I'm tired of hearing the phrase "ci kids." Do we say "hearing aid kids?" Of course not. Why should it be any different for deaf kids with cochlear implants? Can we just say deaf?
After all...althought they may function differently, hearing aids and cochlear implants serve the same purpose. I can't break the habit of calling my own ci a hearing aid. To me it is a hearing aid. When it is turned off, I am plunged into my silent world...the same as it was with hearing aids.
Friday, February 20, 2009
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9 comments:
Good point. When we say "CI children", we segregate them. I am guilty of saying it.
I will work on just saying deaf simply, including all.
Amen...I couldn't say it any better. And while we are at it, can we stop with the "D" deaf and "d" deaf? Can we stop with the "hearing wannabe" insults for the deaf who choose to use their voices as well as sign? And so on and so on...It serves no purpose. Good point!
Eddie Runyon
That is a profound question. For my daughter and kids in her demographic, it is probably similar to a Deaf Identity. Many Deaf reject CI kids as part of the Deaf Community. They are not hearing. They need an identity of their own that nobody else can take away or deny.
As soon as CI kids are accepted as they are into the Deaf Community, then there will no longer be a need for a separate identity.
Just my opinion. I will need to do more thinking on this.
I agree about being tired of hearing people say CI kids instead of Deaf- mute. Mute is too old fashion and wrong label!
I use Deaf for everyone involved with the Deaf community. That includes codas, ci kids, asl-onlies, you name it, we're part of it.
"deaf" is only to describe a physical condition.
I'm trying to think of a racial comparison, but all I can think of is people who say Barack Obama isn't Black enough. When people split up Deaf kids this way, they accomplish a few goals:
1. They make sure Deaf children don't talk to each other or somehow blame their problems on WHO THEY ARE instead of the adults who've created the situations they're in.
2. They make sure there is no way for students or children to provide clear and accurate feedback on educational systems. (Every child is different so how can they possibly ALL know the interpreter sucks?)
3. They make sure that Deaf adults lose power. Instead of becoming part of the process, providing feedback about our own education which might apply to every child, we're told we can only help the student who is like us. (So the student with a CI can't benefit from my experience using a hearing aid? Bullshit. I can still tell them about the unrealistic expectations of hearingfolk and how to deal with them, right?)
Sorry, touchy issue. We need to have one term all our kids fit under if we really want to empower them.
Why not use "hearing impaired"? It seems perfectly for you since you uses W/ CI and W/out CI.
what about Hard of Hearing if they use hearing aids. I do not think that it may not fit for you but I bet you were HH prior to the CI status.
Why not use CI or "borg"?
I dont think that you are deaf if you use hearing aids or coclear implants....
I have one of my freind who use ci and she said realize lots of money replace battery and she remove ci hearing aids became deaf that she never use when she is getting older. really myself said it waste time when hook up and later dislike hearing aids cause too much headace. think twice when you get older what will you do if you dont like it later ??? should deaf children make a decide what want to do not parent make decide cause deaf kids will hate parent make me do!
K.L.,
many lighter-skinned Black children were rejected by both communities too. It's sad to see it happen in another community.
Karen, I say Deaf for us all - that's the big, umbrella term. hard of hearing, deaf, ci - those are all the minor terms, that, brought together, come to make the experience we in America call Deaf.
A person with a CI hears differently than a person who is aided. And a person who is manual communicates differently. My point is these labels are used so one will understand a person's communications styles and needs. This is not a derogatory term. It also helps one to understand a person's journey in this world.
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