Is Deafness a Disability or a Way of Living?

According to World Health Organization, in 2017, there was an estimated three hundred sixty million people worldwide; who had reported some type of hearing loss. While this may seem like a lot, it only makes up a little over five percent of world population. When talking to the general public, it is learned that most people have similar stories. Either they have never had an encounter with a Deaf person, or maybe they saw some people signing in the mall once. Because these occurrences are so few and far between, it is not surprising that our biological instincts take over. We fear the unknown, and we panic when we do not have solutions. Regardless of excuses; actions have consequences. From a very young age, we are lead to believe that when something is different, it is wrong. This mindset has an influence on how we view ourselves, as well as how we view others. Deaf people are labeled as handicapped from day one, and deafness is considered a disability. This creates a stigma that Deaf people are something to be feared, unintelligent, and need ‘fixing.’ Despite having strict laws with the American Disability Act, Deaf people are frequently mistreated. Sadly, most officials are not taught how to communicate with American Sign Language. It is not unheard of for a person to be falsely arrested, because they could not properly communicate with an officer. Patients in a hospital can receive improper care, because

Most people are born in a cultural group getting direct access to their family and community, cultural, traditions, norms and values that are passed down from parent to child. Most deaf children, on the other hand, are born to hearing parents. For most Deaf children spread of the culture of the family or that of the deaf community does not occur right away. Deaf children typically gain access to the Deaf community through education in Deaf programs with other deaf children and adults. It is in these visual-spatial environments that a Deaf child becomes “acculturated” through language immersion as well as social interactions with others who share the same language and a similar world view that is experienced primarily through visual rather than auditory experiences.

The deaf community is made up of family, friends, interpreters, those who work with deaf people, who socialize with deaf people, and whom even identify with deaf culture. The culture of this community is based off of shared beliefs, attitudes, history, art, etc. They share the same values which

The relationship between the hearing community and the deaf community has often been a lack of misunderstanding. Stereotypes are assumptions made about an entire group based on observations of some members. Stereotypes are exaggerated presumptions of how a group of people is. Stereotypes are in this civilization because it is used to demonstrate a way a group of people are misunderstood. Misconceptions are opinions that are incorrect based on misunderstandings. Stereotypes and misconceptions can be taken the wrong way, and the majority are not even true. Misconceptions are a false opinion of a certain type of group. We want to feel good about the group we belong to and one way of doing so is to have those who aren’t in it. The fact that people

When we speak about deaf individuals, why is it important that we have specific programs for deaf individuals? Why are regular services inadequate? The obvious answer is that these services can often times be tedious and overly stressful to someone with a disability due to a poor ability to communicate or feel “understood”. However, though the deaf community resides and interacts with the same population in the United States, there are serious misconceptions about deaf individuals as well as

Hearing people need to support deaf people and treat them as an interdependent people. For supporting deaf community, it is ethical for hearing people to embrace deaf culture and accept them as a normal linguistic as well as cultural community. Deafness, in fact, is not a disability and societies should treat them just like any other social group. People in deaf community, nowadays, live a normal life, driving, cooking, caring for others, paying their bills, and working like other normal

Often disabilities are viewed in an unfavourable light which aids in the stigmatisation of non-mainstream culture such as the disabled. Culture is defined as “the beliefs and behaviours that a social group shares” (Little &McGivern, 2014). Culture is important as it plays a fundamental role in society by aiding in diversity and in the preservation and passing along of traditions that are not held as part of the norm. People who are deaf or hearing impaired have developed what is now known as “Deaf Culture” The ‘Deaf of the Deaf’ consider themselves as part of a cultural identity rather than having a disability; they share traditions, values and language. In the “Genetic Dilemmas and the Child’s Right to an Open Future”, Dena S. Davis argues

The Deaf population in the United States is composed both of individuals Deaf since early childhood and individuals who lost their hearing later in life. The "Deaf Community", a heterogeneous mix of people from all walks of life, represents every socio-economic and racial category. However, this group of people consider themselves "a community" because they are bound by a common culture, history, heritage and, most importantly, a common language. This language, which forms the foundation of the Deaf Community, is known as American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is a beautiful and expressive visual language that holds the Deaf Community together. (Lake)

(Sub-Point # 2) Secondly, it's sad to say, but sometimes the deaf population feels discriminated by hearing authorities, emergency responders, or other organizations. For example, if one is suddenly admitted into a hospital for fro an emergency, often times the language barrier still remains. The deaf individual will be given a piece of paper to answer or ask questions. This is quite a struggle because they are people too, who want to have a conversation and not be forced to act as if they are less of a human. It is a terrible feeling to be forced to simplify your life for the convenience of a system which should be helping you, especially when your life can be on the line. Many deaf citizens have been wrongly arrested after calling 911, died in hospitals after they withhold critical medical diagnosis’, and even denied admission to medical school because the school doesn't care to provide an interpreter; which mind you is a legal obligation. (“Deaf Discrimination”,

People who have lost their hearing later in life or who have a progressive hearing loss need assistance in dealing with inevitable emotions such as stress, fear, and anger. Parents of children with congenital hearing loss go through a similar experience in order to come to terms with the hearing loss of their child. Andrews, Leigh, and Weiner (2004) describe how feelings of inadequacy stem from social norms of labeling anything different as abnormal, therefor less. When measuring everything to an “unattainable ideal of perfection,” deaf adults fall short. Changing the view of people to see hearing loss as something different instead of negative, the stigma towards hearing loss will diminish and our patients can be seen as psychologically healthy deaf adults. Though hearing loss does take a toll psychologically, if dealt with in the correct way for that individual they can be just as productive and happy in life than adults with normal hearing

“The deaf believe that they are our equals in all respects. We should be generous and not destroy that illusion. But whatever they believe, deafness is an infirmity and we should repair it whether the person who has it is disturbed by it or not.” (life print paper)

In the United States the term "minority" often infers membership within an ethnic or cultural minority group. However, this term also encompasses other groups that lack equality, such as women, homosexuals and people with disabilities. By definition, the hearing majority classifies Deaf people as minorities because of their inability to hear. Yet linguists and social scientists argue that the basis of Deaf people's status as a minority group is not one of disability, but as a cultural and linguistic minority (Lane, Hoffmeister and Bahan: 1996: 335-6). In order to assert that Deaf people are a linguistic and cultural minority in America the characteristics of a minority group must first be defined.

Deaf people, culture, and language should not be excluded from the world we are used to. The Deaf culture and community shouldn't be feared but rather accepted, and we should be educated about their way of life. We should learn how they are

Helen Keller once said, ¨Blindness separates people from things; Deafness separates people from people.¨ Sign language is not just a way of communication for deaf people, it is a culture. Ninety percent of deaf children are born to deaf parents. The challenges facing parents with deaf children are numerous when it comes to identifying educational strategies that will maximize language acquisition, a sense of belonging, concept development, social competency, and ultimate societal contribution of their children. There are variations in how a person becomes deaf or hard of hearing, level of hearing, age of onset, educational background, communication methods, and cultural identity. The deaf and hard of hearing community

The deaf community build of many individuals who cannot hear due to their lacking auditory capability. Deaf people are different from other peoples of society forming separate social groups, speak own language, mostly attend different universities, have own magazines, and special sports events including Olympics. They have specific hearing system and cannot communicate either by hearing or speaking. With the help of modern developments in deaf language, deaf people can communicate with more ease and express their viewpoint comfortably. Therefore, they are satisfied with their lifestyle, how they spend their days, eventually leading a happy life. However, they are isolated from hearing cultures, in everyday life, in hotels, restaurants, banks,