azcentral.com— Collins, 42, executive director of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, was hearing things for the first time because her cochlear implant had just been activated.
Aug 30, 2006View in Crawl 4
The fact that militant deaf people judge other hearing-impaired people for desiring to hear demonstrates a disgraceful level of intolerance and ignorance. Just because one wouldn't make the same choice doesn't make it the only legitimate choice for everyone.
I see a lot of posts here that seem to be coming from a single point of view...and that view is likely not coming from anyone who has experienced deaf culture. And it is exactly that - culture - and it is not something that someone who belongs to that culture would want to be removed from. Deaf people are VERY proud of who and what they are.As idntunknwn noted, deaf culture sees deafness as an identifier, and not something that needs to be 'fixed'.A quote from the article "Yes, I can hear, but I still consider myself deaf"For further information that should help clarify the issue of deaf culture and cochlear implants, see the PBS documentary 'Sound and Fury'<a class="user" href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/">http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/</a>I'll add a quick note for everyone: DON'T EVER use the word 'handicapable' in the presence of a deaf person, you'll only ensure that the deaf person won't be your friend! Sidebar: Cochlear implants don't miraculously restore hearing, it synthesizes sound it picks up...it isn't exactly the same as 'normal' hearing.See the wikipedia page for cochlear implants: <a class="user" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlear_implant">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlear_implant</a>
Dated a deaf girl in high school, and lived two minutes from a school for the deaf. She went to the same public school as I did though. For what it's worth, I've been around the deaf quite a bit, and those who preach the culture. It smelled a bit like stockholm syndrome to me after being around it for a while. But she, who arguably could be called a member of it, actively disliked it even while having friends who considered themselves a part of it. Basically, I'm just trying to say that it's never a good idea to assume that someone's opinion about something can only stem from not being exposed to it if those thoughts run counter to your own. Personally, I just find it a bit sad when any human winds up defining themselves strongly based on a single characteristic. I don't care if it's your sex, hearing, vision , skin colour or anything else. We're humans, each and every one of us. If someone has to throw a label on themselves, that broad blanket is cover enough. And, if not, surely it's better to define oneself by what he "does", or thinks, rather than a clique membership or some fluke of the genetic pinwheel.
Actually your kind of wrong but kind of close to the right idea, you need to learn human communication during the critical stage, since she can sign, she knows how to communicate, so learning English would be just like you learning Spanish.
I see a lot of comments calling out the defensive pride of the deaf community, which is a technically correct indictment. However, I wouldn't be so quick to throw stones because I've never been told from birth that I'm somewhat less than a full human being. I can't imagine what kind of blow to the self-esteem that would be. I can't imagine the rage that a deaf person would feel at being born/created/evolved/reincarnated into what others view to be a subhuman from no fault of my own. The human psyche is a frail thing, and it doesn't take much to cast it into self-doubt, depression, and low self-worth. So what they defend themselves? Let them be, they're only human.
gxcdesignAug 31, 2006
I want her to listen to the NEDM song
freeipodguy_comAug 31, 2006
The fact that militant deaf people judge other hearing-impaired people for desiring to hear demonstrates a disgraceful level of intolerance and ignorance. Just because one wouldn't make the same choice doesn't make it the only legitimate choice for everyone.
chaffAug 31, 2006
I see a lot of posts here that seem to be coming from a single point of view...and that view is likely not coming from anyone who has experienced deaf culture. And it is exactly that - culture - and it is not something that someone who belongs to that culture would want to be removed from. Deaf people are VERY proud of who and what they are.As idntunknwn noted, deaf culture sees deafness as an identifier, and not something that needs to be 'fixed'.A quote from the article "Yes, I can hear, but I still consider myself deaf"For further information that should help clarify the issue of deaf culture and cochlear implants, see the PBS documentary 'Sound and Fury'<a class="user" href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/">http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/</a>I'll add a quick note for everyone: DON'T EVER use the word 'handicapable' in the presence of a deaf person, you'll only ensure that the deaf person won't be your friend! Sidebar: Cochlear implants don't miraculously restore hearing, it synthesizes sound it picks up...it isn't exactly the same as 'normal' hearing.See the wikipedia page for cochlear implants: <a class="user" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlear_implant">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlear_implant</a>
bigredgpkAug 31, 2006
Also, here's the link to the Sound and Fury website on PBS<a class="user" href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/">http://www.pbs.org/wnet/soundandfury/</a>
jemersonAug 31, 2006
Dated a deaf girl in high school, and lived two minutes from a school for the deaf. She went to the same public school as I did though. For what it's worth, I've been around the deaf quite a bit, and those who preach the culture. It smelled a bit like stockholm syndrome to me after being around it for a while. But she, who arguably could be called a member of it, actively disliked it even while having friends who considered themselves a part of it. Basically, I'm just trying to say that it's never a good idea to assume that someone's opinion about something can only stem from not being exposed to it if those thoughts run counter to your own. Personally, I just find it a bit sad when any human winds up defining themselves strongly based on a single characteristic. I don't care if it's your sex, hearing, vision , skin colour or anything else. We're humans, each and every one of us. If someone has to throw a label on themselves, that broad blanket is cover enough. And, if not, surely it's better to define oneself by what he "does", or thinks, rather than a clique membership or some fluke of the genetic pinwheel.
thenikolaAug 31, 2006
Actually your kind of wrong but kind of close to the right idea, you need to learn human communication during the critical stage, since she can sign, she knows how to communicate, so learning English would be just like you learning Spanish.
sambekzxAug 31, 2006
I see a lot of comments calling out the defensive pride of the deaf community, which is a technically correct indictment. However, I wouldn't be so quick to throw stones because I've never been told from birth that I'm somewhat less than a full human being. I can't imagine what kind of blow to the self-esteem that would be. I can't imagine the rage that a deaf person would feel at being born/created/evolved/reincarnated into what others view to be a subhuman from no fault of my own. The human psyche is a frail thing, and it doesn't take much to cast it into self-doubt, depression, and low self-worth. So what they defend themselves? Let them be, they're only human.
aussiaAug 31, 2006
deaf people sometimes wear hearing aids to correct their balance, rather than to help them gain hearing.