Success for deaf community

[Miss-Delectable]

Success for deaf community -- chicagotribune.com

This is in response to "Wisconsin could be first to require cochlear implants" (News, April 23). Sometimes the worst things in history have been done with the best intentions.

Lawmakers tend to simplify an issue and say if more children have access to cochlear implants then they would be able to close down the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. The reality is, they are ignoring some critical aspects.

Babies, whether they are hearing or deaf, can acquire language skills through American Sign Language before they can speak. The benefits of early language development from sign language is more consistently successful than relying on an invasive surgery that could cause death or other serious side effects. Sure there are success stories, but what about those children who still cannot understand speech even after years of extensive speech training?

The formula for success of any deaf child must include positive deaf role models and a positive self-identity. This means that schools must have deaf teachers and administrators who can empathize and communicate effortlessly with them. It's understandable that parents would want their children to remain close to them and to hear and speak like them, but it is dangerous to cling to the false hope that cochlear implants or intensive speech therapy will make their children "whole" again. That puts the child at a tremendous disadvantage and puts him or her through unnecessary risk.

As a Democrat and deaf person myself, Rep. David Cullen (D-Milwaukee) does the deaf community a great disservice when he says, "This bill is going to allow children to keep their hearing, to become members of society, to go to school and keep a job."That is an insult to me and many in the deaf community because it tells society that unless deaf people can hear and speak, they are unequal, uneducated and unemployed. That is fallacious and his comments only encourage discrimination on the basis of a person's ability to hear and speak.

I am living proof of a successful deaf person without cochlear implants; I have a degree from Georgetown University, work at an investment bank and am certainly an equal member of society.

-Timothy Riker
Chicago

[shel90]

Rep. David Cullen (D-Milwaukee) does the deaf community a great disservice when he says, "This bill is going to allow children to keep their hearing, to become members of society, to go to school and keep a job."

This is ****ing BS! Become members of society? What are we, chopped liver?

This is what happens with the view behind CIs.

[Mrs Bucket]

My gosh, the CI was just supposed to be one of the many tools in a full toolbox for a child's learning skills.

Last time I recalled, the CI was a choice. Can we say cultural genocide?

[dogmom]

oh, I really DISAGREE with that - being required to use the CI? And I think what Rep. Cullen said is very insulting - my first thought, when I read that - was, so it implies d/Deaf are not members of society, don't keep jobs. etc......oooh, not good at all....

Now, I am not Deaf but I think I have learned a lot from reading in the oral/CI/Deaf education topics and from reading overall about Deaf peoples' experiences so I am glad to have been informed. I am in WI and thinking about writing to Rep. Cullen.

[Bottesini]

Originally Posted by Mrs Bucket

My gosh, the CI was just supposed to be one of the many tools in a full toolbox for a child's learning skills.

Last time I recalled, the CI was a choice. Can we say cultural genocide?

I thought Canada already did this?

[jazzy]

It shows that our society does not accept us for who we are. Sad.

[missywinks]

Originally Posted by Bottesini

I thought Canada already did this?

yep. there is one ENT doctor responsible for all of the cochlear implant surgeries in Newfoundland and Labrador (eastern Canada), he wants to eradicate the deaf and our culture! check this out:

Eradicating Deafness - Volconvo Debate Forums


these quotes are what pissed me off the most:

"We don't have any children now going to the school for the deaf," Batten says, explaining that children who are born deaf have a good chance at hearing if they get an implant early in life.

"The school for the deaf is being phased out," he says. "Children (with implants) they get better incomes when they graduate, they get higher levels of learning, they integrate into society."

So sign language is a dying language. It's only for the older people who are beyond the cochlear implant years now.

"It's interesting because it's a dying culture and it's kind of part of our past now."

who the hell is he to decide? what about those who do not qualify for cochler implants? what about those who DO NOT WANT ONE?

kudos for those who WANT cochlear implants...but they would STILL benefit from ASL, deaf schools, deaf community so think twice before eradicating us. LIKE ALWAYS, we will be here for those "cochlear implant" failures with open arms.

[Mrs Bucket]

Yes missy is right and already the NFLD community is lobbying against this. It's making news so fast in a positive way.

[ASLGAL]

"Wisconsin could be first to require cochlear implants" (News, April 23).

OMG! just OMG! is this the steps backward jillio was talking about in another education thread?!?

