Heated reaction to deaf couple’s plea for deaf child
March 11th, 2008BBC Radio Four commentator John Humphreys interviews Tomato Lichy on the Today program. Lichy, an artist and designer, and his partner Paula Garfield have challenged the UK’s pending Human Fertilization and Embryology (HFE) bill, which would block any attempt by deaf couples to use modern medical techniques to ensure that their children are deaf.
Lichy, Garfield and their daughter are deaf. Lichy responds to Humphreys’ questions in sign language; the voice heard is a translator. The show is not subtitled, nor is a transcript provided.
Reactions were immediate.
Some ‘gifts’ one is better off without, by Andrew O’Hagan in the [UK] Telegraph
Dominic Lawson: Of course a deaf couple want a deaf child, in the [UK] Independent
The hearing’s difficulties: As a debate on choosing embryos shows, the big disability deaf people face is others’ attitudes, by Cathy Heffernan in the [UK] Guardian
Editor’s note: In response to reader requests, I’ve made an unofficial partial transcript. Yes, I type fast.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 5:02 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, abortion, deaf/hearing impairment, human rights, law, prenatal diagnosis, public attitudes, quality of life, stereotypes.
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