Does Deafhood Accept Oral Deaf with C.I.s?
The recent invasion of C.I. blogs came as a surprise. The timing was coincidental, as I was planning to release my own series regarding cochlear implants. In the past, C.I. blogs were few, so DeafRead was viewed as too ASL-centric by a minority. Now the pendulum appears to have swung to the other extreme, with an excess of c.i. blogs, making DeafRead appear to be C.I.-centric. Eventually the pendulum will very likely swing towards the middle, with an even mixture of a variety of deaf issues.
Witnessing some people calling for the exclusion of oral c.i. blogs from DeafRead is discouraging. Since cochlear implants are here to stay, the Deaf Community is irreversibly changed. These deaf kids portrayed in the c.i. blogs represent some of our future Deaf Generation. Having their parents blog about their c.i. kids will help us understand better their daily lives. Meanwhile these parents are shown the positive aspects of the Deaf and ASL Community. They want to reach out and communicate with us. Why do some of us want to slam the door, leaving them with a bitter taste in their mouth?
Many oral teenagers fitted with cochlear implants are already reluctant to be interviewed by me as they’ve witnessed the hostility of the Deaf Community towards their parents. They have no desire to interact with the Deaf Community, preferring to continue living in the hearing world, even though they were repeatedly told I’m neutral with no hidden personal agenda. Is this the message we want to send to the future oral c.i. kids about our Deaf Community? That they are to be disliked and rejected because their parents got them cochlear implants? Unfortunately for now, this is how some of them apparently feel. Recently I’ve seen hateful comments left in the blog of Rachel, a young oral deaf college student with c.i.s.
Deafhood promotes acceptance of all varieties of deaf people, regardless of their communication modes. Don’t the pleas to exclude the oral-based c.i. blogs from DeafRead violate the basic concept of Deafhood?
The AGB Association has been accused of being too exclusive, rejecting Deaf people using ASL. Aren’t we guilty of being divisive, too, if we exclude oral deaf people wearing c.i.s?
Why don’t we create many positive stories about our beloved Deaf Community and ASL, so we can educate these parents and their c.i. kids and expose them to our world? With positive and constructive ongoing dialogue, hopefully we can show them that the Deaf Community is indeed inclusive and respectful of deaf diversity. Perhaps they may become interested and join us, learning ASL 
Deafhood: “The true success of Deafhood is when Deaf people feel “at home” with being Deaf and finds a commonality with other Deaf people in their use of Sign Language and their visual orientation. When we are secure with our own natural language and community, we can be healthier, more creative and more embracing of the diversity surrounding us.” http://www.ellasflashlight.com/?cat=5
The recent invasion of C.I. blogs came as a surprise. The timing was coincidental, as I was planning to release my own series regarding cochlear implants. In the past, C.I. blogs were few, so DeafRead was viewed as too ASL-centric by a minority. Now the pendulum appears to have swung to the other extreme, with an excess of c.i. blogs, making DeafRead appear to be C.I.-centric. Eventually the pendulum will very likely swing towards the middle, with an even mixture of a variety of deaf issues.
Witnessing some people calling for the exclusion of oral c.i. blogs from DeafRead is discouraging. Since cochlear implants are here to stay, the Deaf Community is irreversibly changed. These deaf kids portrayed in the c.i. blogs represent some of our future Deaf Generation. Having their parents blog about their c.i. kids will help us understand better their daily lives. Meanwhile these parents are shown the positive aspects of the Deaf and ASL Community. They want to reach out and communicate with us. Why do some of us want to slam the door, leaving them with a bitter taste in their mouth?
Many oral teenagers fitted with cochlear implants are already reluctant to be interviewed by me as they’ve witnessed the hostility of the Deaf Community towards their parents. They have no desire to interact with the Deaf Community, preferring to continue living in the hearing world, even though they were repeatedly told I’m neutral with no hidden personal agenda. Is this the message we want to send to the future oral c.i. kids about our Deaf Community? That they are to be disliked and rejected because their parents got them cochlear implants? Unfortunately for now, this is how some of them apparently feel. Recently I’ve seen hateful comments left in the blog of Rachel, a young oral deaf college student with c.i.s.
Deafhood promotes acceptance of all varieties of deaf people, regardless of their communication modes. Don’t the pleas to exclude the oral-based c.i. blogs from DeafRead violate the basic concept of Deafhood?
The AGB Association has been accused of being too exclusive, rejecting Deaf people using ASL. Aren’t we guilty of being divisive, too, if we exclude oral deaf people wearing c.i.s?
Why don’t we create many positive stories about our beloved Deaf Community and ASL, so we can educate these parents and their c.i. kids and expose them to our world? With positive and constructive ongoing dialogue, hopefully we can show them that the Deaf Community is indeed inclusive and respectful of deaf diversity. Perhaps they may become interested and join us, learning ASL
Deafhood: “The true success of Deafhood is when Deaf people feel “at home” with being Deaf and finds a commonality with other Deaf people in their use of Sign Language and their visual orientation. When we are secure with our own natural language and community, we can be healthier, more creative and more embracing of the diversity surrounding us.” http://www.ellasflashlight.com/?cat=5
January 20th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Another great blog today!
