Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Comparing babies: normal, blind and deaf are all different
I think the next two articles, part one and two, will help you understand better the way deaf people that are born deaf experience the “beginning of the life.”
Suppose three different babies are born simultaneously. Baby “A” is born hearing without a disability, Baby “B” is born blind and Baby “C” is born deaf. How would they experience life and develop differently?
Every baby receives erythromycin, an antibiotic, ointment in its eyes when it's born to prevent an eye infection. As a result, for approximately two weeks, newborns may experience blurry vision. Also for the next two months their vision may be dark and shadowy. After that, their vision becomes clear, unless they have vision impairment. Let's compare babies A, B, and C and how they experience their first two months of life.
Baby A and Baby B are aware of sound and environmental noises inside and outside of the buildings (i.e. intercom and other things in the hospital or home, wind, thunderstorms, etc.) Baby C is not.
Babies A and B vaguely recognize different people's voices, especially their mother's. Baby C does not.
Babies A and B excite when hearing the words, "milk" or "cooing" by their mother's, father's or nurse's voice. Baby C does not.
Babies A and B develop control over feels and scary noises such as objects being dropped. Baby C gets scared and frustrated through feels and puzzlement.
Babies A and B develop new and healthy curiosity. That’s when their education to experience things begins. Baby C continues as above.
(continued in article 53)
Of the Deaf People, By the Deaf People, For the Deaf