Running head: DEAF CULTURE

Deaf Culture
Brooke Hancock
University of Kentucky

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

Abstract
Often people associate the term culture with race, however this isnt the case as there are many
cultures that dont share a common race. The Deaf community, while consisting of many races
and varying ethnic backgrounds of individuals, still has its own unique culture that isnt always
recognized. The Deaf community is also looked over when it comes to having its own culture
because many individuals view being deaf as a handicap, not a way of life. My paper on Deaf
culture will look at the distinct language, accepted behaviors, social organizations, and traits that
make up the Deaf community and its culture. I hope to show how a culture can exist without
needing a shared race, and how important the growing Deaf culture is.

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

Deaf Culture
Deaf and Dumb is a phrase that is not only painfully common, but one that holds true
for most peoples view on the deaf. Being deaf is all too commonly seen as a disability instead of
a culture with its own distinct language, accepted behaviors, social organizations, and traits.
Similar to other cultural groups, deaf people share a unique form of communication, sign
language, which plays a major role in Deaf culture. American Sign Language (ASL) is the fourth
most commonly used language in the United States with approximately 500,000 to 2 million
speakers (Lane, Hoffmeister& Bahan, 1996). Deaf children born to Deaf parents pick up sign
language as easily as a hearing child from hearing parents begins to talk. At around the same
time that a hearing baby begins to speak and experiment with noises and sounds, a deaf infant of
parents who sign will begin signing nonsense signs and figuring out more in depth finger and
hand motions (Dolnick, 1993).
However more often than not this ideal match up (deaf child to deaf parent, hearing child
to hearing parent) doesnt occur; 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents (Dolnick,
1993). In this case, the parents and the child belong to different cultures and communication is
often a crucial issue in their relationship. Deaf children cannot grasp their parents spoken
language, and hearing parents are unlikely to know sign language.
The difficulty of a deaf child trying to communicate in a world full of hearing people is
one factor that strengthens the Deaf culture more than anything else. Learning to speak is so
hard for people deaf from infancy because they are trying, without any direct feedback, to mimic
sounds they have never heard (Dolnick, 1993, p.2). A deaf person learning to speak English is
about the equivalent of a hearing person learning another language in a soundproof glass room.

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

Even after years of practice reading lips, so many words and phrases look too much alike to
make out without paying intensely close attention to context and that individuals style of
pronunciation. Dolnick describes lip reading as a conversation becoming a kind of fast and
ongoing crossword puzzle. The understanding of this struggle, however, serves as a strong
binding in the Deaf community.
Language also contributes to the difference between deaf and Deaf. Using the
lowercase deaf, refers to the condition of not hearing, while the uppercase Deaf refers to a
particular group of deaf people who share a language, ASL, and a culture (Padden & Humphries,
1988). Some people who may have lost their hearing due to illness, trauma or age and do not
share the same language, knowledge, beliefs and practices that make up Deaf culture are
considered deaf.
There is also the term Hard-of-hearing which can either mean a person with partial
hearing loss or someone who doesnt want any affiliation with the Deaf community or its culture
(Padden & Humphries, 1997).
Aside from a language binding together the Deaf culture, pride also plays a huge role in
the Deaf community. In a survey, social scientists asked people who are blind or in a wheelchair
if they wish to see or walk and almost all instantly said yes. However when the deaf answer their
equivalent of this question, they replied with no (Dolnick, 1993). This is because the Deaf dont
see deafness as a disability, but rather as a way of life.
This strong pride in their culture, language, and traditions is what leads most Deaf people
to reject new technologies in fixing their deafness such as cochlear implants, speech therapy
and other cures. An example of this is seen through a seven year old girl, Caitlin Parton, who
got a cochlear implant and was shown on 60 Minutes as a cure of deafness success story

