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Step 1
Understand that most deaf people view their deafness as something that makes them unique and something to be celebrated. They don't view their deafness as a disability that needs to be fixed. In fact most deaf adults say that they wouldn't become hearing even if they had the opportunity.
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Step 2
Know that the most important thing about the way the deaf view the world is that they choose to focus on what they can do, not what they can't do. Thomas Gallaudet, after whom the only deaf university in the United States is named, is often quoted as saying, "I can do anything but hear." This is the way that the deaf community views itself.
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Step 3
Realize that, based on the idea that deafness isn't a handicap, members of the deaf community have branched out into all areas of culture. Most notably, deaf individuals have contributed a great deal to dance, art and drama. Their work can also be found in politics, the sciences and literature.
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Step 4
Step out and begin to experience and appreciate deaf culture. Deaf people are generally open to individuals who want to learn more about their culture and their world. However, it's important to them that the hearing accept that deaf culture is unique and valuable, not something that is somehow less important because it doesn't use sound.
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Step 5
Begin to look for opportunities to spend time with deaf individuals and attend deaf events. Check online and with your local deaf community centers as well as local theaters and art museums for visiting exhibits or performances.
Comments
deannarjd said
on 2/15/2008 Good article. One correction: Thomas Gallaudet was actually a hearing man. He was a minister who found Laurent Clerc, a deaf student from France and convinced him to come back to America with him to start a school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. His son, Edward Miner Gallaudet, was actually the one who founded Gallaudet University. I'm not sure who was first to say "I can do anything but hear", but it is a common belief in Deaf Culture.