Absolutely ridiculous -- AGBell's Eugenics rearing its uggy head again?!?

Im with Shel - WTF!

Last time I recalled, the CI was a choice. Can we say cultural genocide?

Well said and frightening!

[jillio]

This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about when I said we were taking a step backward!! This makes me so angry!!!

[shel90]

They are f***cking hypocritics...they say they want to close down the deaf school and talk about deaf people not being able to hold down jobs if they dont have CIs or speak. Well, by closing the school, they will put more deaf people out of jobs! Talk about being hypocritical!

[mshel]

there should be a letter writing campaign about his ignorance and discrimination. It is not alright to force CI upon deaf.

[Foxrac]

I hope someone would take it to federal court or supreme court to strike the down due violation of 14th Amendment.

I have nothing to against on CI but it should be choice instead of authority.

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by shel90

They are f***cking hypocritics...they say they want to close down the deaf school and talk about deaf people not being able to hold down jobs if they dont have CIs or speak. Well, by closing the school, they will put more deaf people out of jobs! Talk about being hypocritical!

You hit that nail square on the head Shel!

I agree that CIs can be beneficial, but it has to be done on a case by case basis, and there are those who will still receive the CI and will go through many hours of intensive speech therapy only to be able to recognize a few words, and they all fall back on ASL - a visual language in which they can understand and communicate with.

Not everyone has benefited from a CI. There are people now who got a CI because they wanted to, and now they don't even wear it because they decided that being deaf is better.

I think this legislation is emotionally driven, and has absolutely zero measurable facts to stand on to support it. The person behind it Rep. Cullen, thinks that the deaf are broken humans that need to be fixed. He's using the sympathy and goodwill card to get his measure voted on and passed which in this case I hope it backfires on him.

I doubt he has spoken to many deaf people within his state to get a feel of what his constituents really think. He probably thought this one up on whim.

That is f**ked up. Maybe this guy is just ignorant. Here is his (Rep. David Cullen (D-Milwaukee) contact information. Let him know how you feel.

Telephone
(608) 267-9836 Or
(888) 534-0013

Email
Rep.Cullen@legis.wisconsin.gov

Voting Address
2845 North 68th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53210

[deafbajagal]

Oh. My. God.

This made me SICK. Seriously SICK to my stomach.

Thanks for the info Rockdrummer!

Originally Posted by deafbajagal

Oh. My. God.

This made me SICK. Seriously SICK to my stomach.

Thanks for the info Rockdrummer!

Your welcome and I would encourage anyone that has a problem with his statements to contact him and in a tactful way, give him a reality check. If you don't then you are part of the problem and really have no right to complain. I will be sending him an email shortly. Remeber to be tactful if you want to be taken seriously.

[shel90]

Originally Posted by rockdrummer

That is f**ked up. Maybe this guy is just ignorant. Here is his (Rep. David Cullen (D-Milwaukee) contact information. Let him know how you feel.

Telephone
(608) 267-9836 Or
(888) 534-0013

Email
Rep.Cullen@legis.wisconsin.gov

Voting Address
2845 North 68th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53210

Thanks for the info and yes, I will be very professional and tactful when composing my email.

[deafskeptic]

Originally Posted by Mrs Bucket

My gosh, the CI was just supposed to be one of the many tools in a full toolbox for a child's learning skills.

Last time I recalled, the CI was a choice. Can we say cultural genocide?

Oh, definitely!
If it were to become Wisconsin law, I'd be disturbed as this will set a precedent.

[faire_jour]

The bill requires INSURANCE to PAYfor a CI. It does NOT require ANYONE to get one.....READ first, post second.

Originally Posted by faire_jour

The bill requires INSURANCE to PAYfor a CI. It does NOT require ANYONE to get one.....READ first, post second.

The comments by Rep. David Cullen are what I belive folks are up in arms about. (see below) OK the comment by Mrs Bucket about cultural genocide was a bit off base.

As a Democrat and deaf person myself, Rep. David Cullen (D-Milwaukee) does the deaf community a great disservice when he says, "This bill is going to allow children to keep their hearing, to become members of society, to go to school and keep a job."That is an insult to me and many in the deaf community because it tells society that unless deaf people can hear and speak, they are unequal, uneducated and unemployed. That is fallacious and his comments only encourage discrimination on the basis of a person's ability to hear and speak.

