Closing Thoughts
(Williamson, 2012)
The deaf community is obviously one that is filled with close connections of its members and the love that they share together. A society that came together because of their “imperfection” became known for their positive outlook on life. Do we see this same kind of connectedness in the hearing society? What would make us closer together? Maybe one day the hearing and the deaf will be able to coexist in a multi-linguistic fashion. I think that would be an amazing moment for everyone to experience. In the meantime, we need to stop trying to “fix” deaf people when there is nothing “broken” about them.
As a hearing person, it is not my right to choose whether cochlear implants are appropriate or not. I have never had to experience a world in silence and I’m not? how I would react if I did have to. The choice to get an implant is a personal one, and although there may be benefits and risks, it’s up to that individual person to decide what they need most in their life. It is not up to our hearing society to change things to make them more comfortable or “easier” for our standards. I leave you with one piece to reflect upon. Gallaudet University’s President, I. King Jordan, was interviewed not too long ago. When asked if he would like to have his hearing back, he replied: “That’s almost like asking a black person if he would rather be white…I don’t think of myself as missing something or as incomplete…It’s a common fallacy if you don’t know deaf people or deaf issues. You think it’s a limitation” (Fine & Fine, 1990).
As a hearing person, it is not my right to choose whether cochlear implants are appropriate or not. I have never had to experience a world in silence and I’m not? how I would react if I did have to. The choice to get an implant is a personal one, and although there may be benefits and risks, it’s up to that individual person to decide what they need most in their life. It is not up to our hearing society to change things to make them more comfortable or “easier” for our standards. I leave you with one piece to reflect upon. Gallaudet University’s President, I. King Jordan, was interviewed not too long ago. When asked if he would like to have his hearing back, he replied: “That’s almost like asking a black person if he would rather be white…I don’t think of myself as missing something or as incomplete…It’s a common fallacy if you don’t know deaf people or deaf issues. You think it’s a limitation” (Fine & Fine, 1990).