Back in 1974 I travelled from Albuquerque NM to San Diego CA with a friend of mine who wanted to see her boyfriend. She didn't want to travel (hitchhiking) alone, and I didn't want her to have to, so I volunteered to go with her.

When we got to SD it turned out that her boyfriend's father was President of the Southern California Deaf Persons Association. She, her boyfriend and all his siblings knew sign language and could therefore converse with the father. I didn't know any sign language, so when they got to "talking" amongst themselves, it seemed like the one who was "deaf" was actually me.

Let me tell you it was an eye-opening experience. I became the one with a "handicap" while all those around me were unaffected. I had never before thought about the complications a deaf person must experience on trying to live in a hearing world. The experience had a profound effect on my thinking, making me realize how much I took for granted and even more of which I was completely ignorant.

So let me say to you now, my hat is off to you for what you've accomplished. Simply obtaining a PhD is a great accomplishment. To have done it with the added drawback of being unable to hear is, to me, a testimony to your perseverance and a tribute to the capabilities of all who suffer from hearing loss.

Kudos to you.