less if they don’t have cochlear implants? How presumptuous of hearing people to make such a judgment. Nobody has the right to impose their values over people who may hold different cultural modes. That goes both ways, for both Deaf and Hearing cultures. Only the parents of these deaf children can decide for themselves what’s best for them. All the others can provide is provide education so the parents can make an informed decision that they feel most comfortable with.
Cochlear implant is not the magic cure. It’s not the answer for all Deaf children, nor should it be portrayed as. I don’t want to get into the politics of cochlear implants but more into the societial mores and the significance of that statement.
Deaf parents have no problem being Deaf and are also content with their children being Deaf. There is a culture for them where they are not only happy, but also thriving. This culture has its own rich language, history, songs, traditions and a strong close-knit feeling that are usually not enjoyed by their hearing peers unless they live in a small town.
Some autistic people are telling people ‘Don’t change me. Don’t fix me. Accept me who I am’. They enjoy their differences, just like Deaf people and some dwarves.
Just think about this. If some feel all deaf children should get cochlear implants, how far would this eugenic thinking go? The limbs of all short children should be elongated, never mind that some dwarves have no issues with their differences. Children carrying the gay gene will have it removed by genetic engineering by parents aghast with the idea of homosexuality.
What are we teaching children of the modern days? That if they are different, they must be fixed to be able to assimilate to the society or they will be rejected. What does that attitude tells people who are different.. that they are less valued? Doesn’t this promote discrimination? Do we really need a homogenized society? What happens to the rich diversity of the society?
Some of the best works are produced by people who are different. Van Gogh who was suspected to be schizophrenic. Ray Charles, a singer and composer who was blind. Helen Keller, a Deaf-Blind. Beethoven, a deaf composer. Don’t forget Stephen Hawking, our top physicist. Will they be as creative if they are not different? That’s an excellent question. Some people feel suffering and hardship bring out creativity and compassion more. Personally I know a hearing poet who refuses to take psychotropics in fear it will stifle her creativity. The families who have members with Down’s Syndrome say without failure that these people teach them compassion, love, and to look at life differently, appreciating it more as these members usually are happy and very affectionate. Yet, a high percentage of fetuses containing Down’s Syndrome are terminated nowadays. More and more embryos and fetuses carrying other disabilities are also weeded out.
What one perceives as a handicap may not be what people who are different feel. The most handicapping condition people who are different experience is the societal attitude, as society tend not to tolerate people who are different. That is the real handicap, not the physical differences of the people. Why not teach the society to develop better tolerance for people who are different instead of discriminating them because they are ‘different’?
Who are the abled people to determine that the not so ‘abled’ people are of less value? Nobody has the right to determine the value of a human being.
I just want to get it off my chest as the kind of eugenic thinking expressed by several cochlear implant extremists scare me. Thank goodness most parents of kids with cochlear implants are moderates. Some are also interested in learning sign language and show a healthy tolerance and respect for the Deaf Community.
Please no bashing against cochlear implants, the parents who choose cochlear implants, or against Deaf Community. This is about cultural views and tolerance for diversity of people within the culture and people with the eugenical views.
What would happen if we have a society with no diversity due to deliberate elimination of all physical differences?
Humanity will lose a lot in many ways.
An update:
There was an unfortunate misunderstanding by some Deaf people. No, this is NOT my statement as I am against the compulsory implantation of all Deaf babies/children against their parents’ wishes.
No, this is not a blog to trick Deaf people so I can bash them later. Perish that thought! I am sad that someone would think I’ll use this tactic : (
“This is not about tweaking the genes of a hearing embryo, a technical impossibility. It’s about laying two potential children in embryonic form side by side and affording more right to life to the hearing one by making it illegal to issue preference to the deaf one … this is not about creating a hearing child and then making it deaf. It’s about not being able to give life and therefore equality to an embryo that is already deaf.
