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Questions to Ask a Deaf Person: A Guide to Respectful and Engaging Communication
Introduction:
Have you ever wondered how to interact with someone who is Deaf? Feeling unsure about what to say or how to approach the conversation is perfectly normal. Many people are hesitant to engage with Deaf individuals for fear of saying the wrong thing. This comprehensive guide aims to alleviate those concerns. We'll explore appropriate questions to ask a Deaf person, focusing on respectful communication, understanding their experiences, and fostering genuine connection. We’ll move beyond simple pleasantries and delve into meaningful conversations that celebrate the richness of Deaf culture and individual experiences. This isn't just about learning what to say; it's about understanding how to genuinely connect with a member of the Deaf community.
Understanding Deaf Culture and Communication:
Before we dive into specific questions, it’s crucial to understand that "Deaf" is not a monolithic identity. The Deaf community is diverse, encompassing individuals with varying degrees of hearing loss, different communication preferences (sign language, speech, lip-reading, etc.), and unique cultural backgrounds. This diversity shapes their experiences and perspectives. Approaching conversations with an awareness of this diversity is paramount to respectful communication.
Language: Sign language, such as American Sign Language (ASL), is a visual language with its own grammar and syntax. It's not simply a translation of English. Respecting the use of sign language is key. If you don't know sign language, be open to using assistive technologies or seeking an interpreter if necessary.
Identity: Many Deaf individuals identify strongly with Deaf culture, which has its own history, traditions, and values. Avoid using terms like "hearing impaired" or "deaf and dumb," which are outdated and often considered offensive. "Deaf" with a capital "D" often refers to cultural identity, while "deaf" with a lowercase "d" refers to the audiological condition.
Communication Preferences: Each individual has their own communication preferences. Some might prefer to use sign language, others might prefer speech, and some might use a combination of both. Always be mindful and respectful of their preferred method.
Appropriate Questions to Ask a Deaf Person:
The best questions are open-ended, respectful, and show genuine interest in the person as an individual, not just as a member of a particular group. Avoid questions that focus solely on their hearing loss or assume limitations.
1. Questions about their experiences:
"What's your favorite way to communicate?" (This shows respect for their communication preferences.)
"Can you tell me about your journey with being Deaf?" (This invites them to share their personal experience on their own terms.)
"What are some of the biggest challenges you face?" (This acknowledges the realities of living in a hearing world.)
"What are some of the most rewarding aspects of being Deaf?" (This focuses on the positive aspects of their life.)
"What are some common misconceptions people have about Deaf people?" (This opens a dialogue about dispelling stereotypes.)
2. Questions about their interests and passions:
"What are your hobbies?" (This is a standard icebreaker applicable to anyone.)
"What kind of music do you enjoy?" (Many Deaf individuals appreciate music through vibrations and rhythm.)
"What's your favorite book or movie?" (This shows interest in their personal preferences.)
"What are you passionate about?" (This encourages them to share something they care deeply about.)
"What are your goals for the future?" (This is a positive and forward-looking question.)
3. Questions demonstrating cultural sensitivity:
"Are you comfortable with me using sign language? If not, is there another way we can communicate effectively?" (This prioritizes their comfort.)
"What's your preferred method of communication: ASL, lip-reading, written communication, or other?" (This is direct and shows respect for their choice.)
"Have you always used the same communication method?" (This opens the door for sharing their communication evolution.)
"Can you tell me about Deaf culture?" (This shows genuine interest in their cultural background.)
"What are some important events or figures in Deaf history?" (This invites them to share their cultural knowledge.)
4. Questions to avoid:
"How did you become Deaf?" (Unless they volunteer this information, it can be intrusive.)
"Can you hear anything at all?" (This focuses on their disability rather than their personhood.)
"Do you read lips well?" (This assumes they do and can be insensitive if they don't.)
"What's it like being Deaf?" (This is too broad and can be difficult to answer.)
"Can you speak?" (This is overly simplistic and presumptuous.)
Conclusion:
Communicating with a Deaf person is a rewarding experience that enriches your understanding of diversity and human connection. Remember that respectful communication is about genuine interest, patience, and adapting your approach based on the individual's preferences. By asking thoughtful questions and approaching conversations with an open mind, you can build meaningful relationships and foster a more inclusive environment.
Ebook Outline: "Connecting with the Deaf Community: A Guide to Meaningful Communication"
Author: Dr. Evelyn Reed, PhD in Communication Studies
Introduction: The importance of respectful communication with the Deaf community.
Chapter 1: Understanding Deaf Culture and Communication: Defining Deafness, understanding Deaf identity, and exploring the diversity within the community.
Chapter 2: Effective Communication Strategies: Learning about different communication methods, employing assistive technology, finding interpreters, and the importance of patience.
Chapter 3: Appropriate Questions to Ask: Examples of questions to initiate conversations, questions about personal experiences, interests, and cultural background. Questions to avoid.
Chapter 4: Navigating Social Situations: Tips for interacting in different social settings, handling communication challenges gracefully, and fostering inclusive environments.
Chapter 5: Resources and Further Learning: Websites, organizations, and learning materials to enhance your understanding of Deaf culture and communication.
Conclusion: Recap of key points and a call to action for inclusive communication.
(Each chapter would then be expanded upon in the ebook, providing detailed explanations and examples for each point in the outline.)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Q: Is it okay to use sign language even if I'm not fluent? A: It’s always appreciated if you attempt to use sign language, even if it's basic. The effort shows respect. But always be mindful and ask if they’re comfortable with your attempts.
