Information About Deaf People

According to the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, fewer than one in 20 people in the United States is deaf or hard-of-hearing. Deafness exists in varying degrees, from total deafness to hard-of-hearing, and can happen at birth or later in life.

Misconceptions

Common misconceptions about deaf people are that they are unable to speak or drive, but neither is true.

Communication

Most deaf people use sign language to communicate; each country has its own sign language. Some deaf people were raised orally, and rely on lipreading and written communication.

Culture

There is a distinct deaf culture with its own social norms that do not view deafness as a disability. The deaf culture is rich with art, film, books and music.

Theories

There is a range of theories on how to educate deaf people, but the debate lies primarily between mainstreaming and deaf schools. Mainstreaming is when a deaf person is enrolled in a school where the primary language is spoken, not signed as it would be in a deaf school.

Technology

Deaf people increasingly use VideoPhone technology to make phone calls. Rather than a cell phone, pagers are popular amongst deaf people to send and receive messages on the go.

References

• How Many Deaf People are there in the United States?

Resources

• National Association of the Deaf
• Deaf Performing Artists Network