Guest Author - Kelli Deister

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month in the United States. The professionals stress that it is a time dedicated to focusing on our hearing and speaking abilities, as well as to seek help if we have what hearing people perceive to be a loss in communication. While I respect the opinions and beliefs of the professionals in the audiological profession, I do have my personal beliefs on the matter.

I did some research on this topic, being that May is the month that focuses on better hearing and speech. I came across a few websites in which professionals advertise the necessity to seek immediate help if hearing loss is occurring. While I do agree that it is best to seek medical help, I will say that I do not agree that it is a lack in communication. The deaf have a language of their own that allows them to communicate effectively. My perception is that the hearing community lacks the knowledge of the fact that Deaf individuals have a concrete language; therefore, hearing individuals continue to stress the importance of speaking.

Realistically, English is not the only language in the United States. There are many different languages, containing many variants in dialect. There is also American Sign Language. While most hearing people acknowledge that a language, other than English, is accepted, they seem to have a difficult time in acknowledging the fact that American Sign Language is indeed a true language, in every meaning of the word.

I understand that the stress is most likely placed on hearing, since according to the hearing community the quality of life is pre-determined to be at its highest when one can hear and speak. Personally, I find this belief system to be not only false, but highly insulting. Those of us, with any level of deafness, have the same capabilities as any hearing individual. Granted, with the absent ability to speak, it will take those that are Deaf a longer period of time to learn English in its proper form, but it can still be done. Our hearing loss does not affect our ability to think, reason, learn, or communicate. It simply means that we cannot hear, yet, we have access to a fully functional language and can effectively communicate within our community.

What then, is the issue at hand? I believe that it would benefit all hearing individuals to consider learning our language. It would mean the difference between ignorance and knowledge. It also signals a respect for the Deaf culture and Deaf community. We are quite capable of learning, thinking, and communicating with the use of our language. Our ability to speak does not affect our ability to think, reason, and communicate. I believe that it is time for the hearing community to accept this fact. One way in which change can be orchestrated is for there to be equal access for the Deaf and the hearing, in all aspects of our daily lives. What I mean to say is that everything is primarily focused on one’s ability to hear sounds. I would like to suggest that there be not only sound alerts for the hearing, but visual alerts for the Deaf. This would indeed be the best solution.