Why don't they want young deaf people to get implants? While deafness is a culture, it is still a disabilty. As a parent, refusing to get a CI for your kid is the same thing as refusing to allow a doctor to reattach their leg. It's just dumb, they need to get over it.
shareThey're deaf, that's what's wrong.
shareOMG, I'm hearing, and the question by the original poster is the most insensitive ugly thing I think I've ever heard! You should pardon the expression "I've ever heard".
Read up a little - I don't think you're stupid, just uneducated.
Uneducated that deaf people are afraid they will go extinct and think that there is no problem with being deaf, so they selfishly prohibit their children from living a full life?
There's nothing wrong with being deaf, and most deaf people life happy and successful lives. BUT why would you force a disability on your child just because you think deaf culture is so great? I'm sorry but that is dumb.
There's nothing [wrong] with being deaf . . .
And yet your post suggests that you clearly think there is.
Though it is dark . . . know your flag . . . is still there.
"There's nothing with being deaf . . .
And yet your post suggests that you clearly think there is. "
Okay, you got me there, I got stuck into a politically correct Seinfeld-phrase. There is a problem with being deaf, what I was trying to say is that people still live successful lives in spite of being deaf. But it is still a disability and it always will be, no matter how people find ways to overcome it.
So when are you going to educate me about deaf culture since you seem to think you know so much about it. When are you actually going to defend people who refuse medical treatment to their children? All you have done is label my opinion offensive without even truly explaining why.
they don't think of it as a disability. thats saying something like...ok nothing alike but as an example...being able to wistle. again nothing alike, but thats how they thing of it. not like a disability, but as how theyre life is, how nature intended it to be.
they don't want adam to be ashamed of who he is and i understand that.
and to the OP...
"What the hell is wrong with deaf people?"
u are probably the meanest person...i mean to phrase it like that....not nice at all.
Skanks don't die they multiply
crazykidster . . . sigh . . . Never mind. I don't have the energy. Why don't you really learn something about deaf culture before you post again?
Though it is dark . . . know your flag . . . is still there.
What exactly do you know about deaf culture? Nothing, I am sure. But it is a culture that people do not choose, they are introduced into it because of a disability. I don't care if that term disability is not pleasant, but it applies to deaf people whether they like it or not.
If it were any other disability and parents were reluctant to try to fix it in their children they would be heavily frowned upon. But because deafness is a "culture" all of a sudden it is okay? I am not buying it, and I am expressing my opinion. If you have a problem with it and you want to educate me, then go ahead.
What exactly do I know about deaf culture?
Well, I learned the American Sign Language alphabet and some basic signs in middle school. In college, I took ASL courses for credit from a professor who was deaf from birth. I completed a summer program that included ASL, Sociology, Education, and Psychology specifically in regard to being deaf. I did a practicum at a camp for deaf and hard of hearing children, some of whom had cochlear implants. One of my friends in grad school was deaf, from birth. And I've taught introductory ASL and deaf culture to high school students.
By all means, please continue to assume that I have no knowledge of deaf culture. But unlike you, I actually make sure I have some basic knowledge about the subjects on which I speak.
Though it is dark . . . know your flag . . . is still there.
Since you know so much about deaf culture why don't you actually explain it, instead of listing off your credentials? I think this is very telling about your actual comprehension.
shareWhat's telling, crazykidster, is that you are using the same kind of argument I hear when someone white asks me to explain why someone who is black, or someone who is female, does something. I didn't say I knew "so much" about deaf culture; I responded to your comment that I knew nothing.
It's not my job to educate you, it's my choice, and I choose not to do so. The way you started this thread makes you appear far more argumentative than open to reasonable discussion. I don't know if you're a troll; if these are really your opinions, you're entitled to them. But I don't have to be the one to explain things to you that you can learn for yourself.
You can respond as you like, but I've spent enough time on you, and I'm putting you on my ignore list. I know you'll likely say that's because I have nothing to my argument, but actually, it's because you have nothing for my argument.
Though it is dark . . . know your flag . . . is still there.
I will admit I am ignorant about deaf culture. I am merely looking at this issue as a rational hearing person who is enraged that there is even a debate about healing disabilities in young children.
