chapotraphouse

Agreed… disability is a biologically relative term, not socially relative. A society which fully accommodates deafness would not actually abolish deafness.

Someone I know has a hearing disability. It’s not like they are unable to survive without me, but hearing would absolutely make them safer at times. For example, when walking through a dangerous part of town, there is a reason hearing people don’t wear headphones. In nature, it’s a good thing if you can hear rattlesnakes or idk, a bear charing at you lol.

Does that mean a deaf person cannot live a life as rich as a hearing person? I don’t believe that at all. Like said above, there can be certain subjective upsides to deafness that might balance the losses. But it’s still a disability.