Winston Churchill said that a nation to trying to "tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." The same analogy can be used to describe the pitfall of the tendency of some Deaf people (whether they realize what they are doing or not) who continually want to bend over backwards and accept being viewed from the pathological perspective. The Deaf community cannot "pathologize its way to prosperity" any more than a person can, as Churchill used the analogy, stand in a bucket and try to "lift himself up by the handle."
Photo by John Diehl and Aidan Mack
• MYTH #1. Deaf community members are very angry people who are out there to push other groups out of the Deaf community.
The existence of disagreement about concepts and methods of communication do not automatically imply that people who disagree are angry or imply that the people who disagree want to reject others and not accept them into the Deaf community. Some Deaf people may engage in manipulative discourse in order to increase the financial fortunes of agencies that subscribe to that particular policy preference. Some Deaf people who engage in manipulative discourse may seek access to a greater status in their agency. The manipulators try to engineer and put the decision context in a false frame, in order to potentially influence Deaf community members' decisional output regarding pediatric implants--people who have no ability or decision-making authority in the lives of the children who are being implanted and physically burdened with the risks involved. Adult receiving implants are not the people that we are concerned about.
• MYTH #2. People who oppose the concept of CIs do not research the issue or interview and gather information from cochlear implant users and other resources.
Some Deaf people accuse other Deaf people of not doing enough research or information gathering on the topic of CIs. This is another way in which the manipulators are trying to get other Deaf people to shut up. Any person (or group) who disagrees with the concept of CIs is viewed as always being wrong, or having a lack of information. But that is absolutely not true. As my first-hand experience shows, I researched the hell out of the topic; I interviewed parents of CI users, also ASL CI-users themselves, and non-ASL CI-users, and I also interviewed doctors and teachers. I work on documentary films that require a lot of research and evidence to back things up, and I've gathered a wealth of information about CIs. Please stop accusing this group of having a lack of research and information.
Most Deaf people have many friends that use CIs and those people who wear a CI do not find their friends to be threatening due to their opposition to the concept of CIs. I will have a facial plastic surgery some time coming up this summer. My friends with CIs are arguing with me about getting plastic surgery. I told them it's fine because I am not a child whose parents are making a decision about how my face should be designed. They laughed. :o)
Almost every time certain people defend cochlear implants they find they must say bad thing about the Deaf community members. They would paint the Deaf community as being crazy or mentally ill. I challenge these people to defend cochlear implants without labeling the people in the Deaf community as being angry, crazy militants, extremists, etc. It's a transparent technique of propaganda which has now worn thin.
From time to time, I have seen people applauding someone for speaking out about supporting CIs and praising their approach. They only praise someone who agrees with them. If someone else opposes the idea and presents a lot of credible evidence, they will not be praised by them but will be labeled as being a "militant," an "extremist," or "angry member of the Deaf community," etc.
• MYTH #10. The more we accept CI technology, the more ASL will become stronger.
The existence of disagreement about concepts and methods of communication do not automatically imply that people who disagree are angry or imply that the people who disagree want to reject others and not accept them into the Deaf community. Some Deaf people may engage in manipulative discourse in order to increase the financial fortunes of agencies that subscribe to that particular policy preference. Some Deaf people who engage in manipulative discourse may seek access to a greater status in their agency. The manipulators try to engineer and put the decision context in a false frame, in order to potentially influence Deaf community members' decisional output regarding pediatric implants--people who have no ability or decision-making authority in the lives of the children who are being implanted and physically burdened with the risks involved. Adult receiving implants are not the people that we are concerned about.
Photo by Aidan Mack
Some Deaf people accuse other Deaf people of not doing enough research or information gathering on the topic of CIs. This is another way in which the manipulators are trying to get other Deaf people to shut up. Any person (or group) who disagrees with the concept of CIs is viewed as always being wrong, or having a lack of information. But that is absolutely not true. As my first-hand experience shows, I researched the hell out of the topic; I interviewed parents of CI users, also ASL CI-users themselves, and non-ASL CI-users, and I also interviewed doctors and teachers. I work on documentary films that require a lot of research and evidence to back things up, and I've gathered a wealth of information about CIs. Please stop accusing this group of having a lack of research and information.
Photo By Aidan Mack
• MYTH #3. People who oppose the concept of CIs do not have friends who use CIs.
