Creating deaf children is subject of Thesis Prize winner
Ethics philosophy graduate Kristof Jakiela has won this year’s Thesis Prize for his research into the genetic manipulation of embryos to create deaf children
‘An eye-opener’
Jakiela (pictured), who earned his master’s in moral philosophy, based his thesis on the case of a deaf British couple who chose to genetically manipulate their embryo to produce a deaf baby. Jakiela spoke to several deaf, hearing and mixed couples in Belgium to explore the subject further, producing a thesis that the jury called “a real eye-opener that deserves the public’s attention”.
The idea of purposefully bringing a deaf child into the world is “almost incomprehensible” to hearing people, said Jakiela. “Non-deaf people have a medical view of deafness, which is unilaterally seen as a disability. But most deaf people see it differently. They value their deafness and sometimes even see it as enriching their lives. I learned from my interviews that some of them, if they could choose, would rather have a deaf child.”
Photo courtesy UGent
About the author
Lisa Bradshaw is the editor-in-chief of Flanders Today. She worked as an editor and journalist in her homeland, the United States, before moving to the awesome city of Ghent in 2004. If she’s not in the office, she’s probably at a film festival.
