Vagabond - I understand the Deaf/Blind debate. My personal preference would be deafness since I could still read normally and even fly (very limited though - non-controlled airports, etc). Hellen Keller once said "Blindness cuts you off from things, but deafness cuts you off from people and communication". It is also instructive that Ray Charles, the famous blind musician, gave substantial amounts of his fortune (multi-millions) to cochlear implantation through the Ray Charles Robinson Foundation. I have learned to give a pretty good speech and am engaged in traveling many places to help other Implant Centers - most recently have gotten involved with some programs that are trying to rebuild in New Orleans. It is neat to do this and fortunately my schedule and income allow me to do this (I am not a paid speaker - I give it away). I have also become very involved with the company that manufactures my implant - and they have a sister company that is developing a prostetic (sp?) device to aid people that no longer have usuable sight due to Maculer degeneration. They are probably at an equivalent stage to Cochlear implants in the mid-late 70's with that project. It has been tried, and works, but not like it will in later generations.

Hope "the girls" approve ...hehehe