I have stated my opinion and you stated yours. I have tried to explain my opinion to you, and you have refused to explain yours. If you want to ignore me, go ahead. But I think you have shown yourself to be a person who can't back up their opinions and who can't be bothered to explain something - but you will waste enough time arguing. I am glad that people like you ignore me, because you can't form an adequate argument and you probably google and make up credentials to back up your beliefs. You have wasted as much of my time as I have wasted of yours.
And it's interesting that you compare being deaf to race and sex. Do you consider being black or female to be a disability?
[deleted]
While I can understand why you would want your child to be old enough to make their own choice, isn't there a greater chance of success when you you implant while they are young? By the time a deaf child reaches young adulthood they have already conquered many of the hardships and hurdles of being deaf. If you do the operation while they are young they can avoid all that.
Also, how many people who get the implant while they are young will actually regret that the operation was performed without their informed consent? The technology is probably too young for there to be an appropriate study on this, but I don't see a significant portion of people would be bothered that their parents made the choice for them to hear.
[deleted]
DID YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM THAT MOVIE?!!!!!!!
you are an insensitive idiot!
its like asking a black person why they dont change the color of their skin, cause it would be 'easier' to be white.
SHUT UP
you have no idea what you're talking about.
Being black is not a disablity. Why do people always try to compare race, sex, and sexuality to being deaf? It is not a valid comparison.
shareI needed to add my insight. I am an 19 year old deaf male attending college who has an implant. I got my implant my freshman year in high school (maybe age 14) because I wanted to see if it would improve my quality of life. While it did help me since I do not live in an area with a large deaf culture base, I don't think its necessary. It is a personal choice. My parents waited for me to become old enough to make my own decision.
They raised me with American Sign Language (ASL) as my first language and taught me english and alot of oral skills. I took advantage of both but still used ASL first. Even today with my implant, I still use ASL as my first language. I use an interpter in my classroom (I am in college now). It is perfectly fine if someone does not want an implant. It is also perfectly fine if someone does. It is a personal choice not the fact that it "makes life better." It is FALSE. I wonder if you did see the whole movie.
I am an normal DEAF person who has an implant and functions fine with it. ASL still comes first. I am part of the deaf community and they accept me even with my implant. It has nothing to do with the "quality" of life. Deaf Culture is an entirely different thing. And Deafness and implants do not compare with having a leg replaced or a heart valve. People NEED heart valves to survive while they do NOT NEED implants to survive. Thats the way it goes.
Deafness is OKAY. I have an implant myself and I still think that it is not necessary. I love it though. It is a personal choice. Let the deaf community and deaf/hearing parents be. This IS a difficult choice to make. There is no wrong answer.
wow thanks offroad, that was good insight. :)
*"Gum would be perfection..."*
Thank you for your take on it offroadrider. I really appreciate you taking the time to add your prospective and explain your opinion, which some people are too lazy to do on this board. However, I never compared an implant to a heart valve, I compared it to a leg. And several people live without legs in the same way that several deaf people live without implants.
The technology when you were a young child is not the same as the technology today, so I can understand why your parents decided to wait for you to make the choice. My question to you, though, is how old would you allow your child to get a CI?
I compared it to a heart valve since it was more extreme than an implant and it shows that implants are really not necessary a big deal if one didn't get it.
Technology back then was somewhat similar to today with less "companies." There are currently three implant brands (think of it as cell phone brands). Back then, there was only one. My parents were on the edge and decided to wait to see what I was most comfortable with. But yes, technology was still different.
I would wait until my kid was old enough to understand the concept of an implant before allowing him/her to make a decision. Even though they say age is important, I succeeded just fine getting it at a later age of 14 or 15. It's possible at all ages. So I don't see the harm in waiting until they want it with their own choice or not. I would not stop my child from getting one nor will I pressure him/her into one.
