Hearing Loss and Deafness 181and the group walk through the large shopping mall seeking supplies and provisions, using ani-
mated signs, gestures, and facial expressions. Many people stop and stare.
In the corner of the mall sits a man begging for money because of deafness and offering small
cards showing fin ger- spelling and basic signs in return for donations. When your friends see him,
they immediately storm toward him, and you know an altercation will soon erupt. Your friends
are activists in the Association for Better Communication (ABC), and they have little tolerance for
deaf beggars.
Just as you feared, a confrontation begins, drawing a crowd of onlookers. Although most of
the activists use only sign language, some are capable of speech and they attack the beggar with
both. The speech is for the benefit of the growing crowd and also because the activists believe the
beggar may be a con man feigning deafness for money. Soon a security officer arrives to protect
the beggar and disperse the crowd. Afterward, the ABC activists and you continue shopping for
camping and fishing supplies.
The canoeing and camping adventure begins early Saturday morning, as four canoes and
one small rubber raft filled with supplies slide into the picturesque river. You and one of the
younger women paddle the third canoe quietly through the winding river. After the group stops
for lunch, you and your canoe partner change positions. She is now at the front of the canoe,
with you at the back. Soon the river loses its tranquility. As it picks up increasing speed around
a bend, you see the rapids. Your canoeing partner is distracted while trying to locate sun block
lotion in a backpack. Suddenly, directly ahead is a large collapsed tree nearly blocking the river.
There is only a small area for your canoe to pass, and immediate action is necessary. You shout
to your partner to paddle to the left side of the river as quickly as pos si ble. Then, realizing that
shouting is not likely to draw her attention, you probe her with your paddle and point to the tree.
Just in time, disaster is averted.
That eve ning, after the group feasts on one small freshly caught trout and the just- in- case food-
stuffs, the discussion turns to cochlear implants. A heated argument quickly develops about the
social pros and cons of this new technology that reportedly restores partial hearing. Two campers
strongly oppose it, arguing that deafness is not a disability but rather a linguistic minority condi-
tion. They describe their pride in the deaf community and believe that no surgery should make
them something they are not: hearing persons. They also argue that surgeons, audiologists, teach-
ers, and therapists work in their own interests; their professions depend on it. According to the two
campers, they should leave “well enough alone.” They take pride in their language and culture and
are perfectly content with who they are.
Two other campers are equally adamant that deaf persons should be given the opportunity to
hear. They note that deafness can be a deterrent to some occupations and professions, and that
even with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the freedom and vocational opportunities for
people with deafness can be limited. Cochlear implants can be given to very young children, they
say, creating learning opportunities previously unavailable. One camper comments on the real ity
of deafness, using the narrowly averted canoeing disaster as an example. Even though cochlear
implants do not restore or create normal hearing, he obser ves, a person with the device could easily
have been warned, reducing the risk of potential drowning.