That’s what I was saying on another vlogger’s, in respond to the requests of removal of CI blogs, that we could be better than other places in excluding people.
I think it’s a great idea of showing more vlogs in raising children, with or without CIs, in ASL to show them.
But I also welcome oral CI people! I won’t bite!
January 20th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
You said it beautifully.
Well, the acceptance won’t happen overnight… might happen in a decade or so…likely after the Deaf people become old, leaving room for younger deaf people to take ahold of the Deaf community’s steering wheel.
But I do wish that we could see the balance. What bothers me is the continual insistence of being accepted into the deaf community lying in the acceptance of ASL. I have no problem with ASL, but… ASL is being made into a condition for the acceptance by the deaf people… it is like Christianity… accept Jesus or go to hell. That is what it feels like to me and I can easily understand why hearing people are turned off by this attitude.
*Shrug* good blog, imploring for more acceptance of different deaf people. I don’t think we have good grasp of what Deafhood mean… even the Deafhood leaders don’t know what it means. We have to acknowledge that deafhood means differently to each of us, not one thing to all of us.
January 20th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Excellent points, Mishkazena! It will take some time, hopefully a lot sooner than some think.
The ASL community comes from several generations of pain, rejection by parents, criticism by teachers, avoidance by hearing people, excluded by hearing peers, and battered by the oral camps as failures. It is perhaps understandable, yet not justified, that they lash back.
What is troubling is that they lash back at those of themselves who were fortunate enough to achieve a level of function closer to hearing people. They use phones, understand people on the street, and get by in job interviews. These “hearing-like” deaf people are today pushing out the more ASL deaf people from opportunities, because society tends to be more aware of them and to choose them.
Paradoxically, hearing aids and now CI’s are no guarantee of doors opening for Deaf people. It still is an inexact science and dependent on too many variables to be reliably successful.
When we have solved the problems of mistrust, oppression and competition, we will be on the way to true overall acceptance.
In order to do this, we need to attack the root causes: audism, ignorance, propaganda, overzealous AVT/oralists, financial incentives, and education of the wider community.
January 20th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
What can I say? I am all for it.
We have learned our American History and faced the civil rights.
Look at us…..
Do we believe Paddy Ladd’s idea to form the deafhood? Dunno. We have a long way to go to reach the goal.
I am embracingly encircled any CI people with ASL, Total Communication, Oral, SimCam and so forth.
I have learned a great deal from the CI community. I am sure that we have learned a great deal of the rationalness.
Good thoughts, Mishka.
January 20th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Feelings and thoughts echoing what White Ghost just said.
)
January 20th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Hi Misha: Thanks for this blog.
Just a short andecote to share: I have noticed that the number of Deaf people (oral or signer) with CI are on the rise, but to me, they are still deaf (or Deaf, if you will) regardless the technological advances. My friend, who went to the Gally several years back, told me that CI is something that we may have to accept today like the Deaf learned how to accept the Deaf with hearing aids 40 years ago. She learned of this comment through her class at the Gally; a fellow student made the good point during a heated discussion about hearing aids and CIs.
I agree with your blog. It’s time for us accept the diversity of the deaf people. Deafhood will be a good learning tool for all of us.
Cheers,
Arista
January 20th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Dianerz – agree with your paradox comment on the non-guarantee of CI’s opening doors for the Deaf in getting jobs. I could go on about this, but I guess this is another topic.
Good comments.
January 20th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I think it will be better if she will use transcript of her own video on this you tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx1nyxvRhzU
January 20th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I am with IamMine, too! Deafies/deafies need CI users signed in ASL as well, so they can socialize with them. We need them! CI is just a part of the new tech processing. It just replaces something hearing aids can’t approve.
IamMine Says:
Another great blog today!
That’s what I was saying on another vlogger’s, in respond to the requests of removal of CI blogs, that we could be better than other places in excluding people.
I think it’s a great idea of showing more vlogs in raising children, with or without CIs, in ASL to show them.
But I also welcome oral CI people! I won’t bite!
January 20th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
If you are still looking for positive sides in respect to cochlear implant, may I suggest you contact NTID (National Technical Institute for the Deaf)? I don’t know of any particular person that you can contact and so, I am of little help in this way. When I was there during the orientation last summer, a professor (I don’t remember his full name but his first or last name should be Scott) believed that NTID has the largest concentration of cochlear implant users. I think it is about 250 of them (I may misremember the number). The number alone may be misleading for it does not tell us the whole story but it does greatly outweigh the number of negative stories that we see here and other blogs and vlogs. This shows that one’s perception may or may not be the proper perspective. Individual experiences are important to know but they are not equal to the whole forest.
I am trying to evaluate the worthiness of my two cents here but I can’t decide how much they are worth. So, I will just end with this: For what it’s worth (FWIW).
