Deaf? So What.

The definition of disability according to the Oxford dictionary is:
a physical or mental condition that restricts your movements, senses, or activities.  A disadvantage or handicap.

In those terms having an allergy to peanuts, not being talented inclined in soccer or even having long hair could be classified as a disability.  So then what is a disability? Are the classic examples, such as being deaf,  really a disability?  Not according to Heather's dad, being deaf has opened him up to the society of deaf people to which he would have never been accepted had he not been deaf. In "Sound & Fury" Heather, a young girl of 7, desperately wanted a cochlear implant to communicate with the hearing society.  Her parents, both being deaf as well, were offended by the very idea.  They felt as if their daughter was betraying them and Heather's father immediately rejected the idea.  Five years later Heather finally got her wish and was given the ability to hear, there are many controversies about whether or not this is in Heather's best interest.  In my opinion I think having a cochlear implant is a benefit for Heather because she will still carry her deaf knowledge (ASL) and now she will have the advantage of enjoying verbal communication, music and other benefits of hearing.  In modern times there are numerous help groups that will help you improve your language even if your parents aren't able too, so there's no problem there with her parents.  If in time Heather decides she would rather not hear a single word she could simply stop using her cochlear implant and live life as she recognizes it.  This being said I think Heather has the best of both worlds, meaning that being deaf is not a disability it is simply a different form of life.

Another issue with the deaf society was acknowledged in "Deaf by Design" publish in Nature.  The issue was whether of not deaf people should have the right to abort their fetus.  It's quite understandable why a deaf couple would prefer to have a deaf child; easier forms of communication, better bonds between the family and etc.  However, how far  are you willing to take that?  There has been controversy over the fact that some deaf couples would like to genetically screen their child to ensure that they are deaf as well.  However how is that really different from a designer child to have an IQ of 160 or to have blonde hair and blue eyes?  When you get down to it, there is no difference at all.  There is an even bigger controversy about whether or not deaf parents should be allowed to abort their child  if that child isn't deaf.  However when you think about it, it's no different than a hearing couple aborting a deaf child.  So why discriminate the deaf?  This brings us back to the question of what is a disability because clearly the definition of disability for the dead society is different from the hearing society.  Thus the definition provided by the Oxford dictionary does not do the word justice, therefore I came up with my definition.

Disability : The act of letting society outcast you.