Until recently, I hadn't given much thought to how deaf people function in a hearing society. That changed a few weeks ago when I had the opportunity to interview a deaf person. This was in preparation for a special service we were holding to celebrate New Zealand Sign Language week. There are several people in our church who are involved with the deaf community. One is a qualified interpreter and the others have a passion for interacting with the deaf. Subsequent to the service, I had the opportunity to receive four hours of instruction in sign language. While it was just a basic overview, I feel confident that I could now introduce myself to a deaf person, spell out my name and ask a few simple questions.
Deaf Culture
Deaf people, unlike members of other groups, have their own language, social clubs, athletic leagues, theater companies, universities, periodicals, TV programs and international Olympics. Unless the parents are deaf, this culture is not passed on through them but comes formally and informally through schools for the deaf. Deaf people often ask each other which school they went to as this conveys information about their influences and cultural roots.
Is deafness a disability?
Many deaf people do not consider themselves to be disabled - they simply cannot hear. In fact, most of them are content as they are and live productive fulfilled lives. Although they live in a hearing world, they have come up with creative ways to manage the limitations imposed by deafness. Flashing lights warn of doorbells and texting has made telephone communication easier. Their problems seem to arise when they have to interact with the hearing sector of society. Medical experts often treat deafness as a pathology that needs to be cured and this attitude is not well received by the Deaf Community. I was surprised to hear that cochlear implants are often regarded as denigrating to the group – like straightening hair or lightening skin. They prefer to be accepted as they are and not as people with a problem that needs fixing.
Defining Sign Language
Sign language differs from country to country but is always a highly expressive form of communication. It is a visual language and many of the signs have relevance to the object they are describing. For example the signs for some animals relate to typical actions of that animal. If you watch people sign, you can see the playful quality of the language as they improvise and add humor, imagination and personality. Sign language is not just hand movements but involves the whole body and face and when used in worship, can offer amazing depths of expression. I was playing the piano on the day we held our service for the deaf, and it was an awesome experience to see them signing their worship to God. There is an example of how expressive sign language can be on this snippet from Sister Act. Sign language is the first language for most deaf people and English is a second language. Contrary to popular belief, sign is a comprehensive form of communication and can express anything a written language can.
Where do interpreters fit in?
Deaf people are the only group in the world forced to rely on interpreters who live outside of their culture. The ideal interpreting situation is in one direction only – from a second or third language into the mother tongue. This is not the case with sign language where the hearing person is interpreting from English into sign or second language. Pitfalls include inaccurate interpretation which can portray a deaf person as slow or dull. An interpreter must never edit or distort the meaning of what a person is signing.
Deaf Etiquette
Because of the difference in culture, deaf etiquette is different to hearing etiquette. These are some things to avoid when communicating with a deaf person: chewing gum, throwing objects at a person to get their attention and not looking at a person who is trying to tell you something. It is also rude to break eye contact in the middle of a conversation, watch other people's conversations and hint at a criticism rather than coming out with it. In signing, it is not rude to point and stare at faces. If dining with a deaf person, they will usually point to the menu to communicate with the waiter. Don't try and take over from them. They've probably been doing this for years without your help.
How does it feel to be deaf in a hearing world?
Hearing people often glimpse fragments of a deaf person's life in a shop, church or waiting room. They see them in isolation, not in the context of the deaf community, and so get a distorted impression of them. In a gathering of hearing people, deaf people often feel reluctant and uncertain. The language and culture are not native to them and they fear being viewed as ignorant. Frustration is another common feeling which arises when they want to state an opinion but can't make themselves understood. To imagine how this feels, picture yourself at a meeting of deaf people. You don't understand sign language and won't be able to fit in or communicate. No one talks to you and you feel like an outsider.
If all else fails, it is possible to communicate with a deaf person by writing. The important thing is to remember they are people with emotions and feelings just like the rest of us. They would rather you attempt a conversation than pretend they are not there.
Until recently, I hadn't given much thought to how deaf people function in a hearing society. That changed a few weeks ago when I had the opportunity to interview a deaf person. This was in preparation for a special service we were holding to celebrate New Zealand Sign Language week. There are several people in our church who are involved with the deaf community. One is a qualified interpreter and the others have a passion for interacting with the deaf. Subsequent to the service, I had the opportunity to receive four hours of instruction in sign language. While it was just a basic overview, I feel confident that I could now introduce myself to a deaf person, spell out my name and ask a few simple questions.
Deaf people, unlike members of other groups, have their own language, social clubs, athletic leagues, theater companies, universities, periodicals, TV programs and international Olympics. Unless the parents are deaf, this culture is not passed on through them but comes formally and informally through schools for the deaf. Deaf people often ask each other which school they went to as this conveys information about their influences and cultural roots.
Is deafness a disability?
Many deaf people do not consider themselves to be disabled - they simply cannot hear. In fact, most of them are content as they are and live productive fulfilled lives. Although they live in a hearing world, they have come up with creative ways to manage the limitations imposed by deafness. Flashing lights warn of doorbells and texting has made telephone communication easier. Their problems seem to arise when they have to interact with the hearing sector of society. Medical experts often treat deafness as a pathology that needs to be cured and this attitude is not well received by the Deaf Community. I was surprised to hear that cochlear implants are often regarded as denigrating to the group – like straightening hair or lightening skin. They prefer to be accepted as they are and not as people with a problem that needs fixing.
Defining Sign Language
Where do interpreters fit in?
Deaf people are the only group in the world forced to rely on interpreters who live outside of their culture. The ideal interpreting situation is in one direction only – from a second or third language into the mother tongue. This is not the case with sign language where the hearing person is interpreting from English into sign or second language. Pitfalls include inaccurate interpretation which can portray a deaf person as slow or dull. An interpreter must never edit or distort the meaning of what a person is signing.
Deaf Etiquette
Because of the difference in culture, deaf etiquette is different to hearing etiquette. These are some things to avoid when communicating with a deaf person: chewing gum, throwing objects at a person to get their attention and not looking at a person who is trying to tell you something. It is also rude to break eye contact in the middle of a conversation, watch other people's conversations and hint at a criticism rather than coming out with it. In signing, it is not rude to point and stare at faces. If dining with a deaf person, they will usually point to the menu to communicate with the waiter. Don't try and take over from them. They've probably been doing this for years without your help.
How does it feel to be deaf in a hearing world?
Hearing people often glimpse fragments of a deaf person's life in a shop, church or waiting room. They see them in isolation, not in the context of the deaf community, and so get a distorted impression of them. In a gathering of hearing people, deaf people often feel reluctant and uncertain. The language and culture are not native to them and they fear being viewed as ignorant. Frustration is another common feeling which arises when they want to state an opinion but can't make themselves understood. To imagine how this feels, picture yourself at a meeting of deaf people. You don't understand sign language and won't be able to fit in or communicate. No one talks to you and you feel like an outsider.
If all else fails, it is possible to communicate with a deaf person by writing. The important thing is to remember they are people with emotions and feelings just like the rest of us. They would rather you attempt a conversation than pretend they are not there.