…as a deaf person I can’t help but feel slightly affronted that the bill affords more right to life to you the hearing reader, than me the deaf writer, were we to be lying side by side in embryonic form in a petri dish. Indeed, it makes it illegal to choose me over you” Rebecca Atkinson, Disability News | PatriciaEBauer.com » News Archive » ‘The Deaf Issue’
I read this last night and thought of several comments been made by strong proponents of cochlear implants at different times over the past year, that all Deaf children should get cochlear implants. These comments have been bothering me ever since, as it smacks of pure eugenics. In other words, are Deaf children valued less if they don’t have cochlear implants? How presumptuous of hearing people to make such a judgment. Nobody has the right to impose their values over people who may hold different cultural modes. That goes both ways, for both Deaf and Hearing cultures. Only the parents of these deaf children can decide for themselves what’s best for them. All the others can provide is provide education so the parents can make an informed decision that they feel most comfortable with.
Cochlear implant is not the magic cure. It’s not the answer for all Deaf children, nor should it be portrayed as. I don’t want to get into the politics of cochlear implants but more into the societial mores and the significance of that statement.
Deaf parents have no problem being Deaf and are also content with their children being Deaf. There is a culture for them where they are not only happy, but also thriving. This culture has its own rich language, history, songs, traditions and a strong close-knit feeling that are usually not enjoyed by their hearing peers unless they live in a small town.
Some autistic people are telling people ‘Don’t change me. Don’t fix me. Accept me who I am’. They enjoy their differences, just like Deaf people and some dwarves.
Just think about this. If some feel all deaf children should get cochlear implants, how far would this eugenic thinking go? The limbs of all short children should be elongated, never mind that some dwarves have no issues with their differences. Children carrying the gay gene will have it removed by genetic engineering by parents aghast with the idea of homosexuality.
What are we teaching children of the modern days? That if they are different, they must be fixed to be able to assimilate to the society or they will be rejected. What does that attitude tells people who are different.. that they are less valued? Doesn’t this promote discrimination? Do we really need a homogenized society? What happens to the rich diversity of the society?
Some of the best works are produced by people who are different. Van Gogh who was suspected to be schizophrenic. Ray Charles, a singer and composer who was blind. Helen Keller, a Deaf-Blind. Beethoven, a deaf composer. Don’t forget Stephen Hawking, our top physicist. Will they be as creative if they are not different? That’s an excellent question. Some people feel suffering and hardship bring out creativity and compassion more. Personally I know a hearing poet who refuses to take psychotropics in fear it will stifle her creativity. The families who have members with Down’s Syndrome say without failure that these people teach them compassion, love, and to look at life differently, appreciating it more as these members usually are happy and very affectionate. Yet, a high percentage of fetuses containing Down’s Syndrome are terminated nowadays. More and more embryos and fetuses carrying other disabilities are also weeded out.
What one perceives as a handicap may not be what people who are different feel. The most handicapping condition people who are different experience is the societal attitude, as society tend not to tolerate people who are different. That is the real handicap, not the physical differences of the people. Why not teach the society to develop better tolerance for people who are different instead of discriminating them because they are ‘different’?
Who are the abled people to determine that the not so ‘abled’ people are of less value? Nobody has the right to determine the value of a human being.
I just want to get it off my chest as the kind of eugenic thinking expressed by several cochlear implant extremists scare me. Thank goodness most parents of kids with cochlear implants are moderates. Some are also interested in learning sign language and show a healthy tolerance and respect for the Deaf Community.
Please no bashing against cochlear implants, the parents who choose cochlear implants, or against Deaf Community. This is about cultural views and tolerance for diversity of people within the culture and people with the eugenical views.
What would happen if we have a society with no diversity due to deliberate elimination of all physical differences?
Humanity will lose a lot in many ways.
An update:
There was an unfortunate misunderstanding by some Deaf people. No, this is NOT my statement as I am against the compulsory implantation of all Deaf babies/children against their parents’ wishes.
No, this is not a blog to trick Deaf people so I can bash them later. Perish that thought! I am sad that someone would think I’ll use this tactic : (
October 15th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Thanks, MZ, for asking questions from a moral sense rather than a rights or political or educational sense. These are necessary questions and should be asked of everybody involved with radically altering children. If nothing else, it may clarify the thinking of some people who see only the disability and not the deeper, positive aspects.
