This is another painting based on what I have seen during my artist-in-residencies. This girl was born Deaf and had her first cochlear implant at age 21 months. Her parents worked hard to teach her how to talk and listen to music. They encouraged her not to use sign language. They tell friends and relatives that their daughter is 'hearing.' When she entered a mainstream program, she felt like a river. This was where she was struggling to find her own identity. One side of her, shows a land filled with mouths and ears. Another side of her, shows a land filled with sign language. She is the river. The river shows an image of her with the word AUDISM. This means that turning a Deaf baby into a 'hearing' baby through cochlear implant and then educating her orally represents a violation of human rights.