Let’s Talk About Deaf Awareness
Let’s talk all things accessibility for our HoH & dDeaf friends.
As someone with moderate conductive hearing loss, I have spent lots of time educating myself and others on Deaf culture. This post comes from my own personal experience as someone with conductive and fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, what I’ve learned from my dDeaf & Hard of Hearing (HoH) friends over the years, and my Deaf Culture classes. Everyone and their personal experiences with hearing loss are so unique and valid. I encourage you to do your own research and will provide sources below.
Out of respect for our friends with hearing loss, please do not rely on them as your main source of education. I would love to be a resource for you to learn more about our culture and experiences. Not everyone who is dDeaf or HoH shares the same preference for communication or accommodations. It is rude to assume that each individual wants to discuss their medical and personal history. Remember to be sensitive to each individual’s preferences, and respectful towards their specific culture.
Please feel free to message me on Instagram regarding any questions or concerns you may have. We’re all here to grow, learn, and educate others on accessibility. With that being said, let’s get started! Here are a few things to keep in mind so we can make our world an inclusive and more accessible place.
1. Always make sure to utilize closed captions / subtitles
I’ll never forget one of the first times I hung out with my husband’s friends. It was autumn, and we went over to watch spooky movies. My friends in the past refused to watch anything with captioning because it was “too distracting”. But to my delight, our friend Courtney immediately turned on captioning. It took less than 20 seconds, but meant the world to me. It was the first time I didn’t have to advocate for captions, and explain why I needed them on.
You can utilize captioning beyond Netflix. Instagram now allows you to add automated captioning to your stories and reels, as well as TikTok. There are several other apps you can download that do auto captioning for other platforms. Just make sure to check and edit automated captioning for errors before posting. They usually aren’t perfect and tend to be inaccurate and confusing.
Quick Tips :
If you have a dDeaf or Hard of Hearing classmate or coworker, encourage your professor/boss to enable captioning on Teams
If your classmate or coworker prefers a Phonak/Oticon FM microphone accessory that connects to their Hearing Aids or CIs, make sure it’s accessible for events, group discussions, etc.
Watching a movie, show, or YouTube video? Make sure CC is on
2. Preferred communication methods
Communication with peers can be one of the most frustrating aspects of hearing loss. Many hearing individuals have not been properly educated on dDeaf etiquette, or the various amount of communication methods. Not every individual with hearing loss knows sign language or even wears hearing aids/CIs. However, this does not disqualify someone from having casual conversations.
Not all individuals who are deaf/Deaf or HoH use sign language as a main form of communication. According to Accessibility.com, as of 2020, 48 million individuals in the U.S. with hearing loss, no more than 500,000 (1%) actually utilize sign language. Ask dDeaf and Hard of Hearing friends their preferred method of communication so they feel comfortable and included. The most common ways dDeaf and HoH are through lip reading and social cues, some form of sign language, and/or use Cochlear Implants and hearing aids.
When carrying on a conversation, talk normally. Refrain from turning your head away or covering your mouth. Speak clearly, but do not yell or exaggerate speech. It is considered rude and makes it harder for DHH friends to follow along in the conversation. If they ask you to repeat yourself, repeat yourself. Don’t say something along the lines of “nevermind, it wasn’t important”. It is discouraging and implies exclusivity. If they ask you to speak up, speak up. Rephrase how you said something if they are struggling to follow along. You can use your notes app, or utilize other tools to clarify. Understand they may be having a hard time in a louder environment, or could have fluctuating hearing loss. Just be patient and understanding. Everyone experiences hearing loss differently.
Quick Tips :
When speaking, don’t talk slower, yell, or turn your head away from them.
If they ask you to speak up, repeat yourself, or use your notes app—understand they may be having a hard time in a louder environment, or have fluctuating hearing loss.
Be patient and understanding. Everyone experiences hearing loss differently..
It is not a dDeaf or Hard of Hearing individual’s responsibility to teach you ASL. Look into Deaf Culture courses, literature and immerse yourself in signing events open to the public (most signing events are signing only, please do your research before attending, and respect the rules of each event).
3. Educate others and encourage accessibility
Encourage influencers to make their platforms more accessible! We want to enjoy their content too. Many individuals are unable to enjoy content online due to the lack of captioning and descriptive captions. Over the past few months, I’ve seen more and more influencers using captioning thanks to Instagram’s auto captioning widgets. Captioning and audio or visual descriptions are important for all forms of media. Wether it be learning environments, in the workplace, or even in movie theatres.
Now it’s your turn to encourage others to make the world more inclusive for the dDeaf and Hard of Hearing communities. Here are helpful resources to further your understanding of Deaf Culture, hearing loss
https://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/national-resources/info/info-to-go/deaf-culture.html
https://www.gallaudet.edu/signing-ecosystem/
https://www.gallaudet.edu/about/history-and-traditions/
https://www.handsandvoices.org/comcon/articles/deafculture.htm
https://www.signingsavvy.com/