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
January 20th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Joseph, I’m just starting with my c.i. series. I’m not done yet
January 20th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I can honestly say that Rochester, NY is a great place for deaf people with all kinds of communication preferences to live… there is more acceptance of CI, Total Communication, SEE, etc., there than anywhere else. I lived in Rochester, NY for 19 years so I know.
)
January 20th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
First, I want to thank Jamie Burke’s blog. I did researched Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA. There is no test result report up there but that school did reported Culture Students up there but why no report for the test results? Are they afraid or embarrass to show us?
Clarke School for the Deaf: No Report for test results.
White, not Hispanic 71%
Hispanic 16%
Black, not Hispanic 6%
Asian/Pacific Islander 3%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 3%
Unspecified 1%
http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ma/otherprivate/2829#students
Why are those many of Deaf Oral Schools hiding from us all. Please DO NOT finger pointing at us for being not sure to trust all Deaf Orals. We had been brainwashed from AG Bell lovers for so many years! That’s enuff!
January 20th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I do understand the concern that DR is losing its center. But all people have to do is keep posting about ASL and Deaf culture. We can balance it.
January 20th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Karen Mayes,
Is Rochester, NY accept ASL, too? Please clarify. Smile and hugs, Shawn
January 20th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
ASLisrisen –
Of course, the NTID accepts the ASL.
January 20th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I agree with DP – go ahead and vlog some more to balance it out.
However, as I’ve posted this on DP’s blog and I’m re-posting here for other people. I’m hoping for some answers.
Got another question here for the Deafhood leaders.
Why weren’t they there to support Jeanette (Moot Thoughts & Musings) when things got hot with her CI son? She got bashed.
EVERYONE was aware of what was going on with her in DR.
This mother KNEW ASL.
Where were the Deafhood leaders?
January 20th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
White Ghost, thank you. What a relief! Whew!
January 20th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I have read Jeanette’s Moot Thoughts & Musings and she have made many wonderful issues about the relationship with her CI son. I have learned a great deal from her.
I would *LOVE* to comment her blogs, however, I cannot allow my private email address in her blog.
January 20th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
IamMine (#17),
I don’t know. I wasn’t aware of what happened with the Moot Thoughts & Musings blog. I’m no Deafhood leader, but let’s not assume that “everyone” was aware. *smile* But that’s a good question – if people who knew didn’t provide support, why not? I can’t answer without knowing more about the situation. Just my $0.02.
January 20th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Oh my goodness. I’m so embarrassed. I was trying to go to a different blog and typed a blog in the “Website” section here by mistake (darn that Tab key). Now my last comment looks like I own this blog. Oooooops. My apologies. MishkaZena, can you please fix that and delete this message? Many thanks.
January 20th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Good topic
Thank you!
January 20th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Jenny, yeah…
But there were also blogs with parents of CI children that they didn’t bother to comment on to show their support.
Unless I am mistaken?
January 20th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Well, brenster answered my question on DP’s blog, so disregard my question about the Deafhood leaders.
They are not obliged to comment on v/blogs to show their support.
*shrugs* I disagree but I can agree to disagree.
I’m out for the night.
January 20th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
MZ said:
“Since cochlear implants are here to stay, the Deaf Community is irreversibly changed. These deaf kids portrayed in the c.i. blogs represent some of our future Deaf Generation.”
How so true! Thank you for a great post as usual!
January 20th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Hi there
Thanks for sharing your view with us all. Yes there are many different views about that.
My view is that English Language and American Sign Language are languages of Deaf community. Many Deaf people are using both of them.
Codes (SEE, Signed English, TOTAL COMMUNICATION, cued speech)are fine as long as they are needed for various reasons such as learning disability, mental and physical challenges. If people can use like Spoken Essential ASL (SEASL), Spoken ASL, CUED ASL to me are acceptable. If people oppose, why and why not?
Of course, all CI people are welcome to learn more about us and it is our responsibility to educate them about our way of life.
I am in favour of ASL and English languages for all Deaf children. I know a few of them are not able to do both of them for various reasons. We will support them whatever they need.
I know many ASL people are well respected and lovable people.
Take care and thanks
Deafchip
January 20th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Oops, error information above in my article, “If people can us like Spoken Essential ASL… It should be If people can use like Spoken Essential ASL…, it will be fine with me
Deafchip
January 20th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
To Arista in #6:
Thank you for your anecdotem, and I shall herein share two anecdotes (vid. infra):
~ NAPOLEON ~
Napoleon’s conversational style was almost completely predictable. Having asked his guest’s name, he would usually go on with “What part of France do you come from?” and “How old are you?” Aware of this, the deaf Duchess de Brissac rehearsed appropriate responses. On hearing her name, however, Napoleon for once realized who she was and dispensed with his usual second and third questions. Remembering that her brother-in-law, the Duke de Brissac, has been killed as commander of Louis XVI’s guard at Versailles in 1792, he asked whether she and her husband had inherited the estate. “Seine et Oise, sire,” replied the deaf duchess. Slightly surprised, Napoleon pressed on with “Have you any children?” The deaf duchess smiled brightly. “Fifty-two, sire,” said she.
~ ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL ~
“As he lay dying after a long illness, his deaf wife whispered to him, “Don’t leave me.” Unable to speak, Bell traced with his fingers the sign, “No.” With this last silent message, the inventor of the telephone took his final leave of his wife.”
Jean Boutcher
January 21st, 2008 at 1:58 am
Elizabeth,
You posed a question in your blog — vide infra:
“Does Deafhood Accept Oral Deaf with C.I.s?”
Have you looked at the title of Paddy Ladd’s book?What does it mean to you?
What Dr. Ladd means by Deafhood is that the parents shall graciously accept when they discover that their child is deaf. The parents shall have a better understanding of the Deaf Culture, including sign language to prepare for their child.
The child is also intelligently guided to accept the process of his life as a deaf person with dignity, grace, and style. He will be introduced to a better understanding of Deaf Culture, including sign language.
Edward Dolnick’s widely read article, “Deafness as a Culture” (Atlantic Monthly, Sep. 1993) as well as readers’ letters of responce to the author on the editorial page of the same source issued in December 1993 are highly recommended.
Perhaps you would consider reading the Prof. Dr. Harlan Lane’s “Mark of Benevolence” (the same one who authored “When the Mind Hears.”
Jean Boutcher
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
— Confucius
January 21st, 2008 at 2:29 am
MZ said:
“Since cochlear implants are here to stay, the Deaf Community is irreversibly changed.”
I disagree strongly. Cochlear implants are invasive and completely contradictory of God’s will for Deaf people to exist. It’s man’s will to alternate US to conform THEM and their society. CI will also diminish the pure use of ASL and Deaf culture will be nothing more than just an ideal. Like Martha’s Vineyard, history will repeat itself.
Can you imagine the future of Gallaudet with the majority of CI students? There’ll be requests and demands for music bands and concerts. Gallaudet will be come “think-hearing.” Is this acceptable? Do we really have to accept that CI are “here to stay?” I think not.
Talk is cheap. Do something about it. Spread more Deaf awareness and show that we DO NOT need to be conformed and mainstreamed in their society. Simple as that.
January 21st, 2008 at 10:21 am
I am confused. Elizabeth you seem to change your views like the weather. Do you have a true belief or does it continue to change to get reactions, cuz this is not what you have portrayed in the past.
To say people blogging about CI’s is “invasive” is strange when in the next breath you are saying they are here to stay and everyone should get along.
Your word was “invasive”. Could you please explain why you feel it is invasive to the deaf community for people to discuss CI’s, Lipreading, etc.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:31 am
Thank you for your blog and your thoughtful post. As a hearing parent of a CI child, I have to say that my biggest concern has been how the Deaf Community would react to her. I do get bothered by the comments rejecting our choice, and her use of the implant.
This may come as a surprise, but as a Christian, I did a ton of praying when my daughter got sick, and absolutely believe that God lead us to the implant. I do not believe God wants implants for every Deaf person. But diversity is to be cherished, and deaf with implants is just more diversity.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Mishka- I was going to email you but couldn’t find an email address so I’ll just leave a comment here. If you are looking for more teenagers with positive CI experiences, I have a story to tell. I’m also an NTID student so I have a good view of the next generation of the Deaf community. My email is evilfirepixie8 at hotmail dot com if you are interested
-Meg
January 21st, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Jenny, that’s ok. You didn’t sound like you own this blog
Jean, yup, I’ve read both books of Lane. I especially agree with the Benevolence of Mask. However, even though the deaf have c.i.s and ‘colonized’, they are stll deaf. I see the same struggle between oralism and manualism.
Jon, 95% of the deaf kids have hearing parents. I’m seeing the trend of these kids c.i. more and more now than before. However, there will always be deaf kids who don’t get c.i. and if they do, they don’t benefit fully from it.
GallyMom, Please don’t take my writings as a reflection of my personal views. I’ve mentioned that I’m exploring all angles on this issue. I’m neutral. I have been reading the c.i. blogs for several months, long before they showed up at DeafRead.
Many times I reflect the feelings of others, using their comments, etc. So the readers will understand their POV. Many readers consider the recent surg of c.i. blogs an invasion to DeafRead.
Evilfire, yes, I do have positive c.i. stories, but please do feel free to contact me at mishkazena@aol.com
January 21st, 2008 at 1:25 pm
To CI bloggers and CI readers:
To me, if CI Deaf want to post their blogs, the first question they should ask themselves is:
“Since DeafRead is Deaf centric, what are my intentions here? If my intention is to be a part of Deaf culture and to embrace ASL as a language, then the intentions are good.”
BUT…
If the CI implantee has intention to mislead us, or just to post blogs to testify of the “success” of CI implants, is this subliminal propaganda intended to convince Deaf readers that getting a CI implant can be successful, that ASL does not have to be a way of life?
