Compiled by Melissa Campbell

Deaf Culture/Language Notes

• Most Deaf People's preferred language is American Sign Language (ASL).
• ASL is not a form of English- it has its own distinct grammatical structure.
• Most Deaf people regard ASL as their natural language, which reflects their cultural values and keeps their traditions and heritage alive.
• ASL is more like French Sign Language than like British Sign Language.

Introduction to the Deaf Community

• Deaf people tend to believe that deafness, "is not a disability, but rather the quality that unites Deaf people into a cohesive, vibrant community."
• Deaf people, because of their language and cultural identity prefer to be called "Deaf" rather than "Hearing Impaired."

Communication

90% of all Deaf children have hearing parents. A small percentage of these parents learn sign language and Deaf people at a very early age develop strategies for communicating with people who do not sign.

• Interpreters: Deaf people prefer to use certified sign language interpreters who not only know the language fluently, but are sensitive to Deaf and hearing cultures as well. The interpreter would sign what was said and voice what was signed between the Deaf and hearing person who does not know sign language. It is customary to have eye contact with the Deaf person directly and not talk to the interpreters. You can speak in a normal regular tone, it is not necessary to talk slow or take long pauses unless asked to. However, when stating a person's name, you may want to take a quick pause so that the interpreter will have enough time to finger spell the name or point out the person.
• Pen and Paper: this is used for seeking information. This is the most common strategy for communication between Deaf and Hearing people as interpreters are not always available.
• Gesturing: this is usually used with people who are seen regularly and in situations where interaction is predictable. If the interactions continue, other strategies such as pen and paper are usually used.
• Lipreading & Speech: this is the least preferred strategies for most Deaf people. Only 30% of spoken English can be understood by lipreading and therefore, it leaves a room for misunderstandings. A few Deaf people feel comfortable using speech with strangers.
• Adapting Signs to others: this is used with hearing people with varying degrees of signing ability. Deaf people will vary their signs to match the language skills of the other person.

How to get a Deaf person's Attention

• Waving: How big the wave depends on how close you are to the person and how easily you can get his/her attention. Waving increases in size as distance increases.
• Touching: touching is used especially when someone's back is to you, or nearby. Tapping on the shoulder or upper arm a few times gently is the most acceptable.
• Lights: If you want to get the whole classroom full of students or people, the best way to do that is to flick your lights on and off.
• Tapping on the floor with your foot: if the floor is made of wood, Deaf people can feel the vibrations coming from the floor and they will automatically look up and see who is doing it. (This does not work on cement floors.)

The Interpreter's Role

• The Interpreter(s) are there to translate information from English to ASL or ASL to English and they are only there to interpret and it is not their responsibility to support anyone. We usually add Deaf support staff for that- please see their role outline down below.
• If you are using the interpreter, speak to the Deaf person directly and pretend the interpreter is not there.
• Speak in a normal regular tone, you do not have to talk slow or take long pauses, keep a normal flow. However, when stating a person's name, you may want to take a quick pause so that the interpreter will have enough time to finger spell the name or point out the person.
• If you have a test or questionnaire that a Deaf person has to fill out, they might need more time to write the information down. Plus, they might need the interpreter to translate the English words into ASL so that they can understand the question better. Please note: interpreters NEVER give out answers.
• You may notice that the Deaf or Hard of Hearing children do not pay attention and stare at the interpreter at all times. That does not mean that they are not interested in what you have to say. They are just giving their eyes a break (Remember that they have to pay attention to the teacher in one spot all day, which is very tiring to their eyes.) Just keep going- we are experts at watching from the corner of our eyes! :-) Repetition of the instructions may be necessary.

Deaf Staff's Role

• The support staff is there to answer any questions that the instructors or other hearing staff may have. We usually hire Deaf staff so that they can serve as a good role model to the Deaf children and youth.

How do Deaf people...

• Wake up in the morning? There are special alarm clocks attached to either a flashing light or a bed vibrator that will activate when the alarm goes off.
• Understand T.V.? Most television shows/movies are captioned. There is a decoder inside the television, which can be turned on by the remote control. Once turned on, words appear on the bottom of the screen like subtitles and Deaf people can read them.
• Talk on the phone? There is a special telecommunication device (TTY) that enables Deaf people to use the phone. In order for a conversation to take place, there must be a TTY at both ends. But if the other end does not have a TTY, Deaf people can call the operator who has a TTY and have them interpret the conversation.

How to Teach Deaf Children/Youth

• The Deaf and Hard of Hearing children/youth as well as adults learn best visually. By that I mean, having examples ready so that they have a better picture of what they will be making, plus showing them and then letting them try. Hands on activities is the way to go!
• The only activities that would not be successful with a Deaf and Hard of Hearing group would be songs and hearing jokes.
• Some of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing children/youth have low level of writing skills, so it is best to write the word on the board and then explain it with an interpreter present. Maybe drawing a picture would help too. This helps the Deaf child/youth paint a better picture of what you are trying to explain.
• Socializing is very important to Deaf and Hard of Hearing children because they don't often get the opporunity to do that in their language. If you see them chatting, it does not mean that they are not interested in the course. I would suggest at the beginning of the course, if you could make it clear when the breaks are so that they can wait until that moment to chat ( unless it is ok to do so during the activities). Up to you!

Most of the above information is from the Vista: Signing Naturally: American Sign Language Series- a functional notional approach.