I’m sorry that your experience with Dr. Mike Deninger was not a positive one… but I am rather uncomfortable with your implication that the fact he is hearing is the reason that your “treatment” with him failed.

I don’t believe in judging someone on the basis of their hearing ability. In the same way that we as Deaf people don’t want to be discriminated against because we cannot hear, we shouldn’t discriminate against others because they can.

Yes, I support the idea of giving back to the Deaf Community… but even more importantly I believe in utilizing the best qualified individual who can provide the best quality services to meet my needs. That has to take precedence over whether the person is Deaf or hearing. This is especially true when we are talking about my health – I’m not going to go to a doctor simply because he happens to be Deaf… I’m going to go to him because he happens to be the best person capable of helping me with my medical problem.

I was formerly seeing a mental health professional who is herself Deaf… and she was not able to help me. We were unable to establish a good working relationship, even though she was Deaf herself and could sign. We just didn’t click. So I quit seeing her and found another therapist who happens to be hearing… and for me that was a big difference. The hearing therapist was able to help me where the Deaf therapist was not.

You were not able to “click” with Dr. Deninger, and that’s okay. I’m glad you were able to find someone else.

But please… let’s not go playing the “blame game” and start using the Deaf vs. hearing argument to justify every negative experience that we have.

Sometimes that has nothing to do with it.