Yes, I am Deaf! When I take off my CI processors at night, I am 100% deaf! You love to argue for the sake of arguing......Are you a Deaf Studies professor? An Audiologist? An ASL interpreter? Or you just know one deaf person and gather all your information based on that? In other words, you only know one deaf person and assume all deaf people are the same. I suggest you take a Deaf Studies class at a local University or an ASL class. You'd be surprised.......

I appologize for saying "you loserville", my husband typed that in when I wasn't looking. I'm not trying to be insultuous. When I did telemarketing in Bend, Oregon for 3 years, I had a deaf friend with me. We asked questions face to face and on the telephone. It was no problem! The people we've contacted were understanding and would speak up for us. It riles me up when people are so assumptive.

Okay, what a minute. Who says I can't hear, sing, understand spoken language, various sounds of the natural world (that signify danger)? I CAN and DO hear those things constantly, FYI. Don't assume I can't perceive sound. In Bend, Oregon, I was a telemarketer for 3 years. I did just fine in communicating face to face and on the cellphone, and I'm not denying my condition. You love to argue, and keep arguing for the sake of arguing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you! Some people just don't get it, and they continue to have doubts about the Deaf community surviving in this world.

Deaf people are NOT disabled! When lip-reading, deaf people can read lips. Sound is not important to them, and it doesn't cause ambiguity. It can be confusing for people who've lost their hearing later in life. Maybe that's what you're referring to. Deaf people who have never heard of sound are different than people who are later-deafened. Hope this makes sense.

Pardon me, you're right, this is a forum not an email. Your comment about tinnitus is very rude.

Woah!!!! Excuse me? A Deaf person can be as QUALIFIED as a hearing person, if not more qualified. You've got some nerve. We are all not retarded, you are.

(This was supposed to be tagged as yes)

I really don't mean to sound like I'm taking this debate as a personal attack against deaf people. It's just frustrating when hearing people, think that deaf people are a burden to our society. That is unnecessary. How would you feel if you're deaf and you need some assistance, when people shun you? My other question is why do you have adjust your behavior when trying to talk to your deaf relative? Is it because it's harder to slow down and repeat words clearly, so the deaf person can understand you? It's lack of patience. We need to be patient with people who have needs.

You don't understand, just because I have a cochlear implant doesn't mean my deafness is "cured". The surgery itself, removes all the residual hearing I've had prior to the implants. That makes me deaf. With the implants and peripherals, I have 97% hearing. I can hear just as well as everyone else, maybe more. Your comment is really uncalled for when you said "I can only offer you condolences that your brain cannot map out speech very well due to the lack of adult brain plasticity." That's harsh.

Also, FYI, I have a Masters Degree from Portland State University in Business and surviving quite well! :)