2. Q: What if I can't find a sign language interpreter? A: Utilize assistive technologies like writing apps or communication boards. Be patient and creative in finding ways to communicate.
3. Q: Should I always speak slowly and clearly when talking to a Deaf person who uses speech? A: Speaking clearly is helpful, but avoid exaggerating your mouth movements, as this can distort lip-reading.
4. Q: How can I make sure I'm not being offensive? A: Always respect their communication preferences and avoid using outdated or stigmatizing language. Ask if you're unsure.
5. Q: Is it acceptable to ask a Deaf person about their hearing loss? A: Only if the conversation naturally leads to it and it feels appropriate. Focus on the person, not just their hearing loss.
6. Q: What if a Deaf person seems frustrated with my communication attempts? A: Apologize for any misunderstandings and seek clarification on how to improve. Don’t be discouraged.
7. Q: Are all Deaf people proficient in sign language? A: No, communication preferences vary greatly within the Deaf community.
8. Q: Is it rude to ask a Deaf person to repeat themselves? A: It is not rude to politely ask for clarification. However, phrase it respectfully, perhaps stating you didn’t understand a specific point.
9. Q: How can I learn more about Deaf culture and communication? A: Take a sign language class, read books and articles about Deaf culture, and attend Deaf community events.
Related Articles:
1. Understanding American Sign Language (ASL) Basics: A beginner's guide to common signs and greetings.
2. Assistive Technologies for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals: Exploring various communication tools.
3. The History and Culture of the Deaf Community: A deep dive into Deaf history and traditions.
4. Overcoming Communication Barriers with Deaf Individuals: Practical tips for effective communication.
5. The Importance of Inclusive Language When Referring to Deaf Individuals: Avoiding offensive terminology.
6. Deaf Role Models and Their Contributions to Society: Inspiring stories of Deaf achievement.
7. Finding a Qualified Sign Language Interpreter: A guide to finding reliable interpreters.
8. Deaf Education and Advocacy: Exploring Deaf education and the fight for equal rights.
9. Creating an Inclusive Workplace for Deaf Employees: Strategies for employers to support Deaf employees.
| questions to ask a deaf person: The Way I Hear It Gael Hannan, 2015-05-28 If you think hearing loss is just a condition of old age-think again. In The Way I Hear It, Gael Hannan explodes one myth after another in a witty and insightful journey into life with hearing loss at every age. Blending personal stories with practical strategies, Gael shines a light onto a world of communication challenges: a marriage proposal without hearing aids in, pillow talk and other relationships, raising a child, going to the movies, dining out, ordering at the drive-thru, in the classroom, on the job and hearing technology. Part memoir, part survival guide, The Way I Hear It offers tips for effective communication, poetic reflections, and heart-warming stories from people she has met in her workshops and at conferences throughout North America. Gael's humorous stories are backed by hearing loss research, and she offers advice on how to bridge the gap between consumer and professional in order to get the best possible hearing health care. The Way I Hear It is a book for people with hearing loss-but also for their families, friends and the professionals who serve them. Gael Hannan shares not only the daily frustrations, but also a strong message of hope and optimism for living successfully with hearing loss.... |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Inside Deaf Culture Carol PADDEN, Tom Humphries, Carol Padden, 2009-06-30 Inside Deaf Culture relates deaf people's search for a voice of their own, and their proud self-discovery and self-description as a flourishing culture. Padden and Humphries show how the nineteenth-century schools for the deaf, with their denigration of sign language and their insistence on oralist teaching, shaped the lives of deaf people for generations to come. They describe how deaf culture and art thrived in mid-twentieth century deaf clubs and deaf theatre, and profile controversial contemporary technologies. Cf. Publisher's description. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: For Hearing People Only Matthew S. Moore, Linda Levitan, 1992 For Hearing People Only: First Edition; Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the Deaf community, its culture, and the Deaf Reality by Matthew S. Moore and Linda Levitan; with a foreword by Harlan Lane |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Sound Bella Bathurst, 2018-10-02 “A moving and fascinating book about sound and what it means to be human” from the Somerset Maugham Award–winning author of The Lighthouse Stevensons (Financial Times). In this surprising and moving book, award-winning writer Bella Bathurst shares the extraordinary true story of how she lost her hearing and eventually regained it and what she learned from her twelve years of deafness. Diving into a wide-ranging exploration of silence and noise, she interviews psychologists, ear surgeons, and professors to uncover fascinating insights about the science of sound. But she also speaks with ordinary people who are deaf or have lost their hearing, including musicians, war veterans, and factory workers, to offer a perceptive, thought-provoking look at what sound means to us. If sight gives us the world, then hearing—or our ability to listen—gives us our connections with other people. But, as this smart, funny, and profoundly honest examination reveals, our relationship with sound is both more personal and far more complex than we might expect. “Bathurst is a restless, curious writer . . . After reading this book, I found myself listening in a richer and more interested way.” —The Guardian “A hymn to the faculty of hearing by someone who had it, lost it and then found it again, written with passion and intelligence . . . terrifying, absorbing and ultimately uplifting.” —Literary Review “Bathurst’s affecting memoir will enlighten and educate.” —Publishers Weekly “A memoir of hearing loss and what the author learned . . . through her unexpected recovery from it. A good writer knows material when it presents itself, and Bathurst is a very good writer.” —Kirkus Reviews |
