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Experiences with the deaf community
Deaf in mainstream society
Experiences with the deaf community
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that fantastic medical advancements such as cochlear implants are rendered useless. This is why early intervention is key if hearing is to be corrected. However, while most parents choose to correct their child’s hearing if medically possible, some parents, especially deaf parents, choose not to. This choice by deaf parents can be met with some controversy, as people struggle with the thought of a parent not helping their child in any way they can, especially if they are suffering from some type of disability. Yet many deaf parents do not view their child’s deafness as a handicap at all. In fact, classifying deafness as a handicap can be offensive to deaf people, as they don’t think there is anything truly wrong with them. These opposing viewpoints
-- deafness as a disability and deafness simply as a personal difference -- lead to discussion over the ethicality of denying a child the opportunity to shed their deafness. In an article appearing in the Journal of Medical Ethics, Robert Darby (2013) discusses children’s rights when it comes to circumcision. However, in the course of his discussion about circumcision, he brings up how parents choosing to keep their children deaf relates to parents electively choosing to circumcise their sons. Darby talks about children’s “right to an open future”, meaning that parents should not be able to make any personal, permanent decisions that are irreversible for their children. Because of this, he objects to both parents choosing to circumcise their sons and parents choosing to keep their children deaf. He presents the argument that parents should repair deafness if possible, because if the child chooses they can remove parts of the cochlear implant so that it does not work later in life. However, because of brain plasticity, if they choose to keep their child deaf, the child will never be able to repair their hearing if they want to in the future. This interesting article relates to the controversy surrounding cochlear
Mark Drolsbaugh’s Deaf Again is a biography about his life between two dimensions of the Deaf world and the Hearing world as well as the implications he faced throughout his journeys’. Mark Drolsbaugh was born from two deaf parents and was basically forced to adapt to the hearing world even though his parents are deaf. When Drolsbaugh was born he was hearing, however, by first grade his parents and teachers discovered he was losing his hearing. As time went on Mark realized the issues he faced from trying to adapt to the hearing world. Mark Drolsbaugh quotes in his biography, “Deafness is bad. I am deaf. I need to be fixed. I must be like them, no matter what, because deaf is bad.” However, no matter what his family believed that he
If a parent comes to learn that their child is deaf, they react very crazily and act like their child is dying and that deafness is a fatal disease. Deaf people should be treated just like anyone else and no differently. They are not disabled and can do great things in this world.
What I found most interesting about Jarashow’s presentation were the two opposing views: Deaf culture versus medical professionals. Within the Deaf culture, they want to preserve their language and identity. The Deaf community wants to flourish and grow and do not view being deaf as a disability or being wrong. Jarashow stated that the medical field labels Deaf people as having a handicap or being disabled because they cannot hear. Those who are Deaf feel as though medical professionals are trying to eliminate them and relate it to eugenics. It is perceived that those in that field are trying to fix those who are Deaf and eliminate them by making them conform to a hearing world. Those within the Deaf community seem to be unhappy with devices such
One excerpt mentioned that the idea that Deaf people are left with the burden of fitting into a hearing world was a product of “laziness” on the part of the Hearing. Instead of making adjustments to accommodate the Deaf, Deaf people are doing all of the work to accommodate the Hearing. Notwithstanding the major alterations that include learning to speak and wearing hearing aids, hearing people merely have to learn sign language. I’ve witnessed this in my own home. When my brother stopped speaking, it wasn’t ever a concern for the rest of the family to adjust to him, we continued on as if nothing changed. It’s true, Deaf children practically have no say in how they would rather communicate, it is left up to the parent and in most cases, Hearing parents. I’m just glad that I have an opportunity do the work to learn ASL and make strides in breaking down barriers that have hindered communication between the Hearing and the
Tucker, Bonnie. “Deaf Culture, Cochlear Implants, and Elective Disability.” Hastings Center Report. 28.4 (1998): 1-12. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
Deaf and hearing impaired individuals are know longer an out cast group. They now have there own deaf community. Deaf individuals do not consider themselves having an impairment, handicap, or any type of disability. They believe that through the use of sign language, other communication skills, and technology that there deafness is the way they are supposed to be. Many people who have perfect hearing can not understand deaf people and why they embrace there deafness instead of trying to receive hearing and get rid of there handicap. However not all deaf people have th...
The deaf community does not see their hearing impairment as a disability but as a culture which includes a history of discrimination, racial prejudice, and segregation. According to an online transcript,“Through Deaf Eyes” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007) there are thirty-five million Americans that are hard of hearing. Out of the thirty-five million an estimated 300,000 people are completely deaf. There are ninety percent of deaf people who have hearing parents (Halpern, C., 1996). Also, most deaf parents have hearing children. With this being the exemplification, deaf people communicate on a more intimate and significant level with hearing people all their lives. “Deaf people can be found in every ethnic group, every region, and every economic class” (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007). The deaf culture and hard of hearing have plenty of arguments and divisions with living in a hearing world without sound however, that absence will be a starting point of an identity within their culture as well as the hearing culture (Weta and Florentine films/Hott productions Inc., 2007).
