Introduction
A lot of people do not think of this being an important or impacting disability, but it is. I work for a car dealership, and one of our express lube technicians is an almost-deaf mechanic. Ever since I started working with him I have marveled at how he has been able to overcome his disability, to the point that even without hearing, he is one of our best technicians (and hearing can be essential as a mechanic). Inspired, I decided to write my WebQuest on this disability.
So to start, we must define what deafness is. Often, definitions of this disability vary, so here are some of the more "official" sources to ground our definition:
US Dept. of Education:
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cregs%2C300%2CA%2C300%252E8%…
Office of Student Disability Services:
http://web.jhu.edu/disabilities/faculty/types_of_disabilities/deafness…
Special Education Guide website:
http://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-profiles/deafness/
To summarize, most sources agree that deafness can be defined as total hearing loss or partial hearing loss where hearing aids don't serve as a complete replacement of a fully functioning sense of hearing.
Process
Hearing is often taken for granted. Actually, many things are. So it is great for our general awareness and to appreciate what we have to see what struggles deaf people go through. Before I start with specific case studies, I'd like to talk about my experience with my deaf coworker.
For the sake of privacy, lets call him Jon. I am a service consultant and he is a automobile technician (a.k.a. auto mechanic). The service consultant is the link between the customer and the technician; so communication between the consultant and the technician is vital. In this role, Jon has told me that most of the time he has to accomodate hearing people, instead of the other way around. He is excellent at reading lips, and has become a fast writer. He needs to be a fast writer in order to communicate with others who don't know sign language. He carries a small notebook and a pen in order to write what he wants to communicate.
He has also shared that because he can't hear, he must be absolutely present with the tasks at hand. he can't afford to let his mind wander off, where a hearing person could. As a result of his heightened focus, he is one of our most efficient technicians. He has turned his disability into as an incentive to stand out.
Another thing he has shared is his need for patience. He didn't develop it willingly, but he was forced to be patient with hearing people. Often, hearing people don't understand just how deep the impact of deafness goes and they lose patience. And in this aspect, Jon has had to develop a greater patience in order to interact and cooperate with the hearing people around him.
Now to some personal case studies that really exemplify the deafness experience and struggles:
What is it like to be DEAF? - A deaf person shares his struggles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60lzVhXW_0U
Sara in Medical School: The exerience of a deaf medical student.
http://www.washington.edu/doit/sara-medical-school-case-study-dealing-d…
5 Thins I Dislike About Being Deaf - An essay talking about the discrimination that deaf people face:
http://www.redeafined.com/2012/11/5-things-i-dislike-about-being-deaf.h…
Evaluation
How would you think life would be for you as a deaf person? What if you became deaf vs. being born deaf? How do you feel deaf people feel when they can't listen to the newest song or the delivery of a funny punchline in stand-up comedy? How would your job change if you became deaf? These are questions that hearing people rarely ask themselves. Mainly, it is difficult for a hearing person to fully understand what it is like to be deaf. Below I leave some links that help remove some common misconceptions in order to guide the reader closer to an understanding of how deaf people experience their lives:
https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/JCS/interpreterSvcs/culturalmisconcep… - in the legal field
http://timeforequality.org/themes/35-misconceptions-about-deafnessand-d… - This source talks about being deaf and being deaf-blind.
https://signsoflifeasl.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/audism/ - This is a personal blog with personal opinions.
http://deafeducationworldwide.weebly.com/stereotypes-and-misconceptions…
Conclusion
While deafness may not be a disability that impairs your movement and displacement, it still affects the way you interact with the world around you. The main getaway from this presentation is that people who are deaf or hard of hearing are still people, and they deserve our patience. This is because, more often than not, they are already trying to accomodate to you.
I leave the conclusion with a funny clip titled "Sh!t Hearing People Say" [swearing warning - viewer discression is advised].