Deafness is defined as lacking or deficient in the sense of hearing or unwilling to hear or listen. Deafness is listed as a disability according to Americans with Disability Act (ADA). According to Gallaudet University Library, there are about 38 million people who are deaf in the U.S. Founder editor of the ifeminist.com, Wendy McElroy, in Victims from Birth, talks about two deaf lesbian parents who believe that deafness is not a disability but a culture. They select their sperm donor on the basis of his family history of deafness in order to deliver a deaf baby, Gauvin Hughes McCullough. He is "successfully " born deaf and is living without hearing aid. Neuroethicist, Neil Levy, PhD, in "Deafness, culture, and choice ", discusses the situation and he points out several disadvantages that Gauvin will face in the future. Gauvin Hughes McCullough's parents did not act appropriately in denying him a hearing aid because this will disadvantage him in education, career, and social life.
Gauvin will face difficulties in his education. Levy mentions that "On average, the deaf do much worse than the hearing on a range of significant indicators of quality of life: [including] educational levels."" Depending on where Gauvin lives, he may not have access to the resources he needs for his education, therefore, this may affects him. Usually large cities would have deaf-only schools or deaf program in mainstream schools, in which deaf students can have a more friendly and comfortable environment to study. However, if one lives in a small town, which usually has a rather low population of deaf people, there may not have deaf-only schools. Also, mainstream schools in small town may not have enough funds to establish and support a deaf program. Therefore, the deaf students will have to take regular classes with the help of interpreters. However some question whether the interpreters can give precise interpretations when comes to learning technical terms in classes such as organic chemistry.
