Credits - Pacific Lutheran University

Information on Deafness from the National Association of the Deaf

Frequently asked Questions

Are Doctors Required to Provide Interpreters for Medical Visits and Other Medical-Related Situations?

The short answer is yes. This is covered under the Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you feel that you need an interpreter in order to understand what your doctor/health care provider is telling you, then the doctor/health care provider is required to provide you with one. It is best to contact your doctor/health care provider directly and tell them, prior to your appointment, that you need an interpreter. Do not hire your own interpreter and expect the doctor/health care provider to pay your interpreter for you. You may run into problems that way.

The doctor/health care provider must pay for the cost of an interpreter, even if the cost of the interpreter is more than the cost of your visit. The doctor/health care provider is expected to handle the cost of interpreter as a normal business expense or as part of the overhead costs of operating a business.

If your doctor/health care provider tries to encourage you to bring in a signing family member or a friend as a way to "save costs", say no. Family members and friends cannot be expected to be neutral and sign everything they hear. They may be emotionally or personally involved with you and this may affect their interpreting. Using them as interpreters can also cause problems in maintaining your confidentiality as a patient.

What Educational Opportunities are There for
My Deaf/Hard of Hearing Child?

There is no lack of educational opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing children. The secret is in knowing where to look, and once you start finding information, resources, and schools, the challenge is in deciding what type of school is appropriate for your child. There are residential schools, charter schools specializing in bilingual/bicultural education, day schools, oral schools, and public schools (some have "programs" for deaf and hard of hearing students). The NAD supports a continuum of educational resources.

Check to see what's available for deaf and hard of hearing children in your state. There are several ways you can do this. You can contact:

The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) at http://www.deafchildren.org.

You can also get a list of schools in your state by reviewing the American Annals of the Deaf, which is a publication of the Conference of Educational Administrators Serving the Deaf and the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf. Requests for the reference issue (list of schools) may be sent to: American Annals of the Deaf, KDES PAS-6, 800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002. The cost of the reference issue is $27 (U.S. dollars, $30 foreign), and if you need to check their website, the address is http://www.gallaudet.edu/~pcnmpaad/index.html.

Finally, you can also check out the Internet by using any search engine and typing the word "deaf". That will get you dozens and dozens of deaf-related sites. Many schools for the deaf are online, and with a bit of persistence, you can find them on the Web.
Deaf and hard of hearing children learn best through a visual mode, and providing an environment where the child can learn things through the use of her/his sense of vision is very important. You are encouraged to learn sign language in order to communicate with your deaf and hard of hearing child visually. Sign language is the easiest and quickest way to establish communication lines with your child. If sign language is completely new to you, that is perfectly fine and can easily be remedied. Just go to your community college, university, library, or church and ask about sign language classes. Chances are, there are classes being offered or in progress in your area. While you are learning basic signs, you can use them with your child. Your child will pick up the signs from you and use them herself/himself.

Good luck and enjoy your time with your deaf/hard of hearing child!

How Long Does It Take To Learn Sign Language?

Learning sign language takes time. You cannot learn it in five minutes or overnight. To pick up enough signs for basic communication and to sign them comfortably, without excessive stiffness, can take one or two years. Some people pick up signs slower than others, and if that is the case, don't let it discourage you. Everyone learns sign language at their own speed. Be patient and you will succeed in learning the language. The rewards will be well worth the effort!

You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) by attending a sign language class. Usually they can be found at community colleges, universities, libraries, churches, organizations/clubs of the deaf, and so on. You can also expand your knowledge of ASL by practicing your signs with deaf people, be they friends or coworkers. Generally, they are patient about showing new signers the correct way to sign something, and usually, they will slow down their signing so that you can understand them. They are also willing to repeat words or statements if you do not understand them the first (or even the second) time. Keep in mind, however, that deaf people are human: they do lose patience from time to time. If that happens, do not take it personally. Put yourself in their shoes: if you had to slow down your normal speaking speed to the point where you say one word at a time and repeat yourself more than once, you might lose patience yourself.

You need to remember that sign language is a visual language. This means that the brain processes linguistic information through the eyes instead of ears. It also means that facial expressions and body movements play an important part in conveying information. It is possible to sign without using facial or body expressions, but doing so may give a mixed message and may confuse your deaf listeners. It will also look odd or unnatural.

Sign language by itself is not an universal language -- each country has their own sign language, much like the thousands of languages spoken by hearing people all over the world. Like any spoken language, American Sign Language (ASL) is a living language with its own rules of grammar. Like all verbal languages, ASL grows and changes over time to accommodate the needs of its native users. If you were to travel to another state and had an opportunity to speak with a deaf person of that state, you may even notice that s/he will do some signs differently from you. These signs are known as "regional" signs, and you can think of them as the equivalent of "accent". It does not mean that deaf people in your state are signing their signs incorrectly, as opposed to those used by deaf people in another state. It is just a normal variation in ASL, and such regional signs add flavor to your understanding of ASL. It is important to remember that when you discover there is no sign for a word, it does not mean you can invent or make up a new sign. To do so may violate the grammatical rules of ASL, and may offend many deaf people. Fingerspell unknown terms.

Most importantly, speed is not crucial in sign language, although it can appear that way. It is more important to sign clearly, even if you have to do it at a slower pace. When deaf people often ask you to repeat yourself, it is a sign that you should slow down and try to sign as clearly as possible. Do not feel embarrassed if you sign slowly. To get your message across, to connect with another person, and to be understood is important. There are no shortcuts to effective communication. Good luck!

