Deaf Culture Part 1: Is It Confusing?

What is Deaf culture? What’s the difference between deaf and Deaf? What causes deafness? How can you prevent it?

Firstly, what is Deaf culture? Deaf culture is the set of social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values, and shared institutions of communities that are influenced by deafness and which use sign languages as the primary means of communication. (Deaf culture, 2021) An example is a way Deaf people interact in a restaurant. Constant eye contact is used to communicate visually in Sign Language, whereas hearing people may continue eating during the conversation.

Secondly, is deaf and Deaf the same? The term “deaf”’ refers to anyone who does not identify as part of the deaf community, while the term “Deaf”’ is used to refer to anyone who identifies as a member of the community.

Lastly, what causes deafness? Deafness can be genetic or caused by numerous factors such as an illness (meningitis, Rubella), prolonged exposure to “noise pollution” (loud music, noisy machinery), explosions, or ear infections. Depending on the case, deafness can be temporary or permanent. A study ran by WHO says that 1 in 20 people globally suffer from disabling hearing loss and by 2050, 1 in 10 people will have disabling hearing loss.

How can you prevent deafness? According to research, nearly 60% of hearing loss in children is triggered by preventable causes that can be avoided by implementing public health measures. Among the effective strategies for reducing hearing loss are:

• Immunization;

• Good maternal and childcare practices;

• Genetic counseling;

• Identification and management of common ear conditions;

• Occupational hearing conservation programs for noise and chemical exposure;

• Safe listening strategies for the reduction of exposure to loud sounds in recreational settings;

• Rational use of medicines to prevent ototoxic hearing loss;

To conclude, remember that the International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf) is celebrated annually across the world during the last full week of September. This is the time to help raise awareness about the Deaf community and to promote deaf people's human rights. So, what do you think? Will you assist us?

References:

1. https://signhealth.org.uk/resources/learn-about-deafness/deaf-or-deaf/#:~:text=The%20word%20deaf%20is%20used,started%20to%20learn%20to%20talk.

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaf_culture

3. https://bda.org.uk/what-is-deaf-culture/

4. https://www.verywellhealth.com/deaf-culture-big-d-small-d-1046233

5. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss#:~:text=Over%205%25%20of%20the%20world's,will%20have%20disabling%20hearing%20loss.

6. https://www.who.int/

7. http://wfdeaf.org/get-involved/wfd-events/international-week-deaf/

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Week_of_the_Deaf

Editor- Verdeață Ștefania