Sign language study gains, but not without controversy

How about simply not getting pregnant?

That is one option.

Of course, this whole conversation is based on the idea that "deafness" is bad, no one should have to undergo it, and it should be prevented at all costs. While hearing people shudder to think about what life would be like without hearing, I believe that the attitudes of the deaf themselves should be considered.

As mentioned before, many deaf accept their condition, cannot conceive of being any other way, and would not want to hear if given the chance. One friend (born deaf) told me, "How can I miss what I've never had? This is me. Why would I want to change?"

And why should he change? He is happy, enjoys his job, hobbies, and friends, and is making the most out of life. As far as he is concerned, his life is very full and satisfying. In his opinion, hearing would just make things more complicated and confusing, and he just laughs at the idea that he is incomplete because he can't hear.

You both have very touching stories of loved ones in your lives. Each family (parents) must make these decisions for their kids and pray that it is the best. Personally, I feel very strongly that it is critical to equip a deaf person/child to move and function in a hearing society. It's something immigrant parents saw to in earlier decades in our country - seeing that their kids learned the language of this country. Is that because they "devalued" their country of origin? Never. It is simply the means to providing the child with the very best chances and opportunities in the new country. That seems to me to be what every parent would want for their child over selfishly clinging to a 'cultural exclusivity'.

Certainly there have been hand 'pictures' and signals throughout all time and in many different cultures. Some have developed to high levels of complexity. I'm simply saying that it is tough to associate signing of concepts to enable one to understand what is going on in the English language with an inherently different culture.

For example, the signing deaf child of an American parent who is him/herself able to hear and speak English is not from a different culture. Both the child and the parent are American. My worst fears are that we decide the deaf should be yet another subgroup in this country (because of how they converse) - and therefore in need of exaltation along with their government handout. Like so many other 'protected classes' in this country, it does not result in their highest and best interests.

Plus there is the issue in that when the deaf "claim" that it doesn't bother them and they wouldn't have it any other way, it could very well be a necessary rationalization or fear of the technology that could get them to hear.

On some of your other issues I'll grant you some points. However, on this I still disagree.

Yes, a disability requires "necessary rationalization" in order to continue functioning productively, rather than committing suicide. But making the decision to accept a fact of life and make do anyway isn't limited to the disabled. Every human does this at some point, whether about a disability or some other uncontollable factor in their lives. Doing this isn't a mere "claim" of happiness; it is happiness.

Would a deaf person turn down the chance to hear if positively guaranteed success in the endeavour? Would that person be the same person if they could hear? Only the deaf can answer that question. Hearing people can't, and shouldn't even try.

As to "fear of the technology," technology can only do so much. Some forms of deafness simply cannot be healed. Others can be treated, to some degree or other. But at what cost? Hearing aids and implants MAY help some people, esp. those that could once hear and now can't, or those that have some functioning nerves to interpret the signals.

For others, all these devices do is make noise louder. Not separate sounds or words, just noise. In their cases, which is better - to hear loud static all the time, or hear nothing? If all you get is nonsense and have no control over it, the technology is useless. Thus, since many deaf people see no improvement from the technology, they see no reason to use it, or insist that it be used when it can't be proven to have any value.

Also, suddenly increasing a person's level of stimulus without any training in making sense of it all is not beneficial to that person. A child getting an implant makes much more sense than an older person, because they would have time to learn ways to cope with the stimulation.

This is not "fear of technology," it is dealing with a fact of life and going on regardless. Again, the deaf alone must make these decisions. They are the ones that have to live with the consequences.

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