There are five senses that contribute to the human experience: sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. For people who have all five of these senses intact, it can be difficult to imagine life without one. Yet, millions of people across the world live with some degree of hearing loss. Whether it is congenital or acquired, this loss becomes their way of life and it is all they know. In fact, a current debate in the deaf community is whether this deprivation is a hindrance or a blessing. The medical community continues to pave new paths with technology to restore hearing, but many deaf people choose not to undergo these surgeries and operations because it has become a part of their culture. Because of this, hearing people will never truly understand …show more content…
I found myself being abnormally self-conscious about any type of human interaction. No one could tell form looking at me that I had earplugs in or could not understand what they said. Because of this, I caught myself avoiding eye contact with the people I passed so I would not have embarrassing interactions from not being able to hear them. At both the restaurant and the grocery store I tried to stay in my own bubble and later getting the mail, I was worried a neighbor would come up and say hello without me realizing it. This was unnerving because it made me wonder whether people with an actual hearing loss behave this way as well. If so, it would seem to be a very lonely and detached lifestyle. Another interesting realization came from the fact that it felt very vulnerable not to hear very well. A classic horror movie trope is having someone break into your house while you are in the shower and as I got ready Friday morning that was a fear of mine. What if someone knocked down my door at some point? I would have no idea until it was too late. In retrospect, this thought seemed insipid, but for people who cannot hear, it could be an actual …show more content…
It reminded me of times I have heard a recording of myself and been astounded at the way I sounded. I knew it was me talking but it did not sound right. I also got very frustrated with having to ask people to repeat what they said multiple times. I ended up teaching Ambley the alphabet in sign language so that she could just spell words out for me. This actually proved to be very effective for long messages or words that were hard to discern from reading her lips. Another point that was counterintuitive was that I assumed that having the earplugs in, I would naturally talk louder since I could not hear myself and it would seem like I was shouting. However, this was not the case; Ambley and Keoni both had to ask me to repeat myself at a higher volume because I was speaking too quietly. I felt like I was still talking at a normal range so I am not sure if it was the way my voice sounded or me being cautious about being too loud that led to this communication problem. The only technical plus side I found was that trying to study without hearing all the distracting noises was much easier. I got through my readings almost twice as fast as I normally do, so I might just have to keep using them to get school work
In the following chapters, there is an extensive amount of knowledge to learn about how Deaf culture is involved in our modern world. The pages assigned give us an outlook of how Deaf people are treated in our daily life, and how we should learn from it. Its gives a clear line between what are myths and what are facts, to those who are curious about the Deaf community or have specific questions. This book has definitely taught me new things that I could put to good use in the near future. In specific chapters, my mind really opened up to new ideas and made me think hard about questions, like “why don’t some Deaf people trust hearing people,” or “do we need another ‘Deaf president now’ revolution?” I realized many new things in the course of reading this book, and have recommended this to my family.
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
Lane, Harlan (1992). “Cochlear Implants are Wrong for Young Deaf Children.” Viewpoints on Deafness. Ed. Mervin D. Garretson. National Association of the Deaf, Silver Spring, MD. 89-92.
In support of Gallaudet University's, “Deaf President Now!” protest, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson once said “The problem is not that the deaf do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen.” (Lee) This concept been seen throughout Deaf history; Today it is especially noticeable now that technology has been developed to restore some hearing to many who are deaf. However these seemingly miraculous devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants (CI) are a gilding for the real problem. CI’s in particular are thought to be a miracle cure for deafness, this misconception causes a great friction between Deaf and hearing culture. Deaf people should not be expected to get CI’s to “cure” their deafness for three primary reasons: CI’s promise more than they can deliver, they are an affront to Deaf culture, and ASL is a more effective way to insure development.
Throughout the course of the semester, I have gained a new understanding and respect of Deaf culture and the many aspects it encompasses. The information supplied in class through discussion, movies, and guest lecturers since the previous reflection have aided in the enhancement of my knowledge of Deaf culture and nicely wrapped up all of the information provided throughout the semester.
A hearing loss can present many obstacles in one's life. I have faced many issues throughout my life, many of which affected me deeply. When I first realized that I was hearing-impaired, I didn't know what it meant. As I grew older, I came to understand why I was different from everyone. It was hard to like myself or feel good about myself because I was often teased. However, I started to change my attitude and see that wearing hearing aids was no different than people wearing glasses to see.
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see” – Mark Twain.
Individuals who are deaf or are hearing impaired are faced with many problems in today’s world. There are so many tasks and activities that are done today that deaf or hearing impaired people may have difficulty doing because of there handicap. There handicap used to stop them or inhibit them from doing something that they are interested in or there friends and neighbors would do. However in today there are new and different technologies, that help the deaf and hearing impaired in the activities in which they want to participate in which is hard for them to take part in because of there handicap. Technology is used to help with everyday tasks in the lives of deaf and hearing impaired individuals. With out this new technology which is being invented everyday, deaf and hearing impaired people may be considered to have a handicap which prevents them from certain activities, but this is not the case anymore, now these people just have different obstacles which through the use of technology they are learning to over come. They can do anything that regular normal range of hearing individuals can do, due to the new technology being invented everyday.
The documentary of “Through Deaf Eyes” has open my eyes to the deaf culture. The movie has made it “click” that deaf people are just that people and individuals like me. Deaf community has its struggles just like everyone else. They struggle with growing into who they are as a person, harmful situations, and feeling a sense of belonging. They just speak a different language like Italians and Hispanics. Communicating with a different language does not make them lesser than a hearing person. When able to learn to communicate, the deaf are able to learn and gain knowledge just like a hearing person. The only difference is they have to learn more and work harder to achieve their goals and gain knowledge, which a hearing person learns just by hearing their surroundings.
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...
Bahan, Ben. Hoffmeister, Robert. Lane, Harlan. A Journey into the Deaf World. USA: Dawn Sign Press.
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.
As I gain more knowledge about Deaf Culture from Deaf Culture in America course: I learned more about myself, my experiences, identity, and people surround me. The term that stuck with me throughout the course is “Deafhood”. According to text, Introduction to American Deaf Culture by Thomas Holcomb, “The journey to “Deafhood” is often necessary in order for Deaf individuals to create a comfortable and secure place for themselves within their own cultural groups and in the mainstream.” It made me think back to the beginning of my “Deafhood” journey up till now.
Imagine seeing people speaking, moving their mouths and not being able to hear anything. Welcome to the world of deafness. The journey for someone who is deaf can be challenging, but those challenges can be overcome with perseverance. Today I am going to share with you the story of my journey with deafness and see that if I am my disability. It is an experience that has shaped my life through body, mind, and spiritual matter.