Cloggy
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In another thread, there was mentioning about bridging the gap between "deaf" and "hearing"....
I started off with a wish to get into Deaf culture and hold on to that while Lotte grows up. But there is also reality. Deaf culture has to be around in order to be part of it. Hearing parents cannot always just do that, since sign is foreign to them as well.
Still, I read Harlan Lane, learned sign, Lotte to a deaf school etc.
Choosing CI does not reduce the wish to engage with Deaf culture, and learn sign language.
What does reduce that wish is the attitude and ignorance at times from the Deaf. Calling parents names, saying that they don't love their child, that they don't accept their child.
I have been around in order to show a different side compared to the assumptions that are around. But is does not help most of the time.
The ignorance is still there. Also with people to whom I explained time and time again how CI works.
The insults are still there,
The assumption are still there.
THAT is what nowadays turns me off about Deaf culture.
And when the decsion is made for CI, no matter how much one would like to continue sign, it will become obvious that the child will lead the way. It will show when to use speech, when to use sign. The parents will notice what works and what does not.
So, bridging the gap has to come from both sides, and one of the main thngs in doing so, is accepting that hearing parents handle with the best interest for their child. They DO know what they are doing.
My focus on Lotte, who is doing great with Ci, is because of the huge focus on children that do not do well.
And that is not strange... in this (Deaf) culture, the focus is on how CI doesn't work, how children fail, how parents refuse to learn sign. And with that tunnelvision, it is only that what is seen.
Because think of it... how many parents will spend time on being abused, and misinterpreted. Not many, and since I have been here, I have seen quite some parents of which Deaf culture could have learned a lot go away.
And I have to say... I also have the feeling sometimes that there is nothing to say here. Actually, that's not the case. There's lots to say, but there is so much denial that there's no listning. There's so much focus on failure that no-one listens to succes.
But fortunately, there are people that do listen, think freely, look beyond their lack of hearing. And these people are happy for children that benefit from CI.
Because the focus sometimes seems to be on how Deaf culture should be perserved... not how deaf children can be helped.
And they can be helped in different ways. It can be by raising the child in a Deaf culture, with sign, whatever. It can be by raising the child with the ability to hear.. In the end, it's all about the child.
And THAT is what is often forgotten...
I started off with a wish to get into Deaf culture and hold on to that while Lotte grows up. But there is also reality. Deaf culture has to be around in order to be part of it. Hearing parents cannot always just do that, since sign is foreign to them as well.
Still, I read Harlan Lane, learned sign, Lotte to a deaf school etc.
Choosing CI does not reduce the wish to engage with Deaf culture, and learn sign language.
What does reduce that wish is the attitude and ignorance at times from the Deaf. Calling parents names, saying that they don't love their child, that they don't accept their child.
I have been around in order to show a different side compared to the assumptions that are around. But is does not help most of the time.
The ignorance is still there. Also with people to whom I explained time and time again how CI works.
The insults are still there,
The assumption are still there.
THAT is what nowadays turns me off about Deaf culture.
And when the decsion is made for CI, no matter how much one would like to continue sign, it will become obvious that the child will lead the way. It will show when to use speech, when to use sign. The parents will notice what works and what does not.
So, bridging the gap has to come from both sides, and one of the main thngs in doing so, is accepting that hearing parents handle with the best interest for their child. They DO know what they are doing.
My focus on Lotte, who is doing great with Ci, is because of the huge focus on children that do not do well.
And that is not strange... in this (Deaf) culture, the focus is on how CI doesn't work, how children fail, how parents refuse to learn sign. And with that tunnelvision, it is only that what is seen.
Because think of it... how many parents will spend time on being abused, and misinterpreted. Not many, and since I have been here, I have seen quite some parents of which Deaf culture could have learned a lot go away.
And I have to say... I also have the feeling sometimes that there is nothing to say here. Actually, that's not the case. There's lots to say, but there is so much denial that there's no listning. There's so much focus on failure that no-one listens to succes.
But fortunately, there are people that do listen, think freely, look beyond their lack of hearing. And these people are happy for children that benefit from CI.
Because the focus sometimes seems to be on how Deaf culture should be perserved... not how deaf children can be helped.
And they can be helped in different ways. It can be by raising the child in a Deaf culture, with sign, whatever. It can be by raising the child with the ability to hear.. In the end, it's all about the child.
And THAT is what is often forgotten...