October 15th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Vive la difference! Why indeed a homogenous society? That would be a boring, vanilla world.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Wow, what a very heavy subject.
The philosophy of hedonism has been with us since the ancient times in various forms. Social hedonism or utilitarianism in some forms is the main motivation behind all the attempts to eliminate unwanted differences in the human beings.
For example, according to the philosophy, raising and educating children with disabilities is a great burden to the whole society and therefore, is not good for the society. It approves genetic selection or engineering to eliminate or fix the embryos that have disabilities simply because it will be good for the whole society.
There exist many people who believe in this philosophy. But, then there exist many people who are against this philosophy. So many science fiction literature and movies support and argue against this philosophy. Some said that some episodes of Star Trek series, which I enjoyed watching, supported the concept of hedonism or taught the lesson on the flaws of hedonism.
Some or few Deaf people are no morally or ethically better than the hearing people. If these Deaf people are given a choice between a deaf embryo and other embryo that has other form of disability, they will choose the former. They are exercising the same value judgment on the embryos in the same way as the hearing people. There is no difference between these Deaf people and the hearing people. We should not hold the assumption that the problem lies only in the hearing world. It can happen in the Deaf world.
What can we do about this philosophy of hedonism? It will be always with us now and in the future and it is completely futile to try to eliminate it. What we can do is to keep the opposing philosophies alive. Some religious groups have strong philosophy that opposes social hedonism. Some forms of pluralism, pragmatism and humanism can keep social hedonism in check.
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Your analogies are ridiculous. also, I do remember you supporting DBC when they were trying to convince mothers of deaf children that they were harming there own children by getting them a CI. You are a hard one to understand when you change your beliefs constantly.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I remember a story a long time ago.
People were complaining to God about not having discoveries of cures for cancer and diseases. They also complained about lack of moral judgements in many governments.
God responded that people killed the potential persons by aborting them.
It is a lesson to remember that the human race has been screwing up what God had planned for us.
On other hand, cochlear implant is part of a medical quackery. It has NOT proven to be a solution to deafness. It only works for a few, but not the majority.
Heaven forbid the day when there is a law demanding eugenics kind of system where parents choose one over another. This is not part of God’s plan.
I am proud to be Deaf so be it! Do not fix what is not broken!
October 15th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Many people feel my analogies are valid, so do I
Please show me where I wrote that I am AGAINST C.I. You cannot. I’ve publicly stated that I am neutral about cochlear implants, leaving the decision to the parents to make the fully informed decision they feel is the best for their kids.
People who know me well do see that my beliefs are very consistent. It’s people who make erroneous assumptions that think my beliefs change.
Readers: DO NOT ASSUME you know what my beliefs. This blog is NOT my personal journal.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Deaf Advocate, please leave the cochlear implant politics out, including how many percent works and how many % doesn’t work. That is not the intention of the post.
Let’s concentrate on the eugenics itself.
Thanks
October 15th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Why dont we implant every baby hearing and deaf?!? More hearies lose their hearing later in their life anyway!
October 15th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Well, Hidace, if you took the time to read MZ blog slowly and not focus on a few words too much, you will understand what her post is about. Ask yourself what will you do if you went to the store and had to choose between a bananna that is blemished and a bananna that is PERFECT? Which ones will you pick? Now, look at this petri dish, if you will, one is a possible deaf baby and one is possible PERFECT baby. After all, most are human and most will pick a perfect Bananna. A hearing parent will pick a perfect petri dish and a doctor would probably save and keep a perfect petri dish too if one had to choose. Yet, some will pick a blemish bananna so they can make bananna bread, likewise, some will pick a deaf petri dish because they view imperfection to be something wonderful.
I will agree with JPR, and that is to keep opposing view alive, that is, if you feel strongly about it.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Where does compassion fit into the equation? I am not speaking specifically about implants. If a parent sees that their child’s situation can be made easier with surgery they have to consider it. Is it better to force the child to struggle against cruel taunts and isolation? Or is it better to surgically intervene so that the child has it easier?
Some say a person’s character is better for being forged in fire. Others say that person can be damaged for life by the cruelties encountered in childhood.
