Deafness Vs Cultural Deafness

While reading " Deaf in America: Voices From A Culture " I notice the purpose of this book was to wrote about Deaf people in a new and different way. The book main focus is that Deaf people have a condition that they can't hear. The culture of Deaf people is what both authors want to begin yo betray. What I found interesting while reading is that the majority of indidivauls within the community of Deaf people do not join it at birth. While reading these chapters I've seen both auhtors try to present the culture from the inside to discover how Deaf people describe themselves and how they think about their lives.

People used to think that being Deaf was a sin and a major disability. I don’t really understand this view, as being Deaf is not a choice because a majority of the time, most people are born Deaf. Just because a person can’t hear, doesn’t mean there is something wrong with them. Deaf culture is so mesmerizing as their is such a deep connection within the community and they even have their own language. What people need to do is put themselves in the shoes of a Deaf person and imagine how difficult it must be being the “odd one out” all the time.

Deaf culture and Hearing culture are both cultures that are similar and also different. Deaf culture and Hearing culture are similar and different in these ways are communicate, driving and movie theater. First, both of cultures could be similar and different, there is about communicate; both of them know how to social but Deaf people cannot hear and Hearing people can hear. Hearing people use speak and listen and they don’t really much body movement and facial expression, however, Deaf people uses ASL (American Sign Language) and they always moving their bodies, hands, arms, heads, and outwardly show expressions on their faces. Second, both of them can driving but Deaf people got less crash than hearing people does. Because Deaf people have

Their society is not individualistic. They share information in a lot more detail than hearing people would. Because they until recently didn't have instant communication the way they interact with each other is to get as much information across as possible because they didn't know when they would see each other again or be able to tell them something. This also affects things like constructive criticism because they want to get as much information across as possible so they don't soften the blow. They immediately say the constructive negative thing and don't soften the blow.

A culture is usually accompanied by their own sets of labels whether it being good, bad, true, or false. Deaf culture is one of those cultures that has lists of common stereotypes, and issues they face constantly on a daily basis. Some of most common misconceptions are: Deaf can not talk, laugh, have good jobs, can not drive, all deaf sign, and so many more. Marlee Matlin, is a deaf actress who is very popular and successful. She has starred in many movies, and shows over the years, playing a deaf role in each part. Her success shows that Deaf are capable of great achievement. In an article about Matlin winning a Ruderman prize, they said “The $100,000 award will be given to the Oscar winner on behalf of the Ruderman Family Foundation for her work promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in Hollywood.” (Jerusalem post) It is very inspiring to see people who are thought to be different win oscars and other awards. Even though she choses not to talk, she has a lot of talent and her acting skills are amazing due to her passion for her career. If a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person wants to reach a goal, they are very much able to achieve it. They may have to work harder, but it does not stop them. Another stereotype that can be seen as true, but also not; is that Deaf can not talk. Using their voices is something they choose to do or not. Some feel comfortable with speaking, or they lost their hearing after knowing how to speak; so they still use their voices. And

In some western cultures such as America and Australia, not much education is put forward regarding the deaf community and those facing this communication problem. In an annual conference where an individual of the deaf community was asked to discuss her experience as a deaf person living in a hearing community, Heather Artinian described the communication barrier between the two communities (The Heather world: Heather Artinian at TEDxGeorgetown, 2013). Similarly, in sub-Saharan Africa, there is not much emphasis placed on deaf culture and those facing auditory impairment. To date, there is not sub-Saharan African country that has dependable data regarding its deaf population. Today, education for the Deaf in most sub-Saharan African countries is sub-par at best (The Borgen Project, 2013). Education for the Deaf in sub-Saharan Africa is severely deficient, and they are often deprived of the opportunity to successfully live their lives independently to the best of their abilities. These two cultures do not spend a substantial amount of time and give appropriate education on the emphasis of those who are deaf and living among the

Deaf people are often seen incorrectly. According to a legend, a Greek mythical character named Procrustes, invited tired travelers to rest at his home. Procrustes gave out special accommodations that fit everyone, regardless of the guests’ size. When the guest was shorter than the bed Procrustes owned, Procrustes would stretch the guest’s body to fit and when the guest’s legs were longer than the bed, Procrustes would chop off their legs so they would fit the bed. Aimee K. Whyte and Douglas A. Guiffrida explained the way deaf people are viewed: “Deaf people are often stretched or cut short to assimilate with the majority culture…Deaf people struggle against a procrustean system of hearing and speech and continually experience

To start, let’s break down the terms “Deaf culture” and “hearing world.” I have heard these

It has been left to the deaf to try and conform to the hearing community by reading lips or having expensive surgeries to improve their hearing without much evidence of an attempt on the hearing part to learn ASL. This has left a divide between the hearing and deaf communities, to the point that schools and communities have been built specifically for the deaf and hard of hearing only. This separation gives the illusion that they are different from the rest of the country that they were born with ears that work as intended- this is not

Did you know that approximately 2 out of 3 children born in the United States are born with a hearing loss, and more than 90 percent of children born deaf are born to hearing parents? Not many people are aware of the Deaf World and how large it truly is. Being deaf may be an obstacle that many people have to endure on a daily basis, but that does not cause them to be defined as incapable. The deaf are just as capable as the hearing because they work just as hard, if not harder, they go to college, and become numerous things just as hearing people do.

Deafness has been viewed as a negative label regarding someone with a hearing loss. The term Deaf is considered to be a disability solely on the fact that an individual who is Deaf is not “normal” due to their hearing loss. Most individuals do not believe that there are any benefits or positives from being Deaf, nor do they believe that a Deaf individual will ever be able to live a happy and fulfilled life. Deaf individuals do not view themselves as disabled nor do they view their lives as a loss, rather they view their Deafness as a Gain. This is called Deaf Gain, meaning there are many positives that Deafness brings to the world. According to H-Dirksen Bauman and Joseph Murray, “Deaf Gain is defined as a reframing of ‘deaf’ as a form of

Deaf, lacking the power of hearing or implied hearing. Deafness refers to the complete loss of hearing in one or both ears. Hearing loss refers to both complete and partial ability to hear. How would you feel if you spent a day being deaf? Imagine crossing a road and not being able to hear any cars coming. Or imagine driving a car. That would be tough, right?

Deafness is a disability that affects about 70 million people in the world and approximately 380 thousand of those are in the United States of America (Mitchell). Deafness can be caused by infections, abnormal bone growth or tumors during childhood and it can form later in life (Mayo Clinic Staff). Deafness could also be genetics. There are multiple cases where a child is deaf because of a genetic mutation inherited from a parent. Deaf people struggle with many experiences in life but like everything in life, there are always positives to balance the negatives.

The Deaf community has distinctive pride and dignity to resemble their culture. The people in the Deaf community are proud of their hearing status. Most of them would remain deaf if they had the opportunity to change their hearing status. The Deaf community is very proud of their community and the people that make up the community. They also refer to themselves as normal and see no problem with their deafness. In the film Through Deaf Eyes, a speaker explains how the Deaf community is normal:

Deaf culture has its own language, stories, and many other things. Being deaf does not stop People from being an everyday person a lot of the time. Deaf people can be very direct about where they live how much they get payed and how they are doing financially (ASL). Deaf culture has their