RiverDog
Well-known member
Willyeye":34ct7tn6 said:It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. I kind of wish people in general would be more aware of how well deaf people are able to function in daily life. One of my close friends has been deaf since birth. He can't hear anything. As a young man he worked hard and became an architect. He's very successful. Not only is he able to drive just as good as me, but he is also a pilot. I remember when I first went up for a ride after he got his license, I was even a bit apprehensive thinking that a deaf person might have difficulty taking off and landing at airports. Flying without hearing has never been an issue for him.
He uses his cell phone for texting, obviously not while driving. He is able to speak pretty well. He reads lips and is able to function well in the world of hearing people. About the only thing I ever noticed is that occasionally he has a hard time reading the lips of certain people when he first meets them. Heck, I even have that problem with some people that mumble.
I would have no problem granting an exception to a deaf person that can show that his handicap is not a safety issue, and it sounds like your friend might be one of those that has learned how to compensate for his handicap.
But the onus must be on the individual to prove that he is not a safety hazard before a license is issued. Driving is not a right, it is a privilege.
I'm not even sure what the law is regarding the hearing impaired or if there are laws about playing car stereos so loud that you can't hear a warning device. We might be arguing a moot point.