Deaf culture

by Trinh

There are many different variants of deafness and the deaf culture. Many people become deaf when they were just born or as they grow older. There are many different reasons a person can become deaf. Many people could be born with it or get it as they are getting older. Accidents can happen and they can cause a person to become deaf. Sometimes they are genetics that cause people to lose their hearing.

Deaf Culture was first recognized in the 1960s. When a person has become deaf, there is an earpiece device that can help them hear. It is called a cochlear implant which was invented in 1964. This implant “is a small, complex electronic device that can help provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing (NIDCD). Not many people can afford an earpiece device to hear sounds. The Dictionary of American Sign Language by William Stokoe, Carl Croneberg, and Dorothy Casterline created ASL (american sign language) to communicate with one another through hands instead of words. Sign language has grown all over the world to help other deaf people communicate.

This picture has 3 hands signing the letter A S L

There are three different definitions for the word “deaf”. There is lower case d (deaf), an uppercase D (Deaf), and then there is both (D/deaf,d/Deaf). People who identify themselves as deaf see it as a medical condition but they don’t consider themselves in the deaf community. They are the ones that had to adapt to deafness since they weren’t born with it. People who

identify as Deaf grew up in a deaf community and sign language tend to be their first language. Many of them have also attended schools for deaf people and considered themselves as deaf. Those who identify as D/deaf or d/Deaf can fit into either one of those categories as they choose to be. (On the left side of the picture, it has the word deaf with a lowercase d. Surrounding it is a picture of an ear, a pen, and some text bubble saying deafness perceived as impairment, not using sign language as primary way of communication, and integrating predominantly with the hearing community. On the right side of the picture is the word deaf with an uppercase D. Surrounding it is a picture of a magnifying glass, a hand, and a circle saying deafness as socio-cultural perspective, sign language as primary way of communication, and immersed in deaf culture.)

On the left side of the picture, it has the word deaf with a lowercase d. Surrounding it is a picture of an ear, a pen, and some text bubble saying deafness perceived as impairment, not using sign language as primary way of communication, and integrating predominantly with the hearing community. On the right side of the picture is the word deaf with an uppercase D. Surrounding it is a picture of a magnifying glass, a hand, and a circle saying deafness as socio-cultural perspective, sign language as primary way of communication, and immersed in deaf culture

The Culture of deaf people hasn’t always been easy. Many people who have lost their hearing struggle to adapt. As the book states, “there is a distinction to be made between being impaired and being disabled” (Davis 6). Some people who are deaf might consider themselves as impaired but not disabled. Others would disagree with that statement. There are many organizations that can help deaf people including The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) or Children of Deaf Adults (CODA). Many of these organizations can help deaf people explore and learn more about deaf culture.

The picture shows a human doing sign language and a hand. It says Deaf Culture.

 

Word Citation

– NIDCD. “Cochlear Implants.” National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/cochlear-implants#:~:text=A%20cochlear%20implant%20is%20a,the%20skin%20(see%20figure).

– Jay, Michelle. “Deaf Culture Essentials: Start ASL.” Start ASL | Learn American Sign Language with Our Complete 3-Level Course!, Michelle Jay Https://Www.startasl.com/Wp-Content/Uploads/StartASLlogoFinal-1.Png, 15 Feb. 2021, https://www.startasl.com/deaf-culture/#:~:text=Deaf%20Culture%20was%20first%20truly,huge%20step%20for%20Deaf%20people.

– Ahmed KhalifaFounder & Director at Hear Me Out! [CC]Working on bridging the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds by raising deaf awareness via public speaking. “What’s the Difference between Deaf with Capital ‘D’ & Deaf with Small ‘D’?” Hear Me Out! [CC], 16 July 2020, https://hearmeoutcc.com/capital-d-small-d-deaf/.

Picture Citation

– Wolters, Claire. “A Cultural Divide: The World of the Deaf and the World of the Hearing – the Temple News.” The Temple News – A Watchdog for the Temple University Community since 1921., 14 Nov. 2018, https://temple-news.com/asl-professors-explain-temples-deaf-community/.

– Facca, Margherita. “Deaf or Deaf?” EASIER, 13 Sept. 2021, https://www.project-easier.eu/news/2021/08/11/deaf-or-deaf/.

– “Free Online Course: American Deaf Culture from Coursera.” Class Central, https://www.classcentral.com/course/deaf-culture-8555.