Everything, including Deafness, is on a spectrum
Deafness, Gender, Autism… but today we’re talking about Deafness.
It’s Deaf Awareness Month, so I wanted to share a few public service announcements to help you navigate your next encounter with a Deaf person. Obviously we’re not a homogenous group and individual experiences and preferences will vary.
Everything is on a Spectrum
This may seem like a silly thing to explain, unfortunately many people do not understand this. Being Deaf is not binary: you are not either fully Deaf or fully hearing.
There is a vast range of degrees of hearing loss, types of hearing loss, onset of hearing loss, and much more. Don’t assume because someone is Deaf that they have zero hearing. Actually, just don’t assume anything. It’s better that way.
Speech is also on a spectrum of sorts. Some Deaf (or Hard of Hearing) people can speak very well. Some don’t speak at all. Most are somewhere in between. I can speak very well, but that sometimes causes me problems because people assume I don’t have hearing loss or that it’s not very impactful when it actually is.
Lip reading abilities are also on a spectrum. Some people do not lip-read at all, or will only do so when absolutely necessary, but find it incredibly exhausting and challenging. Some people are excellent lip-readers, but again, this still requires us to use a lot of mental energy in order to work to piece together the bits of conversation we catch and turn them into something coherent.
Hearing aids don’t make us hearing
We’re still Deaf or Hard of Hearing even when we use technology to assist. Aids allow us to hear more sounds, but they certainly don’t come close to full, natural hearing.
For example, my hearing aids are quite old and need replacing. They don’t filter out background sounds well. They allow me to hear more sounds in general, but they aren’t great for catching speech if there is a lot of ambient noise. Newer, better hearing aids do a better job of filtering out background sounds, but still are not perfect.
Also, hearing aids are ridiculously expensive. Mine are very old and still came to $6,000 for the two of them. Meanwhile coverage under the various insurance plans I’ve had over the past decade have remained at $500 per year for hearing aids and repair. That only covers 13% of the cost of my relic hearing aids.
Sign language is not universal
Not even close. Just like spoken language, signed languages are different from one country to the next, and often differ from one province (or state) to the next. There are even regional dialects wherein some signs differ slightly between cities.
Not all Deaf people know sign language
There is still the prevailing myth that learning sign language before spoken language will delay one’s speech, or will impede a child’s ability to learn a spoken language. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
As Hall (2017) stated:
There is no empirical evidence for the harm of sign language exposure but there is some evidence for its benefits, and there is growing evidence that lack of language access has negative implications. This includes cognitive delays, mental health difficulties, lower quality of life, higher trauma, and limited health literacy.
Many Deaf people were raised orally, meaning we were raised with combinations of speech therapy, lip reading, and spoken language instruction rather than sign language. This is especially true for Deaf people born into predominantly hearing families.
Parents who are well-meaning, but ill-informed, think they are doing their children favours by encouraging them to speak and lip-read. Parents mistakenly believe this will give their children better education and employment opportunities, and many professionals continue to perpetuate this myth.
Unfortunately, what it often does is create an incredible amount of frustration and isolation. Not only do some Deaf children not become fluent in spoken language, because lip-reading is never 100% accurate and speech therapy can only do so much, they also miss out on the opportunity to be fully effective communicators in sign language.
Like many spoken languages and cultures, Deaf culture and sign language go hand-in-hand. When a child is denied the opportunity to learn sign language, they are also less able to communicate with other Deaf people, immerse themselves in Deaf culture and in the deaf community.
Any of us who are “atypical”, or operate in any way way outside the norm, understand how important this is. Finding one’s cohort, community, and people with shared experiences can make an incredible difference in one’s mental health and quality of life.
Want to learn Sign Language?
Learn from a Deaf person. They are the fluent, native speakers, and they are the ones who have been immersed in both the language and the culture their entire lives.
Unfortunately there are a lot of hearing people out there who take a few classes, consider themselves experts, and then turn around and co-opt Deaf culture and language for their own benefit. That amounts to exploitation and cultural appropriation, please don’t support it.
Don’t learn sign from hearing people signing songs or posting cute videos online, they are probably really inaccurate or not well done, and those people are gaining off a language that isn’t theirs.
If you want to learn, search for your local Deaf Centre or equivalent, and sign up for their certified classes. I’ll post some links at the bottom for those who may be interested. Yes, they’re more expensive, but they’re also probably done very well and taught by very experienced experts.
What Works?
As always, what works will vary between individuals, so please don’t assume. Here are some things that are important for me when communicating:
Don’t cover your mouth
Unless, of course, you’re in a pandemic and wearing a mask… in which case, please be patient and understanding, recognizing that we can’t read your lips if we can’t see them. Also remembering that not everyone reads lips, or if we do, it takes a lot of mental energy to do so effectively.
Don’t speak down to me
I have two degrees and an IQ in the high-140s, so don’t condescend. If I miss something you said, please repeat it more clearly, don’t assume I didn’t understand it. Don’t treat me as though I’m less intelligent simply because I don’t hear well, it’s insulting and degrading to both of us.
Intelligence is unconnected to language, level of education, or speech. There are many incredibly intelligent and accomplished Deaf people out there who are regularly treated as though they have a cognitive disability when they do not.
Assume competence, treat people with dignity and respect, and you won’t end up looking foolish.
Don’t Be Afraid
Sometimes people are uncomfortable communicating with someone in a different language, or using a different mode of communication.
If you encounter a Deaf person, ask them if they’d prefer to speak with you, or if they’d like you to write notes with them. You can even exchange phone numbers and send text messages, or write back on and forth using a smartphone or other device.
Much of the Deaf community is very welcoming and accommodating to those who don’t know sign language, as long as they are respectful of Deaf culture and people, and willing to learn. We appreciate it when you make an effort, and most people will return the kindness and consideration shown to them.
Give it a try, you might just meet someone really cool.
© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity MB
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Learn American Sign Language (ASL)
National Association of the Deaf - NAD
Manitoba School for the Deaf (MSD)
Enjoyed This Story?
See my related articles:
My Hearing Loss Is Also My Gain
References
Hall, W.C. (2017). What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: The Risk of Language Deprivation by Impairing Sign Language Development in Deaf Children. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 21, 961–965. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-017-2287-y