While Patrick Boudreault’s “neo-eugenics” term may be effective as an attempt to bring a profound perspective change, I do not compare oralism and cochlear implants to eugenics.

My reason is found in the second root word of eugenics which is -genes. Neither oralism or cochlear implants involve genes. Cochlear implants surgeries are performed on and oralism taught to deaf gene non-carriers.

Alexander Graham Bell, on the other hand, promoted eugenics. Had his ideas been mandated as law, deaf people would have been forbidden from intermarriage. Along with sterilization, Bell believed this would decrease the chances of children being born deaf. The root word -genes is Greek for “born”.

However, in terms of neo-eugenics, stem cell treatments involves genes. And it is well on its way. Not only does the deaf community have hard questions ahead of them, the questions the the entire society must ask are much harder.