In Canada, there is an estimated 2 million people with some form of hearing loss. This
is the fastest growing segment of the disability community and makes up nearly 1/2 of
the total number of people with disabilities in Canada. The increase in prevalence is
likely due to the increased number of people who are 65 years of age and older.
There are four commonly used terms that refer to a person with hearing loss.
Deaf: describes a person who has severe to profound hearing loss, with little or no
residual hearing. Capital “D” Deaf refers to a culture sense of the person.
Deafened: describes a person who has acquired loss after they have learned to
speak. Even a person who loses their hearing at a very early age, but who has the
ability to speak will not necessarily be considered part of the Deaf Community.
Within the Deaf Community it is common for two individuals who are meeting for the first
time to indicated whether they communicate orally -- there is less emphasis on the level
of hearing. A family member of a person who is Deaf will automatically be considered
part of the Deaf Community, but someone who learns ASL (for example) for professional
reasons, such as becoming an interpreter, is not part of the Community..
Hard of Hearing: describes a person who has some ability to hear and who uses
speech to communicate.
Deaf/Blind: someone who has both sight and hearing loss. There are few people who
are completely blind and Deaf, they may have some level of hearing or sight. Helen
Keller is an example of someone who was Deaf/Blind.
Deaf Culture
People who are born with profound hearing loss typically classify themselves as being
Deaf. The capital “D” refers to a cultural sense of who that person is and how they fit in
with society.
A person who is Deaf does not consider him or herself to have a disability.
Communication is a key indicator of a person’s identity. For a person who is Deaf, they
communicate using alternate forms to spoken language, for example American Sign
Language. In the Deaf culture, this is considered to be no different than one person
who speaks English trying to communicate with a person who is Spanish. But two
people speaking the same language have a much easier time communicating and
understanding one another.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
(NIDCD), ASL is the fourth most common language used in the United States.
There are different ways for a Deaf person to communicate. First they can use the
signed alphabet, spelling out each letter of the word (finger spelling). Or they can use
one of several signed languages, such as American Sign Language (ASL) or Signed
English.
American Sign Language is a distinct language unto its own. There are different syntax
and sentence structure used when communicating. Signed English, on the other hand,
makes use of common English grammar and signing word for word how it would be
spoken.
In Canada, due to our cultural diversity, in addition to American Sign Language, two
other dialects are commonly used in Canada (Signed Quebeçois, and Signed Maritime).
Some people who are Deaf use a telephone communication device called a TTY
(teletypewriter) or TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) — both terms are used
interchangeably, but there are some regional preferences to the most appropriate term.
A TDD allows a person to use standard telephone lines but uses a device that creates
visual communication. Both parties must have a TDD in order for the conversation to
occur. If you do not have a TDD, the local telephone company provides a service of
translation between a TDD user and a person using a standard telephone.
To learn more about TDD operation follow this link (click here).
Etiquette for interacting with a person with hearing loss:
Accessible Environments:
When planning meetings, reduce or eliminate background noise. Be aware that the
buzzing sound from the florescent lights, or the hum from the fan in a computer or
projector may be interfere with a person’s ability to hear the conversation clearly.
Provide alternate formats for communication. Sign Language Interpreters can be hired
to provide translation of the conversation. As with the Bell Relay Operators, personal
information shared during a meeting is kept in confidence.
Please note: not everyone who is Deaf is familiar with ASL, or, they may use some other
form of visual language (finger spelling, spelled English, etc.). Therefore make sure you
know the needs of the person(s) you are accommodating before going through the
expense of choosing an option that may not be appropriate.
Alternate formats also include captioning (open or closed captioning) on materials that
are presented via video or television. Or, Communication Access in Realtime
Translation (aka CART) may be provided using an interpreter who types the
conversation which is shared with the person with hearing loss through a computer or
screen.
When accommodating a person with hearing loss, items such as alarm systems,
telephones, and doorbells should be fitted with flashing lights to notify the person that
their attention is required.
Some people with hearing loss will use the services of a service animal, such as a dog.
The role of the animal is to notify the person that their attention is needed, or to draw
attention if someone approaches them.
To learn more about services that are available to community visit the
Canadian Hearing Society (click here).
is the fastest growing segment of the disability community and makes up nearly 1/2 of
the total number of people with disabilities in Canada. The increase in prevalence is
likely due to the increased number of people who are 65 years of age and older.
There are four commonly used terms that refer to a person with hearing loss.
Deaf: describes a person who has severe to profound hearing loss, with little or no
residual hearing. Capital “D” Deaf refers to a culture sense of the person.
Deafened: describes a person who has acquired loss after they have learned to
speak. Even a person who loses their hearing at a very early age, but who has the
ability to speak will not necessarily be considered part of the Deaf Community.
Within the Deaf Community it is common for two individuals who are meeting for the first
time to indicated whether they communicate orally -- there is less emphasis on the level
of hearing. A family member of a person who is Deaf will automatically be considered
part of the Deaf Community, but someone who learns ASL (for example) for professional
reasons, such as becoming an interpreter, is not part of the Community..
Hard of Hearing: describes a person who has some ability to hear and who uses
speech to communicate.
Deaf/Blind: someone who has both sight and hearing loss. There are few people who
are completely blind and Deaf, they may have some level of hearing or sight. Helen
Keller is an example of someone who was Deaf/Blind.
Deaf Culture
People who are born with profound hearing loss typically classify themselves as being
Deaf. The capital “D” refers to a cultural sense of who that person is and how they fit in
with society.
