jeez ellen - chill! ok, i have a friend who is deaf (from birth) - there is a sense of pride in the deaf culture that is hard to understand - this is an excerpt from wiki (i'd ask her but i've asked her before and i don't remember exactly what she said but it was along the same lines) **this is long!!*
For the above reason, culturally Deaf people do not look on deafness as a disability. Deaf people view deafness as an asset in much the same way it is an asset to be a Navajo within the Navajo tribe or to be a Korean within the community of Koreans in Los Angeles. It is a manner of viewing the world and a matter of semantics. Most Deaf see deafness as the norm and thus do not see hearing as something they lack or envy, even though the significant majority of the population has moderate to profound hearing loss. One would not define Navajos or Koreans as lacking the ability to be something other than Navajo or Korean. They, and the culturally Deaf, define themselves by what they are instead of what they are not. They consider what they are to be a positive trait, because it is tightly connected to their culture. A hearing person may not understand why some deaf people express no sense of loss over being unable to experience sound. Since experiencing sound is something some deaf people never had, there may be no loss or associated emotions with not having it. Deaf people are aware of the things they cannot succeed in or may be at a disadvantage and may be adept at ferreting out the range of activities in which they can occupy or create an established niche. This may seem unusual to some hearing people because they are aware of the abundance of opportunities afforded to people who hear sounds. also cochlear implants only work for those recently deaf and have grown up in a speaking world and they MUST have a functioning auditory nerve. my friend doesn't have one. it also doesn't restore hearing or simulate "real" hearing - it is only useful for auditory understanding of the environment and can help them to understand speech (if they've grown up speaking). it is also pretty major surgery - a hole is drilled into your mastoid bone and inner ear where electrodes are implanted into your cochlea - possible side effects are damage to facial nerves causing disfigurment. does that make sense? --- In [email protected], "Ellen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > That was a total non sequiteur. Do you honestly believe that deaf > people wouldn't rather be able to hear? And understand what people > are saying if they aren't using sign language? This has NOTHING to > do with how other people feel about them. This is just about > ability. Lightening your skin to have better opportunities would > just be about acceptance and changing how people feel about you > (maybe, unfortunately). It wouldn't change your inherent abilities > or strengths or skills. You still haven't answered my basic > question. Regardless of what deaf people say to the media or in > public, do you truly think that at least a good number wouldn't > rather be able to hear what is going on around them, given the > choice? Why is it any different than blind people wanting to be able > to see? Again, should I have been content to just go along with what > nature gave me and not be able to to fully function in society > because I refused to correct my vision? There is something wrong > with these people's hearing mechanism! They have to compensate or > correct it, or they won't be able to fully participate in their > society. Do I really sound prejudiced? You're certainly entitled to > your opinion, but I think deaf people should be able to do everything > they are capable of. I just think that if they want to take > advantage of technology to improve their hearing or comprehend speech > without sign language, they should be able to. Is that really a > problem? Black people don't have something wrong with their skin or > pigment, it's just different. I don't really think it is a > complicated philosophical question, and you can argue just for the > sake of arguing, but it is totally different than black people > wanting to be white just to be accepted. At least that is my > perspective, obviously. > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/weingartenchatters/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/weingartenchatters/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