I've heard children have been implanted as young as 18 months with a severe hearing loss.
shareThank you for giving crazykidster such a valid explanation. My son worked on this film (he was a background Munchkin) and prior to having such an enlightening experience as we did on a set such as this, I probably would have assumed that attempting the use of implants would be a 'given' for any parent, regardless of their hearing status. When I first saw the final version of the completed film I was slightly disappointed that it didn't give a specific answer to the primary question it raised. However, a few days of pondering made me realize that if I was still thinking about the film and its ending three days after having seen it, thats probably a good indication that its ending was not a scapegoat but in actuality a brilliant way of suggesting there is no Absolute right or wrong when deciding on such an intricate issue.
shareGreat post. I am a student at Gallaudet and I have friends who are in the EXACT same situation as you. In fact I thought you were a particular friend of mine until you mentioned that you use an interpreter! Anyway, just wanted to say that your post was the best one on this entire thread.
Meredith - http://journal.amanita.net
offroadrider wrote: My parents waited for me to become old enough to make my own decision.
They raised me with American Sign Language (ASL) as my first language and taught me english and alot of oral skills.
If my child were born deaf or became deaf in early childhood, I would prefer to wait until my kid were older and could better understand the pros and possible cons of having a cochlear implant. Being deaf does not mean that you have a life-threatening condition, and a cochlear implant is an elective surgery. I might feel differently if I had no other way to communicate with my child.
Though it is dark . . . know your flag . . . is still there.
You sound as stupid as Marlee does. Of course you can LIVE without having eyes or ears or taste it is silly to do without them just so you can be a member of a community. Any deaf person who keeps a child deaf so that they can be alike is an azzhole.
What we have here is failure to communicate!share
"Being black is not a disablity. Why do people always try to compare race, sex, and sexuality to being deaf? It is not a valid comparison."
this is the biggoted view that is the root of these insensitive opinions. you're absolutely correct. being black is by no means a disability. that is why it IS a valid comparison. that's right. i'm saying it. being deaf is not, i repeat NOT a disability.
maybe years ago it could've been viewed as such, but in the present day it can't be. i'll explain why:
it is a minority. not a disability. deaf people have their own culture and their own language. it's just like being born in any other minority. they have struggles to overcome and a sense of pride in who they are. that is unless they are born to ignorant people who think that there is something wrong with them because they're not in the majority. there is nothing WRONG with them.
ask any deaf adult if they would choose to have the ability to hear if they could. almost all will say no.
ask any black adult if they want to be white. they'll say no.
note the similarity.
ask a person who lost his legs if he would get them back if he could, he'll most likely say yes.
note the DIFFERENCE.
it's a MINORITY NOT A DISABILITY. so ethnic comarisons are COMPLETELY valid.
people really upset me when they have such a biggoted view of deaf culture. but i hope you can realize what i have come to realize about their community. it's a minority.
it's its own culture.
it's strong.
and it's beautiful.
Deafness is a disability. It is a medical assessment of someone's physical inability to hear. Disability is a term you cannot argue.
I'm sorry if you cannot handle an accurate word. But that is how it is. Deal with it and accept that deaf people have their own culture, but deafness itself is not a culture. It is a disability.
And how do you know what percentage of deaf people would choose to have hearing? Show me a study that proves this and maybe I'll believe you.
Sounds to me you've never been deaf or hard of hearing is that correct?
I've been Profondly deaf for more than 35 years, yes you heard me right, I said, more than 35 years and believe it or not it actually took me 40 years to make a serious decision of rather I wanted to leave or skip the deaf culture for the hearing world. You think the a Cochlear Implant is a MICRO CHIP, which is not.
You also seem to not know the difference between being deaf and hard of hearing - is that correct?
I still belong in the deaf culture many of my friends in the 40 years of my hearing loss have remained friends with me when I got my CI last year - that's right, you heard me right again, last year. My girlfriend and best friend is also deaf, she supported my decision of me getting a cochlear implant as well as my parents, you may think its my childhood idea to remain deaf and profondly in my adult life now.
There's a big difference with being profondly deaf and being deaf itself. Many have a sudden hearing loss at any given age, myself, I was what we call "late deafend", which means, I lost my hearing shortly after I was born around age three, than I year later at age four in my other ear - I had endured the world of one day being able to hear again if medicine was able to restore my own hearing. But, its not perfect as I once heard the natural sounds of what I hear today as I did 40 years ago and when I met my girlfriend around that time.
