Deafness

What is Deafness?

Deafness encompasses a wide range of hearing loss, from profound deafness (no meaningful hearing) to severe deafness. However, understanding Deafness requires moving beyond the audiological to understand a rich cultural reality.

Deaf (capital D) vs. deaf (lowercase d)

This distinction is not a typo. The Deaf community (capital D) refers to people who identify with Deaf culture, primarily use a signed language (such as ASL in North America, BSL in the UK, or Auslan in Australia), and share a community, history, and identity. Being Deaf is not experienced as a loss by most Deaf people — it is a cultural identity, similar to being part of an ethnic group.

deaf (lowercase) refers to the audiological fact of significant hearing loss. A person can be deaf but not Deaf (for example, a late-deafened adult who uses spoken language and does not identify with Deaf culture).

Many Deaf people explicitly reject the framing of Deafness as a deficit or disability that needs to be "fixed," though they may still advocate for accessibility accommodations in a hearing-dominated world.

How It Presents

Profound deafness from birth (or before language acquisition) is called prelingual deafness. Deafness that occurs after spoken language is acquired is postlingual. This distinction significantly affects a person's communication preferences and approaches.

Communication approaches vary widely:

• Sign language — the natural, fully expressive language of Deaf communities worldwide
• Oral/aural methods — using residual hearing (with hearing aids or cochlear implants), lip-reading, and spoken language
• Cued speech — a visual system that makes the sounds of spoken language visible
• Simultaneous Communication — using both speech and sign at the same time (often associated with education settings)

Assistive Technology and Access

• Hearing aids — amplify sound; useful for those with remaining functional hearing
• Cochlear implants (CI) — a surgical device that bypasses damaged hair cells; deeply controversial in the Deaf community (see Language and Identity)
• FM and loop systems — transmit audio directly to hearing aids or cochlear implants in public venues
• Captioning — live (CART) and automated captions for video content, meetings, and events
• Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) and Video Relay Service (VRS) — connect Deaf users with sign language interpreters via video for phone calls and appointments
• Visual alerts — flashing lights, vibrating systems for doorbells, smoke alarms, and phone calls
• TTY / text telephone (legacy) and modern text-based communication apps

Cochlear Implants: A Community Conversation

Cochlear implants are viewed very differently within and outside the Deaf community. Many hearing parents and audiologists view CIs as providing "access to sound." Many Deaf people, particularly those who identify culturally as Deaf, view CI programs — especially those targeting young deaf children — as a form of cultural erasure that removes children from the Deaf community before they can choose their identity. This is not a fringe view: major Deaf organizations have formally opposed implantation of young children without their consent.

This is a deeply personal and politically charged issue within the community. AbledLikeMe presents these perspectives without taking a position, and encourages readers to listen to Deaf voices.

Common Misconceptions

• "Deaf people can lip-read everything." Lip-reading is unreliable even for expert readers — only about 30% of English sounds are distinguishable on the lips.
• "Cochlear implants restore normal hearing." CIs provide access to sound but do not replicate normal hearing; outcomes vary significantly.
• "All Deaf people want to hear." Many culturally Deaf people consider themselves whole, not broken.

Language and Identity

Identity-first language is strongly preferred by most Deaf people. "Deaf person" is correct; "person with deafness" or "hearing-impaired" are typically rejected by the Deaf community. "Hearing-impaired" is particularly disliked as it defines Deaf people by what they lack.

Always use capital-D "Deaf" when referring to cultural identity and community.