Deaf Awareness

Posted by eatmovelivehealthy to Other, Sep 9, 2010 7:19pm

I've seen plenty of segments on The Doctors about hearing aids and implants that help people hear better. While these are medical miracles they are mostly, if not entirely, geared towards people who were born hearing but have lost their hearing due to age or injury. But what about people who are born deaf and want to stay that way? The medical community tends to view deafness as a medical condition that needs correcting or curing, but many deaf people see their deafness as a cultural identity that should be celebrated. The doctors would be a great place to explore the ongoing controversy between the medical community and the deaf people of America. Although deaf culture and American Sign Language are slowly pushing their way into mainstream America (there's now an iphone commercial with a deaf couple, a national PSA about CPR done entirely in American Sign Language, and even a superbowl commercial a few years ago) there are still many Americans who don't know anything about deaf culture or sign language. The Doctors has done an excellent job raising awareness about all types of people and their medical conditions, and it's about time there was a segment raising awareness about deaf culture.