| questions to ask a deaf person: The Silence Between Us Alison Gervais, 2019-08-13 Faced with the challenges of transitioning from a Hard of Hearing School to a Hearing high school, Maya has more than a learning curve. But what if she has more to learn about herself and how far she is willing to push for what she believes in? Perfect for contemporary fiction fans, The Silence Between Us is a novel that doesn’t shy away from the real-life struggles of high school, heart break, and d/Deaf culture. Schneider Family Book Award, Best Teen Honor Book 2020 Torn from her Hard of Hearing school when her mother's job takes them across the country, Deaf teen Maya must attend a hearing school for the first time since her hearing loss. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating. When her new friends and classmates start pushing into Maya’s thoughts about what it means to be Deaf, it clashes with her idea of self-worth and values. Looking past graduation towards a future medical career, Maya knows nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will derail her pursuits or cause her to question her integrity. Wattpad sensation Alison Gervais writes a stunning portrayal of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing culture in this clean YA contemporary romance. Drawing from her own deaf experience and relationship with the HoH community, Gervais provides a personal interview and commentary on cochlear implants. The Silence Between Us mixes lighthearted romance with deeper social issues facing minority groups. “The Silence Between Us?is eminently un-put-down-able.” (NPR) “Gervais deftly renders both the nuanced, everyday realities of life with disability and Maya’s fierce pride in her Deafness, delivering a vibrant story that will resonate with Deaf and hearing audiences alike.” –?Booklist “A solid addition to middle/high school fiction that allows for deep discussion about stereotypes concerning disabilities.”?School Library Journal “This is a great YA contemporary (clean) romance that follows Maya as she navigates a new school and plans for her future. The addition of representation by a Deaf character was really beautifully done. Highly recommend for people looking for a sweet, engaging, and educational romantic read.” (YA and Kids Book Central) |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Hear & Beyond Shari Eberts, Gael Hannan, 2022-05-03 Hearing loss doesn’t come with an operating manual—until now. If you have hearing loss, you already know that the conventional approach to treatment is focused on hearing-aid technology. Without a handbook to help you figure out how to actually live with it, you’ve likely been getting by on information pieced together from various sources—and yet, communication often seems incomplete and unsatisfying. What’s missing from this hearing care model is the big picture—a real-life illustration of how hearing loss, its emotions, and its barriers affect every corner of your life. Now, hearing-health advocates, consultants, and speakers Shari Eberts and Gael Hannan offer a new skills-based approach to hearing loss that is centered not on hearing better, but on communicating better. With honesty and humor, they share their own hearing loss journeys, and outline invaluable insights, strategies, and workarounds to help you engage with the world and be heard. You’ll gain tips for navigating all areas impacted by hearing loss, including relationships, work, technology; strategies for adopting a new, empowering mindset towards your hearing loss; and communication behaviors that can make almost any listening situation manageable. Informed by the lived experiences of thousands of people living with hearing loss, and corroborated by hearing science, technological advances, and modern hearing-care principles, Hear & Beyond offers a new way forward to greater connection and engagement—whether you’re new to hearing loss or have been living with it for a long time. Hearing loss is just one aspect of who you are, among many others. You may have hearing loss, but it doesn’t have to have you. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: The Language Instinct Steven Pinker, 2010-12-14 A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book. — New York Times Book Review The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Seeing Voices Oliver Sacks, 2011-03-04 Like The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, this is a fascinating voyage into a strange and wonderful land, a provocative meditation on communication, biology, adaptation, and culture. In Seeing Voices, Oliver Sacks turns his attention to the subject of deafness, and the result is a deeply felt portrait of a minority struggling for recognition and respect — a minority with its own rich, sometimes astonishing, culture and unique visual language, an extraordinary mode of communication that tells us much about the basis of language in hearing people as well. Seeing Voices is, as Studs Terkel has written, an exquisite, as well as revelatory, work. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: What's That Pig Outdoors? Henry Kisor, 2010-10-01 Henry Kisor lost his hearing at age three to meningitis and encephalitis but went on to excel in the most verbal of professions as a literary journalist. This new and expanded edition of Kisor's engrossing memoir recounts his life as a deaf person in a hearing world and addresses heartening changes over the last two decades due to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and advancements in cochlear implants and modes of communication. Kisor tells of his parents' drive to raise him as a member of the hearing and speaking world by teaching him effective lip-reading skills at a young age and encouraging him to communicate with his hearing peers. With humor and much candor, he narrates his time as the only deaf student at Trinity College in Connecticut and then as a graduate student at Northwestern University, as well as his successful career as the book review editor at the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Daily News. Life without hearing, Kisor says, has been fine and fulfilling. Widely praised in popular media and academic journals when it was first published in 1990, What's That Pig Outdoors? opened new conversations about the deaf. Bringing those conversations into the twenty-first century, Kisor updates the continuing disagreements between those who advocate sign language and those who practice speech and lip-reading, discusses the increased acceptance of deaf people's abilities and idiosyncrasies, and considers technological advancements such as blogging, instant messaging, and hand-held mobile devices that have enabled deaf people to communicate with the hearing world on its own terms. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Being Seen Elsa Sjunneson, 2021-10-26 A deafblind writer and professor explores how the misrepresentation of disability in books, movies, and TV harms both the disabled community and everyone else. As a deafblind woman with partial vision in one eye and bilateral hearing aids, Elsa Sjunneson lives at the crossroads of blindness and sight, hearing and deafness—much to the confusion of the world around her. While she cannot see well enough to operate without a guide dog or cane, she can see enough to know when someone is reacting to the visible signs of her blindness and can hear when they’re whispering behind her back. And she certainly knows how wrong our one-size-fits-all definitions of disability can be. As a media studies professor, she’s also seen the full range of blind and deaf portrayals on film, and here she deconstructs their impact, following common tropes through horror, romance, and everything in between. Part memoir, part cultural criticism, part history of the deafblind experience, Being Seen explores how our cultural concept of disability is more myth than fact, and the damage it does to us all. