Deaf Prespective, Re: Sweet Nothings In My Ear

[Guest guest]

Well, I thought I will add my 2 cents here. hopefully provide a Deaf

prespective (the capital D for those who don't know means culturally deaf)

My wife and I who are both Deaf thought it was a well done movie. we

liked that it didn't just focus on the CI issue but that it was a

story of cross cultural relationships and the challanges faced when 2

people from such different backgrounds come togather. We also agree

with several comments about them not asking the child himself if he

wanted to get a CI. but liked how they left open the question of

whether or not he eventually got a CI... I think the reasoning for

this is if they asked him it would have removed a lot of the conflict

that was the focus of the movie! remember the first goal of this

movie is to entertain....

It did show that there are obvious generational differences between

views of older and younger Deaf persons. it touched on the issues of

opression and discrimination and abuse of Deaf persons through

history, but if you were not already aware of the issues and history

it would have easily been missed by the viewer.

What is at issue in the Deaf community is not the CI itself, but the

way it has been promoted by the hearing community and professionals.

the biggest issue is saying that implantees should not learn ASL and

should go to a mainstream school program without an interpreter!

second is that the benefits and success of a CI are overstated and

glorified and the failures and less successful outcomes are

surpressed. as far as Cochlear Corp. is concerned they support

learning ASL for every child that gets a CI and never suggested that

one should not use or learn ASL as a CI reciepient... it is the SLP,s

Audiologists and MD's that are providing the misinformation. That is

also what the Deaf community is fighting to prevent. (spread of

misinformation) Also we want there to be fair and equal

representation of both sides of the issue Deaf and Hearing... as of

yet, that has not happened in a Hearing world and in the medical

community that is dominated by Hearing professionals that have no idea

or understanding of the Deaf culture, ASL or the Deaf prespective.

I don't personally know any Deaf parents with Deaf children that have

CI's. I do know quite a few students with CI's that attend the State

School for the Deaf where my wife teaches. I do know several other

Deaf adults with CI's however. So one major point I have to make is

that if CI's worked as well as so many professionals like to boast

then why are there CI recipients attending Schools for the Deaf or in

mainstream programs with ASL interpreters!!?? South Dakota School

for the Deaf I believe it is, Has an entire floor for teaching Deaf

students with CI's