Most Deaf people have many friends that use CIs and those people who wear a CI do not find their friends to be threatening due to their opposition to the concept of CIs. I will have a facial plastic surgery some time coming up this summer. My friends with CIs are arguing with me about getting plastic surgery. I told them it's fine because I am not a child whose parents are making a decision about how my face should be designed. They laughed. :o)
Photo by Aidan Mack
• MYTH #4. Many CI ASL users are terrified of the Deaf community.
This part is a laughable. I am not laughing at this person's comment, but I am sure that many CI ASL-users feel insulted that this person views CI ASL-users as being weak and pathetic people who need help from someone is heroic enough from within Deaf culture to speak up for them. That is absurd. What's more, every time I go to a party, or an event, I meet people with CIs wanting to challenge me because they watch my vlogs. They are excited to see me and are ready to debate me. We always have a great debate, even though it can become heated. But in the end, we shake hands. We still view people with CIs as being human beings, even though we do not need to agree the concept of CIs. They are assertive people, so what on earth is this person talking about? Maybe this person is over-generalizing one CI person's experience to all CI ASL users. That's a bad call.
Photo by Aidan Mack
• MYTH #5. Parents are very scared of the Deaf community and choose CIs for their child immediately because of angry members in the Deaf community.
I met many parents of CI users and they are not scared of the Deaf community. They did not choose CIs immediately out of a belief that there are angry members in the Deaf community. That is a guilt trip that some manipulators are trying to put onto the Deaf community. Many parents of children with CIs never met culturally Deaf people or Deaf professionals. They meet people from the medical establishment who never mention to them anything about the Deaf community or ASL. It is sad that some people are trying to blame members of the Deaf community for parents' decisions in choosing CI over ASL. That is the poor judgment that they made--definitely very poor judgment. The Deaf community is a beautiful place to be in. The Deaf community is very tolerant of diverse groups within the community compared to other communities.
Photo by Aidan Mack
• MYTH #6. The only attitude of the Deaf community is a stubborn desire to remain IGNORANT
It is so sad that some Deaf people would accuse other Deaf people of being IGNORANT and leave out the information about AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE, and RESISTANCE. That is an awful thing to do and it will cause some division in the Deaf community. Here below are translations/definitions in my own words which I added based on my research and information gathering involving doctors, psychologists, CI users, parents, and also taking classes.
Ignorance: Some ignorant members would react to cochlear implants without relying on background research or information. They just decide they reject the idea of cochlear implants without giving evidence to back up their opinions. Maybe they have the right feelings, but they do not have a way to prove it if they don't use research, information, and testimonials of CI users or parents of CI users.
Awareness: SOME people are fully aware of CI issues and the present status of cochlear implant technology. They ask questions and pose challenges.
Acceptance: SOME people accept cochlear implants as being part of method that attempts to "cure" hearing loss without questioning or posing challenges to the assumptions involved. Some people in the "acceptance" category would encourage children with CIs to learn American Sign Language.
Resistance: SOME people feel that their values and beliefs are being violated. SOME people see pediatric implants as being a human rights violation, i.e., using pediatric implants where none of the Deaf infants and Deaf children involved have a way to be involved the decision-making process. Some people who are resistant to the concept of CI's feel that the concept of the cochlear implant itself conveys the message that Deaf people cannot function in both worlds and considers their lives to be tragic. People in this category are also concerned about the risks associated with the pediatric implant.
Photo by Aidan Mack
• MYTH #7. Deaf community members hate Deaf children with CIs, look down on them, and have bad attitudes toward them.
I am surprised that there are smart Deaf people who still do not get this and accuse people who oppose the idea of CIs of having a bad attitude toward Deaf children and adults with CIs. Yes, a few Deaf people have a hard time dealing the idea that their colleagues, friends, or family members decided to get CIs. That is normal process of grief and there's nothing wrong with that. It is same as what happens in the Jewish community where they strongly believe in marriage within the community due to wanting to embrace their heritage. Parents and family members do grieve when they find out that their child plans to marry outside the community. They will go through 5 stages of grief in order to arrive at a level of emotional acceptance. That is completely normal. It represents very poor judgment on the part of Deaf manipulators who attempt to portray people who are against the idea of CI as being people who would do anything to make Deaf children with CIs suffer for using cochlear implants--people who would supposedly neglect them, and have a bad attitudes toward them. There are many professionals out there who do not agree with the idea of cochlear implants, but love the children whether they wear cochlear implants or NOT. The CI kids will absolutely get same level of access with the professionals.
