Banjo appears to be one of those privileged deaf who do not belong to the majority of deaf whom he described as having a poor command of language and/or unemployed. He has no reason to want any change because he’s comfortable with life as it is and appears to be financially & economically independent.

It will be interesting to hear from one who’s struggled with making a living, whether that person would pop a pill that would cure deafness, or apply for citizenship in a country that has an ecosystem where signing deaf make a living on par with hearing & oral persons.

Or perhaps we will never hear from them as they are probably up to the brow struggling with life and daily issues. Who has the time to discuss identity when the basics are not even met?

Here is Asia, we see foreigners streaming to Singapore for a better chance at life. We see “peidu” mamas working hard to support their kids so that they have a better foundation for life in a highly competitive world. They are Chinese, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, etc. Why? So that they can get on with life. Do they have an identity? Yes they do. By coming to Singapore, learning English, and working hard in life, are they losing their identity? No. Yet, it’s necessary. The world doesn’t stop for anyone. Deaf or not, it’s often up to us to try to stay relevant in our era. Otherwise, we get snuffed out in a world where the fittest survives.

If economic and financial independence is only available to the privileged few among the deaf elite, I would say, listen to the majority. Their views, often unheard, would probably be more reflective of the realities, whether deaf persons want to hear or remain in their silent world.

PS. I am deaf. I am a quiet person, & prefer solitude to socialising anytime. Yet, I choose to hear because that’s the most practical option of communicating with the world at large. No regrets ‘cos it has made me a survivor in a dynamic world.