Atcherson, S.R. (Winter 2002)

Atcherson, S.R. (Winter 2002) - JAMPHL

Volume 1 Number 1, Winter 2002

Editorial
Un-Silencing the Deaf World and Un-Deafening the Hearing World

"I look one last time tonight into the vast expanse of space. Far out there is Beta Lyrae - two worlds orbiting one another. To me there is something wonderful about binary stars. Two worlds which share energy. Yet, usually one star in the pair is larger and brighter and it overwhelms the retina of human vision. To the unaided eye, these two stars appear as one. In the darkness, as the breeze softly blows, I think about the worlds of hearing and deaf persons. Different worlds. Companion worlds. To the unaided student of the history of science, these worlds, too, appear as one." (Lang, 1994)

      The above quote was extracted from Dr. Henry Lang's book, Silence of the Spheres, for good a reason. In this book, Dr. Lang gives a historical look at the interplay between science and deaf people. He celebrates the accomplishments of deaf scientists previously unknown, unpublished until the availability of this book. Perhaps the take-home message of this book is that what once was a silenced sphere (i.e., the deaf world) no longer is. The binary relationship is now being recognized. But how was the deaf world silenced in the first place?

      Blame may be placed on poor historical account, but the idea that the deaf sphere was "silenced" may also lie elsewhere. First, there was difficulty in distinguishing between hearing disorders. People were categorized into two groups: hearing or deaf. Those with less severe hearing loss, by today's standards, were considered deaf unless their hearing could be corrected using a contraption such as a hearing aid horn. Some of these deaf people were particularly adept at lip-reading; others developed elaborate communication systems such as having an interpreter draw linguistic representations on the deaf person's leg underneath the table. In either of these cases, these individuals would go almost undetected, thereby, appearing as hearing individuals. Second, the attitudes of deaf people varied throughout history. In the case of some of these deaf scientists, hearing colleagues perceived them as being no different. For those who encountered colleagues prejudiced against deafness, their contributions and accomplishments were never publicized.

      Today, individuals with hearing loss—and their accomplishments—are hard to ignore. Advances have been made in the diagnostic knowledge and technology that are identifying newborns with hearing loss and distinguishing the many hearing disorders. Rehabilitative technology (i.e., hearing aids and cochlear implants) as well as compensatory strategies have changed the way individuals with hearing impairment function in the hearing world. Changes have been made in the education of children with hearing loss. Laws mandate equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities (in certain parts of the world). People are living longer, and it is not uncommon to see grandparents complaining of hearing difficulties. Now, people with hearing loss constitute one of the largest and most heterogeneous groups in terms of communicative function. Hearing loss is not as "invisible" as it once was.

      Despite the growth, heterogeneity, and advances that have been made, the one thing that still stands strong is the will and desire of individuals with hearing loss to grow and to succeed at whatever they may put their hearts to. A silenced deaf sphere can only mean ignorance of the hearing sphere to the contributions of deaf people. It is as if the hearing world was once "deaf" itself to the contributions of deaf people. Today, the many accomplishments of individuals with hearing loss, proliferated by the printing press, world wide web, radios and television, have put a set of hearing aids on the hearing world, and the subtleties can no longer be rejected, ignored and unheard. The hearing world can now "hear" the deaf world. It is an exciting time!

      On behalf of the executive board of the AMPHL, I welcome you to the new on-line Journal of the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses, abbreviated JAMPHL. This issue begins the first of what we hope will be a long line of papers related to and important for medical professionals with hearing loss and those who work with medical professionals with hearing loss. Articles found in JAMPHL will primarily be written by and for medical professionals and students with hearing impairment. However, JAMPHL is not limited to submissions from medical professionals and students with hearing loss. From time to time, we will call upon others to make relevant contributions to the journal.

      In this issue, we have some exciting papers to kick JAMPHL off with a bang! Dr. Zazove, clinical faculty member of the University of Michigan Medical School, speaks to students with hearing loss who are considering acceptance to healthcare programs. Stacey Cordwell Carroll, current board member of AMPHL, provides updates on the progress of the clear surgical face mask. Dr. Dodge describes the aftermath of the most recent AMPHL conference in Miamisburg, OH. Finally, I write about the issue of stigma and misconceptions of hearing loss and their implications for healthcare professionals with hearing loss.

      Also in this issue is a section on clinical humor, a book review, and some featured website links. Beginning with the second issue, we will have a true "Ask the Audiologist" section. This section will begin as you start directing your questions to Dr. Richard Wright, a private practice audiologist of 20+ years.

     JAMPHL welcomes submissions for any of the sections described above. You are encouraged to find individuals who can make contributions to JAMPHL. We can be reached for questions at: jamphl@amphl.org.

Enjoy!

Samuel R. Atcherson, M.Ed.
JAMPHL Editor-in-Chief

References

Lang, H.G. (1994). Silence of the Spheres: The Deaf Experience in the History of science. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.

REFERENCE CITATION:
Atcherson, S.R. (2002). Editorial: Un-Silencing the Deaf World and Un-Deafening the Hearing World. Journal of the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses, 1. Retrieved Month/Day/Year, from http://www.amphl.org/jamphl/fall2002/editorial.html.