GREAT POST, Cheri! I've experienced more hostility from the hearies than from the Deaf. As a mom of a deaf son, I get plenty grief from the hearing world becasue I do support sign and Deaf culture. I fully understand and support the fact that my son, by his birthright and communication choice is a member of that culture, and rather than limit him to the hearing culture because his parents were both hearing, I chose to expose not only him, but myself to that culture as well. I was welcomed with open arms from the very first time I approached a deaf adult to ask what, from their experience, I needed to do for my deaf son. Because I have made the choice to allow my son to decide what his needs are and how they can best be met (after all, he is the one who lives with his deafness, not me) I have experienced hostility for my choices. Trust me, I did plent of research, and even though my son is grown, continue to do research, so my decisions were well informed ones. I am completely convinced that the path I choose for my son and myself has been the correct one, and if there are hearing people out there who disagree with me, that's their problem. I know my son is a well adjusted, happy young adult, and if IDing as deaf is what has given him that happiness, then I am satisfied that I have done the job I was supposed to do as a parent. After all, isn't the goal of all parents to raise a happy healthy child?
