The Deaf Community in Relation to the Medical Model and the Social Model
Introduction
The Social Model and the Medical Model both are bodies with the primary aim of aiding and uplifting the Deaf Community, however, the two models have different ways in which they communicate this aim across, as well as achieve their objectives. The models are also distinct in the fact that they do not view the Deaf community in the same way nor do they place emphasis and focus on the same things. This essay shall discuss the two models in relation to the Deaf Community by making close reference to appropriate sources.
The Medical Model
The Medical Model is one of the approaches used to understand people with disabilities, and is ‘concerned with the origin, degree, type of loss and the onset’ of a certain disability
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The social Model identifies the differences within such a community just like any other community has a diversity of people and characteristics. It does not see the Deaf community as 1 whole group of people as the Medical Model (Munoz-Baell & Ruiz, 2000; 54:40-44). According to the Deaf Federation of South Africa (2006) there are different degrees/types of deafness; these include Deaf (with a capital D), Hearing Impaired and Hard of Hearing.
Being Deaf refers to individuals whose hearing loss is at a certain extent where he/she relies on Sign language as their means of communication and learning. The Hearing Impaired is made up of who experience hearing loss but in contrast to Deaf people they have the choice and the ability to make use of spoken languages and lip-reading. The last group is the Hard of hearing who identify themselves as ether having the same or similar needs to the Deaf or the Hearing impaired group. Thus this will depend on their degree of
The book named “Deaf Again” has been written by “Mark Drolsbaugh”. In the underlying book, the author provides the detailed information about the life of the young boy named Mark who was deaf since birth but spends his life without any trouble. The boy was very intelligent and struggle too much for his deafness. The boy was very happy with his life and never feels to anyone that he is deaf. He spends a peaceful life with his mother and father. His mother and father were also deaf. The main purpose of the author for writing this book is to inform the readers about the struggles of the deaf boy (Ginsburg et.al, 2013).
Padden, Carol and Humphries, Tom (1988). Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Disability is a ‘complex issue’ (Alperstein, M., Atkins, S., Bately, K., Coetzee, D., Duncan, M., Ferguson, G., Geiger, M. Hewett, G., et al.., 2009: 239) which affects a large percentage of the world’s population. Due to it being complex, one can say that disability depends on one’s perspective (Alperstein et al., 2009: 239). In this essay, I will draw on Dylan Alcott’s disability and use his story to further explain the four models of disability being The Traditional Model, The Medical Model, The Social Model and The Integrated Model of Disability. Through this, I will reflect on my thoughts and feelings in response to Dylan’s story as well as to draw on this task and my new found knowledge of disability in aiding me to become
The documentary of “Through Deaf Eyes” has open my eyes to the deaf culture. The movie has made it “click” that deaf people are just that people and individuals like me. Deaf community has its struggles just like everyone else. They struggle with growing into who they are as a person, harmful situations, and feeling a sense of belonging. They just speak a different language like Italians and Hispanics. Communicating with a different language does not make them lesser than a hearing person. When able to learn to communicate, the deaf are able to learn and gain knowledge just like a hearing person. The only difference is they have to learn more and work harder to achieve their goals and gain knowledge, which a hearing person learns just by hearing their surroundings.
...people making decisions for the deaf community. The past resulted in the strengthening of unity in the culture. “They claim the right to “personal diversity”, which is “something to be cherished rather than fixed and erased” (Tucker, 1997).
Mark Drolsbaugh’s Deaf Again is a biography about his life between two dimensions of the Deaf world and the Hearing world as well as the implications he faced throughout his journeys’. Mark Drolsbaugh was born from two deaf parents and was basically forced to adapt to the hearing world even though his parents are deaf. When Drolsbaugh was born he was hearing, however, by first grade his parents and teachers discovered he was losing his hearing. As time went on Mark realized the issues he faced from trying to adapt to the hearing world. Mark Drolsbaugh quotes in his biography, “Deafness is bad. I am deaf. I need to be fixed. I must be like them, no matter what, because deaf is bad.” However, no matter what his family believed that he
While reading Mark Drolsbaugh’s Deaf Again where he wrote about his experiences with becoming postlingually deaf, I realized that I was able to relate to some of the situations he encountered, especially when he spoke of his frustrating childhood due to his disability. As he grew older, he needed to find new ways to cope with and accept his deafness. Because of his unique viewpoint with deaf parents who were not allowed to sign around him, the book gave readers a different perspective to look at deafness with. Drolsbaugh’s personal account of his life was inspirational as he grew up with a truly exceptional situation, yet was able to overcome his obstacles and become successful after he quit denying who he really was.