Photo by Aidan Mack
• MYTH #8. Members of the Deaf community must be made out to be "the bad guy" in order to present a defense of the concept of cochlear implants
Almost every time certain people defend cochlear implants they find they must say bad thing about the Deaf community members. They would paint the Deaf community as being crazy or mentally ill. I challenge these people to defend cochlear implants without labeling the people in the Deaf community as being angry, crazy militants, extremists, etc. It's a transparent technique of propaganda which has now worn thin.
Photo by Aidan Mack
• MYTH #9. "What brave people they are" if they speak up and support the concept of CIs against the (supposed) prevailing taboo that forbids doing that.
From time to time, I have seen people applauding someone for speaking out about supporting CIs and praising their approach. They only praise someone who agrees with them. If someone else opposes the idea and presents a lot of credible evidence, they will not be praised by them but will be labeled as being a "militant," an "extremist," or "angry member of the Deaf community," etc.
Photo by Aidan Mack
Some people are feeling a sense of desperation due to their belief that future survival of the Deaf community is at risk and they do not realize it is too early to make a judgment to see if CI technology is really working from babyhood to adulthood. CIs are still in primitive stage to be able to judge. In spite of this, there are people who panic and think that the only way to for the Deaf community to survive is just accept the idea of CIs on a wholesale basis and shut up others who oppose the idea of CIs. They think this is the only way that parents of CI users will allow their Deaf children to have access to American Sign Language. But the truth is, the more we remain silent about the hazards of CIs and also the hazards of NON CI-users being denied access to ASL, and the more we remain silent about the medical establishment's false perspective on Deaf people, then the more ASL will diminish in importance and the more all Deaf children will have a hard time getting access to and being exposed to ASL.
If we continue to consciously or subconsciously accept being treated as disabled people who will always need to be continually "fixed," then we are giving up our political power to the medical establishment which is so focused on "fixing," "curing," and "eliminating deafness" and that means we would be allowing them to win the intellectual and political battle by default. They do not see the dignity in Deaf people or see any of the elements of Deaf culture and the worth of natural signed languages such as ASL.
The world needs to know that it is OK to grow up where two different languages, ASL and English, are used in the same family. Families can have a greater awareness of cultural and language issues and can take a more educated approach.
Being Deaf is not life threatening. It's part of nature. Obviously, the field of medicine and getting some medical advice from doctors has a valid role in life, but we should not want to become "medicalized beings." Deaf people and hearing people are all humans first, i.e., cultural beings, who use the methods of the field of medicine and also any related technology in its proper place and put it in its proper perspective.
Photo by Aidan Mack
The world needs to know that it is OK to grow up where two different languages, ASL and English, are used in the same family. Families can have a greater awareness of cultural and language issues and can take a more educated approach.
Being Deaf is not life threatening. It's part of nature. Obviously, the field of medicine and getting some medical advice from doctors has a valid role in life, but we should not want to become "medicalized beings." Deaf people and hearing people are all humans first, i.e., cultural beings, who use the methods of the field of medicine and also any related technology in its proper place and put it in its proper perspective.
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8 comments:
Beautifully said, Aidan!
What's more, every time we try to discuss principles and what to be Deaf-centered means WITHOUT pointing fingers at anyone or at any group, whups, people take it so incredibly PERSONALLY.
The CI debate is just another example of how when we question the need for implants, people accuse us of rejecting CI people, calling us extremists or militants. The two concepts (need for implantation and rejection of people with CI) are NOT the same thing.
Thanks, Aidan, for a fabulous myth-debunking entry!
-Jenny
Hi Aidan
I really like how you structured your v/blog by singling out some myths that have been flying through the vlogosphere this week. One of the most dangerous ways of talking is to say "all" or "always"...as in "all Deaf people..." or "Deaf people always..." Signs and words are powerful - and we need to be careful in how we choose and express them, otherwise things get misinterpreted and people will be offended.
