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Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education Advance Access published online on July 6, 2005
The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, doi:10.1093/deafed/eni040
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org
Received April 10, 2005
Revised May 12, 2005
Accepted May 14, 2005

Article

In One's Own Image: Ethics and the Reproduction of Deafness

Trevor Johnston 1*

1 Renwick College, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, University of Newcastle

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Trevor Johnston, E-mail: trevor.johnston{at}ling.mq.edu.au


  Abstract

The ethics of the use of genetic screening and reproductive technologies to select against and for deafness is presented. It is argued that insofar as deafness is a disability it is ethical to act in such a way as to avoid the conception or birth of children with genetic or congenital deafness. The discovery and recognition of signing deaf communities as cultural and linguistic communities (minorities) does not alter this basic ethical position, although the consequences of widespread application of this technology appears destined to lead to the eventual disappearance of these communities. The argument that acting to avoid deafness is unethical because it will lead to the elimination of a linguistic or cultural group (genocide or ethnocide) or conversely that acting to ensure deafness is ethical, if not praiseworthy, can only be sustained if deafness is not regarded as a disability at all. I argue that the premise that deafness is not a disability of some sort is false and thus the claim that genetic selection against deafness is unethical and untenable.


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