The Deaf or The Blind

[SnowyMacie]

I was the watching The Mentalist, well right now, and there was an important character is this episode that was blind. This reminded me of the question; would rather be married to a blind person or a deaf person? Don't make make complicated by throwing in other factors. Simple question. Please say why as well.

 

[Nom De Guerre]

Neither.

 

[K9_Trainer]

Well, considering I don't know sign language, my only option would be a blind person. I wouldn't be able to communicate to somebody that's deaf, and thus we couldn't get to know each other.

I don't know if you consider that throwing in a factor or not, but that's reality for ya.

Assuming I could communicate in sign language, I would probably prefer a deaf person if I had to choose between the two.

 

[-MaRyy*]

i would pick blind because communication is so important in a relationship

 

[septemberskies]

i would pick blind because communication is so important in a relationship

My thoughts too

 

[traingosorry]

Deaf but only because I can communicate and understand the culture.

 

[Im_A]

I was the watching The Mentalist, well right now, and there was an important character is this episode that was blind. This reminded me of the question; would rather be married to a blind person or a deaf person? Don't make make complicated by throwing in other factors. Simple question. Please say why as well.

I was engaged to someone who was very hard of hearing. She required hearing aids.
I briefly dated someone who was tone deaf.
I never knew that there was a world of difference.

I have never dated someone blind so I cannot answer that question.

 

[Im_A]

On a funny note:
Those two individuals were fun to be around with though. I have a speech problem. So it is like chaos, and chaos is fun.

The girl that is tone deaf laughed so hard at the restaurant one time when I told her, "You are tone deaf, and I can't speak. We are a pair".

 

[Obzocky]

I may add factors, that's how I roll.

I wouldn't have a preference. Why? Because once you've adjusted to the individual requirements of the relationship I don't think any degree of deafness or blindness has that much of an impact on a relationship.

I can clumsily sign and really once you get used to it and keep using it the movements become second nature. So presuming they were deaf from the point of dating i'd imagine you'd get to be relatively accurate by the time you're Mr & Mrs. If deafness occurs at some point after the exchange of vows it would take adjustment for both parties and, again, I can't see it being a big issue. Blindness, again, takes adjusting to but isn't really that big of a deal.

I find there are far more pressing issues when it comes to a spouse than their ability to see or hear.

 

[MacFall]

Blind, because she would be less likely to care about my looks, and because communication is of paramount importance to me and I don't know sign language. And because I would want to share my music with her.

 

[white dove]

This question is so weird to me.. but I understand the curiosity of it all. Although I am used to communicating with someone with a hearing problem and I think sign language is beautiful, I might prefer a blind man.. simply because I find the way that they view the world so fascinating. I'm such a visual person.. to be able to relate to, communicate with and experience the world with a person who's never experienced things the way I do? I would just think that would be amazing. It's also a very "tactile" way of experiencing, which of course caters to my more "hands-on" personality. I think it would work beautifully.

 

[LadyOfMystery]

Either, doesn't matter.

If I marry someone deaf - I'll have already learned sign language to talk to them. So communicating wouldn't be a problem.

If I marry someone blind - I don't see why it would be a problem.

Both have plenty of opprotunities, both would help me greatly in compassion and learning new things.

And besides - there are so many doors open for blind and deaf people it wouldn't be like I was marrying an invalid. There are helper dogs, canes, careers, and everything.


Edited to add: Since I would have dated the person before marrying them I would learn sign language after the first date if I really felt like they were worth the effort.

 

[Blank123]

either. I may not know sign language or the deaf culture, but that doesn't mean i couldn't learn. Besides that.... there are variations to hearing impairment and many can read lips and of course are still able to talk, so deaf doesn't = complete inability to communicate.

everyone comes with their own abilities and inabilities that makes that person who they are, so i really don't have a preference.

 

[Marycita]

Either

 

[Amber.ly]

Deaf. I know sign language. And they can be a lot more independant than a blind person.

My biggest issue wouldn't be the deaf/blind factor but that either of those could come with a dog to help them. *shudder* No way am I dealing with pets if I can avoid it.

 

[Tink]

Either.

There are so many things that could be missed out on either way, but I trust the Lord to do what He wills.

 

[penNpaper]

Well I don't have a specific -I want- or -I want this- because I am vision-impaired and that if the Lord doesn't heal me (being realistic) I will go blind unless there is a future where I can get me some niffy Geordi Laforge Visor Glasses so I am saying that on all vision-impaired/blinded people out there on their behalf.

I always been the attitude that it doesn't matter what disability the person has - God and Love can do a lot. When love is in the picture doesn't matter what sort of flaws or disabilities that person has - you will simply love them as them and accept them as who the Lord has created them to be.

God Bless,
Drew

 

[PinkSweetart]

Blind, because she would be less likely to care about my looks, and because communication is of paramount importance to me and I don't know sign language. And because I would want to share my music with her.

I was going to say the same thing.

Only I'd aslo like to add the it really wouldn't matter. And I plan to study sign language in the future, so dating someone who was deaf wouldn't be a problem... in the future. Until then I suppose we would have to use note pads.

 

[Lord Herdsetk]

Depends on the girl. If she's my type, then it wouldn't matter if she was deaf or blind. There's no way I'd let something that trivial stand between me and my woman.

 

[traingosorry]

It's not so cut and dry to say one simply needs to learn the language in order to be with a deaf person. Certainly being able to communicate in a visual language would help bridge the gap, but they would also have to be aware and sensitive of what the Deaf experience is; it's not just about living without one of the five senses, but more importantly, what it's like for them to live with oppression.

Even as a kid who wore hearing aids but identified herself as a hearing person, I used to think, oh I'll just learn sign language and I'll be able to communicate with others who can't hear and it will be awesome! So I learned the language, but I also learned along the way that those of us who live dependant on being able to hear really are so oblivious to the stigmas and prejudices of deafness. The Deaf really could not care any less about being able to hear, they just want to be treated as equal.

I don't mean to go off on a rant, but I just want to point out to those who answer that they would choose the deaf person because they simply need to learn the language - what happens if the Deaf person decides they want nothing to do with you? They might rather be with someone deaf and have a deaf family. The cultural divide is not always about race or religion.

*leaps off the soapbox. As you were!