[shel90]

Originally Posted by faire_jour

The bill requires INSURANCE to PAYfor a CI. It does NOT require ANYONE to get one.....READ first, post second.

We know how to read, thank u.

[shel90]

Originally Posted by rockdrummer

The comments by Rep. David Cullen are what I belive folks are up in arms about. (see below) OK the comment by Mrs Bucket about cultural genocide was a bit off base.

Correct, RD.

[ASLGAL]

I believe Mrs. Bucket was right, spot on base

Cultural Genocide looked at in historical perspective, Native Peoples Cultures/ D/deaf Culture - same/same no difference if we are talking about wiping out a cultural norm and replacing it as the only way.

Originally Posted by ASLGAL

I believe Mrs. Bucket was right, spot on base

Cultural Genocide looked at in historical perspective, Native Peoples Cultures/ D/deaf Culture - same/same no difference if we are talking about wiping out a cultural norm and replacing it as the only way.

you misunderstood. If Wisconson is saying that CI are mandatory and deaf people have no choice then I agree that she is spot on.... But.... that is not even remotly close to what is being said here so her comment within the context of this thread is off base. This is not about wiping out a cultural norm and replacing it as the only way. What I believe they are saying is that the insurance companies have to pay for the CI if a deaf person is a candidate AND elects to go that route. It's actually a good thing but the comments of David Cullen reveal his ignorance or possibley stupidity which is what folks are rightfully upset about.

[deafdyke]

The thing that makes me mad is that he thinks ALL CI kids are very high functioning. Not all CI kids are "superstars" ..Besides, the School for the Deaf could provide a refuge for dhh kids who are from inner cities or unstable/dysfunctional family situtions.

[dreama]

Originally Posted by deafdyke

The thing that makes me mad is that he thinks ALL CI kids are very high functioning. Not all CI kids are "superstars" ..Besides, the School for the Deaf could provide a refuge for dhh kids who are from inner cities or unstable/dysfunctional family situtions.

I totally agree.

[ASLGAL]

rockdrummer, I see where you are coming from. Respect your opinion where this specific thread is, but,
I also see where many of the threads being posted about this are heading. This particular thread may not have stated it boldly but others have and these are professionals and agencies that have enough clout and financial backing to buy what they desire, their push to an end or eradication of deafness through forced CI installation. It is already happening in some professions. I know 3 professionals personally who were told they had to CI for enviromental reasons to keep jobs. They did it. Only one of the 3 seems to have adapted well and receive a good benefit from it.

Just explained my view a little so you do not assume I am just some radical who grabs a thread and yells on it.

Originally Posted by ASLGAL

rockdrummer, I see where you are coming from. Respect your opinion where this specific thread is, but,
I also see where many of the threads being posted about this are heading. This particular thread may not have stated it boldly but others have and these are professionals and agencies that have enough clout and financial backing to buy what they desire, their push to an end or eradication of deafness through forced CI installation. It is already happening in some professions. I know 3 professionals personally who were told they had to CI for enviromental reasons to keep jobs. They did it. Only one of the 3 seems to have adapted well and receive a good benefit from it.

Just explained my view a little so you do not assume I am just some radical who grabs a thread and yells on it.

Please tell me which professionals and agencies you are speaking of? Are you saying that some employers are saying the employees have to wear a CI for environmental reasons? Is this not a breach of the rights a deaf person has under the ADA?

[flip]

Originally Posted by ASLGAL

rockdrummer, I see where you are coming from. Respect your opinion where this specific thread is, but,
I also see where many of the threads being posted about this are heading. This particular thread may not have stated it boldly but others have and these are professionals and agencies that have enough clout and financial backing to buy what they desire, their push to an end or eradication of deafness through forced CI installation. It is already happening in some professions. I know 3 professionals personally who were told they had to CI for enviromental reasons to keep jobs. They did it. Only one of the 3 seems to have adapted well and receive a good benefit from it.

Just explained my view a little so you do not assume I am just some radical who grabs a thread and yells on it.

Agree totally. The use of CI does more bad than good, and as long it does, it does make sense to ban or criminalize CI. People need to come up with a model making sure that deaf people implanted does not suffer. It's like guns, they have to be strictly controlled. The WI law is another step in the direction of making the life of deaf people worse with aid of CI. The statements from the politicans prove this.

Those who favor actions like this are the mad radicals, not we who are against CI. We are conservative.