Lately there seems to be a bit of twisting of a particular quote on what Naomi Horton of Indiana Hear said not too long ago in a recent Indiana Hear press release last year in June:
When deaf kids don’t consider themselves deaf… the magic begins.
More at http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2012/03/forgetting-your-deafness-while-not.html
The Deaf do not constantly think about being deaf. They rarely consider that they are "missing" something, as this blogger put it. In fact, they are missing nothing. They are complete and whole just as they are. However, there are those who refuse to accept their own deafness and think of it constantly because they live their lives in a way such that they are constantly trying to "measure up." This blogger is one of those.
ReplyDeleteA child in a mainstream environment with no exposure to other deaf peers will constantly be reminded of their deafness and think about it consistently. Why? Because they are in an environment that makes their difference more noticeable. They are constantly attempting to live up to some hearing criterion they will never achieve. Want someone to be conscious of their deafness? Put them in the environment that Hear Indiana recommends. Want that person to forget about their deafness and become well adjusted, secure, and full of healthy self esteem. Ignore the recommendations of Hear Indiana and this blogger.