Signed Version - How Many Senses Do Deaf People Have ?



The number doesn't actually matter. What's cool to realize is that it's way more than we previously thought. What's important is that the level, sensitivity, and use that HUMANS get out of a sense isn't uniform across the board. No matter how we may appear to fit the current social construct of 'normal.'



Why does this happen? Because of biodiversity. And the concept of biodiversity is important why?



Many reasons. Here's a big one:



Because the social model of disability has told us for years, that, "while physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychological variations may cause individual functional limitation or impairments, these do not have to lead to a disability unless society fails to take account of and include people regardless of their individual differences."

With so much diversity of ability happening in every single person on the planet, it's amazing that a large majority have banded together to consider themselves "normal" (read: everybody is the exact same) while others are not. "The difference between the needs that many disabled people have and the needs of people who are not labelled as disabled is that non-disabled people have had their dependencies normalized. The world has been built to accommodate certain needs and call the people who need those things independent, while other needs are considered exception." (AJ Withers, "Disability Politics and Theory")



When we realize that we all have different abilities, and consequently, different needs, dependencies that are very real, even though they have been largely 'normalized.' Maybe this helps us see ourselves in others with a little bit more empathy, maybe we find a bit more compassion from within, maybe we recognize our humanity a bit more markedly, and maybe, we can build a more inclusive future. - ewitty