We cannot force the world to accept our children. All we can do is help our children the best way we know how.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
These are your words Mishka, It doesn’t make sense to me that anyone should have the say in what a parents decision of how they treat thier deaf childs education should be. Hearing or deaf, where has it become your job to tell parents how to raise thier own children.
Mishka Zena’s blog
Hearing People Yes, Deaf People NO! ???
Why does it make more sense for hearing people to give advice on how to rear and educate deaf children rather than for deaf people to offer such advice? One would think it best to ask those with personal experience. What makes hearing people more qualified than deaf people? Who told the parents to disregard the views of Deaf people?
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AGB Association and those of similar ilk, including cochlear implant corporations, have been aggressive in recruiting doctors, speech pathologists, and oral educators in promoting oralism. They have been known to send people to the homes of parents with recently identified deaf babies to explain to them the benefits of oralism while claiming that sign language hurts the development of verbal and aural skills.
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Yet, when deaf people attempt to educate the public by spreading leaflets showing that hearing babies are encouraged to sign while deaf babies aren’t permitted to enjoy the same benefits, they are faced with heavy criticism.
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What gives? Did I miss the memo?
Your association with DBC says it all. I can give your more evidence that you feel it necessary. However, I think you should leave the decisions to the parents of the children and to know one else.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Candy, thank you for clarifying the main issue of the post. I get exasperated by readers who assume they know where I stand.
K.L. an excellent point. It’s up to the parents to decide what they feel is the best for the child. If they feel the child is better off with surgery or treatment, of course they should go ahead with that. Nobody wants to see their own child suffer.
You are right about some people being destroyed by the societal attitudes whereby others are strengthened. Again we have kids from healthy families becoming dysfunctional and kids from dysfunctional families with good coping skills. It isn’t always easy to predict the human psyche.
We cannot force the world to accept our children, but the world cannot force us to change our children if we don’t see a problem. That’s the dilemma.
With some disabilities, the people who are different don’t feel they are disabled. They will not see their children disabled, either.
There will always be defects. It’s impossible to remove genetic defects as nature programs the DNA to mutate on a regular basis. There is a limit to what medicine can do. So what are the results of those who cannot be fixed? With the growing tendency of society to repair the defects, will it result in an increasing intolerance for those who cannot be fixed? Wouldn’t it be better also to address the bullying issues and educate the society to be more tolerant?
October 15th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Please read carefully. Did I say hearing parents? No, I said hearing people who have no personal experience what it’s like to be hearing impaired, hard of hearing or Deaf. Only those who experienced it first hand can offer these suggestions.
Nice try, but nope. I do not appreciate you putting words in my mouth.
Please do pay close attention to the statements of DBC when I was a member and when I was not a member. Please do not assume DBC is the same as it was when I was a member. Back then, we only concentrated on baby signs, so the deaf babies can express themselves before they are able to talk, just like their hearing babies. Hearing parents need to know that they do have that option with their deaf babies, if they want to, as it will not hurt the verbal and aural development.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Are you saying an inexperienced hearing parents cannot make thier own decisions without the input of a deaf , HOH or hearing impaired person?
That’s what it seems like you are saying.
Why you left DBC only you will know. But it seems to me you were trying to save face because you knew they were and are an extreme group.
You might want to review your writings before saying NEVER.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
They will find the feedback from the hearing impaired, deaf and hoh people very valuable, so they will avoid making the mistakes countless clueless parents have made in the past. Oral educators are not known to be fully forthcoming with the data on the percentage of oral successes and those who don’t do well on oralism I can fully asset to that as I grew up exclusively oral.
Actually you are making assumptions again, which I do not appreciate. When I was one of the founding members of DBC, it was not an extreme group. When it started becoming one, the other former DBC members and I left as we have no room for intolerance.
Please refrain from making unwarranted assumptions. Thank you.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I let myself get distracted by the unwarranted accusations of a commenter and forgot all about my own request. My apologies.
Please confine the discussions to eugenics, not the politics of cochlear implants.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I wonder what the blogosphere would be like without comment boards beneath the entries
-Ben
October 15th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
LOL, Ben.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Wow, the parents need to be “informed” without any bias. I am aware of how biased the oral schools are. They are busy farming the deaf babies to be implanted.