What I, John Critser, want to be:
I want to be open minded and listen to CI implantee share their own success stories. Deaf is Deaf. You may not use ASL but you can hear our own success stories. Let’s swap stories and praise one another, and tolerate each other as long ASL thrives and Speech Therapy thrives. The two can go hand in hand as long we respect each other. We might feel CI implants are invasive to our human skulls, that is a legitimate feeling we have.
If we listen to you, please listen to us, too and embrace ASL as a legitimate language to learn. You don’t have to flaunt how well you hear or how well you speak, and we don’t have to flaunt how well we sign in ASL.
Because, there are Deaf people in Deaf culture who are perfectly happy with the world of silence and with ASL as a primary language. We don’t seek to change you, and don’t seek to change us. We should just accept each other and combine both languages bilingually if you wish. Some of us will never wear CIs or take speech therapy but it doesn’t make us any less than you are.
But we can meet up halfway and hear each others’ accounts of our Deafness has impacted us, how we adjusted to being Deaf, and how ASL can be a bilingual language for all of us. I have no objections to anybody wanting to learn how to talk or to hear sounds. That is why it is funny when people have objections to learning ASL. Like as if it would cause CI wearers to decline in speech and listening skills. It’s not really true.
WHY?
Because you have been empowered with a CI. It’s like drinking cheap wine that has been priced high like a $80 bottle of wine, you believe that it is really the classy, expensive wine, when in reality it was priced at $5 at other stores. It is all in the BRAIN. Wine drinkers are empowered with the fact the price tag on the wine bottle is $80, so it must be good! Same here, you have been outfitted with $50,000 CI implants so it must be good and superior to digital hearing aids in technology. You were empowered with the price tag on what you are wearing on your head. A $5 bottle of wine will taste better if priced at $80. It is in the BBBBBBRAIN.
Why? If you are so determined to learn how to talk clearly and to listen on the phone, and to hear specific and different sounds, having that determination while also learning ASL won’t hurt your quest to improve your speech or to improve your listening skills.
Not if you have that infinite determination! If you can do it, you can! That is your business. If you want to believe in your mind that learning ASL will cause erosion of speech and listening skills, then that is your choice in refraining from empowering yourselves, that if you learn the ASL language, you speech and listening skills will still decline. It is because you have robbed yourselves of the determination to learn how to talk and to listen. You and you alone can only empower yourselves to learn how to talk and to listen, even if you use ASL.
ASL does not serve as a barrier to speech and listening skills with the aid of a CI implant. YOU are your own barrier. It is in your BRAIN.
I have met quite a few Deaf people who can talk real well and sign ASL really well, too. They empowered themselves as a bilingual. It’s like speaking English and French.
Why not English and ASL?
January 21st, 2008 at 1:51 pm
John,
You have good comments. I’m not going to discuss why we chose an implant at this point, but why I am here. I want my daughter to be comfortable in her world. That may be primarily with the Deaf Community, and it may be in the hearing community. It may be that she finds her place in both. The reality is that she has an implant, and we are happy with our decision. But I worry that she may not be accepted in the Deaf Community as openly as ASL Deaf. I simply want to open communication, and try to answer questions, clarify misunderstanding and hopefully build bridges. That is why I am here. I’ll let others speak for themselves.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:09 pm
John,
One point to what you have said – Digital hearing aids are not an option for all. About 3% of the deaf are 100% totally deaf. My daughters were among those. The most powerful hearing aids were totally useless for them. The only way to give them any access to sound was through CIs.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:22 pm
My daughter also got no benefit to hearing aids. No residual hearing whatsoever. If she was to gain any hearing, it was with the CI. In truth, the implant is not even available if the individual receives reasonable benefit from hearing aids. The individual must have a severe to profound loss to even be considered for an implant.
January 21st, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Last night, Rachel and I went out to dinner with my younger daughter Jessica, who also has bilateral CIs. Jessica is now 12 and was implanted at age 15 months in her first ear and 9 years old in her second. She has done incredibly well with her CIs. She is a naturally auditory learner, and she hears about as close to normal hearing as a CI child can, scoring 100% auditory only comprehension in quiet and at 84% in bad background noise, which is well within the range of normal hearing.
During dinner, Rachel and I were discussing the deaf blogs. I had not brought Jessica into this discussion at all until last night. She knows about ASL but has never asked much about it. She has gone to CI conventions and participated in groups with kids who sign and speak along with those like herself who only speak. The kids couldn’t care less. They communicate and have a good time.
Jessica is very web savvy and a whiz at finding anything online. Last night after we came home, she went to Rachel’s CI website to see what we were talking about. She became very upset at some of the nasty comments directed at her sister and wrote the following:
“I love your website! People, stop saying mean things about my sister’s website. STOP PUTTING MEAN COMMENTS ON THIS WEBSITE NOW! I love cochlear implants! I love hearing! I like to talk on the phone, hear my computer games, music, movies, my cat purr, and I love to see shows. I love to hear my teachers speaking and other people speaking to me.
