May 7, 2026
National Association of the Deaf
Note: The term “Deaf” is used here as an umbrella term to include individuals who identify as Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, or Hard of Hearing.
Our Historical Mandate
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was founded in 1880 in response during a period of existential threat to our community. Following the Milan Conference, efforts were made globally to suppress sign languages and remove Deaf people from education and public life. In response, Deaf leaders organized at the national level to protect our language, defend our rights, and ensure our representation in decisions that shape our future.
That mandate has never ended.
Today, as genetic science advances at unprecedented speed, we are again confronting questions that go to the heart of identity, dignity, and human diversity. The NAD recognizes the potential of gene therapy in treating serious and life-threatening conditions. However, the NAD firmly opposes its use to alter hearing status or eliminate Deaf identity.
Some lines of inquiry are not simply scientific, they are ethical, cultural and deeply human.
Beyond the Medical Model
For nearly 150 years, the NAD has asserted that being Deaf is not a pathology to be eradicated, but a vibrant form of human diversity. Our community is a linguistic and cultural minority rooted in American Sign Language (ASL).
- Identity Over Deficiency: Efforts to frame our lives exclusively as a “condition” to be medically corrected ignore the rich cultural heritage and social contributions of Deaf people.
- The Lesson of 1880: History shows that when science or education seeks to “fix” Deaf people without their consent, it leads to the erosion of human rights. We believe the challenges of being Deaf are societal rooted in barriers to access, not biological.
Principles of Ethical Engagement
The NAD calls for a shift in how the scientific and medical communities approach genetic innovation:
- Resistance to Eugenics: We caution that targeting Deaf traits for elimination carries a chilling resonance with historical eugenics. A society that seeks to “edit out” natural variation diminishes its own humanity.
- Informed Choice Requires Full Context: While informed choice is essential, it is often shaped by incomplete or medically framed information—particularly for families who have not been introduced to Deaf communities. Clinical recommendations carry embedded assumptions that can influence decisions in subtle but consequential ways. To address this imbalance, families must receive comprehensive information that includes not only medical perspectives but also the cultural, linguistic, and social realities of Deaf life, including the richness of communities built around signed languages presented clearly and without coercion.
- Resource Prioritization: Investments should be directed toward universal accessibility, education, healthcare, and employment, rather than the biological removal of a linguistic minority.
Call to Action for the Scientific Community
Any scientific advancement that proceeds without the leadership of the community it impacts is an act of exclusion.To ensure that progress does not come at the cost of human rights, the NAD calls upon researchers in the U.S., including the federal movement and its various agencies as well as the global scientific community to:
- Implement a Mandate of Direct Representation: Deaf leaders, scholars, and bioethicists must be integrated into every phase of genetic research and policy development, from initial concept through clinical application.
- Align Innovation with Accessibility: We call for a shift in national and global research priorities. Federal and private funding should be directed toward strengthening language access, education, and social inclusion rather than the biological removal of a linguistic minority.
- Ensure Balanced and Complete Information: All stakeholders must recognize that medical guidance is not inherently objective and can shape outcomes in consequential ways. Professional standards and communications should therefore reflect a full and accurate account of Deaf life, affirming it as a viable, successful, and valued way of being—including the cultural and linguistic richness of communities built around languages such as American Sign Language.
- Prioritize Cultural Autonomy and Self-Determination: Scientific innovation must be guided by Deaf individuals and communities, ensuring they define their own communication pathways, identities, and futures—rather than being shaped by externally imposed standards of biological “correction.”
Conclusion
In 1880, Deaf leaders stood together to affirm that our value as human beings is inherent in our shared language and culture. That declaration still stands. We do not exist to be fixed; we exist as a vital part of human diversity.
Advances in genetic science must never be used to diminish or erase our existence. We call for a future that recognizes the Deaf community as an essential and vibrant part of humanity. Looking ahead, the NAD will continue this work forward through a dedicated task force, grounded in sustained engagement, advocacy, and collaboration. We remain steadfast in advancing a world where we are fully included, fully accessible, and fully valued.