Deaf Culture Final Project by Sydney Wade

American's With Disabilities Act (1990)

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 13:47:21 UTC

What is it?

The ADA is a law that acknowledges and protects the rights of people with a disability and deaf citizens. In addition to this, the ADA prohibits discrimination against these individuals.

Who does this cover?

This covers a variety of different disabilities including ones related to physical conditions that may affect one's ability to move, endurance, sight, ability to hear, and speech. This also covers mental illnesses and disorder.

Importance?

This law greatly helps the quality of life for individuals who are disabled as well as deaf citizens. These people have a right to compete on an equal level for employment, education, and other opportunities that they could have previously been denied from simply because of something they can not control.

The 9 Categories of Deafness

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 13:50:18 UTC

American Sign Language Users

People who communicate fluently through American Sign Language as their primary language

Bilingual Users

People who communicate fluently in English and American Sign Language.

Oralists/Hearing Impaired Individuals

Person who is deaf or hard of hearing who mainly communicates through the use of speech.

Deafened Adults (Early or Late)

Individuals who were not born deaf but instead became deaf after having the experience of hearing and acquired speech.

Hearing Impaired Elderly Adults

Individuals who's hearing has deteriorated as a result of growing older.

Minimal Language Users

Individuals who do not know both English or American Sign Language.

Hard of Hearing (HoH) Individuals

Individuals who has the remainder of their hearing Anyone in the above 6 groups can also be classified as hard of hearing. These individuals may not have or desire any cultural affiliation with the Deaf community.

People who are hard-of-hearing may identify more with the hearing world or they may identify better with the Deaf community. For many Deaf people, this means to have experiences closer to those of hearing individuals. In contrast, for hearing people, this means to have experiences closer to those of deaf people.

Deaf Blind Individuals

Deaf or hard of hearing Individuals who also have some level of vision loss.

Family Members

These are individuals who, from any of the above groups, who have family members with typical hearing.

Harmon Course Notes.

The Medical Model and the Cultural-Linguistic model, What is The Difference?

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 13:50:51 UTC

Medical Model

According to this model all hearing differences are medical problems that should be prevented through early intervention and are in need of a cure. The Medical model largely focuses on the medical condition of the individual aspect of being deaf. When using this model you would typically use little d deaf.

Under this model, common terms used to describe Deaf people in the past were:

disabled
hearing impaired
hearing-challenged

Terms that are still used that follow this model:

Profoundly deaf
Prelingually deaf
Person with neurosensory impairment
Moderately deaf

Cultural-Linguistic model

In contrast, according to this model being deaf is not a deficit needing a cure but is instead a way of being (Models of deafness, 2015). The Cultural-Linguistic model holds a focus on the culture, community, and language that comes with being Deaf. When using this model you would typically use big D Deaf.

Terms that are still used that follow this model:

Deaf
hard-of-hearing

Deaf people sometimes poke fun at themselves by using creative and comical labels such as:

Baby cry test flunkies
Vertigo Deaf
Fingerspellers
Recessive gene Deaf
Acupunctured Deaf

The 5 Titles of the American's With Disabilities Act (1990)

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 14:33:40 UTC

Title I - Employment

helps individuals with disabilities have access to the same employment opportunities as individuals without a disability.

Title II - Public Services: State &    Local Government

Prohibits discrimination, based on someone's disability, by state and local government agencies.
State and local government agencies are required to make any activity, program, or service assessable to individuals with a disability.

Title III - Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities

prohibits private places of public accommodation from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. (citation- https://adata.org/learn-about-ada)

Title IV - Telecommunications

requires closed captioning on federally funded public service announcements.
Phone and internet companies are required to provide telecommunications relay services that allows individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities to communicate over the phone.

Title V - Miscellaneous

This title includes miscellaneous provisions
illegal use of drugs is not a covered disability.
state and local laws are not in any way limited by the ADA and can not replace the ADA.

Ethical Considerations

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 14:52:26 UTC

Each and every day deaf people can be seen catering to the hearing society around them but it is important that hearing people cater to individuals who are deaf and to, above all, be respectful. To carry this out, people can:

make sure if there is a deaf person in the room that they can see you when you are talking. This means do not have your back to that person. Remember if there are other hearing people in the room they will be able to hear you no matter which direction you face so face the deaf or hard of hearing person to be respectful.
Don't cover your mouth. Hearing people tend to do this unconsciously when speaking but in order for someone to lip read they must be able to see your mouth along with your facial expressions.
Do not have multiple conversations going on at once. When hearing individuals are not signing what they are saying, deaf people are forced to rely on lip reading. Lip reading can be exhausting and a hard enough task as it is and it does not help when there is more than one mouth to read.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that businesses provide a qualified interpreter when requested.
learn sign language to be able to better communicate with their client, friend, co-worker, etc. if the deaf or hard of hearing person signs. This would, in turn, help the individual who is deaf or hard of hearing feel included in work discussions and conversations.
Try not to mumble. Speak loud and clearly so individuals who are hard of hearing, who have hearing aids, or cochlear implants are able to hear what you are saying and thus stay apart of the conversation or discussion.

