The Deaf community is made up of people who are deaf or have severe hearing problems. Those who consider themselves members of the Deaf community have sought out and joined with others who have chosen to communicate, either completely or primarily, through sign language. Being deaf is considered a part of who they are and they do not, in any way, consider being deaf a disability or handicap.
When a person considers himself a member of the Deaf community, oftentimes he may choose not to use artificial or medical hearing enhancements, such as cochlear implants, hearing aids, or other means of improving or enhancing his hearing. Further, he may choose to communicate only in sign language, and not attempt to verbally communicate at all.
To further perpetuate understanding of the Deaf culture and how they perceive themselves, members use the lowercase “d” and the uppercase “D” in specific ways. When the word “deaf” in any form is written with a lowercase “d”, it is referring to the physical or medical condition; “Deaf”, written with the uppercase “D” signifies that they consider themselves members of the Deaf community.
Those in the Deaf community who also consider themselves as part of the Deaf culture may openly resist being asked to or expected to communicate in any spoken language. Rather, they rely on American Sign Language (ASL) and other forms of signing as their means of communication.
Part of this may stem from times past, when those who were deaf were not given a choice of communication options; instead they felt as though they were forced to learn to speak. Many members today, but not all, feel that the old “mindset” of not letting a person choose how they wish to communicate is still evident, especially among those parents who consider cochlear implants for their deaf children. Others feel that it is a personal decision, to be made on an individual basis.
Sun, May 2, 2010
Health