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The Forum > Article Comments > Here we go again: deafness and polio > Comments

Here we go again: deafness and polio : Comments

By Michael Uniacke, published 25/10/2011

Queensland deaf educator Dimity Dornan has described deafness as a scourge that can be eradicated, like polio - really?

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Sorry - I should have been clearer, not everyone with a hearing loss can use a hearing aid. I guess it's lucky if you can, and then you can have a choice.
As a parent, I found it quite frustrating when my son wouldn't use one - I'm not hearing impaired and I didn't understand - but he has auditory processing delay and hearing aids aren't that helpful, even FM monitors kind of exacerbate that delay in getting what people have said, and then by that time the speaker has moved on to something else - it's still the same problem but just louder than usual.
My grandpop had a similar problem, and only ended up having one ear drum for life - nobody liked his tv being turned up so loud(and he didn't like all the noise from the half dozen yelling kids),but, if you can see what I mean, that was his choice.
Hearing impaired people - like everyone - have the right to choose what is good for them. They've been through and go through quite enough already without having more of their rights and dignity taken away from them by being dictated to. Oralism was forced on a lot of deaf people and though speaking can be helpful, it should just be an option - for some people learning it is too difficult and too traumatic. We can present options but at the end of the day - it's their life & their choice and we have to respect that just the same as if someone didn't want to use a prosthetic limb.
My son's friend got a cochlear implant for his toddler, then it wouldn't work and he is stuck with the same cochlear implant - not working - for life because it's implanted.
Hearing aids don't work for everybody and there are lots of different forms of hearing loss - more every day.
Posted by Daily, Thursday, 27 October 2011 11:58:30 AM
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Michael I think it’s important to get a few things straight before you stick the boot in over an ‘alleged comment’.

Dr. Dornan has worked tirelessly for all deaf children to have the opportunity to learn to speak. Opportunity is the key word here - this isn't compulsory this is a choice.

She has always said that ‘deaf children will always be deaf and they should be proud of that’. There isn’t any back-pedalling there. To say this ‘nod to deaf children was so out of character’ is an insult – she has dedicated her life to working with deaf kids.

Dr. Dornan is right ‘deaf is not deaf anymore’. The technology available today means outcomes that were previously unachievable in speech and hearing are now a reality. The choices are different to 1880 which you use as a comparison of archaic values. Never before in our history has a deaf child had the opportunity to attain such clear language and comprehension skills and yet still be deaf.

How can you say that she sees deaf people as ‘helpless children’ and refer to hearing parents as ‘confused and vulnerable’?
Our daughter has cochlear implants and speaks perfectly – we were given our choices, we chose the auditory-verbal approach and are very happy with that choice.

Without Dr. Dornan we wouldn’t have had that choice.

To use a cochlear implant or hearing aids is a choice that not everyone has had in the past but it’s a choice that should be available now and in the future to those who would choose for their child to hear and speak.

How about we all wake up and acknowledge that there are now different choices of communication for deaf people and respect their chosen method.

Choice without prejudice.

We can all do more to better understand each other regardless of what language we use.
Posted by Tim Hughes, Friday, 28 October 2011 4:13:51 AM
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