Lane, a hearing man, became an often controversial spokesman for the
Deaf community and critic of
cochlear implants. He wrote extensively on the
social construction of disability and stated that "Unless Deaf people challenge the culturally determined meanings of deaf and disability with at least as much vigor as the technologies of normalization seek to institutionalize those meanings, the day will continue to recede in which Deaf children and adults live the fullest lives and make the fullest contribution to our diverse society."[5] In recognition of his research and advocacy regarding these issues, Lane received the Distinguished Service Award from the
National Association of the Deaf (United States), the International Social Merit Award from the
World Federation of the Deaf, and numerous other awards.[4][6]
He was Commandeur de l'Ordre des
Palmes Académiques, the highest level of the academic honor given out by the French government.[citation needed]
Lane, Harlan. 2004. A Deaf Artist in Early America: The Worlds of John Brewster Jr. Beacon Press.
ISBN0807066168.
Lane, Harlan, Richard C. Pillard, and Ulf Hedberg. 2011. The People of the Eye: Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry. New York: Oxford University Press US.
ISBN0199759294.
^
abLane, Harlan. Northeastern University, July 1, 2010. Web. April 5, 2011.
^Lane, Harlan. 2008. "Do Deaf People Have A Disability?". Open Your Eyes: Deaf Studies Talking. H-Dirksen L. Bauman (ed.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
ISBN978-0816646197.