I think one of the greatest and most widely used technologies among the Deaf community is the video phone. Actually, it is exactly what was depicted in Back the Future, except it is mobile (a lot like Skype). This technology hasn't really taken off among the hearing community, because we communicate through sound. We don't have to see somebody's face to talk to them. The Deaf really appreciate face-to-face time because it is really the only way to communicate with each other. I found this great YouTube video that gives you a glimpse of what this is like. In this video, they are using a video relay service (VRS) in which the hearing person speaks and the Deaf person signs, but a translator relays the information. I think this video is actually an advertisement, which is why it does such a great job of showing how the technology works.
Cochlear implants are surgically implanted behind the ear to repair neural-sensory hearing. They can literally make a deaf person hear again, or even for the first time in their lives! However, a person involved in the Deaf community is perceived to have abandoned their community/roots when they undergo this procedure. The Deaf community is a very tight-knit community that takes pride in their differences and their unique perspective of the world. To want to change the way you were born and to abandon the rest of your friends is like a stab in the back. Although, as I mentioned before, a deaf person is more likely to want to experience the world with hearing and they are usually supported by hearing friends. Cochlear implants are more popular among these people and have since kept the technology alive.
What other technologies are available for people with other disabilities?
Jamael