Interpreters

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 14:52:49 UTC

Interpreters are individuals who will interpret one language to another. For deaf people, an interpreter will translate a conversation, sermon, lesson, meeting, and so on into sign language for the deaf person to understand. These individuals will also translate what the deaf person signed into English, or whichever spoken language, so people who are hearing can understand what was signed.

When we reference interpreters we are typically referring to paid professions who have been trained and certified to be an interpreter. Although sometimes people who are deaf or hard of hearing will have a family member or friend who will interpret for them.

Professional interpreters are frequently available to support deaf people’s participation in almost every aspect of modern life. This is thanks to legal mandates like the ADA.

Interpreters are commonly provided in:

Educational settings
Courtrooms
Medical settings like a hospital
Places of employment
Cultural events

Alternatives to Sign Communication

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 14:52:54 UTC

Although sign language is commonly used amongst Deaf individuals, there are some people who are deaf or hard of hearing who do not utilize this language. Instead they may use:

Lip reading
note writing
texting

These methods can typically be seen in use when a deaf or hard of hearing individual orders from a restaurant and in general interacts with someone who is hearing and does not know sign language.

Definitions

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 16:40:51 UTC

How people decide what they identify with and what to label themselves is personal. It can also reflect how well they identify with the deaf community or the hearing community.

d/Deaf

When someone is d/Deaf, their ability to detect certain frequencies of sound is completely or partially impaired. These individuals may or may not identify with Deaf culture. For individuals who are Deaf this term is a bit more socially oriented, identifying with the Deaf community and their Deaf culture instead of an "inability" to hear.

This term is usually used by the general hearing public to describe an inability to hear well. Although instead of focusing on an “inability” and overall a negative focus, the Deaf community describes this term a bit differently. Instead, they see being d/Deaf in a positive light. Being d/Deaf opens the door for you to a culturally rich community filled with time tested solutions.

for example:
Most birds fly while humans do not. Some birds may think, because flying is such a big part of their lives, that humans would wake up every morning sad that they are unable to fly. In reality, we humans do not think of, or focus on, our inability to fly. Instead, we focus on what we are able to do because even if we are not flying beings there are still plenty of things that we can do. Even if some humans were able to fly to some degree when they were younger they would still not focus on their "inability" to do so now because it is not apart of their life and has not been for an extended amount of time.

Hearing

Term frequently used in the Deaf community to describe individuals who are not deaf or hard-of-hearing. This term is however is not used nearly as often by hearing individuals themselves.
----------------------------------
Other Definitions

Audism

This is the idea that someone is superior based on their ability to hear.

Hearing Loss

can be mild, moderate, severe, or profound.

beyond severity of hearing loss there are also two other categories of hearing loss: congenital and acquired.

Congenital: present since birth.
Acquired: acquired after birth as the result of a injury, disease, or condition.

Hearing impaired

This is considered a "negative" term that individuals who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing would not typically use.

The word "hearing impaired" focuses on the person's inability to do something but d/Deaf and hard of hearing people do not focus on what they cannot do, they focus on what they are able to do. This is why the terms d/Deaf or hard of hearing are more appropriate to use.

"Words and labels can have a profound effect on people. Show your respect for people by refusing to use outdated or offensive terms. When in doubt, ask the individual how they identify themselves." ("Community and Culture," n.d.)

The difference between Big D Deaf, Little d deaf , and Hard-of-Hearing

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References

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 16:53:51 UTC

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. (n.d.). Retrieved
March 11, 2020, from United States Access Board website: https://www.access-board.gov/the-board/laws/americans-with-disabilities-act-intro

An Overview of the Americans With Disabilities Act. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2020, from ADA National Network website: https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-overview

Callis, L. (2016, March 23). Lip Reading Is No Simple Task. Retrieved April 4,
2020, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/
lip-reading-is-no-simple-task_b_9526300

Cochlear Implants. (2017, March 6). Retrieved April 4, 2020, from
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/cochlear-implants

Community and Culture – Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2020, from National Association of the Deaf website: https://www.nad.org/resources/american-signlanguage/community-and-culture-frequently-asked-questions/

Harmon Course Notes

Hearing Aids. (2013, September). Retrieved April 4, 2020, from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing-aids

Holcomb, T. K. (2013). Introduction to American Deaf Culture. New York, NY:
Oxford University Press.

Models of deafness. (2015, December 6). Retrieved March 11, 2020, from Canadian Hearing Services website: https://www.chs.ca/models-deafness

Shannon, R. (Producer). (2017). deaf vs Deaf. https://youtu.be/LIpJqFeC91E

Summer, J. (Producer). (2016). Can You Read My Lips?. USA:
Little Moving Pictures.
https://vimeo.com/148127830

Unless otherwise stated, all images used in the project are taken from the internet. The author claims no ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 17:33:20 UTC

1. Why do people who are born deaf often have such poor use of the English language? Is poor use of written English indicative of intelligence?

