20 December 2012
When my much loved daughter was two months old I became concerned that something wasn't quite right. As I had two previous children I had some experience to draw on. I told her father of my worry, I felt she was either deaf or had some mental impairment. I took her for tests and after fighting through several 'experts' who felt I was wrong, I finally saw a wonderful doctor who confirmed my worries and she was confirmed as profoundly deaf. I felt deafness was the lesser of the two evils, but as the years passed I realised what the true implications were. Deafness is one of the most isolating of handicaps and a crowded room is the hardest place to be. Tiny children don't understand why the deaf child doesn't respond to them, older children find it too much trouble to ensure they are looking directly when they speak, to give a chance to be lip read. My poor daughter suffered from my ignorance. I decided she should only be 'oral' and didn't teach her sign language, which was frowned on at the time as it was thought, isolating. What I didn't know, to be locked in a silent world with no language is the most isolating of all! When my daughter grew up she taught herself sign language and that's when her life started. Most people find deafness irritating at best and embarrassing at worst. They prefer to avoid having to speak to anyone who has such an odd voice. (caused by lack of hearing either low or high frequencies.) to avoid causing embarrassment to visitors, I noticed she would go up to her bedroom when they arrived, she was very sensitive to her presence making them feel awkward, my daughter is one of the most intelligent people I know but few people have had the chance to discover that.
One of the many low points was when she and a group of friends were spat at on a train, because they were signing to each other! It's hard enough being locked in a silent world without being tormented by morons!
Cinderella Of Handicaps • Opuss № I