American Sign Language and Deaf Culture
INTRODUCTION
Sign language is the predominant system of communication between individuals in the deaf community. In the United States and english-speaking Canada, the variant used of this language is known as American Sign Language or the abbreviated “ASL.”
Understanding deaf culture goes hand in hand with comprehending the language. Deaf culture is characterized as the collection of social beliefs or perceptions that are relevant in a non-hearing world (i.e. the importance of facial expressions, understanding real world orientation/knowing the geographic locations of buildings, etc).
HOW DOES SIGN LANGUAGE DIFFER FROM SPOKEN LANGUAGE?
When you’re angry, do you raise your voice? Perhaps you talk faster and speak hushed– Sign language is a language that’s entirely visual, which means the grammar is in the signer's face and the meaning of signs. Like spoken languages, sign language has its manual and non-manual features.
When an English speaker asks a question, they might draw out their pitch and rearrange the word order; ASL users ask a question by tilting their bodies forward, raising their eyebrows, and widening their eyes. This serves as grammar between signers and can make or break clear communication.
It’s clear to most people that ASL is a visual language. What is not as evident is the depth of visual nature that impacts the rules of communication in sign language.
In spoken languages, there is no need for eye contact between the speaker and listener. In fact, people may spend very little time looking at each other when talking. Because of this, it’s uncommon amongst hearing people to develop habitual eye contact throughout the entirety of a conversation. However, in a signed conversation, the “listener” must always look at the “speaker,” since a deaf person’s eyes are their “ears.”
From the Deaf perspective, the lack of and breaking eye contact shows indifference and can come off as not wanting to communicate with the signer.
IMPORTANT TERMS
Deaf – The term used to describe an individual without hearing, whose primary form of learning and communication is non-auditory and typically visual.
Deaf Culture – The shared social perceptions and beliefs that are influenced by deafness and the use of sign language as the main form of communication.
Decibel – A unit of measurement for sound. The higher the number of decibels is, the more intense the sound. The opposite could be said for a smaller number in decibels.
Fingerspelling – A form of sign language that incorporates handshapes that correspond with a letter in the English alphabet. Fingerspelling may be used for names, brands, and distinct places (i.e. NY, H&M, San Francisco).
Hard of Hearing – The term for an individual whose hearing loss is considered substantial, but not necessarily total or complete. Hard of hearing individuals may often resonate with the hearing world as opposed to deaf.
Acquired Hearing Loss – Hearing loss acquired over time as opposed to brought at birth. This can apply to sudden sickness, damage from a workplace environment, and more.
Closed Captioning (CC) – A feature that displays the audio portion of a television program, movie, or video through text. Captions and subtitles are different, as captions are meant for those who cannot hear audio whereas subtitles are meant to translate into different languages.
DEAF CULTURE: GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY
Incredibly relevant in Deaf Culture, Gallaudet University is a world-renowned institution founded in 1864 and located in the metropolitan Washington DC area. Typically with a body of 1000 undergraduates, 500 graduate students, along a small handful of hearing students, Gallaudet University is an entirely deaf-friendly institution– meaning the spaces are well-lit, floors are stable, emergency alarms are flashing lights instead of bells— and lectures are taught entirely in sign language.
Prior to the establishment of the school, Thomas Gallaudet realized that there were no permanent institutions for deaf people in North America. After seeking the help of Laurent Clerc, a man who’d studied abroad in French institutions for the deaf, they delegated the work between each other; Gallaudet studied sign language and Clerc studied written English. Together, they co-founded the first deaf school in North America, known now as the American School for the Deaf.
Later in 1856, Amos Kendall, a postmaster general, donated two acres of his land in northeast Washington, D.C. to establish a school for blind and deaf students, which he later persuaded Congress to authorize the institution’s ability to hand out degrees. Edward Miner Gallaudet, the son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, became the new school’s superintendent. In 1954, the name of the institution was changed to Gallaudet College in honor of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet.
