And the Deaf Community Shall Survive...

If all the current chatter in the deaf blogosphere is any indication, I believe we have reached a new turning point in the deaf community. Cochlear implants have gone from something that we knew little about and were strongly opposed to, to something regarded as a tool akin to a hearing aid, and more widely accepted and even chosen by culturally deaf people for themselves and their deaf children.

This is what often happens with new technology that makes people confused and afraid. Over time, awareness and understanding increases. Then, that community begins to adopt a new attitude, and find ways to incorporate that technology into their own culture. That is happening now with cochlear implants, as we witness the growth of what I call "CI humor." We already have hearing aid humor, sign language humor, interpreting humor, and videophone humor. Now we have CI humor as deaf people poke fun at cochlear implants through films like "McImplant."

If anything, deaf people with cochlear implants are acutely aware that they are deaf, just as deaf people with hearing aids are. When an implant is turned off or removed, there is total, peaceful silence. When I wore hearing aids long ago, I welcomed sign language as a way to fill in the communication gaps while I was using the hearing aids. Cochlear implant users who do not use sign language now, may later welcome sign language for the same reason, and as a way to communicate during those moments that they can not use cochlear implants.

Deaf culture has survived over the years in the face of both educational and technological changes. It not only survives, it evolves and thrives. For example, in America, deaf clubs are struggling to survive, but online, we have deaf communities that are thriving.

Like many of you, I used to be worried about the survival of the deaf community because of the growth of cochlear implants. I'm not worried anymore.

Deaf IVF Embryos, Natural Deaf Babies, and Choices

Been reading up on the controversy in the United Kingdom over the proposed bill (as a bill, it is not yet law) to forbid the implantation of deaf embryos when doing IVF. The subject brings up questions, and also stirs mixed feelings. If we say that IVF is a substitute for natural child procreation, then we could say that yes, people who want a deaf baby should have the right to choose a deaf embryo to implant instead of having to take a hearing embryo.

On the other hand....if insurance companies are paying for the IVF, which is an expensive procedure, is it fair to expect the insurance companies to foot the bill for the deliberate choice of a deaf embryo that may need additional expensive services such as hearing aids, speech therapy, and cochlear implants? If we believe that IVF is a substitute for natural child procreation and that the children created are equal, then the same question of "fairness" could also be applied to the naturally created deaf children of deaf parents.

Yes, deaf children in deaf families growing up with sign language and full access to the deaf community and deaf culture can and do have good lives. But let me ask this question of those who had a difficult time growing up deaf: would you have chosen to be born deaf? Would you have chosen to experience the years of feeling left out, discriminated against, and difficulty in communicating with hearing people?

I once asked my mother the challenging question: If you had known I was going to be born deaf, would you have had an abortion? Her answer was a frank "yes." How did that make me feel? I was not surprised at the answer. I didn't feel any better or worse for it - I understood.