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: On Being Human Jennifer Pastiloff, 2019-06-04 An inspirational memoir about how Jennifer Pastiloff's years of waitressing taught her to seek out unexpected beauty, how hearing loss taught her to listen fiercely, how being vulnerable allowed her to find love, and how imperfections can lead to a life full of wild happiness. Centered around the touchstone stories Jen tells in her popular workshops, On Being Human is the story of how a starved person grew into the exuberant woman she was meant to be all along by battling the demons within and winning. Jen did not intend to become a yoga teacher, but when she was given the opportunity to host her own retreats, she left her thirteen-year waitressing job and said “yes,” despite crippling fears of her inexperience and her own potential. After years of feeling depressed, anxious, and hopeless, in a life that seemed to have no escape, she healed her own heart by caring for others. She has learned to fiercely listen despite being nearly deaf, to banish shame attached to a body mass index, and to rebuild a family after the debilitating loss of her father when she was eight. Through her journey, Jen conveys the experience most of us are missing in our lives: being heard and being told, “I got you.” Exuberant, triumphantly messy, and brave, On Being Human is a celebration of happiness and self-realization over darkness and doubt. Her complicated yet imperfectly perfect life path is an inspiration to live outside the box and to reject the all-too-common belief of “I am not enough.” Jen will help readers find, accept, and embrace their own vulnerability, bravery, and humanness. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: A Man Without Words Susan Schaller, 2014-05-15 For more than a quarter of a century, Ildefonso, a Mexican Indian, lived in total isolation, set apart from the rest of the world. He wasn't a political prisoner or a social recluse, he was simply born deaf and had never been taught even the most basic language. Susan Schaller, then a twenty-four-year-old graduate student, encountered him in a class for the deaf where she had been sent as an interpreter and where he sat isolated, since he knew no sign language. She found him obviously intelligent and sharply observant but unable to communicate, and she felt compelled to bring him to a comprehension of words. The book vividly conveys the challenge, the frustrations, and the exhilaration of opening the mind of a congenitally deaf person to the concept of language. This second edition includes a new chapter and afterword. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Deaf Gain H-Dirksen L. Bauman, Joseph J. Murray, 2014-10-15 Deaf people are usually regarded by the hearing world as having a lack, as missing a sense. Yet a definition of deaf people based on hearing loss obscures a wealth of ways in which societies have benefited from the significant contributions of deaf people. In this bold intervention into ongoing debates about disability and what it means to be human, experts from a variety of disciplines—neuroscience, linguistics, bioethics, history, cultural studies, education, public policy, art, and architecture—advance the concept of Deaf Gain and challenge assumptions about what is normal. Through their in-depth articulation of Deaf Gain, the editors and authors of this pathbreaking volume approach deafness as a distinct way of being in the world, one which opens up perceptions, perspectives, and insights that are less common to the majority of hearing persons. For example, deaf individuals tend to have unique capabilities in spatial and facial recognition, peripheral processing, and the detection of images. And users of sign language, which neuroscientists have shown to be biologically equivalent to speech, contribute toward a robust range of creative expression and understanding. By framing deafness in terms of its intellectual, creative, and cultural benefits, Deaf Gain recognizes physical and cognitive difference as a vital aspect of human diversity. Contributors: David Armstrong; Benjamin Bahan, Gallaudet U; Hansel Bauman, Gallaudet U; John D. Bonvillian, U of Virginia; Alison Bryan; Teresa Blankmeyer Burke, Gallaudet U; Cindee Calton; Debra Cole; Matthew Dye, U of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign; Steve Emery; Ofelia García, CUNY; Peter C. Hauser, Rochester Institute of Technology; Geo Kartheiser; Caroline Kobek Pezzarossi; Christopher Krentz, U of Virginia; Annelies Kusters; Irene W. Leigh, Gallaudet U; Elizabeth M. Lockwood, U of Arizona; Summer Loeffler; Mara Lúcia Massuti, Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil; Donna A. Morere, Gallaudet U; Kati Morton; Ronice Müller de Quadros, U Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil; Donna Jo Napoli, Swarthmore College; Jennifer Nelson, Gallaudet U; Laura-Ann Petitto, Gallaudet U; Suvi Pylvänen, Kymenlaakso U of Applied Sciences; Antti Raike, Aalto U; Päivi Rainò, U of Applied Sciences Humak; Katherine D. Rogers; Clara Sherley-Appel; Kristin Snoddon, U of Alberta; Karin Strobel, U Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil; Hilary Sutherland; Rachel Sutton-Spence, U of Bristol, England; James Tabery, U of Utah; Jennifer Grinder Witteborg; Mark Zaurov. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Understanding Deaf Culture Paddy Ladd, 2003 This text presents a Traveller's Guide to deaf culture, starting from the premise that deaf cultures have an important contribution to make to other academic disciplines, and human lives in general. Within and outside deaf communities, there is a need for an account of the new concept of deaf culture, which enables readers to assess its place alongside work on other minority cultures and multilingual discourses. The book aims to assess the concepts of culture, on their own terms and in their many guises and to apply these to deaf communities. The author illustrates the pitfalls which have been created for those communities by the medical concept of deafness and contrasts this with his new concept of deafhood, a process by which every deaf child, family and adult implicitly explains their existance in the world to themselves and each other. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Talking Hands Margalit Fox, 2008-08-05 Documents life in a remote Bedouin village in Israel whose residents communicate through a unique method of sign language used by both hearing and non-hearing citizens, in an account that offers insight into the relationship between language and the human mind. Reprint. 