“Cochlear implants help your life. Cochlear Implants gave me a lot of opportunities. I have friends who have cochlear implants and friends who have normal hearing. Every day in school I am treated the same as everyone else. At my school, we have a pool and I go swimming. That is the only time at school that I can’t hear, and the other kids are really nice and help me. They explain to me what is going on.
Love this website,
Jessica”
Then, because today is a holiday with no school, she got to stay up late last night and must have decided to pursue this further as this morning when I got up and checked my email, there was an email from her with the link to deafread saying, “Check out this stupid website.” Now, before you jump all over her or me, you should know that I have already sat down and spoken to her to explain that it is not stupid, that she unfortunately read what a few hostile people had to say but that they are not representative of most, and I showed her some of the more positive comments on the blogs, including on Rachel’s. I reminded her of her friends she’s met at the conventions who sign and asked her if they were any different than she is, to which she said no. She and I will continue this discussion.
When Mishka decided to start this whole discussion, she contacted me and Rachel and asked Rachel to write something up for her. She also asked Rachel if she had any oral or A-V CI friends her age who would be willing to write something. Rachel contacted her Facebook group. I’m not sure how many young adults are on there, but I know of at least 15 personally. All refused to write something, saying that they’d dealt with the hostility before and didn’t care to get involved.
There is a chance with Jessica’s generation to change this. Up until yesterday, she had no opinions on the subject, but her first introduction was a negative one. Kids aren’t born seeing differences. They are influenced as they grow by the older generations.
Mishka is right that CIs are here to stay. I know that there are those who will still refuse to accept this, but that doesn’t change the fact that CIs are not only not going to go away, but they are going to increase in number as they have been over the past 18 years since receiving FDA approval. So, the question is whether or not this age old debate and conflict can at least mellow in the next generation. Are kids with CI’s Jessica’s age going to encounter hostility from the deaf community, or are they going to be greeted warmly? If you want to make a start, you can reply to her comment at http://cochlearimplantonline.com/blog/?p=18#comments .
I should add that, as Jessica’s reaction and comment showed, welcoming the kids but not their families, including their hearing parents, is not going to work either. Their loyalty is with those whom they love.
January 21st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Mishka,
Important blog, thank you. K.L. loved the comments. Melissa, the fact that you are still here trying to educate and help others understand your daughters and you should be enough for people to understand that you are trying to add to and not take away from the Deaf Community. You make straightforward and valid points. I appreciate your sincerity and persistence…and I love your girls. Jodi
January 21st, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Great blog, MZ, as usual!
As I stated before that this will take some time before we have an harmony healthy dialogue. We need this to be educated whether we like CI or not.
At least I’m learning a lot about CI for infants as opposed to CI as adults.
Keep with great work!
Oh I want to comment gallymom’s comment, its not about MZ’s changing views as if she cannot make up her mind. It is about MZ’s desire to show both positives and negatives of CIs. She wants us to come to an understanding of both sides and accept them even if others may not agree but to agree to disagree in other words respect each other.
I’m not exactly all for infants to be implanted but I do see the positive outcomes of children being able to function so well like other hearing kids. Its the surgery itself that is awfully scary as I went through bad experience with my CI surgery.
Please don’t get me wrong … I also strongly believe that ASL is a valuable language for Deaf individuals. ASL is part of our culture and I believe ASL is to stay as well as CIs.
January 21st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I’m very sorry some of you are enduring nasty comments. None of you (us!) deserve that. The answer is not to attack back, because that is counterproductive for all of us.
I’ll be honest here. I felt a lot of love, support, respect, and courteous disagreement in the varied responses to my blog post yesterday. However, I felt attacked by two of the people that I tried to reach out to. Now one of them is here complaining about being attacked.
I’m not here to attack anyone. I come in peace and respect for all viewpoints. Melissa, I feel for you and for your daughters having to endure such vitriol from a few people. None of you deserve that.
Can we agree to continue this dialogue with respect, or at the very least, not to lash out at each other?
With peace and compassion for all,
moi
January 21st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Moi,
Thank you for your comments. I appreciate it.
As any parent knows, we can take a lot that’s thrown at us, but go after our children, and our mother bear claws come out. I didn’t like reading that someone was crying for my daughter, especially when she wasn’t crying for herself. To Rachel, her hearing has become extremely valuable, and, while no one likes surgery, she was prepared to go through surgery again in order to be able to hear. One thing that we tried to do with both reimplantation surgeries was to give her something positive with them, the first time the newer technology and newer processor that she had been wanting, and the second time her bilateral CI that she had been begging for for two years.
That these kids value their hearing is not a bad thing. And they’re not crying and miserable. When I read posts from the deaf community saying how they are crying for CI kids, it bothers me because things are truly different for our kids today, and they are leading happy lives. So, you can certainly feel sorry for Rachel that she had to endure two CI failures, but it wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to her by far. To have had 4 weeks total of her entire life interrupted by these failures is not such an awful thing, especially when she willingly went through it in order to maintain the hearing that she values.
