Genetics and Deafness: Impacts on the Deaf Community

Genetics has great relevance to the lives of deaf people. More than half of all deafness that is present at birth or in early childhood is caused by genetic factors. The reaction of deaf people to genetics has depended, in part, on sociohistorical events of the past and, for some, experiences with genetics professionals who have little or no understanding of the cultural aspects of deafness. Genetics technologies in the last few years have led to an explosion in knowledge regarding the genetic causes of deafness and the characteristics of common genes for deafness. Genetic testing for deafness will become more common in the future and has already begun to affect the lives of deaf people. Genetic knowledge can empower deaf people to make decisions that were never before possible. With these technological advances come ethical considerations that should be of concern to medical professionals and deaf people alike. It is imperative for deaf people to become knowledgeable about genetics technologies and the potential impact on the Deaf community in order to fully participate in discussions with family members, medical professionals, genetics researchers, and genetics counselors regarding the appropriate use of the technologies.