Leumi

lJanM.Macabunga

BSESCI1

DEAFREFLECTI
ON

Deafpeoplemost l
yareregardedasindi
vidualswhocannothearduet otheirl
acki
ngaudi
tory
capabil
i
ty.Theyhavespecifi
cdefici
enci
esinhearingsystem andcannotcommuni cat
eei
therby
heari
ngorspeaking.Deafpeoplearedif
ferentfr
om otherpeoplesofsociet
yformi
ngseparat
e
soci
algroups,speakownl anguage,mostl
yattenddif
ferentuni
versi
ti
es,haveownmagazines,
andspecialsport
sevents.

Iv
ei nt
ervi
ewedmycousi nbecauseshehasadi sabil
it
yf orbeingadeaf ,
wer ejustt
alki
ngona
whiteboardusi ngamar ker.Shes23y r
soldshehasachi l
d, 5yearsoldnowherboy fr
iend
l
eav esher,alsoadeaf .Sheswor ki
ngonhermomsbusi ness, awat errefi
ll
i
ngst ati
onbusiness.
Theyhav edecidedt otakehi m her
eagainbecausesheswor kinginMani l
abef orebutt
hey r
e
hurti
ngher .Deafnessdoesn' tj
ustaff
ectheari
ngi thasani mpactongener al communicati
on
skil
l
st oo.Icanttalktohi m wit
houtawhiteboar
dandamar kerandherengl ishisnotona
propergrammarbutsheknowswhat sthemeani ngoft hosewor dsthatshest ypi
ng.

Tomanyi ndi
vi
dualswhoaredeaforhar dofhearing,t
heirdisabil
it
yisnotadisabi
l
ity
,butrat
her
member shipi
ntoauniquecultur
e.Wi t
htheirownlanguage, t
heirownmeansofcommuni cat
ing,
andthei
rownuni quesoci
alexperiences,i
tisdi
ffi
cultt
odenyt hatdeafcult
ureisavali
d
not
ion."
Deafisnotreal
lyadisabi
li
ty.Iti
sjustminorthi
ngt hattheycan'
thear.
"