It is not politics. It is audism at work.
As for eugenics, it is like a wolf under the sheep’s skin what they are doing these days.
Cochlear implant companies are so busy harvesting the world for profiteering purposes and lining the financial portfolios of the investors.
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out!
Again, it is part of eugenics.
The definition reads as:
“Main Entry: eu·gen·ics
Pronunciation: yu-’je-niks
Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction
Date: 1883
: a science that deals with the improvement (as by control of human mating) of hereditary qualities of a race or breed ”
See how they control the society by human mating…which eventually will lead to what Hitler envisioned as well as AG Bell did.
So cochlear implanting and eugenics go hand in hand!
Thank you!
=)
October 16th, 2008 at 4:35 am
I would like to express my agreement with the points that Mishka Zena made in her comment in response to K.L.’s comment (comment #12 in response to comment #10). Different individuals have different views on compassion and whether to conform to the society. It is my hope that the parents will be very tolerant toward other parents who make different decisions. Also, it is my hope that the society is very tolerant toward the parents who choose different ways that do not conform to the expectations and norms of the society. (But then, the history does not have excellent record of high tolerance between society and parents and between parents.)
I cringed when I saw a vlogger at deafvideo.tv saying that he wished the Congress should pass a bill that would forbid kids under 18 years old from getting cochlear implant. I don’t agree with his idea because it will take from the parents the right to decide their children’s upbringing. Also, it will become an undesirable precedent for the future restrictions that the society can impose on the parents. I hope that there is no one who wants the same but this time, to force all deaf kids to have cochlear implant. It is fine with me that these individuals hold these extreme positions no matter how much I disagree with them but it becomes dangerous when they want to impose their positions on the whole society through legal means.
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
October 16th, 2008 at 5:07 am
Responding to Deaf Advocate’s comment (comment #19):
It is fine with me that you expressed your opinion on cochlear implant. But, not all parents of deaf kids agree with your opinion. Not all of them see the technology of cochlear implant as a bad thing (or as a wolf preying on the innocent deaf kids).
The manufacturers of cochlear implant exist simply because there is demand for cochlear implant. If there is no demand, the manufacturers will simply disappear. This is true for many or all technologies. Trying to vilify them for being greed does not sit well with many parents who find cochlear implant working well with their deaf children.
Your mention of Adolf Hitler and Dr. Alexander Graham Bell in relation to the subject of cochlear implant is unfortunate and, in my opinion, is repulsive. It is very absurd to try to connect dots from these two individuals to the practice of placing cochlear implants on the deaf babies. Let the motivation of parents who decided on cochlear implant speaks for itself without any attempt to link it with these two individuals.
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
October 16th, 2008 at 6:49 am
My line of thinking is more of Joseph Pietro Riolo’s line of thinking, so I don’t need to add any to it.
It is a personal choice for the parents of deaf children, wanting to give the opportunities to the children, etc.
Good blog, Mishka, anyway.
October 16th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Sigh, I guess it is almost impossible to keep cochlear implant politics out of eugenics.
I want to reaffirm Joseph Pietro Riolo’s statement that the reason the parents got the cochlear implant is to help their children. In their culture, hearing is a precious trait that they enjoy and want their children to enjoy the benefits, too. People in the Deaf Community don’t share the same cultural values. It doesn’t mean the parents are in error for feeling that way.
My concern is the statements of several c.i. extremists that ALL deaf children should be implanted while they are aware that there is a vibrant Deaf Community where Deaf children are not usually implanted due to their parents’ wishes. That’s what I was reacting to as only the parents can decide for themselves, not others, not the society, what’s best for their children.
Thank you all for your feedback.
October 16th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
A good example was Stephen Hawking. He has said that his “deficiency” forced him to think quite differently. Not being able to physically function like his peer researchers forced him to be more spatial and adopt other techniques for working things out in his head. Sure, he was always brilliant, but maybe this pushed him over the edge to greatness.
