Future Shock

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Cousin Vinny

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Hello.

Just throwing this out. I believe that if the Deaf Community recognize this the sooner, the better prepared they will be able to cope with the ramfications that may appear in the future. I would like to hear from you, what you think may happen, etc. I have my answers, but I think discretion is better for me now, as I don't want to influence the discussion in its early stages.

Will there be a Deaf Community in the future? What does your crystal ball say?

If the Deaf Community will disappear altogether, when will that happen? 30 years from now? 60 years? Never?

What lessons can be learned from this 'disappearing act'?
 
Will there be a Deaf Community in the future? What does your crystal ball say?
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Yes, there will be a deaf community...It won't be the same as the "extreme radical" Deafer then thouers, but on the upside it may be more accepting of hoh folks who want to ID as Deaf.
If the Deaf Community will disappear altogether, when will that happen? 30 years from now? 60 years? Never?
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It's not gonna happen....Medical companies have too much at stake for them to give up such a source of easy profit....Bet you anything the Deaf commuity is STILL going to be around long after we're dead and gone.
 
It will never disappear. We may have a huge increase in the use of CIs, but that's not going to stop deaf culture. Remember World War II when there were Nazis? Even though we won, there are still people who believe in the Nazis. Remember the Women's Movement? We still have women out there fighting for rights. Remember the segregation issue? We still have minorities fighting over discrimination. It won't end.
 
Before reading this, know I'm hearing, and this is just an outsider's view:

I don't think its possible. True with the growing popularity of CI's there is likely to be a decline, but I don't think there is a direct correlation. I think it will always exists in one form or another, whether through changes in customs, or changes in languages, etc.
 
Im hearing, but believe that as long as their are deaf people being born, there will be a Deaf community....
 
I agree there will always be a deaf community. It may be smaller than it currently exists today due to advances in technology. But I still think even with technology unless it cures "deafness" which hasn't happen yet, people will still identify themselves as deaf in one way or another.
 
True with the growing popularity of CI's there is likely to be a decline, It may be smaller than it currently exists today due to advances in technology.
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Boy some people are REALLY buying into the CI hype.....Hearing aids didn't shrink or kill the deaf community....why should CIs do that?
 
The deaf communities are evolving into a new society that is much more interfaceable with the rest of the society.

Marvin Miller is trying to create a deaf alamo in South Dakota in his attempt to counter the diaspora of the hardline ASL extremist deaf militants.

Richard
 
deafdyke said:
Boy some people are REALLY buying into the CI hype.....Hearing aids didn't shrink or kill the deaf community....why should CIs do that?
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I'm not buying into the hype. I know quite well having a CI doesn't cure deafness but it does shift one's perspective on what it is to be considered deaf from an existential standpoint. Heck thinking about it, this is true if you consider HAs as well. The sky didn't fall with HAs and it won't with CIs (as it stands now) but there has been a shift that changed the community for better or worst. That depends on one's viewpoint.

What are you going to do if they do come up with a cure for deafness in general? We can't see it now but for example just look at CIs themselves. Compared to now and 30+ years ago there is a world of difference and it getting better all the time. They are talking about totally implantable CIs and who knows where this is going... So, for now I'll stick with my original statement. If they do have a cure for deafness in general particularily related to cochlear hair damage and other more straight forward conditions, then I would say "all bets are off!" when it comes to a clear prediction.

Nesmuth said:
The deaf communities are evolving into a new society that is much more interfaceable with the rest of the society.
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That is a good statement as any I have seen so far...and it dovetails well with what I was trying to get at...
 
Future... will not going die for "Deaf Community" which strong history background idenfitying simlair alike CI's.
 
As long as there's at least one stubborn deafie that refuses to integrate into hearing society, there will always be a Deaf community. Those people are magnets which inevitably attract all people who are not completely brainwashed by hearies into thinking deafness is pathological.

I think in the future, barring some kind of catastrophe, the Deaf community will actually be larger than it is now, as more dhh people become part of the community in this fashion. Deaf is growing right now, just very slowly. I think in 20 - 30 years it will be noticably larger.
 
Someday it will disappear but not within 30 or 60 years but hundreds years from now. That is if they find a way to cure deafness. CI is not it.
 
Thank you for your responses. Here's some more 'fodder' for discussion;

Most Cultures and Civilizations do not last forever--Witness the;
* Roman Empire
* Incan, Aztecan and Mayan civilizations
* Certain Native American tribes
* Mesopotamian, Babylonian and Sumerian civilizations

The march of human progress throughout the centuries does not stop at empheral concepts like 'culture', but also within the human body. Here's a sampling of bodily conditions, diseases and afflictions that are fast approaching extinction;
* Rubella
* Polio
* Leprosy
* Measles

Someone mentioned the CI implants-- Consider this;
* Moore's Law (Think Intel and computers, but applied to CI technology.)

Again, just food for thought. Would that influence your thinking about how the Deaf Community can adapt in a ever-changing world and the relentless onslaught of human progress?
 
Teresh said:
As long as there's at least one stubborn deafie that refuses to integrate into hearing society, there will always be a Deaf community. Those people are magnets which inevitably attract all people who are not completely brainwashed by hearies into thinking deafness is pathological.

I think in the future, barring some kind of catastrophe, the Deaf community will actually be larger than it is now, as more dhh people become part of the community in this fashion. Deaf is growing right now, just very slowly. I think in 20 - 30 years it will be noticably larger.
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Well, all I see is 98% hearing people and I don't ignore them. In the future, deaf people will be integrated with hearing people.
 
jazzy said:
Someday it will disappear but not within 30 or 60 years but hundreds years from now. That is if they find a way to cure deafness. CI is not it.
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yeah, but that's the same for every disability. science and technology just keeps getting better and better. and I'm not talking CI I mean something better, something that you don't have to wear a wire on your head. you know?
 
Jay of the See what you say; say what you see blog has recently released a video series which he calls the 'vMediation' on the subject of possible extinction of Deaf people and ASL. Unfortunately, the video clips are not captioned, nor is a transcript provided. If you're feeling adventurous, check it out at:

Deafness goes extinct but (not) ASL
 
There's a paradox in that ASL is gaining more and more mainstream acceptance as a legitimate language, but at the same time, communication technology like email and IM are making it easier for deaf people to chat without the need for ASL. Some schools are doing away with special education altogether and are mainstreaming ALL students. And yet at the same time there's been a big growth in video relay interpreting due to the greater availability of personal webcams, as well as ASL vlogs.

It seems like there's a pull in both directions. But somehow I don't see the deaf community disappearing entirely.
 
I believe that the Deaf community will undergo changes, as it is currently undergoing changes. All cultures adapt to the changing social and tecnological environment, and the Deaf culture will do the same. It won't disappear, it will expand to include more indiividuals who have made different choices in the way they adapt to their deafness.
 
Deaf people who have CI's currently are participating in Deaf events (I've wittness their participation with my own eyes). I don't think a CI can illiminate one from wanting to reach out to a deaf population who can empathize. Unless the medical community can provide an absolute cure for deafness I don't see the community dissapearing.
 
mouse said:
Deaf people who have CI's currently are participating in Deaf events (I've wittness their participation with my own eyes). I don't think a CI can illiminate one from wanting to reach out to a deaf population who can empathize. Unless the medical community can provide an absolute cure for deafness I don't see the community dissapearing.
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Nodding agreement.
 
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