Being deaf is when someone is born with the hearing loss for some appreant reason that's either known to medicine or not known to medicine. In my case, they do not know what the cause of my sudden hearing loss was in my younger years as a child.
You can tell me that the deaf culture has their own lives and the hearing world has their own lives. That's nonsense and pure false statements among your thinking of those in the hearing and deaf cultures. Remember, I was once in the hearing culture before I lost my hearing as a child, today, I remain committed to both cultures regardless of one's point of view.
To day someone one doesn't know about being deaf or hard of hearing, you will either one day expereince it yourself, if it was to happen in all a sudden, you wake up one morning and you doen't hear the world around you - you'd freak and panic, like my family did in my early stages of my hearing loss.
Some people think a disability is a disabilty because they choose to reamin that way - not true. Many are professionals with in their own careers and lifestyles that also compete with those in the hearing world as well. As professional myself, I have the best of both worlds and lives. Its a learning experience now, than what I've learned in my 40 years before I had my implant last year.
You want studies to prove to you that a cochlear implant isn't the way of life to many with a hearing loss? or to those being deaf or hard of hearing? Over the years since I learned I was profondly deaf, my hearing was so severe it was way, way down in the 120 dB, after my surgery the first week of my activation of my speech processor was turned on my db level shot up skyward big time to 20-30db in all the hearing range at that time.
Six months later I was at 20db flat line across all hearing range where normal hearing is and my speech discrimination went up from the low score that would never see above 50% in my sentence recognition tests and et al.
If I hadn't had those scores before my surgery and the most dire decision I gambled my life with, I wouldn't have been a candidate for a Cochelar Implant.
I'm happy to hear the world once again, but I hate people who put down those in the deaf and hard of hearing culture. Many of in both cultures today, still respect my decision, including the 300+ friends I graduated with from high school also supported my decision over amazing results as we all watched one another grow up over the years and lead healthy adult lives.
Remember, what you say about the deaf culture can one day come back to haunt you in many ways. Many of my professional collegues are also deaf or hard of hearing as well, they life normal lives like everyone else. Some do have CI's too.
So be it - learn what a Cochlear Implant is all about, study the facts, study the material. I respect Marless for her decision to keep her cool and to remain where she's at as well with her deafness. Its all about respecting one's decision of what's good or bad. It mostly ends for the good, instead of the bad.
Be thoughtful and educate yourself on the subject before you cause a firestorm, you can put out.
"Deafness is a disability. It is a medical assessment of someone's physical inability to hear. Disability is a term you cannot argue."
care to make a wager on that?
i can totally argue. i'll use YOUR logic. white people are disabled because they are PHYSICALLY INABLE to produce large amounts of melanin. men are disabled because they are PHYSICALLY INABLE to give birth. blondes are disabled because they are PHYSICALLY INABLE to grow dark hair.
do you see where i'm going with this? a disability by definition is the physical inability to do something, but you cant take it so literally or EVERYONE becomes disabled.
Kleine, if you want people to not look at deafness as a disablity, then how about the government and states take away all funding that goes towards deaf education and support? They're not disabled, so why do they need it? Young deaf children can go to mainstream schools and easily assimiliate, because they aren't disabled. I have seen a few deaf students at my university be assisted by the school with interpreters in their classes. But according to you they aren't disabled, so why are they being given assistance?
Who pays for deaf children education? Who pays for captioning? Who pays to train interpreters? Who pays for the Telecommunications Relay Service? THE GOVERNMENT. Here is a list of some grants from the government:
http://www.fedmoney.com/grants/su0046.htm
The reason all this assistance is being given to the deaf? BECAUSE DEAF PEOPLE ARE DISABLED. If you want to challenge that definition, go ahead. But the government considers deaf people disabled and that is why they help them. You can argue about the definition of a disability all you want, but are you going to argue that deaf people need the help that the government provides them and that it costs millions of dollars every year to taxpayers? I agree with these services because I agree that deaf people are disabled.