I’ve read enough of these blogs recently that I can’t remember on which one I read a comment that I thought was so on target, but the person said that deafness affects the ability to communicate, and if deaf children can achieve ease of communication, then that is what is important. How they get there is not the main issue. It’s that they get there that is.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I’m glad you’re being more reasonable now. Your attack on moi yesterday wasn’t cool. So you didn’t like what she said. So what? You could have expressed your feelings in a different way.
I’m glad you two are talking and I hope that things will go okay. Just remember not to attack those who don’t attack you, okay. Smile. Keep listening to others and keep sharing your experiences. That’s what we are all here for. To learn from each other.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:31 pm
KL,
Thanks for your simple and direct comment. I would want and hope your daughter feels comfortable in her world, whether it is in the Deaf or hearing worlds, or both.
The reason a lot of Deaf people do not support or like the CI implantation companies are for several obvious reasons:
1. Parents decide for their children to get CIs instead of waiting until the children are old enough to decide for themselves if they want it, especially due to the fact it is a particularly invasive surgical procedure (major surgery). That supports the system in controlling the fate of Deaf children.
2. If it is true, we feel that insurance covers leans towards paying for CIs rather than digital hearing aids. Moreover, we have little money for medical and other medicare coverages. Is it true that CI implant coverage is causing the additional funds for hearing aids to become non-existent? I worry that soon people can’t qualify for hearing aids because the money can be reserved for CI implantees.
3. Deaf culture, instead of growing and thriving, is merely maintained by folklore passing from Deaf families primarely, because soon all children will be outfitted with CI’s. What will happen to our folklore, our language, our precious Deaf culture? We don’t want to end up like the Indians, who exist in our minds through folklore, through American history books. Will CI implantees be encouraged to immerse themselves into Deaf culture? Or will we be shunned by them, because they think that the hearing skills makes it sufficient for them to have a comfort zone in the hearing world? I have encountered people and have friends who totally shun the Deaf world, because they think they don’t need to, because they can hear and speak well. Which is sufficient enough. No sense of culture. Just the hearing world.
3. CI implantees are usually in oral programs who are totally against the usage of ASL. They are in organizations like AGB which do not foster sign language at all. So the more CI implants are done, the philosophy of whether to use speech solely or to be bilingual and fluent in ASL shifts in supporting the goals of AGB in whole as an organization. Oral programs discourages students from learning ASL. Many things are said about the Deaf community, how we can’t talk or can’t speak on the telephone, how we act in regards to body language when using ASL, and so many other intangibles.
4. Not every Deaf child who has received CI implants were able to claim 100% success. Some died from meningitis. Some experienced partial paralysis on their faces. Some suffered bad headaches with vomiting episodes. There were some other side effects or complications. You had good intentions, KL, you trusted the doctors and the surgeons, and everything worked out. It didn’t for some others. It’s a calculated risk. To those that had the misfortune to have something go wrong, it isn’t fair to the children, especially when it was the parents who decided to have the child undergo implant without true consent from the child who understands the risks associated with it.
5. Some Deaf CI implantees or their parents have the illusion that they won’t be isolated. Some things never change for some Deaf people who had CIs, even after the fact. It’s the illusion we don’t like. BUT, we do recognize the stories of success. Again, but does everyone experience the same success? What are the end results for those who don’t experience the same success, at the expense of untold millions of dollars, their health, having their skulls invaded surgically only to stop using it after 6 mos or an extended period of time?
MELISSA: You are right, CI implants is the last resort for those that have zero residual hearing, for those that hearing aids do not help at all. It is still a calculated risk for anybody who decides to undergo the CI implant surgery, or for the parents who decide for their children to have one.
Back to KL:
I want to quote her on this particular one:
“I simply want to open communication, and try to answer questions, clarify misunderstanding and hopefully build bridges. That is why I am here. I’ll let others speak for themselves.”
I agree with you, KL, that building bridges is what everyone needs to do. I wouldn’t want anybody to burn bridges to the Deaf world, or vice versa, burning bridges into the hearing world. We do live amongst hearing people and work with them. We do buy from them in stores and they serve us at restaurants. The doctors, nurses, and dentists tend to us. We do need hearing people and need to survive in the hearing world and function in the hearing world. That is not to say that Deaf cultural people can’t, they can. We just want our own culture, our own identity, and our own language.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:06 am
Melissa, I thought more about this. I realized what bothers me about your comments. You do a very good job of explaining your opinions. But I think you don’t show that you listen to others that well. I think moi tried to explain her opinion about Rachel’s story, but she showed me that she understands your opinion very well, even if she does not agree. She guessed how your reaction is and explained about different centers. You explained your opinion again here, but you did not show that you understand and respect her opinion. Its not the only example. Many times you answer many different people and explain your opinion and experiences. That’s fine. But it is important to show people that you did listen to them and you understand (or try to understand) their opinion even when you think they’re wrong. I think maybe that is one reason some people do not respond well to you. Please do not get mad at me. I want everyone to be welcome at DeafRead and to have good, healthy discussions even when we don’t agree with each other.
