hospitals today will give you paperwork
that's okay here's an option cochlear
implant here's another option that
really they don't go into depth talk
about the the benefits of American Sign
Language all the different options that
are available that you can provide to
your child whether you can even explore
them or or even google them and there is
still a great deal of pressure that
people should explore the option of
cochlear implants because that's better
than signing that you shouldn't sign I
would say to these people who are you to
decide for us and how to define
ourselves as people who are deaf so
that's why I think we need to have a
discussion among educational
professionals who only see deaf people
as black and white bring in deaf people
bring in the view points to those who
have newly born children who are deaf
people ask me so barley would you have a
cochlear implant and I would say no no
that brings a question when you
mentioned and talked about the beginning
the program who is eligible for it it's
not for everyone and it doesn't work for
everyone and in my case my deaf world
it's all visual so that's why we choose
to sign because sign language is visual
for those who might have a progressive
hearing loss who chose a cochlear
implant I think that's fine because you
have a background of being hearing as
opposed to those who have never heard
who then I mean I would say to people
I'm not opposed to cochlear implants
because Who am I to decide for those
individuals it's not up to me if it
works for them if it doesn't well that's
why I'm a huge advocate for American
sign language for children because we
depend on our eyes not our ears and and
and as we said sign language involves
culture the deaf community the capital D
involves culture education okay in light
of that define what you mean by culture
define the modern deaf culture what does
that mean modern deaf culture means
there's a language there American sign
language there is a language it's about
the language it's about our art it's
about our education it's about our
community remember that sign language is
itself oh by the way something which is
not international by the way so every
single sign language community you can
think of has its own culture has its own
language so it doesn't mean that all
deaf people can understand each other
all over the world
deaf culture is extremely strong and I
am very proud to be a member of it and
it's very precious and that's why we are
always having to fight against those who
try to control our lives who try to tell
us what is best for us because they
don't know they're not deaf
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