March 21, 2017 - 09:48
The reading, Designing Deaf Babies, definiely shed some light on the topic of deafness in families for me. I have heard from reports before in the scientific comunnity about reserachers being approched by familes where both partners were deaf requesting specially IVF treatments that would ensure that their child also be deaf. What was most interesting about this reading was the exploration of the contact zone: where the hearing and deaf (in this example) meet. I would expect that a hearing child to two deaf parents and possible other deaf children would still be included and loved within the familiy, however, Designing Deaf Babies presented thoughts on how that child would have difficulties growing up in a family and what it would mean for the family unit to have a hearing child. On the flip side, there may be some advantages of having at least one hearing member of a family, to act as a sort of "bridge" in situations were hearing or spoken language would either be necesssary or crucial for time (in my head im thinking of emergencies, sitautions with doctors or hospitals, etc).
When explaining growing up deaf in a family of other deaf invidiuals, I thought it was cute when the author was talking about a toddler that would look out onto the world as others with "broken hands" and mouths that are always jabbering away. To someone that is deaf, I could only image how plain, boring, and unexpressive people who dont sign look.
As a final note on those families who want to ensure to have deaf babies, I am not sure how far the science should go. Should they be allowed to do single cell karotyping on IVF embryos before being implanted? Im not sure. Surely though, there should be ways for sperm banks to increase stocks of some deaf donors. Or, there is always adoption. Disabled children are often overlooked in the adoption process, and if these families really wish to ensure a deaf family, adoption would be a great way to ensure this.