I'm still totally lost on account of Deafness, though a strong culture and one worthy of respect, does have its roots in a condition that up until a few decades did leave someone incapable of leading a normal life. While some synesthetes, like the woman I met, are inconvenienced by their condition, it does not reduce their overall functionality the way a lack of hearing can and, in undeveloped countries or countries lacking a strong Deaf culture, does.