Mike, I didn't mean to disrepresent Deaf people by making such a short statement.
I meant some Deaf people are concerned over the cohlear implant.
In other areas of technology the world has completely opened up recently. Especially with the internet, instant messaging and wireless pagers. You don't have to hear for any of those technologies and they have really leveled out the playing field in many areas for Deaf people. Most Deaf people love those technologies.
I was just trying to emphasis the general differences between many blind people and many Deaf people culturally and their self identification as disabled or as many Deaf people may only view thier situation as being in a language minority with just the barrier of language between them and the hearing world. It's an interesting perspective that's hard for many "non-disabled" people to grasp.
But, I'd say in the last ten years I've seen the Deaf community slowly starting to embrace more of even the cohlear implant technology simply because so many audiologists now have more education in sign language and Deaf culture. Being sensitive to their patients' backround and self identy makes a world of difference.
Science and Technology can be great things as long as the technology is ethically and thoughtfully introduced to society. Or ethically and thoughtfully withheld from society depending on the situation. Or even just slowly introduced instead of coming on the market like a miracle drug, you know what I mean?
In many cases Deaf people aren't broken and don't need to be fixed. They have a visual life experience that's different and cherished. I know it's hard to make that jump in perspective.
And there certainly are deaf people who don't identify themselves as culturally Deaf. They may identify themselves as hard of hearing and are completely gratefully for all new technologies in hearing aides and cohlear implants and anything else that can help integrate themselves successfully with hearing people. Most of these people are not fluent in sign language.
And all the points you made regarding technology as supports used by people to assist people with disabilities are true and are great steps and I hope with all my heart that advocacy and accessibility for people with disabilities continues. It's a worthwhile endevor. And many people with disabilities support other people as well. They are on the giving end, too.
