Here’s another person who believes the hearing world is Dehumanizing the Deaf. I draw the conclusion that this person is saying, “Adapt to us, not us adapt to you.”
Last I checked, people living in the US who speak languages other than English are expected to learn English to be able to get along better in the world. They can’t expect all of us to learn their first language and adapt to them.
I know that cities like Miami and those in South Texas have a lot of Spanish signs and such, but it’s a compromise because those places are close to Spanish-speaking countries and have many who speak the language.
My friends and colleagues do adapt to me. They learned to look at me when they speak and they respect the fact I can’t use the telephone in the same way as everyone else. Both parties do what they can to adapt to one another.
As for the whole parents making decisions for younger kids thing… the earlier a child works on communication skills, the better chance she will adapt to the world, which is predominantly hearing.
I could go on and on here and I am sure a few of you have strong feelings about the topic. I am my own person and I could’ve gone off and learned sign language when I left home at 18. I chose not to do that because I am comfortable with who I am. Would I feel differently had my parents put me into sign language classes instead? I don’t know as I have never been in that situation.
As a mom of three, I do the best I can to give my children the best opportunities to learn and grow in this world. I make mistakes along the way or they might not like some of the beliefs I have by the time they’re old enough to understand. When they’re ready, they can change to whatever works for them.
All I can do is teach them what I know and believe so that when they’re on their own, they can lead productive and moral lives.