Deaf People

I recently spent the afternoon at a friend’s house. She was having a gathering for her son’s birthday and she had many friends and family in attendance on his special day. I was surprised to discover that both of her parents are deaf. Many hearing people don’t think much about how they should act around deaf people.

... need to treat deaf people like we would anyone else ...

I discovered that the hearing population doesn’t need to change how we act. We simply need to treat deaf people like we would anyone else. We should not be nervous and definitely not condescending.  I learned many things about my friend, her parents and deaf people during the afternoon visit.

It is important to find out how the person likes to communicate. Some deaf people prefer to use sign language while others prefer to use writing or lip reading methods. Once this is established, you are on your way. Fortunately, I am familiar with sign language and this was the method of communication my friend’s parents preferred.

... hearing people and deaf people use sign language somewhat differently ...

Unfortunately, I am not fluent in sign language so communication took a little extra effort on everyone’s part. I was a little embarrassed that I bragged about knowing signs because I found that hearing people and deaf people use sign language somewhat differently.

The differences mostly lie in speed and accuracy. Hearing people sign slowly and deliberately as if they were speaking in slow motion. This can not be helped in many cases. Novices who learn the signs but only use them occasionally never really learn how to “speak” in sign language the way someone closely tied to deaf people can.

The dilemma can be compared to visiting a foreign country in which the inhabitants speak a different language. You may have spent years studying that language and you think that you know your stuff. Suddenly, you find yourself thrust into a different culture with different dialects and you realize that you have learned the rules and vocabulary of the language but you have not learned how to speak it.

... my first encounter with deaf people ...

This was the case with me and my first encounter with deaf people. I was proud that I knew sign language and I couldn’t wait to show my ability. However, I wound up “sounding” as if I was signing through molasses. I also had a great deal of difficulty understanding the signs because they were used so quickly and naturally.

My friend’s parents made some adjustments to their signs once they realized what I novice I really was. It became a subject of favor in the long run. I finally learned how to really communicate through sign language during the precious afternoon with this great family. I am no longer afraid of deaf people.

This article about a meeting with a group of deaf people was written by Mary Soloman.