Imagine about the world without any deaf people.
Imagine NO Alexander Graham Bell, because his mother is not deaf.
Imagine NO Ludwig Van Beethoven, then we will never hear his masterpiece, the Fifth Symphony.
Imagine NO Thomas Alva Edison, because he was able to hear, then he may not able to concentrate on inventing light bulb and stuff he created.
Imagine NO Vint Cerf, then we will not have the Internet with TCP/IP technology.
Imagine NO American Sign Language or any signed languages in the world, and people still think that listening and speaking is the only way that we communicate. Our brains will be underutilized.
Imagine NO videophones, closed captioning, texting, and light alert systems.. then someone will miss information, because of noise pollution.
What a boring world without deaf people! We do need Deaf people because we do make valuable contributions to the world in many forms. That’s Deaf Gain.
For more information about Deaf Gain, check out this website here.
Why are you working so hard to eradicate deafness? I guess you just cannot. We are always here.
Embrace us, embrace our gifts, and embrace diversity in our world, that will make our world a very interesting place to live.
Best,
Amy Cohen Efron
7 comments on “Imagine the World without Deaf People”
(e
And no (e!
And no Amy Cohen Efron!
Imagine!
bill
Funny – AGB came to mind when you said imagine a world w/o deaf. I understand he supportted that (eugenics?)
MM
I would manage OK frankly, because I don’t find all this huge amount of support and reliance very conducive to being independent. We are more as people than hearing loss…. Wouldn’t life be boring without blind people, the paraplegic, the Muslim, the……… diversity probably has its limits within the human psyche ! I’d support deaf or disability rights, but would I want it to continue if a choice was there ? probably not…… we cannot do much about NOW, but as for the future and thinking ahead…
Sam the Deaf
Well, if it wasn’t for TTY, we wouldn’t see instant message for everybody. Even for texting, also.
Hartmut
That is what I have been saying when I lectured on “Existentialism of Deafness” in Germany and Massachusetts and NH. Hearing people in my audiences have said, the world would be incomplete and odd, if it exists of only hearing people. But these are exposed to Deaf people and sign language, even only recently. There is something that Deaf people contributes to mankind: Sign language, Deaf Way of life, world citizenship. They are more important than the what the above named individuals contributed.
Their contributions were as hearing contributions. Beethoven, whose ears were deaf, was still Hearing, when he composed great symphonies. (BTW: the Fifth is not the greatest, but the Ninth is).
Edison was only hard-of-hearing and not Deaf at all. So is Cerf, but still far better than these two, for he created something that the Deaf can use: Internet!
Read Exodus 4:10 and so forth to see why Jewish people view deaf people to be necessary to exist as part of the Creation. There is even a mention of an interpreter for such an important figure like Moses, because of his speech impediment!
Hartmut
Jim
I heard a blind woman speak not too long ago & she referred to her self as lucky. There was a time when I would have thought what the heck is she talking about, but I see the world much different today. You see she saw her blindness as a gift. I am sure most people would not choose blindness or deafness, however there can be growth from it. I know in my own life I was blessed with site, sound & all my limbs working, but I walked blindly through life & often had deaf ears. It took until I was faced with adversity for me to open my eyes & ears. I have been an active fund raiser for the blind for the last 6 years & if there is one thing I have learned from most people with impairment & disabilities is they don’t feel sorry for themselves. As stated above there would be many things missing without deaf people, as I feel they may be some of the best listeners.
I love the title of your site.
Joseph Umbao
There are four major categories of deafness: people born completely deaf, people born hearing impaired, people that become deaf, and people that become hearing impaired. Other times being different makes you special and unique. I see being deaf as being as much of a blessing than as a curse. I presume that it would be more difficult for those who are born deaf, to not understand what’s going on around them. But on a slightly higher note they don’t know what they’re missing. Thus, their valuable contributions to the world should be given of highest importance