When ideas and theories are challenged a community breaks away from the mainstream culture and, as is the case with the Deaf, a new sub-culture is formed. A culture is a “System of symbols, including language and values and the patterned way of doing things shared by a given human group.”

Deaf Communities were formed as a result of adversity and alienation – a necessity for a group of people who were branded with a stigma who were ostracised and isolated from the world into which they were born. It was from this that their rich language was developed.

What is the Deaf Community? Does a Deaf Culture exist? Are the manual signs Deaf people use really a Language? And are Deaf people “whole persons or simply wounded ears”? These questions have troubled and confused the hearing world for thousands of years.

Not everyone hears as well as you do and for those who can’t, just doing normal things becomes a challenge. Why not take the deafness challenge in a fun experiment. You could find it enlightening

While tinnitus cannot be cured, current research indicates a break through could be just around the corner. For the moment the best sufferers can do is learn to cope.

Tinnitus is phantom sound made up by the brain in the absence of external stimulation and is usually experienced by deaf people. These other worldly sounds disrupt and interfere with our lives, particularly when we first experience it.

Here are some tips about how you can help communication with a deaf or hard of hearing person. Why not print them out and put them in a prominent space at your work, club or home.

Sorry. I'm deaf. Have you ever felt you are defined by deafness not for yourself and your achievements? I can remember saying the first thing I had to tell everyone about myself was that I was deaf but that it really was the least important thing about me because I am so much more than my deafness

In a health conscious environment many people walk for exercise. There are things which seem obvious which can make it safer for you to walk. Being alert to your surroundings is extra important.

Emergencies have a nasty habit of occurring in the middle of the night. Most deaf or hearing impaired people don’t wear their hearing aids to bed so how do they know if there is an emergency? This is very difficult for those who cannot hear.