I was born Deaf, but became deaf through a marvel of technology:  the hearing-aid. What’s the difference between Deaf and deaf? Heart language and culture. There is a range in the severity of deafness. Mine was severe enough so I could not hear well enough to use a spoken language. Fortunately, hearing aids became available to me when I was in second grade. They were very large and expensive. With the hearing aid I could learn to speak English with the help of a Speach Therapist. My therapist also taught me how to read lips. English became my heart language, not ASL. So I was able to make my way through public schools. I barely made it to college, but then almost flunked out in my first term. By changing to a different major and minor, I had more teachers who spoke English without an accent. That made all the difference for me. I struggled all the way to graduation. Continue reading →