Deafness
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The word deaf is most often associated with two meanings:
- Notated as deaf with a lowercase d, this refers to either one or many of whom deafness is predominantly an audiological experience[1]. This means someone who is partially or wholly lacking hearing, either when they were born, through pernicious disease early in life, or later in life. The term refers to the idea in the strictest sense: the condition and state of being deaf, nothing more.
- The other definition is referred to as Deaf with a capital D—it is any person or persons who "identifies him/herself as a member of the Deaf community, and other members accept that person as a part of the community[2]." Many Deaf perceive their community akin to other language minority communities[1], and share a sense of Deaf Culture.
The global deaf population is roughly estimated to be 0.1% of the total population (1 in 1000) [3]. The figure is likely to be higher in developing countries than developed countries due to restricted access to health care, and, in some cultures, due to the high rate of intrafamilial marriages. The great majority of people with less than average hearing are elderly or developed hearing loss after leaving school[4].
People who are part of Deaf culture use sign language as their primary language and often emphatically see themselves as not disabled, but rather as members of a cultural or language minority[1]. Members of this group use Deaf as a label of cultural identity much more than as an expression of hearing status. Hearing people may also be considered culturally Deaf if they participate in Deaf culture and share Deaf cultural values; this is sometimes referred as 'attitudinal deafness'[2]. For example, children of deaf adults (CODAs) with normal hearing ability may consider themselves, and be considered, culturally Deaf.
Deafness is not limited to humans, but can also occur in other animals.
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[edit] Terminology
[edit] Deaf vs. Hard of Hearing
Deaf generally implies a profound loss of hearing; someone with a partial loss of hearing is more likely to be referred to as hard of hearing or the qualified partially deaf.
The term hard of hearing may be used to describe all degrees of hearing loss up to and including total deafness. In the case of profound deafness this may be political correctness, a euphemism for the simpler and accurate "deaf".
Total deafness is quite rare; most deaf people can hear a little[citation needed], but since hearing loss is generally frequency-based rather than amplitude-based, a deaf person's hearing may not be usable, if the normal frequencies of speech lie in the impaired range.
People with a moderate hearing loss, of about 36-50 dB, (http://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/coGuide/05_Lossvseffct.htm), generally describe themselves as "partially deaf". Others who were born hearing, but who have partially lost their hearing through illness or injury are "deafened". Those with a slight hearing loss (eg. about 16-35 dB hearing loss(hands & voices)), or have lost some of their hearing in old age may prefer an informal term such as "hard of hearing".
Those with some functional hearing generally do not take part in the Deaf community, and typically work and socialize with hearing people to the best of their ability. People with all degrees of hearing impairment may encounter discrimination when looking for work, while at their jobs, or when socializing with hearing people.
[edit] Other meanings of 'deaf'
- Deaf is also used as a colloquialism to refer to a recalcitrant individual or someone unwilling to listen, obey or acknowledge an authority or partner. The third line of Shakespear's Sonnet 29 provides an example:
-
- "When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
- I all alone beweep my outcast state,
- And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,"
- "When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
[edit] As an acronym
- The acronym DEAF is also used to refer to the Deaf Equipment Acquisition Fund.
[edit] Categories of deafness and hearing impairment
These categories may be overlapping. Deafness or hearing impairment may be:
- Unilateral
- Pre-lingual
- Peri-lingual
- Post-lingual
- Partial
- Progressive
- Profound
- Limited (to tone)
- Tinnitus
Age of onset is also a significant factor.
[edit] See also
- Models of deafness for a comparison of the medical, disability and cultural models of deafness.
- List of Deaf-centered psychotherapy services
- Deaf education
- Late deafened adult
- List of deaf people
- Sign language
- RNID
- National Deaf Children's Society
- Hearing impairment
- Deafblindness
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) test
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Ladd, Paddy (2003). Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood.
- ^ a b Baker, C., C. Padden (1978). American Sign Language: A look at its Story Structure and Community.
- ^ Harrington, Tom (2004-7-01). Deaf Statistics: Other Countries. Frequently Asked Questions: Deaf Statistics. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.
- ^ Holt, Judith (1994). [http://gri.gallaudet.edu/Demographics/factsheet.html DEMOGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS]. DEMOGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.
[edit] External links
- National Association of the Deaf. The NAD protects deaf and hard of hearing civil rights.
- About: Deafness/Hard of Hearing
- Gallaudet University: Demographics of Deafness
- Deaf Websites
- RNID Website, Royal National Institute of the Deaf (RNID).
- sign community Website of the British Deaf Association
- Deaf Chat Forum
- Deaf Social Network
- BID Services with Deaf People (Birmingham Institute for the Deaf)
- ENT Advice - DeafnessPatient Queries related to Deafness answered by ENT specialists
- Illinois Service Resource Center Illinois Service Resource Center -- non-profit resource center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing with additional behavior disorders. Deafness and Mental and Behavioral Health.
