Is being deaf really a disability? It depends on who you talk to. The hearing world may see being deaf as a handicap, a defect, something to fix. The deaf community could not disagree more.
In my Comp 2 class, we were asked to write an essay reacting to the Deaf President Now student protest of 1988 that occurred in Washington D.C. at Gallaudet University, THE liberal arts university for the deaf and hard of hearing. It was this article that taught me about the Deaf community. I urge you to read about it at your leisure. 'Tis fascinating.
Yesterday I saw the documentary "Sound and Fury," (available for viewing in the Instant Queue on Netflix, dig it) which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Doc in 2001. Two brothers, borne of hearing parents -- one hearing, one deaf -- fight about whether or not to give their children cochlear implants so that they might be able to hear.
In the eyes of the Deaf community, they're not broken. They are not meant to be "fixed" with cochlear implants. They're perfectly functioning human beings in the world. Why fix something that isn't broken? By giving a child a cochlear implant, the parents are effectively robbing the Deaf community of another member of its group. That child will most likely never learn to sign and never fully understand or accept their deafness, their deaf identity.
The hearing world sees this as abuse. That by NOT giving a child a cochlear implant, they are restricting interaction, potential for great success, and the ability to communicate with the hearing world.
Here, I'll ruin it for you: The hearing brother has twin babies -- one hearing, one deaf. They give the son who is deaf the cochlear implant. The deaf brother, whose wife and three children are deaf, moves his family from Long Island, N.Y. to Maryland where the deaf population is significantly more concentrated. Each feels he is doing what is best for his family.
The cochlear implant is an intensely taboo subject. Similarly, the process of "limb lengthening" is highly controversial, especially among those born with dwarfism. Dwarfism is genetic and not a medical problem. This community doesn't feel "broken, in need of fixing."
Edit: Sound and Fury: 6 Years Later catches up with the families. The family that moved to Maryland moved back to Long Island and all three of their children received cochlear implants, as did countless members of their extended family.
Did the deaf community lose more members or are people who maybe once felt isolated now finding more opportunities in the hearing world?
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