[sampo]

> I think it's important to be respectfully tolerant of genetic defects, i.e. mistreating a deaf person would really upset me, because we know a deaf person cannot 'get over it

There have been attempts, though, to make deaf people "get over it" by trying to teach them lip reading, and speaking word even though they cannot hear themselves what they are saying. They have not been very successful.

"In 1980, a vocational school for deaf adolescents was opened in the area of Managua called Villa Libertad. By 1983 there were over 400 deaf students enrolled in the two schools. Initially, the language program emphasized spoken Spanish and lipreading, and the use of signs by teachers was limited to fingerspelling (using simple signs to sign the alphabet)."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_Sign_Language

[michaelmrose]

Since only a small fraction of people are unable to hear at all to the point where ASL not a hearing aid would be beneficial wouldn't it be easier and more practical to teach them both ASL and lip reading and speaking to the degree that is feasible.

In theory it would be fantastic to get the 95% to all learn ASL to better communicate it doesn't seem likely to happen. ASL for example isn't on my personal to do list not because I don't care but because I have other things higher on the list.

[wallace_f]

That's interesting, however it sounds as though you're intending this as some kind of disagreement with what I said?