TBC News, Issue 68

from Deaf People are Not Being Nice

"Why do Deaf people reject me because I had this CI surgery? I do not have any Deaf friends. They won’t accept me."

"Obviously, many people still don’t understand the concept of “culture.” They assume that Deaf people would want all non-hearing people in our culture, no matter what. But deaf people, like other cultural groups, have our own values. We respect others’ choices, but, we recognize our own members by our shared language and other common characteristics. Some people think Deaf people are not being nice for not accepting everyone with a hearing loss of any kind. Whose outcasts are they in the first place? Hearing people reject them, but call us not nice?"

from Past and Present

"In the past, there was a strong sense of Deaf community, but in the present, it is weaker. In the past, Deaf clubs were stronger, like a family. Today technology has a great impact on the Deaf community."

"My point of view is that the best school is residential school. I disagree with mainstreaming. Cochlear implants are very risky because Deaf children can lose nerves. They are okay for those who lost hearing later in life."

from Present and Future

"Families that are culturally mixed, whether it be race, religion or hearing-Deaf, face an enormous task. Living in a society that is often intolerant of differences, they must learn to see that their uniqueness is something to be cherished and not hidden. This can only happen if all individuals in the family are seen as valued members and if what each member contributes is given equal space. This includes, for families with Deaf and hearing members, room for both Deaf culture and hearing culture. Making this room is not an easy task and requires open communication and understanding."

from Deaf and Hearing Teams

"Probably most important, we have COMPLETE trust and respect for each other: this means that when the work is divided up and tasks are assigned, we don’t second-guess each other or check up on each other; it means respecting that we each have our own way of getting things done and respecting (and indeed enjoying) the differences; and it means NEVER thinking for the other person or presuming to know what he/she wants or would do."