October 16th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Okay, I feel like I should be leaving a really profound comment, but I am EXHAUSTED! So, I’m just going to say that I found the approach to the argument similar, yet different from your other blogs on the subject, a bit more reflective…and it was an nice and subtle change.
Hugs,
Jodi
October 17th, 2008 at 7:48 am
I waited and let any commenters to response in this blog. It is a good discussion.
Don’t forget the stem cells. Don’t forget the scientists and researchers to dig the non-carriers and carriers’ genetics and diseases. It’s the modern medical technology.
What can we say about the modern medical technology that have tried to heal anything?
October 17th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
An update:
There was an unfortunate misunderstanding by some Deaf people. No, this is NOT my statement as I am against the compulsory implantation of all Deaf babies/children against their parents’ wishes.
No, this is not a post to trick Deaf people so I can bash them later. Perish that thought! I am sad that someone would think I’ll use this tactic
October 17th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Gee … Many are unhappy about your blog here. I know you — You are not like this. Umm .. Time has changed. I guess some are frightened that ASL will be faded away.
October 18th, 2008 at 4:59 am
Mishka –
I don’t think some of the people understand the journalists’/bloggers’ works to write any titles to attract the viewers. So that way, the viewers can read the websites, newspapers or blogospheres. It’s about the audience.
For instance, the other day, a journalist wrote an article, “Reskins Ruling: But hearing people still don’t get the lyrics, either” in the Washington Post last week. (NAD announced about the captioning case against the Redskins in the blog last week.)
It is not the trick. It’s the way the journalism’s/blog-ism’s works. That’s how it works.
It’s sad to know that some of them has refused to “try” to read yours.
We’ve had some disagreements….but I know you and still fist-smack you. I love to read!
October 18th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Great blog, I just have a comment for the specific part where you mentioned deaf parents accepting their deaf babies as is- “Deaf parents have no problem being Deaf and are also content with their children being Deaf. ” Im assuming that you mean that deaf parents do not choose CIs for their deaf children. There are more and more deaf parents choosing to give their deaf children CIs and many others who want to do this but don’t out of fear of retaliation from the deaf community. This is not about deaf versus hearing, not anymore. Its about those who accept CIs versus those who do not. I am a culturally deaf parent who chose to give my child a CI and we are still proud of our deaf identity and all that.
It is when people judge others based on the choices that they make for their children, like you and other commenters have said- that is the real problem here. Deaf children without CIs are going to be fine, just like deaf children with CIs. Parents who choose to give their children CIs can be as accepting of their children’s deaf identity just like parents who don’t.
October 18th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
also, I’d like to point out that just because you’re deaf, and your child is deaf too, doesn’t mean raising your deaf child will be a bed of roses. a lot of deaf parents of deaf kids are shocked at how challenging it can be. parenting is a rewarding job but still a tough one, hearing or deaf. I agree with AL that one can have a CI and still have a healthy, positive attitude about being deaf and a member of the deaf community.
October 24th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I had to back this issue! MZ!!! That’s good blog!
October 26th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
As a Deaf parent of a Deaf child, I am in an unique position here. I happen to have fluent ASL skills before getting my own CI 4 years ago yet my child did not get one. So we are on our on individual journeys here even with all this controversy and Deafhood. This child is just happy the way she is and we co-exist at home in an ASL environment. She does remind me not to talk by voice to her hearing sister in her presence though ! ( I understood her point of being left out.)
So we are practicing unity at home peacefully. What is more challenging for me as a parent is seeing so much hopes and disapointments in the quality of Deaf education, advocacy and a lot more. I had no idea how difficult personally because I was forced to go through my hard childhood being raised orally/learning ASL at age 17 finally and then figure out what is best for my own Deaf child without bias or judgement. There is no such thing as that. It hits you at the core as a person more than anything. Having said that, I was already on the process of being the best possible Deaf person anyway before seeing the Deafhood workshop. I happen to have most of friends in the Deaf community anyway and at work, it is a hearing world. Not one Deaf person criticized my decison to get the CI and I always have welcomed their curiousity and very hard questions about it even it is negative. So I go back and forth on a daily basis with ease and fluency in both languages. It didnt happen overnight and it is indeed an interesting process.