20,000 first printing. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Hearing Loss National Research Council, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, Committee on Disability Determination for Individuals with Hearing Impairments, 2004-12-17 Millions of Americans experience some degree of hearing loss. The Social Security Administration (SSA) operates programs that provide cash disability benefits to people with permanent impairments like hearing loss, if they can show that their impairments meet stringent SSA criteria and their earnings are below an SSA threshold. The National Research Council convened an expert committee at the request of the SSA to study the issues related to disability determination for people with hearing loss. This volume is the product of that study. Hearing Loss: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits reviews current knowledge about hearing loss and its measurement and treatment, and provides an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the current processes and criteria. It recommends changes to strengthen the disability determination process and ensure its reliability and fairness. The book addresses criteria for selection of pure tone and speech tests, guidelines for test administration, testing of hearing in noise, special issues related to testing children, and the difficulty of predicting work capacity from clinical hearing test results. It should be useful to audiologists, otolaryngologists, disability advocates, and others who are concerned with people who have hearing loss. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: I Can Hear You Whisper Lydia Denworth, 2014-04-17 “A skilled science translator, Denworth makes decibels, teslas and brain plasticity understandable to all.”—Washington Post Lydia Denworth’s third son, Alex, was nearly two when he was identified with significant hearing loss that was likely to get worse. Denworth knew the importance of enrichment to the developing brain but had never contemplated the opposite: deprivation. How would a child’s brain grow outside the world of sound? How would he communicate? Would he learn to read and write? An acclaimed science journalist as well as a mother, Denworth made it her mission to find out, interviewing experts on language development, inventors of groundbreaking technology, Deaf leaders, and neuroscientists at the frontiers of brain plasticity research. I Can Hear You Whisper chronicles Denworth’s search for answers—and her new understanding of Deaf culture and the exquisite relationship between sound, language, and learning. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Bug Christopher Jon Heuer, 2007 A contributor to The Tactile Mind Weekly and the National Association of the Deafs Mind Over Matter writes about the biases he has faced in both the hearing and deaf communities, and addresses such topics as Christmas trips and marriage with a withering wit. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Topics in Signed Language Interpreting Terry Janzen, 2005-10-26 Interpreters who work with signed languages and those who work strictly with spoken languages share many of the same issues regarding their training, skill sets, and fundamentals of practice. Yet interpreting into and from signed languages presents unique challenges for the interpreter, who works with language that must be seen rather than heard. The contributions in this volume focus on topics of interest to both students of signed language interpreting and practitioners working in community, conference, and education settings. Signed languages dealt with include American Sign Language, Langue des Signes Québécoise and Irish Sign Language, although interpreters internationally will find the discussion in each chapter relevant to their own language context. Topics concern theoretical and practical components of the interpreter’s work, including interpreters’ approaches to language and meaning, their role on the job and in the communities within which they work, dealing with language variation and consumer preferences, and Deaf interpreters as professionals in the field. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: You're Welcome, Universe Whitney Gardner, 2017-03-07 A vibrant, edgy, fresh new YA voice for fans of More Happy Than Not and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, packed with interior graffiti. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award! When Julia finds a slur about her best friend scrawled across the back of the Kingston School for the Deaf, she covers it up with a beautiful (albeit illegal) graffiti mural. Her supposed best friend snitches, the principal expels her, and her two mothers set Julia up with a one-way ticket to a “mainstream” school in the suburbs, where she’s treated like an outcast as the only deaf student. The last thing she has left is her art, and not even Banksy himself could convince her to give that up. Out in the ’burbs, Julia paints anywhere she can, eager to claim some turf of her own. But Julia soon learns that she might not be the only vandal in town. Someone is adding to her tags, making them better, showing off—and showing Julia up in the process. She expected her art might get painted over by cops. But she never imagined getting dragged into a full-blown graffiti war. Told with wit and grit by debut author Whitney Gardner, who also provides gorgeous interior illustrations of Julia’s graffiti tags, You’re Welcome, Universe introduces audiences to a one-of-a-kind protagonist who is unabashedly herself no matter what life throws in her way. [A] spectacular debut...a moving, beautifully written contemporary novel full of quirky art and complicated friendships...this book is a gift to be thankful for.—BookRiot |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Independence Without Sight Or Sound Dona Sauerburger, 1993 Independence without Sight or Sound covers the essential aspects of communicating and working with deaf-blind adults--individuals who have both vision and hearing loss. Written in a personal and informal style, it is filled with practical information for any professional who works with someone who is deaf-blind, such as how to talk with someone who is deaf-blind, how deaf-blind people can communicate with strangers and interact with people in public, and how they can overcome isolation and assert control over their own life. Written by an expert in orientation and mobility, this guide emphasizes adapting orientation and mobility techniques for deaf-blind travelers. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: The People of the Eye Harlan Lane, Richard Pillard, Ulf Hedberg, 2011-01-07 The People of the Eye compares the vales, customs and social organization of the Deaf World to those in ethnic groups. It portrays how the founding families of the Deaf World lived in early America and provides pedigrees for over two hundred lineages with Deaf members. