as a deaf person who was born profoundly deaf, and in a similar situation to Jane K Fernandes, in which we were both mainstream, and didn’t learn sign until our teenage years or twenties, I can identify with the position she is in. I just got a cochlear implant 3 months ago, and the militant deaf keep saying that the cochlear implant is what is bringing on the destruction of their culture.

i don’t think it’s the cochlear implant that is destroying the culture. i think it’s the militant deaf that are destroying their own culture, because i came into a deaf environment eager to learn, with an open mind, and as time went by, i got criticized for the way i grew up, for who i was, for talking, for not being deaf enough. it finally got to the point where i wanted to go whatever, and walked away from the community.

so no, it’s not the cochlear implant that’s destroying the culture. it’s people like the students at gallaudet who are destroying their own culture by not being accepting of the differences in communication styles and approaches to educating the deaf.

~Allison