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

(Dolnick, 1993). Activists from the Deaf Community were furious that a surgery that often
doesn't work and takes away from an individuals chance of being a part of the Deaf culture was
being promoted in such a positive light.
While many people see deaf as a disability, the Deaf community sees itself as a rich and
diverse culture with its own social, religious, scholarly, literary, and thespian organizations.
Some of these important Deaf organizations are the Deaf Olympics(held every 4 years), National
Theater for the Deaf, National Association for the Deaf, Miss Deaf America Pageant, World
Federation of the Deaf, American Athletic Association of the Deaf, World Recreation
Association of the Deaf and National Fraternal Society of the Deaf (Oregon's Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Services, 2014).
In all places, there are ways to get involved in the Deaf community through social events.
For example, in Lexington there is a Deaf social held one Friday every month in the Fayette Mall
Food Court. Gatherings like this are important for the Deaf community to stay in contact with
each other and are quite common across the globe. Often times these Deaf Events will include
silent dinners, picnics, sporting events and even showings of ASL films (Oregon's Deaf and Hard
of Hearing Services, 2014).
The Deaf Community also has its own university; Gallaudet University is the only
university in the world specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students.
It was established in 1864 and has since provided a deaf-centered education to hundreds of
thousands of students, along with making advances in technology, research, public service and
impacted the deaf community drastically (Gallaudet University, 2014).
Deaf culture, just like most all hearing cultures, also enjoys music. Most people directly
associate music with sound, however if the vibrations from the music can be felt on the floor, a

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

wall or from a musical instrument, the deaf can still enjoy it. "The perception of the musical
vibrations by the Deaf is likely every bit as real as the equivalent sounds, since they are
ultimately processed in the same part of the brain (WebMD, 2014). Through these vibrations
the deaf can feel rhythm and sometimes tell pitch, depending on where the note vibrates in their
body. Penn State News reported that the low sounds are felt mainly in your legs and feet and
high sounds are felt on particular places on your face, neck and chest (Duchene, 2007).
Along with music, the Deaf community also has a rich history involving art and literature
which is used to express their life style, culture and view of the World. The book, Signing the
Body Poetic, is a famous compilation of poems, narratives and essays by deaf authors and
provides insight to Deaf history, culture and other creative achievements (Universities
bibliotheca Gent, 2014). There is even an institute for Deaf artists (The National Technical
Institute for the Deaf) which showcases the art of Deaf individuals and their unique view on the
World. There is, however a difference between deaf artists and DeVIA (Deaf View/Image Art).
Deaf artists are individuals who make art through any form and are held to the same standards as
any other artist. DeVIA is created when the artist intentionally creates art that shows their deaf
experience (Deaf Art, 2014).
Rules for behavior also define the deaf culture as any other culture would have. For
example, if you are having a conversation eye contact and visual attention is expected at all
times. Deaf people rely heavily on facial expressions and body language, so even when signing
eye contact is crucial. Along with this, a person who is signing should hold full attention of the
conversation until they indicate they are finished with a visual indicator such as a pause or facial
expression (Gallaudet University, 2014).

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

There are also acceptable ways of getting a persons attention, the most common of
which is hand waving. You can also tap the other persons shoulder or arm, flick the lights in the
room on and off, tap on a table, stomp your foot on the floor, and in crowded situations, a third
person may be used to get the crowds attention (Gallaudet University, 2014). Gallaudet
University also reported that when you meet individuals in the deaf community, greetings often
include hugs instead of handshakes. Conversations in the deaf community also tend to be more
open and direct and include common topics such as an elaboration on an individuals day or life
and shows an interest in the other individuals connection to the Deaf community.
Another common courtesy rule in Deaf culture is how to address a deaf person when
using an interpreter. Margaret Rosenberger (personal communications, October 5, 2014), a
teachers assistant who worked specifically with deaf children, explained that when using an
interpreter, it is seen not to look at the deaf person, Because you are talking to the deaf person,
not the interpreter, you should be looking at them as if you were having any other conversation.
Just as in the case of speaking with another hearing person, it would be rude not to make eye
contact. They can also see your expressions and they pick up a lot from your face and body
movements.
Because the communication modes utilized by the deaf community are visually
dependent, staring is not considered rude, as it is in the hearing culture. Staring is necessary for
communicating and not at all prohibited (Oregon's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, 2014).
Other things to avoid doing when interacting with a Deaf individual is exaggerating
mouthing or mocking sign language. Also make sure to offer a deaf person first choice in picking
their seat, as they may need to pick a spot with better lighting or a certain view (American Sign
Language Association, 2012).