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Deaf People and Society Irene W. Leigh, Jean F. Andrews, Cara A. Miller, Ju-Lee A. Wolsey, 2022-12-16 Deaf People and Society is an authoritative text that emphasizes the complexities of being D/deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf-Disabled, or hard of hearing, drawing on perspectives from psychology, education, and sociology. This book also explores how the lives of these individuals are impacted by decisions made by professionals in clinics, schools, or other settings. This new edition offers insights on areas critical to Deaf Studies and Disability Studies, with particular emphasis on multiculturalism and multilingualism, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion. Accessibly written, the chapters include objectives and suggested further reading that provides valuable leads and context. Additionally, these chapters have been thoroughly revised and incorporate a range of relevant topics including etiologies of deafness; cognition and communication; bilingual, bimodal, and monolingual approaches to language learning; childhood psychological issues; psychological and sociological viewpoints of deaf adults; the criminal justice system and deaf people; psychodynamics of interaction between deaf and hearing people; and future trends. The book also includes case studies covering hearing children of deaf adults, a young deaf adult with mental illness, and more. Written by a seasoned D/deaf/hard of hearing and hearing bilingual team, this unique text continues to be the go-to resource for students and future professionals interested in working with D/deaf, DeafBlind, and hard-of-hearing persons. Its contents will resonate with anyone interested in serving and enhancing their knowledge of their lived experiences of D/deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf-Disabled, and hard-of-hearing people and communities. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Getting the Message Across Jennifer Wiggins, Anna Middleton, 2013-01-21 Communicating with patients about genetic concepts is fraught with complications. In addition to the hazy takeaway messages and the likelihood of peripheral findings, the diverse cultural backgrounds of patients in a genetics clinic present another layer of challenge for clinicians and genetic counselors in their aim to communicate important findings effectively and respectfully. This book provides practical advice to assist genetic counselors, geneticists, and other health professionals wanting to engage appropriately with different clients from different communities -- patients who are hearing and/or visually impaired, patients with diverse sex development or religious backgrounds, and those who are available only through interpreter or telephone consultation. With chapter-based practical entries on effective communication with these and other diverse population groups, this volume is an invaluable pocket tool for clinicians and counselors to effectively get the message across. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: So You've Hired Someone with a Hearing Impairment , 1989 |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Hearing Happiness Jaipreet Virdi, 2020-08-31 Weaving together lyrical history and personal memoir, Virdi powerfully examines society’s—and her own—perception of life as a deaf person in America. At the age of four, Jaipreet Virdi’s world went silent. A severe case of meningitis left her alive but deaf, suddenly treated differently by everyone. Her deafness downplayed by society and doctors, she struggled to “pass” as hearing for most of her life. Countless cures, treatments, and technologies led to dead ends. Never quite deaf enough for the Deaf community or quite hearing enough for the “normal” majority, Virdi was stuck in aural limbo for years. It wasn’t until her thirties, exasperated by problems with new digital hearing aids, that she began to actively assert her deafness and reexamine society’s—and her own—perception of life as a deaf person in America. Through lyrical history and personal memoir, Hearing Happiness raises pivotal questions about deafness in American society and the endless quest for a cure. Taking us from the 1860s up to the present, Virdi combs archives and museums to understand the long history of curious cures: ear trumpets, violet ray apparatuses, vibrating massagers, electrotherapy machines, airplane diving, bloodletting, skull hammering, and many more. Hundreds of procedures and products have promised grand miracles but always failed to deliver a universal cure—a harmful legacy that is still present in contemporary biomedicine. Blending Virdi’s own experiences together with her exploration into the fascinating history of deafness cures, Hearing Happiness is a powerful story that America needs to hear. Praise for Hearing Happiness “In part a critical memoir of her own life, this archival tour de force centers on d/Deafness, and, specifically, the obsessive search for a “cure”. . . . This survey of cure and its politics, framed by disability studies, allows readers—either for the first time or as a stunning example in the field—to think about how notions of remediation are leveraged against the most vulnerable.” —Public Books “Engaging. . . . A sweeping chronology of human deafness fortified with the author’s personal struggles and triumphs.” —Kirkus Reviews “Part memoir, part historical monograph, Virdi’s Hearing Happiness breaks the mold for academic press publications.” —Publishers Weekly “In her insightful book, Virdi probes how society perceives deafness and challenges the idea that a disability is a deficit. . . . [She] powerfully demonstrates how cures for deafness pressure individuals to change, to “be better.” —Washington Post |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Reading to Deaf Children David R. Schleper, 1997 Fifteen principles outlined as a guide for parents and teachers who want to share the pleasure of reading with deaf children. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Interpreting for Deaf People Stephen Patrick Quigley, United States. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Vocational Rehabilitation Administration, 1966 |
