Advances in Technology and a Return to Medicalization

This doesn't really have anything to do with the topic, but it is medical view vs. another medical view causes of deafness instead of acceptance.

I have a huge issue with my grandma and my mom about what they think caused our hearing loss. They blame it on ear infections (medical view) instead of genetic (another medical view). Why? probably because deep inside they wanted think we were hearing and they could have prevent it. Or maybe they don't want to think they are deaf gene carrier. And all I want from them is to acceptance and be proud to have deaf family instead of medical view of deafness (which is usually negative because they are comparing us to the hearing society)
 
A said:
This doesn't really have anything to do with the topic, but it is medical view vs. another medical view instead of acceptance.

I have a huge issue with my grandma and my mom about what they think caused our hearing loss. They blame it on ear infections (medical view) instead of genetic (another medical view). Why? probably because deep inside they wanted think we were hearing and they could have prevent it. Or maybe they don't want to think they are deaf gene carrier. And all I want from them is to acceptance and be proud to have deaf family instead of medical view of deafness (which is usually negative)
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Agreed. Medical view is all about negativity. The focus is on something being wrong. I see your point...only they could tell you what the reason is. But I would guess that it is probably that they don't want to feel guilt over having been the gene carrier. Acceptance is hard to come by sometimes. But I would be proud to have you as a member of my family. You are intelligent, well written, and have a lot to contribute.
 
Yes, I have seen an increase in the medical view of deafness especially since the ADA lowered the age for implantation.
 
shel90 said:
Yes, I have seen an increase in the medical view of deafness especially since the ADA lowered the age for implantation.
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I was looking forward to your input. Being in your profession, you are in the position of seeing that shift from a first hand perspective. Not only with your students, but in the way that deaf professionals are viewed.
 
jillio said:
I was looking forward to your input. Being in your profession, you are in the position of seeing that shift from a first hand perspective. Not only with your students, but in the way that deaf professionals are viewed.
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Yes especially since that us deaf people are being assigned according to our ability to speak or not. Some of my deaf friends didnt get hired for teaching jobs working with deaf because they didnt have any speech skills.

Also, WeaBeastie's thread about being told by that mother not to use sign language in front of her deaf son due to needing to work on his speech skills. That is a very strong medicalized viewpoint of deafness.
 
shel90 said:
Yes especially since that us deaf people are being assigned according to our ability to speak or not. Some of my deaf friends didnt get hired for teaching jobs working with deaf because they didnt have any speech skills.

Also, WeaBeastie's thread about being told by that mother not to use sign language in front of her deaf son due to needing to work on his speech skills. That is a very strong medicalized viewpoint of deafness.
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I am seeing the same thing. The shift backwards is having all kinds of negative effects on job opportunities, educational opportunities, and the social reaction to deaf individuals. That medicalized view tends to make the hearing world, in particular, think "Why don't you go get that problem taken care of with medical advances (CI)? Then you wouldn't have these issues." To me, that is one giant step backward to blaming the deaf for their deafness, and seeing deafness as pathology rather than part of who a person is.
 
jillio said:
I am seeing the same thing. The shift backwards is having all kinds of negative effects on job opportunities, educational opportunities, and the social reaction to deaf individuals. That medicalized view tends to make the hearing world, in particular, think "Why don't you go get that problem taken care of with medical advances (CI)? Then you wouldn't have these issues." To me, that is one giant step backward to blaming the deaf for their deafness, and seeing deafness as pathology rather than part of who a person is.
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Yea, it was like a big slap in my face a few years ago when one of my husband's coworker told me that all deaf people should improve themselves when I told her that I wasnt interested in gettting a CI.

No, I dont hate CIs..I hate the views that come with them.
 
shel90 said:
Yea, it was like a big slap in my face a few years ago when one of my husband's coworker told me that all deaf people should improve themselves when I told her that I wasnt interested in gettting a CI.

No, I dont hate CIs..I hate the views that come with them.
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Exactly. I feel the same way. I really don't understand why each technological advance creates this shift back to the medical perspective. Like I said earlier, around the time of DPN, we started to see a strong impact on attitudes. That event went a long way toward making people think about deafness and what it meant to the individual. That contributed a lot to the empowerment we started to see for the deaf community. But then, along comes a technological advance, and boom! People seem to forget so easily.

And it isn't just the CI. We saw the same thing with digital aids. A renewal of hope that medical advances would make the deaf more hearing. And now, with the stem cell controversy, I only see it getting worse.
 
my FIL just told someone who is deaf about CI recently because of me (he was working on a house). But he didn't mind because he is oral deaf (who also know sign language) who lost his hearing when he was in kindergarten due to illness. He told me that he try to stay away from deaf social group and prefer hearing people but it is understandable because the group he was hanging out didn't know how to mind their own business.
 
jillio said:
Exactly. I feel the same way. I really don't understand why each technological advance creates this shift back to the medical perspective. Like I said earlier, around the time of DPN, we started to see a strong impact on attitudes. That event went a long way toward making people think about deafness and what it meant to the individual. That contributed a lot to the empowerment we started to see for the deaf community. But then, along comes a technological advance, and boom! People seem to forget so easily.