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

Along with physical courtesies, there are many phrases that you should avoid using. One
of these is the phrase deaf and dumb which came from Aristotles idea that deaf people were
incapable of learning or having reasonable and logical thought processes (Gannon, 1980). Later
on, however the term dumb became synonymous with silent which is offensive to the deaf
and hard of hearing for many reasons. Not only are the deaf not silent (they communicate
through sign language, lip-reading, writing, and vocalizations) but their ability to hear does not
affect their intelligence.
Another offensive term in the deaf community, Deaf-Mute, came around in the 18th to
19th century but is still commonly used today (National Association of the Deaf, 2012). This
phrase is outdated and inaccurate because it relies on the idea that to have a voice you have to be
able to hear your voice; while many deaf individuals dont speak they still have functioning
vocal cords. This combined with the fact that the deaf use a variety of different modes of
communication shows that most deaf people arent mute.
A last offensive phrase, while with typically better intent behind it, is Hearingimpaired. The term hearing-impaired used to be the politically correct phrase because the term
deaf was seen as blunt and impolite. While most people who use it mean well, the term holds a
negative connotation because it implies that if you cant hear, you are damaged or substandard. It
holds the implication that the deaf are impaired or broken and in need of being fixed
(National Association of the Deaf, 2012).
Along with these accepted phrases and behaviors, the Deaf have objects and tools that
they value heavily and are a part of their everyday lives. People who can hear value their spoken
language, their ears/sound and their mouths/speech, while deaf individuals value ASL, their
eyes/vision, and hands/signs. People who can hear also highly value telephones, sound alerting

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

systems, voice mail, speakers, dialogue and civic and social organizations. Advances in
technology have allowed the deaf community to be able to enjoy these same services in different
forms. Instead of these items, the deaf rely on their videophones(VP), relay service, TTY,
visual/vibrating alerting systems, video mail, interpreters, captioning and deaf clubs, civic and
social organizations (Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2013).
Along with differences in valued common items and tools, there are other differing rules
between Deaf and hearing cultures. For example, if a hearing child is being scolded or told
something they dont want to hear they may cover their eyes, while a deaf child might cover their
eyes (S. Pena, personal communications, October 11, 2014). Hearing people tend to shake hands
upon meeting someone and Deaf people more commonly will hug, furthermore, while hearing
people tend to have short introductions (hi, nice to meet you, how are you, etc.), deaf people
have longer, more in depth introductions (Where are you from, what school are you going to,
who are your parents, etc.). S. Pena (personal communications, October 11, 2014) also states that
while hearing people may gather in a room that is quietest, deaf people will gather in a room
with the best lighting, such as the kitchen. And while pointing in the hearing culture is
considered rude, pointing in the Deaf culture is allowed for the use of pronouns in sign language.
Lastly, Pena (personal communications, October 11, 2014) points out that in Deaf culture when
you are leaving a group of people you always let them know where you are going. Hearing
people often times see this as odd to notify a group whenever you go somewhere else (even a
quick trip to the restroom) but hearing people can hear someone screaming for help if they're lost
or hurt, unlike the Deaf.
While most people will never personally know a deaf person unless they give birth to a
deaf child, understanding Deaf culture revolves around respect of another culture, even one that

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

is foreign to you. Just as in any culture they hold their traditions and ways of life very personally,
and respecting this is the best way to show that you respect their culture.

Running head: DEAF CULTURE

References
Harrington, T. (2010). ASL: ranking and number of users. Gallaudet University Library.
Retrieved from: http://libguides.gallaudet.edu/content.php?pid=114804&sid=991835
Dolnick, E. (1993). Deafness as culture. The Atlantic. Pp. 1-8. Retrieved from
http://people.uncw.edu/laniers/Dolnick.pdf
Community and culture. (2014). National Association of the Deaf. Retrieved from:
http://nad.org/issues/american-sign-language/community-and-culture-faq
Deaf culture. (2013). Minnesota Department of Human Services. Retrieved from:
http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION
&dID=2683
Deaf people can feel music. (2014). WebMD Health News. Retrieved from:
http://www.webmd.com/news/20011128/deaf-people-can-feel-music
Duchene, L. (2007). Probing question: why are some deaf people able to play instruments? Penn
State News. Retrieved from:
http://news.psu.edu/story/141210/2007/07/02/research/probing-question-why-are-somedeaf-people-able-play-instruments
Deaf culture: culture, history, and importance. (2014). Oregons Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Services. Retrieved from: http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/odhhs/pages/tadoc/deaf7.aspx