What is Deafness?
Deafness refers to a complete lack of hearing. Someone may be born deaf or develop it later in life, either suddenly or after being hard of hearing for some time. Being Deaf in and of itself does not affect other body systems. Someone may be deaf for physiological or medical reasons. It’s important to recognize that the exact reason does not matter.
Deaf communication is typically distinct from hearing person communication. There are over 300 signed languages in the world, and many have distinct dialects, just like the difference between people from the Eastern and Western United States. It’s also important to note that lip reading is a learned skill that many Deaf people opt not to learn.
Referring to Deaf People
Typically, identity-first language, like that used in this article, is preferable. Using person-first language may or may not be considered offensive to someone who is Deaf. If uncertain, asking is always an option.
As with blindness, capitalizing the ‘d’ in Deaf indicates someone belongs to a specific subculture. In this case, it refers to someone who fully embraces being Deaf and often spends time in Deaf subculture, most often with other Deaf people. There are even Deaf villages and neighborhoods all over the world.
Etiquette Note
Deaf people are typically in full possession of their faculties. Lack of hearing, and the possibly corresponding lack of speech, do not indicate impairment. When conversing with someone who is Deaf, even if they’re using an interpreter, it’s important to focus on the Deaf person who is the other party in the conversation.
Creating an Accessible Environment for Someone Who is Deaf
Embrace Technology
Modern technology offers many options that can help Deaf people participate in our organization. For example, AI captioning provides real-time, relatively accurate readable captions, which can help more than Deaf people.
As technology continue to improve, there will be other beneficial developments. As an organization, we should be open to these and aim to use them when it’s feasible to embrace not only Deaf people, but all people.
Allow Assistance and Personal Technology
Many Deaf people interact with the hearing world regularly for work, medical care, and more. Consequently, they have developed their own system for getting around. Allowing them to bring those systems into our events and chapter meetings is enormously beneficial.
For example, someone may have a family member interpret for them. While conventionally we don’t bring non-members to meetings, this would be the place to make an exception. The same can be said for assistive technology.
Put Things in Writing
The written word offers permanence to anything discussed during a meeting. Where possible, publishing an agenda ahead of time and meeting minutes after the fact can be helpful to Deaf people so they can check anything they feel they missed.
The same principle can help a chapter regardless of its member composition. When we make information readily available and encourage participation, we become stronger as an organization.
Never Underestimate Quick Communication
Some people are under the misconception that communicating with Deaf people is difficult. In fact, it’s no more difficult than writing a note on a piece of paper or typing a memo on a cell phone. These quick communication styles are great options for having the short conversations we all have every day.
Investigate Interpretation
If a chapter has a large number of Deaf people or wants to ensure full participation, interpretation may be a valid option. While professional interpretation costs money, there may be a college program nearby or a local organization that donates interpretation services. However, it’s best to never assume these services are the right fit without discussing with the Deaf person(s) in question.
Feel like this guide is missing something? Let us know at sfcoa@sfi.org.
Want to know more about accessible communication? Check out Accessible Communication 101.