Placido Domingo lends his voice to the hearing-impaired

Associated Press ^

[Hawthorn]

The tenor, paired with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, is speaking for a global effort called "Hear the World" to raise awareness about hearing loss and to offer the latest technology to those in need — especially in developing countries.

Hearing aids will be delivered to poor children in the Guatemalan jungle and hearing-challenged youths in Pretoria, South Africa, will be taught how to function alongside classmates who hear. Youths in remote parts of the island of Fiji will be hearing tested for the first time.

[Hawthorn]

This undertaking is truly commendable. But watch for members of the "militant deaf" community to oppose it, even violently, as they did the recent appointment of a new president at Gallaudet University.

It's hard to believe, but the Gallaudet demonstrators and their ilk actually DON'T WANT the partially-deaf to have better hearing, nor do they want hearing given or restored to the totally deaf. If anything, they want more deafness in the world. Sad but true!

So anti-Domingo demonstrations are a distinct possibility -- maybe even a boycott against him, the Vienna Symphony, and their colleagues in this noble effort.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Good article.
Nice to hear.

[Kimmers]

I have heard similar stories regarding these groups not wanting the hearing impaired to regain hearing....unbelievable...

I have to say Domingo was one of the tenors really peaked my interest in Opera so I wish him well on this venture. I think it is wonderful, using his great talent for this cause.

On another note, my brother lost a lot of his hearing because of years of working overtime security @ concerts, he is a retired cop. A whole new world opened up to him when he got his hearing aids.

[Mercat]

a few years back I met a remarkable young man. He had become totally deaf as an infant but had hearing parents. He had grown up reading lips and speaking and also knew sign but it wasn't his primary means of communication as it is with some deaf people. He had obtained his law degree and was at that time learning to hear again with the use of an occular implant. He said he probably heard better than I did but was unable to know what the sounds meant. Predictably, he had very strong opinions about people who didn't want to put occular implants in deaf children.

[Glenn]

Yes. Let's all fear the militant deaf, shall we?

You people are just plain nuts some days.

[randita]

Classical Music Ping

[onedoug]

Show them a sign at Gallaudet. 'Bet they don't even read it.

[sitetest]

Dear randita,

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[ER Doc]

As I understand it, the Gallaudet demonstrations were in opposition to a new president who was a protegee handpicked by the old president, unpopular with faculty and students, and without consultation with faculty and students. They're main objection, as I understood it, was that she isn't fluent in ASL, the main means of communication on campus.

[clyde asbury]

ping

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

If anything, they want more deafness in the world.

If enough people listen to my son's preferred music, they'll get their way.

[Tax-chick]

Very nice of Placido. He's my favorite tenor!

[Hawthorn]

> As I understand it, the Gallaudet demonstrations were in opposition to a new president who was a protegee handpicked by the old president, unpopular with faculty and students, and without consultation with faculty and students. They're main objection, as I understood it, was that she isn't fluent in ASL, the main means of communication on campus. <


My understanding is different, namely that the president-designate for Gallaudet, Jane Fernandes, was opposed by the student mob because she was too open to -- or was even a supporter of -- "oralism":

"To speak and read lips is called oralism. At Gallaudet, it was often dismissed as a way of adapting to the hearing world. Signing is seen as more of a statement of deaf culture. It's a tension that goes way back."

Source:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5374451

So the main "sin" of Fernandes was that she was an "oralist" and that she didn't embrace 100% the ideology of "deaf pride." The latter insists that sign language (ASL) must be used to the virtual exclusion of other methods for helping the deaf and near-deaf, like lip reading, hearing aids, cochlear implants, etc.

Whatever the relative merits of oralism vs. deaf pride, I think it's distressing that mob rule ultimately decided the outcome of Gallaudet's presidential selection process.

And if Placido Domingo should bring his admirable campaign to Washington DC, he well may face members of the very same mob.