Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abigail Roe Fresno Pacific University Ecd 440: Students With Exceptionalities in School and Community Professor Patricia Mcdowell August 20, 2022
Abigail Roe Fresno Pacific University Ecd 440: Students With Exceptionalities in School and Community Professor Patricia Mcdowell August 20, 2022
Abigail Roe
Levels of hearing loss can vary from person to person. Depending on the severity of the
hearing loss and the personal preference of the person, there are key differences between people
who are Deaf versus people who are Hard of Hearing. For instance, people who are deaf have
little to no hearing function. It is common for people who are Deaf to have little to no speech.
However, it is possible for people who are Deaf to be able to have clear speech without ever
hearing their own voice. They may choose to wear a hearing aid to have assistance with hearing
thumps and bumps, but it is common to not want to wear one at all. The preferred method of
communication for people who are Deaf is using American Sign Language or Signing Exact
English. Sign Language paired with lip reading is the most common form of communication.
People who are Hard of Hearing usually have milder hearing loss than people who are Deaf and
may be able to hear certain sounds in a certain range of volume. Like people who are Deaf,
people who are Hard of Hearing may rely on lip reading and sign language, however, they
typically will benefit from hearing aids allowing them to hear more sounds. It’s common for a
person who is Hard of Hearing to have a speech impediment due to not being able to properly
Being Deaf or Hard of Hearing can have an impact on family life. When someone in the
family is Deaf, it can lead to frustration due to the Deaf family member not being able to
communicate in the same way as the rest of the family. It is important to practice communication
within the family to ensure the family has healthy communication habits. It is common for
families of Deaf people to never learn sign language which can lead to resentment or frustration
on both sides. Frustration can also ensue when the family members are lazy with communication
and accidentally speak with their backs facing the Deaf family member. If the Deaf family
member relies on lip reading to communicate, this can be difficult for them to know what is
being communicated to them. Ultimately, they may feel disrespected or disregarded in the family
because of this. While the family may not mean to do this, it can still have a negative impact. A
good rule of thumb for people struggling with a Deaf family member is to ensure what you are
saying is being heard or ensure that the speaker understands that they are being heard.
Ultimately, the most important thing to remember when navigating family relationships such as
this is to simply be nice to each other. To avoid feelings of separation or being ignored, it is
In the community, different problems may arise due to strangers being in the mix. People
who are Deaf will encounter worlds of differences that Hearing people will never experience in
their lives. Being Deaf in a Hearing world can prove to be quite difficult when accommodations
are not set in place. Communication can be lost when the person cannot hear a public
announcement, slow talkers hindering lip reading, not being able to hear a movie at the theater
and missing the storyline, or missing important things when people are not able to get their
attention. Studies have shown that people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing are twice as likely to
experience depression and anxiety. This is a feeling that comes from feeling isolated from the
world due to experiencing the world much differently than Hearing people. Additionally, finding
help from a therapist is quite difficult due to most therapists not having the means to
accommodate the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Disability Experts of Florida, 2018).
Fortunately, Deaf people are able to find solace in their own company – through the Deaf
Community. In many towns, it is common for Deaf people to socialize together and keep up with
each others’ lives. These people consider themselves to be a part of their own culture with their
own values and traditions. After all, Deaf people have their own language that the majority of the
world does not understand. Deaf people value close relationships within their community and
maintain this closeness. It is common for the Deaf community to hold events, start clubs, and
participate in social activities. Identity is a huge part of Deaf culture, and because of this, some
Deaf people choose not to identify with the Deaf culture at all. According to the National Deaf
Center, Deaf people may find terms such as hearing impaired, deaf-mute, deaf and dumb and
hearing deficient to be offensive. Typically, the least insulting and most accepted term in the
In an educational setting, many challenges can arise. Author Marilyn L. Weber described
being a Deaf child in a classroom as “trying to learn a lesson in a classroom trapped inside of a
clear sound-proof box. The only way you can gather information is visually and you will be
tested on what you’ve learned – or were supposed to have learned – at the end of the day. Seems
a bit unfair, doesn’t it?” (Weber, 2016). Because students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
need complete visual access to the teacher and their peers, it is very helpful to set the classroom
up in a U-shape to guarantee that the Deaf student(s) are able to see the faces of everyone in the
classroom. An issue that most people do not know about is the sound that fluorescent lights give
off that interferes with hearing aids and cochlear implants. When placing a Deaf student’s desk
in the classroom, ensure that windows are not behind the teacher or interpreter due to the glare
For most Deaf children, English is their second language. Lessons must be interpreted in
a language they understand completely, which in most cases, is sign language. Because of this
language barrier, Deaf students may struggle with things like understanding numbers, problem-
solving skills, and social cues. Deaf students need extra time to be able to absorb information due
to not being able to hear sounds and words that help them learn. Teachers should constantly be
checking in with their Deaf students to ensure they are not falling behind due to their disability.
To avoid leaving Deaf students out, teachers should be conscious of when they are speaking. In
order to read lips, teachers should not speak when their face is away from the student and allow
time for pauses to allow the Deaf student to think and process the information. It takes Deaf
people extra long to register information because not only are they processing information the
same way as us, but they have the extra step of reading lips (Weber, 2016).
Overall, there are steps that a teacher can take to ensure that Deaf and Hard of Hearing
students are receiving a supportive, quality education. These students do not have to fall behind
in a regular education classroom due to their disabilities. To maintain equity in the classroom,
lessons should include visual representations such as PowerPoint or actively writing and drawing
out the lesson on a whiteboard or chalkboard. Deaf and Hard of Hearing students are not able to
listen to a lesson and process visual cues at the same time. If an interpreter is being used in the
classroom, allow the interpreter to finish signing the lesson to the student before asking for
feedback. If lessons seem to be taught too quickly, it can be very helpful to pre-teach vocabulary
before the lesson begins. If the student does not understand the word that is being signed to them,
a third level of processing is added which could result in a further delay of learning (TTAC,
2019). All teachers should consider their students’ unique learning styles and cater to their needs
or-hard-hearing
Flexer, S. (2018, September 14). Difficulties the Hearing Impaired Face Every Day.
deaf-face-every-day
Jones, S. (2021, December 28). The Impact of Hearing Loss on Family Members. Healthy
Hearing. https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52650-Hearing-loss-affects-the-entire-
family
extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/
sites/default/files/The%20Deaf%20Community-%20An%20Introduction.pdf
Instructional Strategies for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. (2019,
hard-of-hearing
Weber, M. L. (2016, August 21). 10 Challenges Deaf Students Face in the Classroom.
face-in-the-classroom/