March 20, 2017 - 23:11
“Designing Deaf Babies and the Question of Disability” by Bauman was an extremely thought provoking piece. My initial reaction to reading the first line of the article (a Deaf couple sought a Deaf donor to increase their chances of having a Deaf baby) was extreme confusion. Wouldn’t deafness bring challenges to the child? Would a parent want the child to face such challenges? Looking back I’m very annoyed at myself for allowing such a narrow-minded view, but I want to give you all my genuine initial reaction. Nevertheless, reading further into the article I realized my confusion stemmed from my mind locking into the medical model of disability and ignoring the social model. I didn’t think to examine how deafness plays into cultural identity and how society has been shaped in many ways to oppress those with disabilities.
“Indeed, it is more convenient to be hearing than deaf, but convenience does not de facto lead to an increased value of one’s life.”
This line from the article really struck a chord with me because it connects to many of themes I’ve been captivated by this semester, including personhood and what constitutes as a valuable life. I loved the idea that Bauman presents in which the reworking of the language of disability and our moral perspective will help society grasp the worth of living a Deaf life.
I could not take my eyes off of watching Deaf Jam. In the film, teachers from Lexington School for the deaf in Queens, N.Y., are assembling an ASL poetry team to compete at poetry slams. ASL poetry is the language for the Deaf, and ASL poetry is a physical demonstration that combines facial expressions, hand gestures and sometimes dance to create stories. The movie really tied well into the readings because the overall consensus among the students participating in the movie is that though challenges are faced with deafness, it is also a culture that relies entirely on its shared language. If deafness is “cured”, their culture will no longer exist.