And it isn't just the CI. We saw the same thing with digital aids. A renewal of hope that medical advances would make the deaf more hearing. And now, with the stem cell controversy, I only see it getting worse.
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Oh gosh, stem cells..oh boy.
 
shel90 said:
Yea, it was like a big slap in my face a few years ago when one of my husband's coworker told me that all deaf people should improve themselves when I told her that I wasnt interested in gettting a CI.

No, I dont hate CIs..I hate the views that come with them.
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but that is a completely uneducated person. They know nothing about deafness and the issues that go with it. I don't think those kinds of sentiments are being said by people involved in any aspects of deafness and deaf education.
 
A said:
my FIL just told someone who is deaf about CI recently because of me (he was working on a house). But he didn't mind because he is oral deaf (who also know sign language) who lost his hearing when he was in kindergarten due to illness. He told me that he try to stay away from deaf social group and prefer hearing people but it is understandable because the group he was hanging out didn't know how to mind their own business.
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The impact is sooo widespread. I wish more people could see how that shift has such a negative effect for the deaf in so many different areas.
 
faire_jour said:
but that is a completely uneducated person. They know nothing about deafness and the issues that go with it. I don't think those kinds of sentiments are being said by people involved in any aspects of deafness and deaf education.
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Doesnt matter if the person is educated or uneducated...there is no excuse. With the shift towards the medical view, the view on deafness by general society seems to be getting worse.
 
shel90 said:
Doesnt matter if the person is educated or uneducated...there is no excuse. With the shift towards the medical view, the view on deafness by general society seems to be getting worse.
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Yep. That's the whole point. The way society shifts with the shift in perspective. And when society shifts, the treatment of the deaf shifts...either for the better or the worse.
 
shel90 said:
Doesnt matter if the person is educated or uneducated...there is no excuse. With the shift towards the medical view, the view on deafness by general society seems to be getting worse.
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exactly. These uneducated people are usually in a business for themselves.. and does alot of hiring. it is not good when they have this view. (my ci sure does come in handy to spy on these hearing people LOL)
 
A said:
exactly. These uneducated people are usually in a business for themselves.. and does alot of hiring. it is not good when they have this view.
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There you go. A direct and negative effect on job opportunity for the deaf.
 
jillio said:
Yep. That's the whole point. The way society shifts with the shift in perspective. And when society shifts, the treatment of the deaf shifts...either for the better or the worse.
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Back in the mid 90s, when ASL was getting accepted as a foreign language in the universitites and high schools, it seemed like it was accepted that ASL is the language that can bridge deaf and hearing people together.

Now, it seems like ASL is going back to being as a supplementary to spoken English.

I see ASL and English as equals and should be respected equally.
 
shel90 said:
Back in the mid 90s, when ASL was getting accepted as a foreign language in the universitites and high schools, it seemed like it was accepted that ASL is the language that can bridge deaf and hearing people together.

Now, it seems like ASL is going back to being as a supplementary to spoken English.

I see ASL and English as equals and should be respected equally.
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Good point. That was another big step forward toward empowerment: the recognition of ASL as a foreign language and being given credit for the study of it. But it's true: now it is being seen as useful, but secondary to spoken language. Just like in the 60's when TC came along, and all the MCEs became popular.
 
jillio said:
Agreed. Medical view is all about negativity. The focus is on something being wrong. I see your point...only they could tell you what the reason is. But I would guess that it is probably that they don't want to feel guilt over having been the gene carrier. Acceptance is hard to come by sometimes. But I would be proud to have you as a member of my family. You are intelligent, well written, and have a lot to contribute.
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Thanks same to you too.
 
Reading through this thread made me think about the way my family treated my hearing as a kid. When I lost my hearing my mother had no idea what to do, and being a single 20 year old she believed what the doctors said. They viewed my hearing loss as a medical problem caused by meningitis. While yes that is what caused it, medically it can not be fixed. CI was never mentioned but I was fitted for a hearing aid and sent to speech therapy. I was also sent to a psychologist to learn how to cope with hearing loss. I was raised believing that there was something medically wrong with me because of these things. I never got the chance to meet any other deaf kids or learn ASL. As a result of all these things I grew up isolated from the world and to be honest never happy.

With CIs being so popular I do see the approach that I went through coming back. I have no problem with CIs being used but they should not be relied upon as a cure for deafness.

In one of jillios post she mentions jobs not giving proper accommodations. I know this one very well. My speech is almost perfect for the hearing world because I went through so many years of speech therapy. Because of that employers treat me as I am over exaggerating my hearing loss. And they will not give me the help that I need.

My mom had the best intentions and I don't blame her for anything, but all the things that were done actually made life a little harder. Had she taken the holistic approach I don't think I would be in the situation I am in now.
 
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