Today, Gallaudet University is one of the most respected institutions in the deaf community and serves as a primary resource for all things related to deaf history and people.
INFLUENTIAL DEAF FIGURES
Andrew Foster – Deaf African American missionary educator who established over 30 schools for the deaf across 13 African nations– often the first deaf school for the citizens in those areas ever! Coined the nickname “The Father of Deaf Education in Africa.”
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet – American educator, one of the most influential figures in the American deaf community, first principal of Gallaudet University. Father of Edward Miner Gallaudet.
Ludwig van Beethoven – Renowned music composer and pianist, widely known for his contributions in classical music. Popularized “instrumental music” where vocal music had been considered superior during the time period.
Laurent Clerc – Known for his help in establishing the first permanent deaf school in America and often referred as “The Apostle of the Deaf in America,” from his homeland France. Wrote articles for the deaf press and taught at deaf schools.
Douglas Tilden – American sculptor known for his commissioned public sculptures in San Francisco. Often referred to as, “Father of San Francisco Sculpture,” and helped organize the California Association of the Deaf.
Kitty O’Neil – Racecar driver and stuntwoman. Known as “the fastest woman in the world,” O’Neil broke numerous land-speed records in her career and had also been a champion swimmer and award-winning diver.
William C. Stokoe – Gallaudet professor known for his revolutionary research in ASL linguistics, known for “Stokoe notation.” Stokoe notation is an experimental written form of ASL that includes the direction of the sign, handshape, where it was on the body, etc. Stokoe demonstrated that sign language could be analyzed in the same terms as spoken language.
Marlee Matlin – American actress, author, and activist. Recipient of an Academy Award, Golden Globe, four Primetime Emmy awards, and more. Especially known for her role in “Children of a Lesser God.”
Clayton Valli – Prominent deaf linguist and recognized poet, whose work helped further to highlight the richness of American Sign Language literature. The first person to earn a PhD in Linguistics and ASL Poetics. Prominent works include: Dandelions, I’m Sorry, Mushroom.
HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH DEAF PEOPLE!
If you are unfamiliar with sign language, that’s okay! There are ways to communicate with deaf people respectfully without the presence of an interpreter. Learning some basic sign language will go a long way.
Politely get their attention– Most deaf people get attention through waving their hand in a person’s line of sight. More polite ways to grab a deaf person’s attention can be turning lights on and off, lightly tapping their shoulder, or tapping your foot on the floor to help them feel the vibrations. Please keep in mind that not everyone likes to be touched if it's by a stranger, so try using touch as a last resort unless the person has explicitly mentioned it’s within their boundaries.
Maintain eye contact when communicating– Deaf people perceive the world with their eyes. They rely on non-verbal indicators to keep engaged with you. Even if you’re confused and put in a situation that’s unfamiliar, it’s greatly appreciated and considered respectful to maintain eye contact with a deaf person (Refer to the “How Does Sign Language Differ From Spoken Language” section for an in-depth explanation).
Point to an object— Using the environment and features of objects can help convey the message to a deaf person. If you are looking for a lost object or asking where something is, this can be a very useful tactic.
Write it down– Using English or more universal symbols (i.e. drawing restroom stick figures, scenery such as trees, etc) can help with communication. Remember that deaf people may have different communication needs, so writing information down won’t be helpful for everyone, but is worth trying.
What NOT to do!
Yell and exaggerate mouth patterns— be respectful to others! It’s not kind to yell when there's miscommunication with or without hearing. Under the circumstances a person is trying to read your lips, over exaggerating movements can hinder clarity of the words.
Disregard the person completely– This is not only rude, but incredibly isolating. When people get frustrated that their points aren’t getting across, it can be very easy to dismiss topics or leave a conversation for later. This can come off as “you’re not important” when you dismiss communication with a deaf person.
