Deaf Community: Increasing Ones Knowledge of an
Important Constituent Group
BACKGROUND
The Council on Academic Accreditation recently updated requirements to
include competencies in the areas of cultural and linguistic variables and
their impact on clinical services. One of these competencies include
understanding the role of manual languages and other communication
systems and the use of sign and spoken interpreters/transliterators and
assistive technology to deliver the highest quality care. It is important not
only from a training perspective but from a practical perspective that we are
able to provide services in a true multicultural manner.
There are many cultural groups with whom audiologists may interact with in
the clinical setting, including the Deaf community. In a recent study, Matesi
surveyed 111 audiologists in different clinical settings across the USA and
found that 23% reported seeing 1-5 deaf clients per month who use ASL as
their primary mode of communication. This reflects that a significant
percentage of audiologist come into frequent contact with deaf individuals.
Most (71%) audiologists reported using American Sign Language (ASL)
interpreters; however, 29% reported using some other combination (such as
family members, writing, office members, office employee who signs).
Individuals of the Deaf community may go to an audiologist or an SLP for
several reasons. It is important that these professionals be able to provide
services in a culturally sensitive manner. Thus, the purpose of this poster is
to increase knowledge when working with Deaf individuals.
DEAF CULTURE/COMMUNITY
Little d deaf refers to the audiologic aspects of hearing
Big D Deaf refers to Deaf culture or the Deaf community
The defining characteristic of Deaf culture is the use of ASL:
An individual can be deaf, hard of hearing, CODA (child of deaf adults) and
belong to the Deaf community if they communicate effectively in ASL
Deaf community views Deaf as a difference rather than a deficit
History of mistrust of medical providers, including audiology & SLP, is due to
limited communication and attempts to cure deafness
Some core values of the Deaf Community, include:
Effective Communication: the Deaf community considers it very important
to have effective access to any venue by ASL interpreters, captioning, etc.
Interpreters are preferred, as this allows the Deaf individual to look at
the other individual when signing; also, some Deaf individuals may not
have sufficient written language ability to read captions quickly
Healthcare providers are required under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide ASL interpreters when requested
Access to Information: examples include access to TV, movies, alerts- such
as at airports, medical information, weather warnings
Validation of the Deaf Experience: recognizing its rich culture- as typified
by ASL story tellers, actors, and Deaf humor
Elizabeth H. Marcinkus, Au.D. & Larry Medwetsky, Ph.D.
Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences Department, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC
DEAF FEEDBACK
Member of the Deaf Community were asked to What would you like audiologist
to know? Here are some of the responses:
"I believe its important for audiologists to know how to sign. I grew up going to
an audiologist, but I dont go to an audiologist now. My audiologist growing up
supported signing, and it was nice to be able to communicate with her. If I have
a question that I want to ask an audiologist who doesnt sign, she cant answer
it. Audiologists, please sign. -JB
I am a VR counselor for the state of Pennsylvania. I work with many Deaf
clients who use hearing aids for their work or school. But many of their
audiologists dont know how to sign, so communication breakdown happens
and they come complaining about it. We have to pay for interpreters to go to
the appointments. The reason audiologists need to sign is to communicate
better with their Deaf clients. IN
Audiologists need to listen to Deaf culture. Describe what were listening to
in the test... Describe, help educate, make it clear. That is where the education
and understanding drops out completely. If audiologists want to support the
Deaf community and Deaf education, there are several ways. Describe what Im
going to hear. Make it fully clear. Help parents know what would be a good
match. Dont scare them. Learn what I need and what would be a good match
for me. Thats where I would really like to see an improvement in audiologists.
Also, describe what you mean by telling me to listen to different levels: low
pitch, high pitch. What would that look like to me? Is low pitch like an airplane.
I might not hear high pitch. Deaf people like me might not understand what
high pitch means. ..Communication is important. You need to know sign and
encourage other audiologists to sign and connect with the Deaf community.
That way, you can support the Deaf person sitting in front of you. Grow, have
respect, and listen. Hearing people have oppressed Deaf people. Know that.
- GH
TIPS FOR POSITIVE INTERACTIONS
Communication Access
ASL competency and/or proper use of professional interpreters
Language/Terminology Use Avoid the Negative!
working with vs helping
encouraging vs Informing
hearing level vs hearing loss
referred vs failed hearing screening
avoid: client is suffering from hearing loss
Practice Active Listening - Why is Your Client Seeking Services?
Dont make assumptions in your needs assessment
Make recommendations based on the clients goals, not yours
Listen to and Acknowledge Your Clients Past Experiences
Take the opportunity to learn, so you avoid repeating the past
Respect ASL as a Language Option for d/Deaf Children
ASL should be promoted to provide accessible language
ASL is not only for those who struggle with spoken language
Recognize Your Biases/Privileges and How They Impact Your Clinical Practice
Trust is built on actions - acknowledge fault & work to improve
CONCLUSIONS
Survey results show that a over 20% of audiologists regularly work with Deaf
clients
Increased awareness of cultural and linguistic variables can enhance client
interactions and satisfaction
Providing accessible language is not only beneficial to client relationships but is
also required under the ADA
REFERENCES
Leigh, I.W, Andrews, J.F., Harris, R.L. ( 2016). Deaf culture: Exploring Deaf
communities in the United States. San Diego: Plural Publishing, Inc.
Matesi, C. (2016). Assessing audiologists exposure, knowledge, and attitudes
when working with culturally Deaf individuals. Unpublished AuD Capstone project.
Nathanson, Gloria. Understanding the origins of Deaf peoples perceptions about
Audiologists. 1 September, 2017, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC. Guest
Lecturer.