This is my favorite newsletter. As someone who is totally blind, I found the podcast on cures for deafness especially interesting. Stories like this always get me thinking. In one sense, human ingenuity used to cure disabilities, if done properly, could glorify God. On the other hand, I understood what the ethicist was getting at when people get too excited about cures, and then children miss out on critical language development if the treatment does not work. I am so blessed to be totally blind because it meant teaching me to read and write print was out of the question. But I know of many people who had some vision in childhood, but braille was so stigmatized that they weren't taught this skill, and then when they often lost vision in adulthood, they were unprepared, struggling needlessly. I think children should learn how to live with, and ideally nurture a positive attitude about their disability in childhood, and then when they are adults and can consent for themselves, they can choose whether they want a cure. And we as a society, especially Christians should respect those who choose not to take the cure because as Amy Kenny said, God created over 6,000 types of tulips. Maybe people with disabilities are an important part of the beautiful diversity God intended.
You're always so kind to us, Allison! Thanks! I happen to be one of those blind people who never learned Braille, not because of stigma, but because I had enough vision that I could still read and write with a magnifier. So I didn't miss out during those crucial developmental stages, but I lost that vision later and effectively taught myself screen readers. Not at all a process I recommend. I now very much subscribe to the idea that partially blind people should learn all the skills of a fully blind person. And I absolutely agree that leaving the stigma behind in favor of a picture of God's beautiful diversity would go so far toward helping so many people flourish.
This is my favorite newsletter. As someone who is totally blind, I found the podcast on cures for deafness especially interesting. Stories like this always get me thinking. In one sense, human ingenuity used to cure disabilities, if done properly, could glorify God. On the other hand, I understood what the ethicist was getting at when people get too excited about cures, and then children miss out on critical language development if the treatment does not work. I am so blessed to be totally blind because it meant teaching me to read and write print was out of the question. But I know of many people who had some vision in childhood, but braille was so stigmatized that they weren't taught this skill, and then when they often lost vision in adulthood, they were unprepared, struggling needlessly. I think children should learn how to live with, and ideally nurture a positive attitude about their disability in childhood, and then when they are adults and can consent for themselves, they can choose whether they want a cure. And we as a society, especially Christians should respect those who choose not to take the cure because as Amy Kenny said, God created over 6,000 types of tulips. Maybe people with disabilities are an important part of the beautiful diversity God intended.
You're always so kind to us, Allison! Thanks! I happen to be one of those blind people who never learned Braille, not because of stigma, but because I had enough vision that I could still read and write with a magnifier. So I didn't miss out during those crucial developmental stages, but I lost that vision later and effectively taught myself screen readers. Not at all a process I recommend. I now very much subscribe to the idea that partially blind people should learn all the skills of a fully blind person. And I absolutely agree that leaving the stigma behind in favor of a picture of God's beautiful diversity would go so far toward helping so many people flourish.