No Such Thing as a “Blind Culture”

Abstract

Cochlear implant technology has altered the landscape for the Deaf and for those who provide services to the profoundly hearing impaired. As indicated by Teagle in one of the companion articles, cochlear implants afford the profoundly hearing impaired child the ability to circumvent the effects of deafness. Cochlear implants, as indicated by Lee in the other companion article, are regarded differently by members of the Deaf Community where some see the technology as a threat to Deaf Culture. Members of a different community, which comprises the visually impaired, cite lack of a common language as the main argument against the existence of a “Blind Culture.” As indicated by Pierce “We [the blind] often enjoy each other's company, and we certainly spend time together working on the problems that face what we often call the ‘blind community,’ but I would argue that this community is different from an actual culture.”