Understanding Deafness

Understanding Deafness — page 1 — Off to School At 8 00 a m an alarm clock under Chloe’s pillow vibrates Chloe shuts it off and walks downstairs She signs Good morning to her parents and sits down for breakfast Chloe enjoys the quiet morning After breakfast she turns on her hearing aids These will help her hear classmates at school Chloe is deaf She experiences the world differently than hearing people But she is like any other kid

Understanding Deafness — page 2

Understanding Deafness — page 3 — What Is Deafness Deafness is an inability to hear some or all sounds Someone who is deaf has little to no hearing People with milder hearing loss are sometimes called hard of hearing However many of these people also identify as deaf Deafness is an important part of a person’s identity Many deaf people have shared experiences Because of this some deaf people consider themselves part of a deaf community and culture Remember People with disabilities are not victims This word makes it sound like having a disability is a bad thing But a disability is not bad It’s just a difference

Understanding Deafness — page 4 — Common Behaviors in Deaf Culture Making strong eye contact Getting others attention by lightly touching their arms or thumping a table Using sign language Standing farther apart when communicating to allow space for signing

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