This is due to English actually being some Deaf individual's second language. Their first language is sign language. American sign language holds a different word order than English and ceases to use things like conjunction words. Thus, when written out it can look different from English.

For these reasons, poor use of written English is not indicative of intelligence. English is an incredibly difficult language for anyone to learn, especially when you cannot always hear how certain words are pronounced.

2. What makes lip-reading (or speech reading) so difficult?

Typically when someone is lip-reading (or speech reading) they will only pick up a portion of what the other person said. This is because when people talk they can sometimes mumble, talk fast, cover their mouths with their hands, have an accent, have facial hair that can cover parts of their mouth, or there will be more than one person talking.

* Check out the video at the bottom of this panel titled "Can You Read My Lips" for more information on why lip-reading is an incredibly difficult, and sometimes exhausting or stressful, task.

3. What are the differences between hearing aids and cochlear implants?

Some people tend to get confused about what hearing aids and cochlear implants (CI) actually do. Many believe that both are like giving someone glasses so they can see perfectly again. This idea is can sometimes be perpetuated by videos on the internet where a child's hearing aid or cochlear implant is turned on and it appears that the child in the video can hear perfectly. Although that is not actually the case.

A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that consists of a speech processor, microphone, transmitter, and a receiver. CI'S "can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech" ("Cochlear Implants," 2017). Both children and adults can get a cochlear implant however they have been seen to have greater success when implanted before the development of language.

A hearing aid is a electronic device worn in or behind the ear. It is used to amplify sound and consists of a microphone, amplifier, and a speaker.

It is important to remember that cochlear implants and hearing aids are different from typical hearing. They are not like glasses in a sense that the two do not simply restore hearing for the deaf or hard of hearing individuals.

4. Is there a cure for deafness?

Currently, cochlear implants, hearing aids, and rigorous speech therapy are the only "treatments" for deafness but they are not cures.

There is no real "cure" for deafness, nor do the majority of d/Deaf people want one.

why don't most d/Deaf people want a cure?

Individuals who are d/Deaf do not see this as a deficit, impairment, or disability thus not needing to be "cured".
They feel no need to conform to the majority hearing society.

5. What is ASL?

American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language that utilizes symbols to convey information. This language is at the heart of American Deaf culture and is seen as the most powerful and important time tested solution created by Deaf people for effective living.

For years, this language was thought of as a makeshift system of gestures that was less than a “real language”. Although, in the mid 20th century, linguists discovered that American Sign Language met all the requirements of a “real” language.

ASL has the capacity to meet the needs of its community in expressing their specific thoughts, ideas, and feelings and is considered the most visible marker of Deaf culture.

Where is it Used?

In the United States and parts of Canada.

How does it differ from English?

For years, people believed that the signs used in sign language were just English words represented on the hand. However, American Sign Language is it's own separate language from English. Overall, ASL is its own unique language. It has its own grammar and structure that is unrelated to English.

Deaf Culture

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 17:59:25 UTC

Deaf people have their own language, arts, and customs of Deaf people as well as a rich and thriving culture with their own beliefs and values called Deaf culture.

The term “Deaf culture” was not used until recently to characterize the Deaf experience. Instead, “Deaf way” or “Deaf world” were used to describe the unique lives of Deaf individuals (Holcomb,2013, pg. 83).

This culture provides Deaf individuals a way to validate their existence and experience.

American Sign Language (ASL)

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-11 18:56:39 UTC

What is it?

American Sign Language is a visual language that utilizes symbols to convey information. This language is at the heart of American Deaf culture and is seen as the most powerful and important time tested solution created by Deaf people for effective living. For years, this language was thought of as a makeshift system of gestures that was less than a “real language”. Although, in the mid 20th century, linguists discovered that American Sign Language met all the requirements of a “real” language.
ASL has the capacity to meet the needs of its community in expressing their specific thoughts, ideas, and feelings and is considered the most visible marker of Deaf culture.

Where is it Used?

In the United States and parts of Canada.

 How does it differ from English?

Name Signs

sydneywade5 — 2020-03-26 23:18:28 UTC

A name sign is a sign that can be used in place of fingerspelling your name that typically describes you in some way.
For example, Jessica is known for her long curly hair. Her name sign may then have the hand shape of a J with the motion of the sign for hair.
these are given as an induction into the Deaf community and are traditionally given to a Deaf child when they start school by some of their older classmates. Although, if the child is born to Deaf parents, their parents will typically decide on the name sign.

Technology

sydneywade5 — 2020-04-04 13:04:17 UTC

Advances in technology have minimized communicative obstacles, allowing deaf and hard-of-hearing people to communicate with their hearing counterparts more effectively.

Historically, certain devices like TTYs (text telephone) have been used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing but due to new technology, some of these devices are now outdated.

Examples of helpful technology include:

Texting
Video-chat/ FaceTime
Pagers
E-mail
Chat rooms
Video relay services (VRS)
Video remote interpretating (VRI)

sydneywade5 — 2020-04-04 13:39:45 UTC