Use inappropriate terms— Audism, a form of bigotry and discriminatory thinking, has impacted deaf people historically and continues to do so today. Terms like “deaf and dumb” or “hearing impaired” are hurtful terms and considered extremely offensive. Appropriate terms are deaf (lowercase), Deaf, and hard-of-hearing.
The most important thing when communicating with deaf people is never giving up! Saying things like “nevermind” or “I’ll tell you later” excludes hard of hearing and deaf people from interacting. Do not give up even if it takes several times rephrasing.
DEAF RESOURCES – FIND OUT MORE!
(links below)
Deaf Art — Over 100 Deaf and Hard of Hearing artists w/ numerous resources and materials.
National Association of the Deaf Resources — Range of information for deaf and hard of hearing people, their families, and friends. This page is also helpful for employers, businesses, and government agencies who need to provide equal opportunity and equal access for deaf or hard of hearing people.
National Deaf Center Resources — Informative resources ranging from Assisted Listening Systems, Deaf Accommodations, Deaf Awareness, Interpreting, Laws and Compliance, and much more.
Resources For Families with Children with Hearing Loss — Homepage with link to several organizations that cater towards helping hearing parents raise their deaf children. Organizations include: National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, American Society for Deaf Children, Hands and Voices, BabyHearing.org, etc.
ASLU Dictionary — Free website that provides clips teaching American Sign Language, run by Dr. William G. Vicars, full-time Associate Professor of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies at California State University– Sacramento. Lessons are up to 25-45 minutes along with short clips less than 15 seconds long if you’re looking for quick ASL vocabulary.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Hello, my name is Stolz. In the case there is a deaf audience viewing this paper, all feedback and criticism is appreciated in order to represent the community properly. I have spent a couple weeks trying to ensure the full representation in this article is accurate, but as a hearing person I will be limited to certain intimate details. I’ve steered from topics that I cannot share without the risk of misinforming others.
Anywho, I wanted to a leave a note although I tend to do so rarely:
Complexities of the human mind will always be an anomaly. The mind is capable of feeling confusion, loneliness, and powerful emotion.
Limitation of those complexities reside in humanity as opposed to the absence of a physical sense. There is greater pain and sorrow in understanding, which an endless cycle of hate can bring to people for generations (i.e. racial oppression, audism, bigotry).
Yet despite that, I trail back to our limitations as humans. It must mean that as fruitful the human species is with our differences, we can always grow to understand one another since we inherently share the capability to feel, think, and dream.
That is reason enough.
Thank you for reading the article, and please continue to keep up with The Empowerment Paper.
REFERENCES → I.P. MLA
“Deaf Culture - SSCC.” Deaf Culture PEPNet Tipsheet, www.sscc.edu/services/assets/guide-71-PEPNet-tipsheet-deaf-culture.pdf. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
“Deaf Awareness.” National Deaf Center, 26 Oct. 2023, nationaldeafcenter.org/resources/deaf-awareness/.
“Deaf History.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/science/deaf-history. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
“Quick Statistics About Hearing.” National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#:~:text=About%202%20to%203%20out,in%20one%20or%20both%20ears.&text=More%20than%2090%20percent%20of%20deaf%20children%20are%20born%20to%20hearing%20parents.&text=Approximately%2015%25%20of%20American%20adults,over%20report%20some%20trouble%20hearing. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
Lawrence Hott, Diane Garey, Through Deaf Eyes: Documentary (2007)
“American Sign Language.” National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/american-sign-language. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
“Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet Meets Alice Cogswell - History.” Gallaudet University, 24 Aug. 2022, gallaudet.edu/museum/history/thomas-hopkins-gallaudet-meets-alice-cogswell/.
“Glossary of Terms.” Glossary of Terms | The Outreach Center for Deafness and Blindness, OCDF, 1 Sept. 2021, deafandblindoutreach.org/dhh-guidelines-for-the-assessment-glossary.
“History - National Deaf Life Museum.” Gallaudet University, 22 Aug. 2023, gallaudet.edu/museum/history/.