From a deafness-as-defect mindset, many well-meaning hearing doctors, audiologists, and teachers work passionately to make deaf children speak; to make these children "un-deaf." They try hearing aids, lip-reading, speech coaches, and surgical implants. In the meantime, many deaf children grow out of the crucial language acquisition phase. They become disabled by people who are anxious to make them "normal." Their lack of language, not of hearing, becomes their most severe handicap. While I support any method that works to give a child a richer life, I think a system which focuses on abilities rather than deficiencies is far more valuable. Deaf people have taught me that a lack of hearing need not be disabling. In fact, it shouldn?t be considered a lack at all. As a h...
Early Intervening Services is a hot topic and nonetheless relevant topic for us educators. Early Intervening Services is essential for all students to succeed. “The concept of early intervening services was introduced into public school systems with the implementation of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004” (Mire & Montgomery, 2009). Administrators need to adhere to the educational laws so that all children have the right to learn and grow with their peers in an educational setting. One change in the law is this emphasis of intervening early to meet the needs of children at risk of not succeeding in the classroom. A common thread with the research articles I’ve selected is this notion of effectiveness. Dickman’s (2007) formula and the provided description of IDEA: Early Intervening Services ( ) both support the non negotiable pieces of the puzzle in order to have an effective approach when providing Early Intervening Services. The research heavily emphasizes the importance of Early Intervening Services must be provided with scientific research-based, training to carry out the program, and informed environment. The research strongly suggests that all three are essential to meet the expectations of Early Intervening Services. Dickman’s vital points do align with the definition of IDEA. In Neuman’s (2007) Changing the Odds article, identifies effective principles to an intervention just like Dickman; she also agrees professional training is key to effective Early Intervening Services. Although, her attributes for an effective intervention consist of eight principles and his consist of three, both of them strongly believe children can succeed when provided effective early intervention services by...
Spreading awareness of the Deaf community is the first step in creating better health care services for the Deaf community. In the hearing and medical perspective, Deaf people are often viewed as something to be fixed. This means most hearing Doctors believe, a Deaf person should try whatever they can to become hearing. It is very common in the hearing perspective to believe it is possible and desirable for all Deaf people to become “normal” or “like everyone else” through hearing aids and/or speech training and lip reading (oralism). Because most of the hearing world believes in the hearing perspective many deaf children go through life without learning sign language. Instead, Deaf children are implanted with cochlear implants and taught orally. Although cochlear implants have been shown to only fully function for 4.4 percent of people who are profoundly Deaf the hearing perspective sees Sign language as something that will hinder their Deaf child from
Education for all has been the hue and cry for actions to take place to accommodate some 6.6 million students with disabilities in the United States public schools. Special services are needed which means an increase in the educational programs and because these disabilities are different in needs that individual programs had to be developed and these are referred to as Early Intervention Programs or EIP.Early Intervention programs are available to the community that aids families and their children that have a disability or are lacking academically. They provide numerous services such as counseling, group support and family education. These programs are essential to the community as it relates to accommodating children with disabilities. Places
Provided with the viewpoints on both the medical model and social model of disability, it is clear that these two concepts differ in terms of the definition of disability as well as the attitude of society towards people with disabilities. It is evident that people with disabilities veer towards the social model rather than the medical model. It is essential to acknowledge that Deafness is categorised as a medical disability within the individual as well as a societal disability, as society is not equipped enough to deal with the communication barriers that stem from hearing impairments.
My younger brother was diagnosed as profoundly hearing impaired shortly after his second birthday. As a four-year-old, I could not possibly understand the ramifications of the diagnosis. I have been told that I showed little concern about the situation until one night at the table when I asked how long he would have to wear his hearing aids. I became nearly hysterical when I learned that the hearing aids would not heal his hearing. What I also did not understand was the effect this would have on my life. I now know my brother's hearing impairment helped shape the traits of patience and compassion in my life.
For this research paper I interviewed a mom of 2 children, who is 49 years old named Kathy Hilling. Hilling was born with a severe hearing loss in both ears. Hilling even said, “ I was born with a nerve deafness on one side of my ear, so I’ve worn hearing aids my whole life up until last year when I got a cochlear implant on one side,” (Hilling). This means that she a major part of the hearing community, and she is just like all the other individuals who are having the same problem. She loved having hearing aids, and loves having the newest technology of cochlear implants even more. Her mother didn’t know until the age of 2 that she had a hearing loss, when someone noticed she was always distracted in preschool. Hilling even stated, “I wish my mom would’ve known sooner about my hearing, so I could have had early invention and had help with speech and had had the different kinds of developments. I could have received hearing aids at an earlier age,” (Hilling). This has made a major impact on Hilling’s live because if she would’ve gotten hearing aids at an earlier age, her speech would be significantly better. Having hearing aids at a young age, helps a child in school with their education and with speech. Speech therapy is essential to start even prior to a baby even speaking. She even expressed, “If I had the choose to choose between hearing aids and cochlear implants I would go for the cochlear implants because it has changed my life in so many ways,”(Hilling). She has had hearing aids her whole life, but once the hearing aids stopped working, there was nothing she could do except to get a cochlear implant. This has changed her life in so many ways, such as hearing sounds she could not hear prior such cars on the street or the noises of fans
It is imperative that the Deaf community be accepted by the hearing community. This can be achieved through greater education for our youth, community partnerships that would encourage integration of hearing and deaf through common interests. Through a greater understanding of the Deaf community and culture, we can continue to remove the stigma of disability that is still prevalent in today’s society. With the rise of multiculturalism, the time is now for hearing people to make the effort, for the rewards would be a grander society as a