To Thine Own Self Be True

What would you do if it seemed that the cards were stacked against you, simply because you are deaf? I read a true story about a man named Lonny Dean. Lonny lives in Florida and was born deaf. He studied at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, in Saint Augustine.

Lonny graduated in 1984, his life changed, but not for the better. Lonny wasn't accepted graciously into the society of the hearing world.

Due to the fact that Lonny was so terribly and wrongly discriminated against, he was forced to live in the worst part of the towm. His landords wouldn't accept his guide dog, "Tuffy". Lonny became depressed, and followed the road to drug use and alcohol abuse.

Lonny's troubles didn't end there, however: in 1990 he was attacked and stabbed by a burglar in Cocoa Beach, FL. He was hospitalized for several weeks. Lonny was unable to have a psychologist who could speak to him in sign language, and due to this his mental state worsened.

Next Lonny attempted suicide, upon which time, his mother decided to commit him to a mental institute. She struggled to help her son. Lonny's insurance was then changed to cover a psychologist who knew and used sign language. Why had it been so difficult for him to receive the proper care he needed, in the first place?

Then the tide turned for Lonny. Two years later he found a job at a seafood resturant. One day the resturant was short staffed, so Lonny was allowed to try his hand at cooking. His employer discovered Lonny had a natural talent for cooking.

Why did this young man have to endure such discrimination? All the doors had been slammened in his face, due to his hearing impairment. Lonny's treatment staggered any progress he could have made in his life.

I don't understand the lack of compassion society has for the handicapped. Not only was Lonny injured physically by his assailant, I believe he was mentally injured unjustly, and made a victim by his doctors and psychologists. His request for a suitable psychologist fell on deaf ears, so to speak.

Why does it seem that if you're deaf or hearing impaired the road to success becomes blocked, and hard to reach, as it did for Lonny? What is the purpose of keeping us from achieving our dreams? It is very wrong for our society (especially in this day and age) to keep our spirits down.

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