1. What is your opinion on the cochlear implant, and should babies be implanted?
When it comes to babies and very young children, I'd rather they have hearing aids on first. I can understand why parents implant their children, to get the language development going as soon as possible. But if it were my child, I would want for that child to make the decision on whether or not he/she wants a CI. It's a very personal decision.
2. Should the police force learn sign language so that they can communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing?
It would be nice if they did.
3. What was your schooling experience like?
I went to a deaf school for K-6. I wasn't at the deaf school the entire day though, I took a few classes at the adjoining public school (once students finished 6th grade, they were to either go out of state to another deaf school, or be mainstreamed into a public school with services such as interpreters, etc.) to get the experience of being mainstreamed. If it wasn't for this deaf school, I wouldn't be who I am today. They have made a huge difference for me, educating me. It was at the deaf school that I really started to speak again with my voice, and I continued to learn sign language, how to take care of my hearing aids and FM systems, etc. Not only that, but I learned how to be an advocate for myself. It was 9th grade when I experienced traditional education, and that was a bad, BAD year for me. Since then, I'm still trying to get my self advocacy back and trying to get back to who I used to be before 9th grade.
4. Were you brought up involved in the deaf community or in the hearing community, what was your experience like?
Throughout my public school years, I was exposed to the deaf community. Here in Wyoming, there's what is called WYHI Contact, WYHI stands for WYoming Hearing Impaired. It's held twice a year during the school year, and deaf and hard of hearing students (and adults and families) from all over Wyoming come together to interact, socialize and have fun. Since there is no longer a deaf school in Wyoming, deaf students are put into public schools in their hometowns, and usually they're the only deaf/HOH student in that entire school, or even community, so it's hard to be exposed to the deaf community while living in Wyoming. I praise the Department of Education for planning the WYHI's for the students, but even that alone is still not enough.
But for myself, after I finished at the local deaf school, it was mostly the hearing community I was exposed to, although from time to time I would have the chance to be exposed to the deaf community for whatever reason.