Happy Deaf Awareness Month!

September is Deaf Awareness Month. The reason why we have that is to bring awareness of deaf community, including communication needs, accessibility, etc. There’s so many topics within the deaf culture! Many do not realize that deaf people are highly diverse with a wide spectrum. There is a range of communication preferences, background experiences and identities.

Did you know that there are 70 million deaf people worldwide? Yet, there is no two deaf people who are alike. Some may prefer to talk, some prefer to sign. Each of us have different level of hearing loss.

That’s why it can be nerve-wrecking for hearing people to be approached by or interact with deaf people. How do you know what to do with them?

Patience.

That’s the most important. Be patient. The communication may be different from what you’re used to and may require some effort.

Eye contact.

Deaf people rely on eye contact. A lot. Make sure that you always face them. Some are able to lip-read, so they’ll need to see your mouth.

Don’t assume.

Not all deaf people can lip-read through, so do not assume that they can. Don’t put the burden of communication on them. Ask what their preferred method of communication is. It may be paper and pencil, using some kind of phone app, or whatever.

Don’t give up.

Do not give up if it’s challenging or struggling. The important thing is that the deaf people have the information. It doesn’t matter how it’s relayed, we just want to be understood. We’re humans too.

Don’t treat us differently.

We aren’t different from anyone else you interact with, just our hearing loss. We don’t want to be treated like a child or be made to feel incapable.

As a deaf person, I know I have to be patient too. I’m very willing to work with anyone to have effective communication. I won’t judge people for any mistakes because I understand that you don’t interact with deaf people regularly. I don’t want anyone to ever feel nervous. I would think many deaf people would have same understanding as we DO interact with hearing people on a daily basis.

Read more awareness blogs under DEAF tab on www.knotsoloud.com. I appreciate you being here to take the time to learn and be an ally for the deaf community!