Peace.
January 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Deafhood: “The true success of Deafhood is when Deaf people feel “at home” with being Deaf and finds a commonality with other Deaf people in their use of Sign Language and their visual orientation.”
Deafhood should have given CI Deaf people welcome a welcoming smiles when and CI will increase accessibility to use ASL.
It sounds to me that Aidan Mack is very upset about you, Mishka, when she encourage us how to learn deficit thinker.
your blog is my favorite.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Hi all,
I feel many people do not understand what DeafHood is about. People have wide range of meaning of what the face expression can be about. I face this issue all the time. It gets tiring… many people are missing the point… the main point here is Crab Theory.
History has pointed out to deaf and hearing people have pulled deaf people into so many directions over a personal opinion. CI is not the problem; the market approach is the problem. The audism, not autism, is the problem but only for those who are happy with sign language in their life.
It becomes a misunderstanding in all parts of the aspects of deaf community. Here is the real problem; people identify themselves as hearing-impaired, hard of hearing, deaf, CI, Cued Speech, Oral, ASL user, sign language user, Total Communication user and whatever…
Those things are stereotype. That’s the problem. We all need to sit together and think, what we all want to be called. If someone says a person with hearing loss, someone born deaf will argue I was born with no hearing and I did not lose it. Others will say, I refuse to put a hearing person above or better than me. I am an individual and others are like me. This gets everyone no where. I could go on and on and on with different issues.
The main point here is all of us are patronized and used because of our main form of communication. We all have became crabs and trapped our own friends with us even though they really are happy for others who live their lives differently.
I know it’s a FACT, not all CI children are succeeding with that device. Not ALL Oral children are succeeding with this method. Not all children are succeeding with ASL. But there are success in each category for different reason and no one focus on that honestly.
If you go to educational programs and everywhere else… almost everyone is AGAINST ASL. The people who grow up with these education programs are now using ASL are now people who have CI, Oral, Mainstream or whatever background. If your read the news, Alexander Bell went against the Commercial with two deaf signers. And one of the two deaf signers is a person who grew up Oral and now uses sign language. i am not saying he choice it or preferred it but the point is he is using it. He grew up in environment where his parent and school forbid him from using it. It’s a shame, many of us KNOW this is so true for ourselves.
There are children who had CI are not not using their CI when they went to college or to real world. Now, their parents are saying why did you make me go through this all my life and now you are not using it. It takes away good self esteem to these adults that decided to change their future for a better life that they felt now suits them. This applies to Oral children, Mainstream children and other categories soon as they enter the world that is called “Independent from their parent”. Parent say they rebell… but that’s not the point… they finally are happy why can’t their folks accept that they grew up and that is the directions they want to go. These parent continue to fight till they die… and child continues to grow apart as they become adults. THIS IS SAD.
And if this does not happen the child as they become an adult, they still will not admit that they use sign language or do not agree with their folks.
The issue here is not about ASL or Deaf Culture, rumors, face expressions, patronization or whatever…
I can argue with you here… it’s about your parent, your school, your hometown, your background. I rarely chat with someone who said my life is this background. Most people as they become adults will say, I know I was raised that way but now this is who I am.
It is the “I” in the individual that DeafHood brings to many people who felt that it is a hearing world who is in charge. For example, it’s always about the hearing people (teacher, schools or whatever) or parents.
DeafHood focus on the things that many people do not think about and see things that they might not have thought of. It shows many people that there is hope out there for people who can not hear or have hearing difficulties.
Deafhood is about a person who can not hear or has hearing difficulties and recognizes that he or she is not a hearing person. DeafHood is a way of helping these people feel positive about themselves.
That is how it should be viewed… we all will have our own preferred method of education and approach. But, it is the individual who knows what is best for them… and everyone in this world is trying to be a peer to make you what is best for them because that is the society we are raised in.
I suggest we all put aside the CI, Oral, ASL and whatever issue and focus on how we all related as a family. That’s DeafHood and that’s how we should look at it.
The only thing people in Rochester get tired of is people who think their way is the one and only way… we KNOW there are may different ways for our members to survive. But, many of us want to focus on a way that will help all of us work together without politic issues that hearing people gave us? I would say that we all learn sign language and work together to make things happen. Why? We need CI, Oral, Deaf, Late Deafened, or other hearing loss titles to work together to make ADA stronger. Without one or another, we are nothing.
Next time you meet someone different think of how you can work with them and if they are worth your time to work with. Thats the same option hearing people get. Why shouldn’t our DeafHood have this option?
In Rochester we are the largest per capita deaf community and we are well pleased with our choices to hang with who we want. Most important is that we can avoid people with bad altitudes, while people from other places are stuck with people they can’t stand and have to deal with them. In other words, if we don’t like someone altitude, we just look for a different crowd or club. That’s the best thing that Rochester provides to the Deaf community…
Sorry for long letter… but I hope this helps people postive up their altitude or thoughts toward deafhood.