The End of Deaf Culture?

UPDATE 4.2.2008: This is a repost from yesterday’s blog that didn’t make DeafRead. See important note below after this blog.

Before I graduate from Gallaudet in 1995, I participated in the MacDougall Creative Writing contest for the English Department by submitting a short story about the future of genetic-engineering and the end of deaf culture. Although, I did not win any award but received a honorable mention. That’s alright by me. I no longer have a copy of that short story I typed out for several hours one late night and submitted to the English department in time before the deadline (some years later, I inquired whether they still have it or not. They claimed they had either lost or misplaced it).

It was a spur of the moment short story about a possible future, with a wildly concocted fantasy about an all-powerful government enforcing gene-engineering laws, using military squadrons to crack down, capture and round-up rebellious Deaf fighters and supporters, bagging them over their heads and sent them, on a “rendition”-like transport, to a Gitmo-like camp where they would be subjected to harsh interrogation for intel-gathering or process in preparation for the forced gene-engineering program to “cure” them of their deafness. Bear with me, I tried my best to recall these vague details of that short story I came up with in the spring of 1995.

There are two characters in it – one deaf man, a resistance fighter-leader, and a male government interrogator who know sign language. Both men waged a tough campaign against each other in a dimly-lit interrogation room, until one of them finally broke down in tears. I’m afraid that the exact details are not clear toward the end, so I suppose the twist was one was revealed to be a hearing who choose to become deaf and the other used to be deaf, as far as I can best recall. I leave that to your own conclusive interpretation.

I admitted it’s my fault that I didn’t make another copy for me to keep, but – *shrugs*. Only, I just wish the English Department didn’t bother to misplace my short story elsewhere and just save every submission to the MacDougall Creative Writing contest for future archives. It would be a nice trip down the memory lanes for those, including yours truly, who turned in their creative writing pieces years ago.

Nevertheless, I’ve been thinking for quite a time about what certain circumstances could mean the end of deaf culture, given all the possible opportunities and dangers of today’s (and future) technological, medicinal and scientific advancements as to might mean the end of deafness as we know it? Here are what I came up with below:

• Rapid advancement and dramatic improvement in hair cell regeneration process could lead to a potential requirement to eliminate deafness from among the deaf and hard-of-hearing population. Recognizing the future higher costs of health care, technological and economic accommodations of the current deaf/HOH population, a government mandate of gene-engineering issues would be strenuously debated and pushed through in the federal level, resulting in a federal act, as to reduce cost-benefit means and greatly improve the quality of life. A number of other countries would follow suit.
• Cochlear implant technology would be eventually replaced by hair cell regeneration (HCR) therapy program that would restore a wide variety of hearing losses in people’s ears, especially children born deaf or become deaf at an early age. No more painful surgeries and side-effects.
• Females who are pregnant would have the fetus’ genes thoroughly screened for any defect or problem and, if founded, concerned genes can be treated or eliminated without any risk to the fetus and the expectant mother. Deafness would be virtually eliminated before babies are born.
• Number of culturally Deaf people would dwindle worldwide over the next few decades. However, they would refuse to obey the federal act and resist against the law, either by fighting or sought an official protected minority status under human right and endangered cultural heritage laws. Culturally Deaf people seeking special protection or asylum status in countries that have little or no law on “curing” deafness. Like Pakistan, for example.
• Underground “clinic” cells would help the “cured-of-deafness” persons to become deaf again through various means. Few would goes far by burning their inner ears with something unorthodox and extreme. Ouch!
• Close down Gallaudet University, NTID, CSUN, and deaf-related academic institutions after federal and state funds diminish for good. Community services, programs and schools for the deaf eventually shut down. But retirement and living communities for the remaining deaf/HOH people, too old and too stubborn to be treated with HCR therapy, expand and thrive.
• As long as there are culturally Deaf people around, the usage of ASL may become a global sign language but could invoke anger and controversy from others who have been using and preserving their native, and older, sign languages as long as they can persevere. Eventually, they would realize that the preservation of the Deaf culture is more important than to bicker over native sign languages. The future is theirs for the taking.
• Interpreting programs to train hearing people to become interpreters for the deaf diminish and eventually shut down. Remaining interpreters work for the UN as interpreters in other languages or join the resistance with the Deaf.
• Worldwide, the deaf faces an eventual extinction.
• And the Alexander Graham Bell Organization for the Deaf would cease to be at last!

All of these are just speculations, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe not all might come true, some might. Who knows? Hey, isn’t today April’s Fool Day? Hmm….

UPDATE 4.2.2008:Somehow, my April 1st blog was not submitted to DeafRead.com on April 1st as it was supposed to. The DR editor, Jared, informed me neither DeafRead picked it up automatically nor my blog was submitted to DR last night. I am bit mystified by this, so my apology to the DRers for this odd dating of the blog today.

Yet another update: According to Jared: the yesterday’s “blog entry has an “empty” (unix epoch) pubdate” which has a published date of Jan 1, 1970. I’m still mystified by this.

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