| questions to ask a deaf person: The Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger, 2024-06-28 The Catcher in the Rye," written by J.D. Salinger and published in 1951, is a classic American novel that explores the themes of adolescence, alienation, and identity through the eyes of its protagonist, Holden Caulfield. The novel is set in the 1950s and follows Holden, a 16-year-old who has just been expelled from his prep school, Pencey Prep. Disillusioned with the world around him, Holden decides to leave Pencey early and spend a few days alone in New York City before returning home. Over the course of these days, Holden interacts with various people, including old friends, a former teacher, and strangers, all the while grappling with his feelings of loneliness and dissatisfaction. Holden is deeply troubled by the "phoniness" of the adult world and is haunted by the death of his younger brother, Allie, which has left a lasting impact on him. He fantasizes about being "the catcher in the rye," a guardian who saves children from losing their innocence by catching them before they fall off a cliff into adulthooda. The novel ends with Holden in a mental institution, where he is being treated for a nervous breakdown. He expresses some hope for the future, indicating a possible path to recovery.. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: My Religion Helen Keller, 2007-03 Helen Keller had absolutely no hearing or eyesight from the age of two, but became one of the most inspiring and well known people to have ever lived. She wrote this book after receiving many requests for her to describe her religious beliefs. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Haben Haben Girma, 2019-08-06 The incredible life story of Haben Girma, the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School, and her amazing journey from isolation to the world stage. Haben grew up spending summers with her family in the enchanting Eritrean city of Asmara. There, she discovered courage as she faced off against a bull she couldn't see, and found in herself an abiding strength as she absorbed her parents' harrowing experiences during Eritrea's thirty-year war with Ethiopia. Their refugee story inspired her to embark on a quest for knowledge, traveling the world in search of the secret to belonging. She explored numerous fascinating places, including Mali, where she helped build a school under the scorching Saharan sun. Her many adventures over the years range from the hair-raising to the hilarious. Haben defines disability as an opportunity for innovation. She learned non-visual techniques for everything from dancing salsa to handling an electric saw. She developed a text-to-braille communication system that created an exciting new way to connect with people. Haben pioneered her way through obstacles, graduated from Harvard Law, and now uses her talents to advocate for people with disabilities. Haben takes readers through a thrilling game of blind hide-and-seek in Louisiana, a treacherous climb up an iceberg in Alaska, and a magical moment with President Obama at The White House. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating memoir is a testament to one woman's determination to find the keys to connection. This autobiography by a millennial Helen Keller teems with grace and grit. -- O Magazine A profoundly important memoir. -- The Times ** As featured in The Wall Street Journal, People, and on The TODAY Show ** A New York Times New & Noteworthy Pick ** An O Magazine Book of the Month Pick ** A Publishers Weekly Bestseller ** |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Disability Visibility Alice Wong, 2020-06-30 “Disability rights activist Alice Wong brings tough conversations to the forefront of society with this anthology. It sheds light on the experience of life as an individual with disabilities, as told by none other than authors with these life experiences. It's an eye-opening collection that readers will revisit time and time again.” —Chicago Tribune One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent—but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, From Harriet McBryde Johnson’s account of her debate with Peter Singer over her own personhood to original pieces by authors like Keah Brown and Haben Girma; from blog posts, manifestos, and eulogies to Congressional testimonies, and beyond: this anthology gives a glimpse into the rich complexity of the disabled experience, highlighting the passions, talents, and everyday lives of this community. It invites readers to question their own understandings. It celebrates and documents disability culture in the now. It looks to the future and the past with hope and love. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! (Scholastic Gold) Alex Gino, 2018-09-25 Alex Gino, the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of Melissa, is back with another sensitive tale based on increasingly relevant social justice issues. Jilly thinks she's figured out how life works. But when her sister, Emma, is born deaf, she realizes how much she still has to learn. The world is going to treat Jilly, who is white and hearing, differently from Emma, just as it will treat them both differently from their Black cousins. A big fantasy reader, Jilly makes a connection online with another fantasy fan, Derek, who is a Deaf, Black ASL user. She goes to Derek for help with Emma but doesn't always know the best way or time to ask for it. As she and Derek meet in person, have some really fun conversations, and become friends, Jilly makes some mistakes . . . but comes to understand that it's up to her, not Derek to figure out how to do better next time--especially when she wants to be there for Derek the most. Within a world where kids like Derek and Emma aren't assured the same freedom or safety as kids like Jilly, Jilly is starting to learn all the things she doesn't know--and by doing that, she's also working to discover how to support her family and her friends. With You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!, award-winning author Alex Gino uses their trademark humor, heart, and humanity to show readers how being open to difference can make you a better person, and how being open to change can make you change in the best possible ways. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Deaf in America Carol A. Padden, Tom L. Humphries, 1990-09-01 Written by authors who are themselves Deaf, this unique book illuminates the life and culture of Deaf people from the inside, through their everyday talk, their shared myths, their art and performances, and the lessons they teach one another. Carol Padden and Tom Humphries employ the capitalized Deaf to refer to deaf people who share a natural language—American Sign Language (ASL—and a complex culture, historically created and actively transmitted across generations. Signed languages have traditionally been considered to be simply sets of gestures rather than natural languages. This mistaken belief, fostered by hearing people’s cultural views, has had tragic consequences for the education of deaf children; generations of children have attended schools in which they were forbidden to use a signed language. For Deaf people, as Padden and Humphries make clear, their signed language is life-giving, and is at the center of a rich cultural heritage. The tension between Deaf people’s views of themselves and the way the hearing world views them finds its way into their stories, which include tales about their origins and the characteristics they consider necessary for their existence and survival. Deaf in America includes folktales, accounts of old home movies, jokes, reminiscences, and translations of signed poems and modern signed performances. The authors introduce new material that has never before been published and also offer translations that capture as closely as possible the richness of the original material in ASL. Deaf in America will be of great interest to those interested in culture and language as well as to Deaf people and those who work with deaf children and Deaf people. