Lately there seems to be a bit of twisting of a particular quote on what Naomi Horton of Indiana Hear said not too long ago in a recent Indiana Hear
press release last year in June:
When deaf kids don’t consider themselves deaf… the magic begins.
The context of her quote is quite simple once your read the rest of the press release. It's from a point of view that when kids are having fun and are communicating with each other, they forget that they are deaf. Hence, the "magic begins." That press release provides a much better context in support of her quote. In fact, in the press release it stated that the kids when asked a question about camp they don't talk about their deafness:
....queried the children about what makes this camp special. A sample of the answers were: “swimming in the lake,” “horseback riding,” and “the friends we make.” None of campers surveyed even mentioned being deaf.
That's the gist of it. They have fun at camp forgetting completely about being deaf. The kids know they have a hearing loss or are deaf and certainly are not ignoring that very fact themselves.
Tyler McAchren, a Junior at Huntington University, was a chaperone this summer after attending as a camper for three years. McAchren who wears a cochlear implant was asked, “Do you consider yourself deaf?”
“I usually say I’m hearing, but I’m not opposed to using the word deaf either. After all without my implant I am profoundly deaf.”
Hear Indiana’s executive director, Naomi Horton, queried the children about what makes this camp special. A sample of the answers were: “swimming in the lake,” “horseback riding,” and “the friends we make.” None of campers surveyed even mentioned being deaf.
Naomi Horton spoke about the summer camp for deaf and hard of hearing kids with the goal to help build up their confidence and self esteem. Nothing more, nothing less.
“Camp reminds us all that deafness is no longer a limitation. Our campers amaze me with the gentle way they encourage each other to complete our challenge tasks. Our camp is fostering future leaders, not just within the hard of hearing and deaf community, but within the hearing world at large.”
The kids at summer camp communicate amongst themselves forgetting that they are deaf just like any other deaf kids who communicate whether by speaking, listening or signing. It is a common thing to forget about our deafness in our effortless moments whenever we communicate with other people but certainly have not forgotten that we have a hearing loss. It'd be ludicrous and delusional to think otherwise.