Where is the federal funding for men who can't give birth and blondes? That's where your argument fails AGAIN.
my argument fails again because the government gives money. that makes sense. because the government considers the deaf to be disabled, we should too. because we know our government is ALWAYS right.
shareYou know for every deaf person who loudly proclaims that they aren't disabled, I wonder how many are quick to use the Americans With Disabilities Act to protect them when they feel they are discriminated against or if a public place is not accessible to them. Every deaf person at one time or another has benefited from their disabled classification through their education, using Relay Services, or just by watching captioned programming. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Deaf people are disabled. If deaf people want to change that, then they should be prepared to give up the funding and services they receive because they are classified as disabled.
The government isn't always right, but it protects disabled people. If you want to throw that protection away because you are too proud to admit your own disability, then go ahead. Fortunately, you don't have that option. I am glad the government supports deaf people, even those who are too irrational to realize their own disability.
I feel sorry for you not because you may or may not be deaf, but because your arguments are weak and you refuse to realize the truth. Stop comparing being deaf to things that do not apply. You aren't making any valid points, and I'm just not going to deal with you anymore.
you're avoiding the argument COMPLETELY. how are you calling MY arguments weak? you're not giving any points at all. you're saying the the government provides services for deaf people. it's completely off topic. the argument was: deafness - disability or not. i say it's not for reasons i've already stated. you say the government gives money. you're not even in this argument because you apparently can't follow a simple discussion.
shareKleine, if you want people to not look at deafness as a disablity, then how about the government and states take away all funding that goes towards deaf education and support? They're not disabled, so why do they need it? Young deaf children can go to mainstream schools and easily assimiliate, because they aren't disabled. I have seen a few deaf students at my university be assisted by the school with interpreters in their classes. But according to you they aren't disabled, so why are they being given assistance?
Who pays for deaf children education? Who pays for captioning? Who pays to train interpreters? Who pays for the Telecommunications Relay Service? THE GOVERNMENT. Here is a list of some grants from the government:
http://www.fedmoney.com/grants/su0046.htm
The reason all this assistance is being given to the deaf? BECAUSE DEAF PEOPLE ARE DISABLED. If you want to challenge that definition, go ahead. But the government considers deaf people disabled and that is why they help them. You can argue about the definition of a disability all you want, but are you going to argue that deaf people need the help that the government provides them and that it costs millions of dollars every year to taxpayers? I agree with these services because I agree that deaf people are disabled.
Where is the federal funding for men who can't give birth and blondes? That's where your argument fails AGAIN.
kleinboy51 wrote: it is a minority. not a disability.
I agree; the color of my skin and my gender are not disabilities. There are sometimes disadvantages to my ethnicity and my gender, but those are not inherent to me -- they are the result of being in the society in which I live.
I don't want to change my gender or my ethnicity; I want people to respect who I am, as I am. I suspect that people who are deaf or hard of hearing feel the same way.
Though it is dark . . . know your flag . . . is still there.
nikongal
thank you for your support. from my experience that's exactly how the deaf feel about it.
some people *cough*crazykidster*cough* just can't seem to see that it's not a disability. I hope that one day it will change.
Kleine, why don't you lobby for deaf people to be excluded from the Americans With Disabilities Act? But then again, it's not a valid for me to point out the hypocrisy that deaf people are perfectly willing to receive funding and support for their disability, but won't accept that they are disabled.
Deaf people are disabled. The end.
did i ever argue with it being hypocritical? um....let's see.......no. we had a debate going that you apparently can't argue with, so you had to change the subject. don't post unless you know how to properly converse with people and stick to one subject.
shareand can someone else try to explain to crazykidster about it not being a disability? i've tried, but i guess LOGIC and REASON don't work on him.
shareIf you agree that it is hypocritical, then you agree that deaf people are disabled. Why can't you understand that? You are irrational about your own disability because you cannot come to terms with a TERM. I bet you even have a handicapped placard for your car, even though you vehemently deny you are disabled. It's sad and I am done with you.
I began this debate with a tolerant view of deaf people. I was very close to my late aunt who was deaf and I have known many deaf people who I respected. I just didn't agree some deaf people's decision to deny hearing to their children. After interacting with you I am now cynical and disgusted with deaf people. You have shown yourself to be irrational and a hypocrite. Congratulations on making deaf people look bad. If deaf people continue to cling to pride and deny that they are disabled, and deny CI implants to their children out of a selfish desire for them to remain in deaf culture, then I hope all federal and state funding gets pulled and this money is directed towards more reasonable disabled people. Then we'll see how proud idiots like you can act.
how have i been hypocritical?
you make no sense.
