As the media takes over and technology advances, America is flooded with the image of “the perfect person.” This person is smart, well-rounded, amicable, and perhaps most importantly: physically flawless. Many Americans strive to reach this ideal, and will undergo just about anything to attain it. Those who cannot reach such a high bar, or simply have no desire to, are seen as less-than, and outcast from mainstream society. The oppression towards the Deaf community in the United States is an age-old example of a society trying to impose its agenda of perfectionism on a minority group without considering the needs and opinions of those affected. Through the oral method of schooling, along with technological progression such as cochlear implants and eugenics or genetic engineering, American culture has shown yet again its obsession with…show more content… For babies that fail their newborn hearing test, once they are confirmed as Deaf or Hard-of Hearing, the parents are given options for next steps. These overwhelmed mothers and fathers obviously want what is best for their child, but what they do not know is that the medical community is biased, and may only selectively tell parents the full range of options available for their child's future. Most likely, parents will be told that the best option for their Deaf child is to learn to speak, and to be surgically fitted with a device that may help their speech production and listening skills, making them more “hearing.” As technology advances and progresses, the desire to "cure" hearing loss is at an all-time high. The medical community, as well as parts of the educational community, pushes to take action and implant children with cochlear implants as young as possible, without considering the underlying issues, both medical and
