By: MATTIE SPINK
Staff Writer
Effective communication is vital for individuals to participate fully in society, access information, and maintain meaningful connections. This is true for all people, including deaf and hard-of-hearing people. However, despite this truth, communication barriers persist, mostly due to hearing people’s lack of awareness of just how important communication accessibility is for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. To see improvements in communication accessibility for the Deaf community, first hearing people must recognize the discrimination the Deaf community faces in everyday life and then begin exposing themself to the Deaf community and learn from them.
Unfortunately, the Deaf community has had to face many adversities and continues to face these adversities due to people’s ignorance. Many people think of deafness as simply a medical condition, unaware of the entire culture that has been created by deaf people. This had caused distasteful ideas about deaf people: they’re unable to speak, unable to learn, and unable to effectively communicate with those around them. These untrue assumptions have caused hurtful terms to arise, such as “deaf-mute” and “deaf and dumb.” These names only further push these harmful narratives. Thankfully, as society becomes more educated on the Deaf community and the stereotypes surrounding it, these terms have become less common. Recently, the most common way hearing people have begun to refer to deaf and hard-of-hearing people is with the term “hearing-impaired.” Though this term had been coined out of good intentions, it still represents the lack of awareness that hearing people have about the Deaf community and their wishes. Deaf people typically do not want to be referred to as “hearing-impaired” because it insinuates that deaf and hard-of-hearing people fall below the standards of hearing, which were established by hearing people. Many deaf people do not see their deafness as something that debilitates them or “impairs” them in any real way. Even the deaf people that believe their deafness to be a type of disability typically do not like this terminology because it highlights too much on what deaf and hard of hearing people are unable to do, rather than focus on the plethora of things that they can do. Deaf people may struggle to hear, but they can do anything that any other person can, deaf or not. Deaf people can speak, and deaf people can learn. And, with people willing to learn how to communicate with deaf people, deaf people can communicate. The first step in having more accessible communication for the deaf community is for people to unlearn their internalized biases and stereotypes about deaf people and relearn from people within the Deaf community.
The best way, in my experience, to learn about Deaf culture is from deaf people. Who would better understand what it is like to experience the world as a deaf person than a deaf person themself? To expose myself to Deaf culture, I have joined my high school’s ASL Club, taken ASL classes taught by deaf people, and have started going to events that highlight deaf people. Through my school’s ASL Club alone, I feel like I have grown so much in my understanding of the Deaf community and on Deaf culture. One of my closest friends, who I met through the ASL Club, is deaf. Even just by being around her, I learn something new about Deaf culture every day. I’ve learned from her that painting a picture is much more important than merely telling her what’s going on; she wants to see the scene just as I have. She teaches me signs when I don’t know a word, and she helps me try and understand ASL structure. She has taught me concepts of certain signs such as “Champ” and “True-Biz” to have me fully immersed in conversations with her and the other deaf students that are in our club. I am forever grateful to have joined the ASL Club at my school; without it, I don’t think I would have already come so far in my education of the Deaf community and advanced as far as I have in ASL. Of course, taking ASL classes teaches you a ton about ASL and the Deaf community. But, I feel that getting real-life exposure to deaf people and Deaf culture is the best way to truly learn about the community. You get to learn about Deaf culture from real-life deaf people and learn a lot about the language in the process. Being able to learn ASL from deaf people along with picking up on the mannerisms that deaf people have help improve your own ability to provide accessible communication for day-to-day life.
Through educating one’s self on their own internalized biases towards deaf people and then relearning through the means of immersing one’s self with deaf people, communication for deaf people becomes more and more accessible. Though it may seem like one singular person can’t change the accessibility of communication, the numbers do add up. If even one person can learn from the Deaf community and inspire someone else to do the same, communication for deaf people becomes just that bit more accessible.