There are people - on any side of the CI issue, or any issue, for that matter (think Democrats/Republicans, pro-choice/pro-life, etc.) - who express their views in angry, hateful, or insulting ways. Those people, however, do not define everyone in their community, as you pointed out. Spending time focusing on the 10% (or whatever number) of nasty people distracts us from the real issues (i.e., how to preserve ASL, discrimination, etc.).
I think Jenny said it right - not supporting or endorsing CIs does NOT mean rejecting people who have CIs. Big difference there!
Here's to a healthy debate, minus the myths.
Candace A. McCullough
What's your take on why some CI users take their outer device off when they enter a deaf event?
Aidan,
Moi aussi. I think that your Myth #5 stems from audiologists and speech therapists who are mouthpieces of hearing parents who, in turn, become terrified of Deaf people and become overprotective of their children. I got on extremely well with my three roommates in Clerc Hall. Two were oralists and one was deafened at 21 of age. That was "Pre-Cochlear Implant Era".
Hello,
This vlog is timely. Aidan, I appreciate your hands-on research and sentiments in sharing this information with us As "Aidan's Musings...." you've done well! Thank you for touching a touchy subject and that's gutsy of you! You have certain outspoken qualities and its to be admired.
You hit a chord on the myth that disagreements in the Deaf community isn't allowed as it rubs off the wrong way; hence, defying the 'tribal' thinking pattern. Some people are not this and others will just be the one of the followers and flock to the 'right thinkner' thinking they will get some kind of reward: attention; popularity, membership/invitations or money, etc.
Your 2nd myth: Deafies are not used to a particular group of people or CIs in this case and seem to jump into conculsions by reacting to their own myths based on their internal belief system and backgrounds as self-righteous. Who are we to judge whether a person wants to hear with a CI or not? Where is due respect?
Naturally, we can debate the bio-ethics of impounding a CI on an infant or child as minors with discernable rights of their own. Have we analyzed these premises laced the risks involved vs the benefits? We can certainly publish or promote our thinking, social experiments and research from methods that are comfortable, ie the empirical approach. Why not?
The more facts shared by all, the more balanced the tribal and opponent thinking becomes, more respect is gained even if the beliefs are vastly different.
As for adults, they are able to make their owm decisions based on a lifetime of life experiences plus possessing keen self-discernment ability (hopefully!) to hear or not to hear when the trusty hearing aid is no longer a viable option.
Anyway, thank you for supporting CI issue by being involved, speaking up and with your filming efforts. Good thing you clarified that not all deafies are angry and against CIs. Sometimes I think being '10 years behind on these issues' really hurt us in a sense of money monopolies have been created and nothing went to American Sign Language. And because the CI industry makes big money, it is not our fault. Or is it? Of course, such professionals don't recognize the importance of ASL's linguistic and cultural values especially in the early stages of life. These choices are a very personal one and how to win parents' trust on the issue is the biggest challenge to face.
Aidan, I see you are cooperative and protective of Deaf community values. Let's hope the TWAIN SHALL MEET. A touchy, tough one. Let's focus on marketing ASL (bi-bi) following Amy Cohen Efron, Barb DiGi and the other gal on vlogs that is a fanastic baby-ASL-English(bi-bi) language teacher and role model for early intervention and parents lead! I'm sorry that gem's name escapes me right now.
Do not resist the changes, instead flow with them! For what matters are the next 7 generations and their abilities to cope with diverse living conditions, people and populations on this planet. Are we doing a good job preparing our youth by supporting their parents and how?
Suzy
Hi Suzy,
I do not appreciate you trying to distort my message. Please read my message very carefully. This is your way of trying to shut me up and portray me as not knowing what I am doing. I DO KNOW what I'm doing. Why don't you come with me and meet these children whose health has been ruined by cochlear implants? I want you to look them in the eye and say: "I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU" when you, Suzy, try to tell us or imply that cochlear implants can be used without posing psychological and physical risks.
Thank you,
Aidan
As always, Aidan, I thank you for doing this important vlog speaking up for Deaf people who are easily portrayed as bad or ignorant people. We do not need that. We need a space we can feel free to be Deaf, to create possibilities that being Deaf can provide to ourselves and to the world, and not to be interrupted by audist products, thinking, practice.
right on, Aidan! amazing comments! I would like to share them with others. i feel that you really clarify many people's misconceptions of Deaf. Even more, you made me feel better as a person!! many thanks, Aidan!
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