Since I will not be present in class tonight, I decided to post my thoughts on how a social worker would contribute in selecting for or against a deaf child using gene editing. This position that I picked on Monday interested me because I am starting social work school next year and wanted to reflect on ethical issues in such situations. 

I enjoyed this week's reading, and found it very vital especially for students who are considering the mdeical field as a future career. 

The following quote from Eli Clare's book, Brilliant Imperfection, stood out to me: "The vision of me without trembling hands and slurred speech, with more balance and coordination, doesn't originate from my visceral history. Rather it arises from an imagination of what I should be like, from some definition of normal and natural." 

When reading about CRISPR technologies and the growing use and potential use of gene editing technology, there were two quotes that resonated with me the most:

1. “Women should not be given the responsibility of ensuring the genetic fitness of their children based on lack of support for children with disabilities”  -Dorothy Roberts (Hayden 1)

2. “Most Deaf people would grant that there is little disability in an all-signing environment. It is only once there is no access to communication that the conditions of disability become evident” (Bauman 314)

We were always taught that deafness is a loss/lack of hearing ability, that it is an unfortunate reality, but what if it is the other way around? What if it is a gift, what if deaf people are luckier than us as they have received access to a dimension of living and communicating that we would have never discovered as hearing people? We should learn from those we used to perceive as ‘lacking’ and reflect on why our ways of perceiving the world are considered the norm. 

One thing I thought about is the fact that the deaf community is extremely proud. However, my understanding about disability culture and disabled people is that it's not really something that is to be "proud of" but nethertheless should receive equal and excellent treatment regardless of disability. Why is deaf culture "proud" while disability culture is less so. 

After watching Deaf Jam and "The Enchanting Music of Sign" I realized a strong message that is conveyed throughout the two about Deaf culture and music or poetry. Deafness doesn't mean that deaf people can't or won't enjoy music, poerty, and art, it just provides them with an opportunity to experience them in different ways. Our societies are consumed by the "normal" or "traditional" way of experiencing something, that it excludes any other experiences no matter how beautiful and enjoyable it may be. A few questions came to mind after the discussions and videos/ movies we had this week:

 After watching the deaf jam, I acquired so much more new knowledge about deaf culture. I concluded that deaf culture is a network of interconnection created by a group of deaf people moving away from each other to keep in touch with one another. My understanding was expanded on the various modalities that deaf people use in communication as a result of watching the film. The idea of ASL being a means of communication for deaf people was a message that led to me having a second thought on my conclusions that were preconceived on the things that can be communicated and not be communicated eloquently. It helped me realize how much ASL evolves just like any other language.