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: The Gospel According to Mark , 1999-01-01 The earliest of the four Gospels, the book portrays Jesus as an enigmatic figure, struggling with enemies, his inner and external demons, and with his devoted but disconcerted disciples. Unlike other gospels, his parables are obscure, to be explained secretly to his followers. With an introduction by Nick Cave |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Preparing Deaf and Hearing Persons with Language and Learning Challenges for CBT Neil S. Glickman, 2016-07-15 Preparing Deaf and Hearing Persons with Language and Learning Challenges for CBT: A Pre-Therapy Workbook presents 12 lessons to guide staff in hospital and community mental health and rehabilitation programs on creating skill-oriented therapy settings when working with people who don’t read well or have trouble with abstract ideas, problem solving, reasoning, attention, and learning. Drawing from the worlds of CBT, current understandings of best practices in psychotherapy, and the emerging clinical specialty of Deaf mental health care, the workbook describes methods for engaging people who are often considered poor candidates for psychotherapy. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Culturally Affirmative Psychotherapy With Deaf Persons Neil S. Glickman, Michael A. Harvey, 2013-10-23 The impetus for this volume is the growing awareness within the mental health and larger community of a culturally affirmative model for understanding and assisting deaf people. In contrast to the medical-pathological model which treats deafness as a disability, the cultural model guides us to view deaf persons in relation to the deaf community--a group of people with a common language, culture, and collective identity. A primary tenant of culturally affirmative psychotherapy is to understand and respect such differences, not to eradicate them. The contributors to this volume present a practical and realistic model of providing culturally affirmative counseling and psychotherapy for deaf people. The three dimensions of this model have been delineated by the multicultural counseling literature. These dimensions assert that culturally affirmative psychotherapy with deaf persons requires therapist self-awareness, knowledge of the deaf community/culture, and understanding of culturally-syntonic therapeutic interventions. The first to exhaustively delineate the implications of the cultural model of deafness for counseling deaf people, this book is essential reading for anyone who works in an educational or counseling capacity with the deaf. This audience includes not only psychotherapists, but also vocational, guidance and residence counselors, teachers, independent living skills specialists, interpreters, and administrators of programs for the deaf. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Mental Health and Deafness Margaret Du Feu, Cathy Chovaz, 2014 The assessment and treatment of mental health concerns for Deaf individuals has been largely ignored and/or misunderstood by many mental health professionals. In Mental Health and Deafness, Margaret du Feu and Cathy Chovaz seek to rectify this by outlining current issues surrounding mental health and deafness. The book provides valuable information to professionals interested in expanding their knowledge of mental health and deafness, and the authors share their extensive clinical experience with the reader through a variety of case studies. The authors primarily focus on individuals who were born deaf or deafened early in life, but also describe the mental health aspects of acquired deafness and individuals with both deafness and blindness. Mental Health and Deafness begins by describing the historical and social context of deafness, and follows the life journey of a Deaf individual, focusing on parental reactions, language acquisition, and mental health disorders of children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. Chapters cover relevant issues regarding assessment, treatment, and forensic and legal issues. The book concludes with an overview of service development. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: Through Deaf Eyes Douglas C. Baynton, Jack R. Gannon, Jean Lindquist Bergey, 2007 From the PBS film, 200 photographs and text depict the American deaf community and its place in our nation's history. |
| questions to ask a deaf person: The Deaf Mute Howls Albert Ballin, 1998 The First Volume in the Gallaudet Classics in Deaf Studies Series, Albert Ballin's greatest ambition was that The Deaf Mute Howls would transform education for deaf children and more, the relations between deaf and hearing people everywhere. While his primary concern was to improve the lot of the deaf person shunned and isolated as a useless member of society, his ambitions were larger yet. He sought to make sign language universally known among both hearing and deaf. He believed that would be the great Remedy, as he called it, for the ills that afflicted deaf people in the world, and would vastly enrich the lives of hearing people as well.--The Introduction by Douglas Baynton, author, Forbidden Signs. Originally published in 1930, The Deaf Mute Howls flew in the face of the accepted practice of teaching deaf children to speak and read lips while prohibiting the use of sign language. The sharp observations in Albert Ballin's remarkable book detail his experiences (and those of others) at a late 19th-century residential school for deaf students and his frustrations as an adult seeking acceptance in the majority hearing society. The Deaf Mute Howls charts the ambiguous attitudes of deaf people toward themselves at this time. Ballin himself makes matter-of-fact use of terms now considered disparaging, such as deaf-mute, and he frequently rues the atrophying of the parts of his brain necessary for language acquisition. At the same time, he rails against the loss of opportunity for deaf people, and he commandingly shifts the burden of blame to hearing people unwilling to learn the Universal Sign Language, his solution to the communication problems of society. From his lively encounters with Alexander Graham Bell (whose desire to close residential schools he surprisingly supports), to his enthrallment with the film industry, Ballin's highly readable book offers an appealing look at the deaf world during his richly colored lifetime. Albert Ballin, born in 1867, attended a residential school for the deaf until he was sixteen. Thereafter, he worked as a fine artist, a lithographer, and also as an actor in silent-era films. He died in 1933 |
