Question

5. Many people in the Deaf community view deafness as a different way of experiencing the world, rather than as a disability. However, in mainstream American culture, being Deaf or Hard of Hearing is technically a disability that is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. How might this difference in the view of Deafness between Deaf people and others in the larger culture be problematic?

Answer 1

Answer:

The pathologic view tends to look at deafness as a disability that can be corrected via medical treatment so the deaf person is "normalized." In contrast, the cultural view embraces the identity of being deaf but does not necessarily reject medical aid.

Answer 2

Many dead communities don’t believe that being deaf is a “disability”, but more of a factor of who they are and have become.