This take the cake! This guy Trevor Johnston of Sydney, Australia is a CODA and has many deaf relatives. He also supports screening out deaf genetics so no more deaf babies will be born. This link In One's Own Image: Ethics and the Reproduction of Deafness -- Johnston 10 (4): 426 -- The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education really makes my blood boiling. He said that one should be proactive in "social policies regarding disabilities to ensure that the society as whole will continue to value its deaf members despite the probable increased use of genetic screening and reproductive technology and in the decrease in the numbers of deaf people, especially those born deaf or who became deaf in early childhood." To me, the act of screening out the deaf genetics or deaf embryo is an act of devaluation. Period! I seriously doubt they will be proactive in social policies regarding deaf people. Do you think that the tv/movie people will continuing caption the shows for just few deaf people ??? No, I bet they will push the goverment to let them drop the caption altogther. Would they want deaf people in white collar jobs?? No, I'd bet they would push them to menial jobs or close to it. If there are so few of deaf people, would the hearing people learn sign language, no - they probably would freak out at the sight of a deaf person.
Suppose an elderly person became deaf and can't afford CI or HA, what this person is to do?? Maybe there is no HA because there are so few deaf people that the HA people abandon their HA shop. That is why I see a bigger deaf community will ensures that the deaf people are treated fairly. ASL needs to stay alive to help out the future late-deafened people/elderly people. There will always be deaf people and the HA/CI might not be always afforable. You know the insurance companies.
If his deaf parents are dead, they are spinning in their graves. If they are alive and knew of this, I won't be surprised if they disowned him.
Read his paper first (and his bio - biography) then email him if you like at: trevor.johnston@ling.mq.edu.au No flaming please.
I wonder if his interest in Marxism causes him to think this way. I don't really know how Marxism viewed disability.
Suppose an elderly person became deaf and can't afford CI or HA, what this person is to do?? Maybe there is no HA because there are so few deaf people that the HA people abandon their HA shop. That is why I see a bigger deaf community will ensures that the deaf people are treated fairly. ASL needs to stay alive to help out the future late-deafened people/elderly people. There will always be deaf people and the HA/CI might not be always afforable. You know the insurance companies.
If his deaf parents are dead, they are spinning in their graves. If they are alive and knew of this, I won't be surprised if they disowned him.
Read his paper first (and his bio - biography) then email him if you like at: trevor.johnston@ling.mq.edu.au No flaming please.
I wonder if his interest in Marxism causes him to think this way. I don't really know how Marxism viewed disability.
It was just a suggestion.