DEAF BY DESIGN

Unless One lives by the belief of ignorance is bliss, I think the ability to alter genetic codes is a tremendous breakthrough in science and a blessing for humanity. However, like many great things, it can also be abused but this does not change all the possibilities that it brings. One of the many benefits that spins off from the ability to alter genetic codes is the ability to screen for abnormalities in fetuses. This is the answer to the prayers of parents-to-be everywhere as genetic screening and prenatal testing seem to provide a cookie cutter perfect solution in preventing illness and disability with a new born. It also allows the parents to select or prevent certain traits in their children.

In the article Deaf by Design, it speaks of cases which baffles my mind and challenges my beliefs. In the article, a deaf pair of parents uses this technology to screen for the possibilities of having a deaf child and is unhappy when they are gifted with a hearing one. It took my brain a few minutes to process this and come finally come to the conclusion that the parents were clearly not in the right state of mind. It is down right child abuse, trying to introduce the poor little thing into the bitter harsh world without a fighting chance because the parents seem to like being crippled. At the same time, hearing parents unhappy about having a deaf child seems perfectly normal to me. After watching the documentary Sound and Fury,  I was able to gain some insight as to why these deaf parents would think in such a way. To people who have grown up in silence, the deaf community must seem like a small safe haven surrounded by a larger world in which they are outsiders. It seems then natural for deaf parents to want to place their child under the circumstances in which they believe will provide a safe home opposed to the scary hearing world in which they cannot be a source of guidance in and may just fade away into the background of the child's life.

In the video, Heather's father makes me question what a disability truly is by saying that he sees being deaf as a blessing and is happy that all of his children are deaf. A disability to me is defined as a physical or mental handicap that prevents one from living a normal life and puts one at a disadvantage. Perhaps this term was ment to be more relative? Well, as much as this video has opened my mind with regards to the relative term of disability, I still believe that children such as Heather are at a disadvantage in the real world. I think that if a child wants it, it shouldn't be up to the parents to stop their decision to fix their disability. In Heather's case, a cochlear implant would be her second chance at leading a normal life. At only five, she already knows what it feels like to not belong to a majority and brave for a way out. However, her parents sees the cochlear implant as an invasive surgery which will sweep Heather away from the deaf community and inevitable their lives as well.

Heather's father makes references to religion stating that a parent choosing deafness for their children is no different that a parent choosing the religion of their children. I think this is utterly wrong to say because as the child grows, he/she has the ability to leave behind their religion but a deaf child can not just wake up one day and choose to leave behind their disability. I think it is Heather's parent's duty as her care givers to make  allow her to the choice of having the cochlear implant. It is their responsibility as parents to make her transition into the hearing world with the cochlear implant as easy as it can be. If it goes against their beliefs and they really don't want to do it, then they should do it out of love as hearing will open so many doors for their little girl. She can become limitless to her possibilities in life. Her position in a family of deafness should not define her future so even if she is the only hearing member among her siblings it is still in her best interest to get the implant. However, if it were my say, all of the children should get the implant.