Guest Author - Kelli Deister

As a deaf or hard of hearing person, how does one define themselves? It was brought to my attention this past week, that although some definitely define themselves according to the standards and definitions of another person, there are those that define themselves on a truly individual basis. While there are some that believe others hold the key in regards to defining them, there are others that know deep inside that they can personally define themselves.

For example, there is a deaf child that grows up using American Sign Language and becomes a part of a very rich culture for the Deaf. Meanwhile, there is a different deaf child that grows up using the oral method or Signing Exact English, yet they are not a member of the Deaf community. For the child that grew up in the Deaf community, I imagine they were surrounded by a large support network; whereas, the child that grew up oral might actually relate more to hearing people than to Deaf people. I wonder if those that are deaf and used the oral method, ever feel as though they do not fit in.

For those that are late-deafened, they grow up with complete hearing until deafness begins to be an issue for them. Coming from the hearing culture, the hearing person might inadvertently think that simply because they have lost their hearing, it automatically places them comfortably in the Deaf culture and community, which is not the case.

All of the examples, which I have written of in this article, are very real scenarios. Each person takes what they have learned to present and lives up to that particular set of standards. I find myself sometimes wondering whether or not the child that is raised oral, ever becomes a member of the Deaf community? Will their background of the oral method permanently prevent them from belonging in the Deaf culture? I wonder if people are defined by the Deaf culture or merely by their level of deafness. Is there some sort of a system or standard that indicates where they end up upon becoming an adult?

In my heart, I wish that all those that are deaf could be joined together as one community or one culture. Is it established that if you sign in ASL then you are a member of the Deaf community and if you sign using SEE, you are not a member of the Deaf community? Is there truly a level of prejudices that determines one’s placement in either the hearing community or the Deaf community?

I am a late-deafened adult and my questions are very real for me. I have much to learn regarding the Deaf and their culture; however, I am eager to learn.