"If you agree that it is hypocritical, then you agree that deaf people are disabled."
that doesnt make any sense at all. listen to yourself.
by the way i love how you say 'I am done with you' then write a long paragraph after it
I began this debate with a tolerant view of deaf people.
LOL. Yeah, that's why you titled your thread "what the hell is wrong with deaf people?" And that doesn't even get into what you've actually posted.
You must be the change you seek in the world. -- Gandhi
I think a lot of confusion is coming from the actual term, "deaf." There are actually two types of deafness:
1) deaf - the medical term for not being able to hear
2) Deaf (also known as "big D Deafness") - the term for belonging to Deaf culture
Deaf culture doesn't see not being able to hear as a disability because everyone else in the culture can't hear. Deaf people definitely have their own culture. They have their own language, American Sign Language, which was recognized as a language in 1960 by Dr. Bill Stokoe. It isn't signs put to English word order, as thought by most. Its word order is called "Topic-Comment" and is a lot like Japanese word order. The culture has its own jokes (some tell "hearing jokes" like brunettes tell "blonde jokes") and idioms (like "TRAIN GO SORRY," which is the English equivalent of "missed the boat").
"Strong Deaf" is the term for someone who takes great pride in Deaf culture. They would most likely disagree with CIs.
There are several hearing people who are a part of Deaf culture: CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults), educators of the Deaf, interpreters, ASL teachers, parents of Deaf children, etc. Deaf people are generally very inviting of hearing people that take an interest in their culture, a fact that many ASL students can attest to.
The CI rate of success is influenced by many factors, including age of implantation, amount of parental/teacher input, the age of deafness, the number and method of languages in the home, etc.
I'm going to be graduating soon from the Habilitation of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing program at Texas Christian University. I have worked with CI implantees with speech and language in a clinic setting, am fluent in ASL, have been accepted into Deaf culture, and have taken courses in developmental issues with deafness and the science behind deafness (Audiology, Aural Rehabilitation, etc.)
Please let me know if you have any more questions.
I won't hold my breath, kleineboy51, but I am an optimist. :)
Though it is dark . . . know your flag . . . is still there.
I have to agree with the OP. Even if they can overcome it, it is still a disability. Anyway, even deaf people can still lead successful lives, and be happy, what I don't understand is that how they can live with the fact? I mean, our whole world revolves around hearing! We hear things everyday. Not a day goes by without hearing something.
Reporter: Jack Nicholson, what do you have to say about your death?
Jack: I warned myself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8obagz_Ka1Y
I think that this speaks volumes.
I found this message on a different board, but it gave me more insight about Deaf culture...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1158793/board/thread/103875511?d=103944884#103944884
by Florida2
"I was around the deaf community (as a hearing person) off and on for 15 years, and, also had a deaf roommate for almost 2 years, so, know very well what was spoken of during the film...
To quote another poster, "it (deaf culture) is dumb, get over it", is said by someone who does not understand - if you or I lost the use of our legs today, and, became a part of the disabled world, we would quickly find out that the "get over it" way of thinking just doesn't cut it - deafness, like paralysis, or any other disability, is something that only those with that disability can understand...
Sadly, just 6 months ago, I found out that my former deaf roommate and friend had taken his own life, perhaps, as often happens to those with deafness (and as I found out first hand from my roommate), he suffered from periods of deep depression due to the severe isolation that deafness (and muteness) brings to those afflicited by it...
I think his social isolation, and, constant trouble finding employment (even though he was a Gallaudet graduate), was a heavy cross for him to bear - even worse was his carpal tunnel syndrome (a result of his data entry employment - something that is often "offered" to the deaf, since it does not require their speaking to anyone) ended up bringing him great pain when signing...
As shown in the film, even routine events (like singing Happy Birthday) can isolate a deaf person - the hearing world can and often is very indifferent to the needs of the deaf...
