Speaking of Ignorance, Deaf & Blind Schools in Ohio

Last year, State of Ohio was discussing merging their two campuses. Alumni are fighting a plan to create a single campus for the state schools for the deaf and the blind, saying mingling their student bodies will create safety and social problems. Even when their educational programs would remain separate?

Currently, there are about 12 schools in the United States teach blind students and deaf students on the same campus and so far their have been no major problems. They are not without problems but problems that leads to learning and getting rid of ignorance.

Is fear of merging due to ignorance? Will this compromise deaf students' self-esteem and conviction that deafness is not a handicap?

There's a deaf culture in a way that there's not a blind culture?

Students who may be ignorant could lead to teasing and bullying if the Ohio State School for the Blind and Ohio School for the Deaf share facilities such as a gym and cafeteria?

What happened to living in the "society" along with "other cultures"? There's should be an education of how to live with "other" cultures in the society including people with disabilities. National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) is one example of being part of the hearing culture as one of 8 colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology. Many students, both hearing and deaf faced one of their major issues was diversity and culture on campus. In 1968, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf was established and joined educational forces as one of the colleges of RIT. NTID supports 1,200 students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The Two Worlds Together documentary brings to light the cross-cultural barriers that occur when deaf and hearing students co-exist on one campus. Discussions with both deaf and hearing first-year students after the film will focus on your reactions and thoughts about your role in this unique setting. Strategies and resources for bridging communication gaps will also be shared.

In the past few years, the phrase "disabled people" have been changed "people with disabilities". A disability is a body function is impaired compare to the usual normal healthy abilities of a body and within a body, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment mental illness, and various types of chronic disease (like mulitiple scleorsis).

Its a tough and confusing world out there but once you take the time to understand the basic concept of cultural's point of view of the word "disability", you will know (hopefully) know what they are talking about.