A person who is Deaf does not consider him or herself to have a disability.
Communication is a key indicator of a person’s identity. For a person who is Deaf, they
communicate using alternate forms to spoken language, for example American Sign
Language. In the Deaf culture, this is considered to be no different than one person
who speaks English trying to communicate with a person who is Spanish. But two
people speaking the same language have a much easier time communicating and
understanding one another.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
(NIDCD), ASL is the fourth most common language used in the United States.
There are different ways for a Deaf person to communicate. First they can use the
signed alphabet, spelling out each letter of the word (finger spelling). Or they can use
one of several signed languages, such as American Sign Language (ASL) or Signed
English.
American Sign Language is a distinct language unto its own. There are different syntax
and sentence structure used when communicating. Signed English, on the other hand,
makes use of common English grammar and signing word for word how it would be
spoken.
In Canada, due to our cultural diversity, in addition to American Sign Language, two
other dialects are commonly used in Canada (Signed Quebeçois, and Signed Maritime).
Some people who are Deaf use a telephone communication device called a TTY
(teletypewriter) or TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) — both terms are used
interchangeably, but there are some regional preferences to the most appropriate term.
A TDD allows a person to use standard telephone lines but uses a device that creates
visual communication. Both parties must have a TDD in order for the conversation to
occur. If you do not have a TDD, the local telephone company provides a service of
translation between a TDD user and a person using a standard telephone.
To learn more about TDD operation follow this link (click here).
Etiquette for interacting with a person with hearing loss:
- When speaking to a person with hearing loss, maintain eye contact with them and
do not look away while speaking.
- When speaking to a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, do not shout.
Shouting will distort the shape of your mouth and the person may be trying to
read your lips, making it more difficult for them to do so. Also, shouting at a
person using a hearing aid will distort your words.
- A hearing aid is made up of three basic components, a microphone (to pick up
sounds), an amplifier (to increase the sound level), and a speaker (which is
placed near or inside a person’s ear to broadcast the sounds). A person wearing
a hearing aid will adjust its volume to that of normal speech; shouting will only
distort the sound and cause pain to the person wearing the hearing aid.
- Do not talk to the interpreter but speak directly to the person, and maintain eye
contact with the person with the hearing impairment, do not look at the interpreter.
- If written communication is provided, be aware that English may be the person’s
second language and therefore not everything translates directly as you may
expect.
- To get the attention of a person who is deaf it is acceptable to gently touch
him/her on the arm or shoulder. So, do not be offended if a stranger comes up to
you and does the same, they may be Deaf and that may be their only option of
getting your attention.
Accessible Environments:
When planning meetings, reduce or eliminate background noise. Be aware that the
buzzing sound from the florescent lights, or the hum from the fan in a computer or
projector may be interfere with a person’s ability to hear the conversation clearly.
Provide alternate formats for communication. Sign Language Interpreters can be hired
to provide translation of the conversation. As with the Bell Relay Operators, personal
information shared during a meeting is kept in confidence.
Please note: not everyone who is Deaf is familiar with ASL, or, they may use some other
form of visual language (finger spelling, spelled English, etc.). Therefore make sure you
know the needs of the person(s) you are accommodating before going through the
expense of choosing an option that may not be appropriate.
Alternate formats also include captioning (open or closed captioning) on materials that
are presented via video or television. Or, Communication Access in Realtime
Translation (aka CART) may be provided using an interpreter who types the
conversation which is shared with the person with hearing loss through a computer or
screen.
When accommodating a person with hearing loss, items such as alarm systems,
telephones, and doorbells should be fitted with flashing lights to notify the person that
their attention is required.
Some people with hearing loss will use the services of a service animal, such as a dog.
The role of the animal is to notify the person that their attention is needed, or to draw
attention if someone approaches them.
To learn more about services that are available to community visit the
Canadian Hearing Society (click here).
Barrier-Free World
| Hearing |
| We are continuously updating this site. If you have suggestions or questions please email us at info@sterlingfrazer.com |
| "ASL shares no grammatical similarities to English and should not be considered in any way to be a broken, mimed, or gestural form of English. In terms of syntax, for example, ASL has a topic-comment syntax, while English uses Subject-Object-Verb. In fact, in terms of syntax, ASL shares more with spoken Japanese than it does with English. Some people have described ASL and other sign languages as "gestural" languages. This is not absolutely correct because hand gestures are only one component of ASL. Facial features such as eyebrow motion and lip-mouth movements are also significant in ASL as they form a crucial part of the grammatical system. In addition, ASL makes use of the space surrounding the signer to describe places and persons that are not present. Sign languages develop specific to their communities and is not universal. For example, ASL is totally different from British Sign Language even though both countries speak English. Many people consider it a shame that there isn't a universal sign language, however it's also a shame that there isn't a universal spoken language, right? I personally enjoy seeing the great variety and diversity of languages and the first topic of conversation when I meet a Deaf person from another country is an exchange of vocabulary: "How do you sign this? How do you sign that?" Interesting, however, American Sign Language shares many vocabulary terms with Old French Sign Language (LSF) because a French Deaf man, Laurent Clerc, was one of the first teachers of the Deaf in the U.S. in the nineteenth century. So if you know ASL, you're better off taking a vacation in France than in England! But the French connection to America is rare, most sign languages develop independently and each country (and in some cases, each city) has their own sign language." |
| --Karen Nakamura, Deaf Resource Library www.deaflibrary.org |
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