As for the surgery, as mentioned in the film, though it was first considered "a cure for deafness", the surgery has been found, as in the case of many other medical procedures, that it does not work for every person - or even every other person - so, deafness is still a disability, as with other disabilities, that remains for now...
As for "deaf culture", yes, it is a very real thing, and, as with any other culture, there are set rules that define the group, from within the group itself, and, to deny or make less of that is understandably considered offensive. However, unlike other cultures, the disability defines the culture itself, so, it is a exceptional situation, but, similar to those who are unique for any other physical disability, the group has defined needs, and, need to be respected for that...
There were times, due to my own signing (or lack thereof) that I would step aside if at a "deaf" party, and, allow for those who were deaf to sign within their own group, since they were more comfortable when speaking fluently, which, again, is very typical (but not offensive) of any other culture's behavior - it just requires a bit of humility (as also shown in last night's film) to accept this...
Incidentially, my introduction to deafness came in 1964, when our school was treated to a showing of the 1962 (Patty Duke) version of "The Miracle Worker" (how our teachers were able to get a copy of that film at that time, as often said of Annie Sullivan's work, "was a wonder"), and, I was so impressed that a hearing person could communicate with the deaf, that my first experience continued to influence me, even years later - never let it be said that we didn't learn anything in Grade School (LOL)...
As "said" (signed) in ASL...
Done finished..."
By the way, a few things came to mind after posting the above which are worth mentioning...
Someone on this board asked "Why so many deaf people (in the movie) - I thought deafness isn't passed on?", well, like any other culture, the deaf are more likely to marry of their own background, so, that perhaps explains why the Grandparents were both deaf...
And, my roommate was born deaf because of his Mom's Rubella, as compared to Helen Keller, who lost her hearing at age 2 due to Meningitis, so, many different "ways" to acquire deafness, and, I'm sure that would lead to explain why the daughter and her son (in the movie) were also deaf...
Here's a link to the recent PBS series on implants:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/cochlear/debate.html
as seen in the series, the topic created very intense disagreements, especially within deaf culture.
While the surgery now offers the POSSIBILITY to hear, it could also lead to the person's departure from the deaf community, which, as I often learned, is very close to the heart of pratically all deaf individuals, especially adults, so, the surgery, while providing a surgical option, has created great division among the deaf...
By the many comments here and elsewhere, the life of a deaf person is still largely misunderstood - as a nurse once told me, paralysis is much more easily accepted, because a wheelchair is much more obvious...
*see my next comment*
Skanks don't die they multiply
My God... I was reading through this topic and I cannot believe the absolute idiocy of the people here.
I was born deaf, but I grew up in the hearing world. I didn't really find out about the deaf culture until sixth grade, thanks to an interpreter who was partially deaf but could hear with hearing aids.
I got my cochlear implant four years ago, the summer before eighth grade, because I wanted to make my life easier. I remember my freshman year of high school, when I transferred to a different district so I could go to school with other deaf kids in a mainstream school, a deaf guy asked why I got my CI. I told him it was because it helped me fit in better. He thought that was ridiculous and that I could fit in fine without it. Excuse me? I've already been trying, all of my childhood, and the CI really does help.
Yes, deafness is a disability. Those people who don't think so have their heads in the sand. I know that, and I've accepted it. But at the same time, it's a culture of itself, with its own language, stories and people.
This 17-year-old deaf girl would like to say that deaf people can be extremely proud of their own culture, because it's who they are and they accept it, sometimes to a degree that they think they aren't disabled and that it's the hearing people who are.
I've had this debate before and I've studied sign language and deaf culture somewhat and I understand that this is a very sensitive and complicated issue. I just wanted to offer a different way of looking at (I didn't read the whole thread).
My brother has a disorder called Asperger's Syndrome. If you don't know what it is, it's on the autistic spectrum and is basically high functioning autism. I was studying about cochlear implants and how many deaf people were against them while I was in an ASL class. It made me think and so I asked my brother, who has struggled greatly academically and socially because of his Aspergers, if he would ever accept a cure if there was one, or if he could change time and not have Aspergers, would he?