Deaf and hearing impaired individuals are know longer an out cast group. They now have there own deaf community. Deaf individuals do not consider themselves having an impairment, handicap, or any type of disability. They believe that through the use of sign language, other communication skills, and technology that there deafness is the way they are supposed to be. Many people who have perfect hearing can not understand deaf people and why they embrace there deafness instead of trying to receive hearing and get rid of there handicap. However not all deaf people have th...
(Moskowitz, 2010) The Christian church was the driving authority in the treatment of the Deaf. Their belief was that deafness was decided by God, likely as a punishment- perhaps because of a parent’s sin, this led to the hiding of deaf children. (Kyle, 2000) Even though it was thought that because deafness was a punishment that it could not be cured unless through a miracle. Still, priests would attempt to treat the ears of the deaf for over a thousand years. This included going to harsh and torturous lengths in the effort to gain the ability to hear and speak. It was the church’s views that prohibited deaf people from owning land, receiving an education, and from marrying. (Kyle, 2000) Before there were deaf schools, it seems that deaf people lived in isolated communities where there was little contact between signers. Residential schools provided safe signing zones where children were able to learn more about their language and culture. For many, a residential school was their first introduction to sign language used widespread or even the beginning of their language development as only 5 to 10% of deaf children are born into deaf signing families (Schembri and Lucas,
Have you ever felt like there was nothing that you can do for your child? In this book, Deaf Like Me, by Thomas S. Spradley and James P. Spradley, I can see the journey that Lynn’s parents took to get her help. (Spradley & Spradley, 1978). This book was an excellent read. I really liked the way that they described the ways they tried to help Lynn to understand the world around her. The book, is a great asset for any family that might be unexpectedly put into a situation that they know nothing about such as a deaf child.
In mainstream American society, we tend to approach deafness as a defect. Helen Keller is alleged to have said, "Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people." (rnib.org) This seems a very accurate description of what Keller's world must have been. We as hearing people tend to pity deaf people, or, if they succeed in the hearing world, admire them for overcoming a severe handicap. We tend to look at signing as an inferior substitute for "real" communication. We assume that all deaf people will try to lip-read and we applaud deaf people who use their voices to show us how far they have come from the grips of their disability. Given this climate, many hearing people are surprised, as I was at first, to learn of the existence of Deaf culture. To me deafness is not a defect but a source of connection. Imagine yourself deaf, growing up with a beautiful language, visual literature, humor, and theater. Imagine taking pride in your identity without any desire to become a member of the majority culture. For many deaf people, their community is a comforting relief from the isolation and condescension of the hearing world. However the Deaf community is far more than a support group for people who share a physical characteristic. Members of the Deaf community may have hearing levels that range from profoundly deaf to slightly hard-of-hearing. But no members of the Deaf community are "hearing impaired." Inside this community, deaf people become Deaf, proudly capitalizing their culture. Hearing people suddenly find that they are handicapped: "Deaf-impaired."
In this paper, I will be discussing Sharon Duchesneau and Candy McCollough’s thoughts on creating a deaf child. I will first explain Sharon and Candy’s argument for creating a deaf child. I will conclude by explaining and responding to a possible objection that could be made to their argument.
Several assistive listening devices can improve the communication ability of deaf children. According to IDEA, every child with a disability is entitled to have access to assistive technology (California Department of Education, 2004). The California Department of Education (2004) outlines IDEA’s definition of an assistive technology device. It explains that this device consists of “any item, piece of equipment or product system…that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability” (California Department of Education, 2004, p. 1).
It could be said that in modern industrial society, disability is still widely regarded as a tragic individual failing, in which its “victims” require care, sympathy and medical diagnosis. Whilst medical science has served to improve and enhance the quality of life for many, it could be argued that it has also led to further segregation and separation of many individuals. This could be caused by its insistence on labelling one as “sick”, “abnormal” or “mental”. Consequently, what this act of labelling and diagnosing has done, is enforce the societal view that a disability is an abnormality that requires treatment and that any of its “victims” should do what is required to be able to function in society as an able bodied individual. The social model of disability argues against this and instead holds the view that it is society, not the individual, that needs to change and do what is required, so that everyone can function in society.
Provided with the viewpoints on both the medical model and social model of disability, it is clear that these two concepts differ in terms of the definition of disability as well as the attitude of society towards people with disabilities. It is evident that people with disabilities veer towards the social model rather than the medical model. It is essential to acknowledge that Deafness is categorised as a medical disability within the individual as well as a societal disability, as society is not equipped enough to deal with the communication barriers that stem from hearing impairments.