You’re not my dad.

The hearing world does not think about people who are deaf very often and the deaf get along fine. Any time there is a pivot to considering the Deaf, the first impression tends to be "Unique, but also just like me." Without intervention, inclusivity from this premise is not inclusive. This is "paternalism", a flavor …

Irrationally speaking

To Mary, who encouraged me to share more personally. The problem with arguing rationally about issues of identity is that one risks missing the forest for the trees. In a formal sense, a position should stand exclusively on the merit of its arguments. But often the central reason for arguing is personal and irrational. In …

Language with a bionic ear

Last week I wrote about a very specific notion, deafhood, which I thought would help clarify the debate that exists over cochlear implants. Since then I've realized from talking with people that many aren't familiar with the debate itself. Rather than restate objective information that is published elsewhere, or attempt to characterize information I don't …