LETTER: Why is deafness such a terrible thing?

Dear Editor,

I am writing in defense of the letter to the editor, “The deaf are handicapped.” This letter has obviously offended a lot of people. The responses to the letter accuse the author of being intolerant and looking down upon the deaf. The author of one of the letters admits to not knowing the initial letter’s author, but he tells her she ought to meet some deaf people and learn more about them. How does he know she doesn’t know any deaf people? All the letter said was that the deaf are handicapped. She didn’t say that the deaf are second-class citizens, or that they are somehow inferior. She simply used the word “handicapped.” To some people “handicapped” is a negative term. To them it carries a stigma, implying a negative stereotype of inferiority. People don’t like this so they deal with it in three ways: in the original article, by redefining “handicapped” to exclude the deaf; in the case of the letters, by defining “handicapped” to include everyone; and also by attacking the letter’s author’s character to cast doubt upon the validity of her opinion. The deaf cannot hear and are thus at a disadvantage. There are some activities that they have trouble participating in. There are accommodations to allow deaf people to participate in some of these activities. One example of this is closed-captioned TV. Another example is the interpreter and note-taking services provided by the Disability Resource Center. These accommodations are made to help deaf people overcome their lack of hearing, and to give them the same opportunities that hearing people have. Deaf people can and should accomplish great things, but they might have to work hard to overcome their lack of hearing. People with disabilities can still accomplish their dreams, but when they do it is usually in spite of the disability and not because of it. The deaf are handicapped. Being deaf is a disadvantage. Believing otherwise is simply denial.

David Andersen