As I suspected, he said no. Asperger's Syndrome may make life a lot more difficult for him, but he was born that way and it's a part of who he is. It's an intrical part of his personality, affects his mannerisms, and even effects his life in some positive ways he is thankful for. I was glad he answered that way, because I wouldn't want him to be different either! There were some difficult years where he spent hours agonizing over homework and would throw fits and scream and cry because he was frustrated about something or the other. He just started college this year and it's been really tough on him. I still wouldn't want him to change what some people might consider a disability. It is a difficulty, just like anything else not dictated as "normal," but if he didn't have Aspergers he would be the same person he is now, and I like him the way he is.
Deafness isn't the same, but it is also a situation in which the condition affects your life and livelihood in such a way that changing that thing about you would make you totally different. It makes sense that deaf parents with deaf children wouldn't want to change them, especially when they wouldn't want to change themselves if they had the choice. Ultimately it should be the child's decision, but many are too young to make that choice. The fact that deafness is a culture also plays a big role. It would almost be like telling a minority you could make them white, giving them a better advantage in life (perhaps assuming it were a period in time where it would have been more of a disadvantage). Would they do it? Probably not! Ethnicity isn't a disability, and though a hearing impairment is from a medical perspective, for many deaf people, that was the way they were born and they are satisfied with that. I don't think there is anything wrong with that.
Sorry for rambling on and I hope I made some sense!
I only got 2 pages in, and i am a little discusted with this crazykidster and his ignorance.
I am deaf, I was born deaf, i wear hearing aids, i have no hearing in my right ear and i have half in my left, my mother had CMV while she was pregnant with me which transfered hearing loss to me,
I could have had many other issues from birth because of CMV, i could have been blind, blind & deaf, completely deaf, brain damaged etc... but all i got was deafness
You know what? im appreciative that is all i got, that i didnt get a condition thats life threatening or so disabled etc.. that i could not function hardly at all
I am proud to be deaf, i cannot pass deafness on, but i would never get a cochlea implant because it would change who i am, it would change my whole personality, my deafness is part of who i am, and im not ashamed of who i am, i am not one to say for anyone else to get a cochlea implant or not, but its also wrong to force parents and children to be "fixed" if they dont want too!
I can understand if someone had a disability that severely downgraded their life that they had no choice but to have the operation, but deaf people like me, have a choice because we still have a great quality of life without hearing, some of us dont need to change because we enjoy what we have and dont need to feel like everyone else
I love being unique, i love being different, i know its not rare to be deaf, but i love educating friends & family on deafness and how i feel about certain situations, teaching others sign language, introducing people that have never met a deaf person so they understand deafness not as something thats such a bad thing
Deaf culture, to me, is a way to know you are not alone, it is coming with a group of people who are in your situation, just like you, who you can hang out with and become friends with, it opens up different pathways and understanding that hearing people cant, we have deaf camps, deaf schools, deaf nights at movies etc.. and it feels great, i love being around deaf people like me, i feel much more comfortable with people like me,
If people cant accept me as i am, then i dont want them in my life, if i have to change just to make society happy, then i will not be happy myself, and people should make decisions on what makes them happy.
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Also, as stated in the movie, a cochlea implant does not always work, some children are told with even just a slight little hearing left, it would be best to get an implant now because your hearing will not increase, it will just decrease, the thing is, once you get an implant, you cannot get that little bit of hearing back if it does not work, you cant get your OWN cochlea implant put back, which means 100% you will be deaf if it does not work, so any little hearing before hand, will be gone!
I'm 23, i was told last year that i should start considering an implant, because my hearing is decreasing, i can still hear in my left ear enough to get through life, i will not get an implant until my hearing is so bad i really need one, i am not taking a big risk to lose the precious real hearing i have left.
Cochlea implant is NOT a cure, they do NOT hear the same way everyone else does, its more like a donald duck voice, as others have explained to me at my hearing centres even others who have had hearing before but decided the implant have told me the significant difference.
Besides, if i had got a cochlea implant now, what if in the future we find a cure for deafness with your natural cochlea? what if we find some new technology or help without an implant? i would rather save my precious cochlea for future improvements that may be much more of a benefit.
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