What is Wrong with the Use of these Terms: "Deaf-mute",
"Deaf and dumb", or "Hearing-impaired"?

Deaf and hard of hearing people have the right to choose what they wish to be called, either as a group or on an individual basis. Overwhelmingly, deaf and hard of hearing people prefer to be called "deaf" or "hard of hearing". Nearly all organizations of the deaf use the term "deaf and hard of hearing", and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is no exception. The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) voted in 1991 to use "deaf and hard of hearing" as an official designation.

Yet there are many people who persist in using terms other than "deaf" and "hard of hearing". The alternative terms are often seen in print, heard on radio and television, and picked up in casual conversations all over. Let's take a look at the three most-used alternative terms.

Deaf and Dumb -- A relic from the medieval English era, this is the granddaddy of all negative labels pinned on deaf and hard of hearing people. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, pronounced us "deaf and dumb", because he felt that deaf people were incapable of being taught, of learning, and of reasoned thinking. To his way of thinking, if a person could not use his/her voice in the same way as hearing people, then there was no way that this person could develop cognitive abilities. (Source: Deaf Heritage, by Jack Gannon, 1980)

In later years, "dumb" came to mean "silent". This definition still persists, because that is how people see deaf people. The term is offensive to deaf and hard of hearing people for a number of reasons. One, deaf and hard of hearing people are by no means "silent" at all. They use sign language, lip-reading, vocalizations, and so on to communicate. Communication is not reserved for hearing people alone, and using one's voice is not the only way to communicate. Two, "dumb" also has a second meaning: stupid. Deaf and hard of hearing people have encountered plenty of people who subscribe to the philosophy that if you cannot use your voice well, you don't have much else "upstairs", and have nothing going for you. Obviously, this is incorrect, ill-informed, and false. Deaf and hard of hearing people have repeatedly proved that they have much to contribute to the society at large.

Deaf-Mute -- Another offensive term from the 18th-19th century, "mute" also means silent and without voice. This label is technically inaccurate, since deaf and hard of hearing people generally have functioning vocal chords. The problem lies with the fact that to successfully modulate your voice, you need to be able to hear your own voice. Again, because deaf and hard of hearing people use various methods of communication other than using their voices, they are not truly mute. True communication occurs when one's message is understood by others, and they can respond in kind.

Hearing-impaired -- A term much preferred by hearing people, largely because they view it as politically correct. In the mainstream society, to baldly state one's disability (e.g., deaf, blind, etc.) is somewhat rude and impolite. To their way of thinking, it is far better to soften the harsh reality by using the word "impaired" along with "visual", "hearing", and so on. "hearing-impaired" is a well-meaning word that is much-resented by deaf and hard of hearing people.

Deaf and hard of hearing people feel that the words "deaf" and "hard of hearing" are not negative in any way at all. Indeed, the deaf and hard of hearing community views "hearing-impaired" as negative, because the label focuses on what they can't do. With this label, a standard has been set: the "hearing" standard. To be anything other than "hearing" is not acceptable to the mainstream society, and deaf and hard of hearing people have failed to meet the "standard". To be fair, this is probably what hearing people did not intend to convey to deaf and hard of hearing people every time they use "hearing impaired" as a label. Deaf and hard of hearing people believe that there is nothing wrong with them, and that their culture, language, and community are just as fulfilling as the ones experienced by the mainstream society.

What's in a name? Plenty! Words and labels can have a profound effect on people. Deaf and hard of hearing people are sensitive as to how they are referred, because they have experienced being put down and disparaged by other people. They have seen their intelligence, their abilities, and their skills questioned simply because they are deaf or hard of hearing. Show your respect for deaf and hard of hearing people by refusing to use those outdated and offensive terms.

Find out more information concerning Deafness from the National Association of the Deaf

Factsheet about American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the most widely used languages in the United States.

ASL is primarily used by Deaf and hard of hearing Americans and Canadians. In addition, ASL is used by: 1) hearing children of deaf parents; 2) hearing siblings and relatives of the deaf, and 3) hearing adults who are becoming deaf and are learning ASL from other deaf individuals. Additionally, a growing population of hearing, second-language students are learning ASL in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary classrooms.

ASL is a visual language. It has its own grammatical rules and semantics.

ASL is deeply rooted in the Deaf Community and Culture. Early sign language was already in use in Colonial America, notably in Martha's Vineyard Island where many deaf people once lived. In 1817, Laurent Clerc, the first deaf teacher in American came from Paris, France to Hartford, Connecticut with Thomas Gallaudet to set up the first school for the deaf. He used French Sign Language in his teachings which led to the standardization of early American Sign Language into modern American Sign Language. The folklore, the history of Deaf people, cultural values and arts are expressed and preserved through ASL.

There are approximately 250,000 - 500,000 ASL users in USA and Canada (Baker and Cokely, 1980). Most of them use ASL as their primary language.

At least thirty-five (35) States have recognized ASL as a modern language for public schools. Hundreds of colleges/universities (at least 750, Cokely 1986) in the United States are offering ASL classes. Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC offers a four-year bachelor program in ASL.

Abundant resources on ASL research, evaluation, curriculum, literature, books and videotapes are available for students and teachers.

Qualified ASL teachers are certified by a national professional organization, the American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA). There are state organizations affiliated with ASLTA. Check the ASLTA website at ASLTA.org for more information about state and local chapters. The ASLTA, Chapters of ASLTA and some universities (e.g., Gallaudet University, Columbia University, Western Maryland University, University of Rochester and Keuka College in New York) offer training in teaching ASL.

ASL benefits: