Can hearing people truly understand deafness? Can they genuinely grasp the difficulties that Deaf people have? Can late-deafened adults really appreciate Deaf culture? These are all questions I recently found myself pondering.

Let’s take a closer look at the differences between being able to hear and being Deaf. To be hearing means that the person either presently has, or previously had, the capacity to hear. Perhaps the deaf person grew up being able to hear all sounds and then either lost their hearing gradually or lost it quickly upon becoming sick. These people are deaf, medically speaking, but they are not Deaf, culturally speaking.

A person that is Deaf has lived with their deafness for many years. They were either born with deafness or became ill sometime during their early childhood, which caused them to lose their hearing. Those that fit into this category are not only deaf when speaking of a medical condition, but are also culturally Deaf. I have been thinking about the differences between the two recently and feel as though I am beginning to genuinely understand the plight of those that are Deaf.

I will elaborate further, in a separate article; however, I must say that I truly believe that within the hearing community, there are often mixed feelings on this topic. As a late-deafened adult, I can testify to the fact that I have felt alone and rejected when it comes to not being a part of the Deaf community. However, my feelings are not in any way attributed to the Deaf community. I believe they are feelings that many late-deafened adults might have at some point in their process. As a late-deafened adult, I can say that I grew up hearing all possible sounds. However, upon losing my hearing, it was as though I was thrust from the hearing community and expected to deal with it alone. Perhaps it is during the initial loss of hearing that a late-deafened adult may, on some levels, expect to be welcomed into the Deaf community, based purely on the fact that they can no longer hear. Consequentially, the late-deafened adult will not understand when they are not readily accepted into the Deaf community.

When an individual has full hearing and then becomes a late-deafened adult, it does not automatically place one within the Deaf community. There are many aspects to take into consideration, when attempting to join the Deaf community. It is not simplistic, but rather a rite of passage, as far as I’m concerned.