Helpful Information for Providers of Services

If you are providing services for domestic violence victims the following information will assist you when working with Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing domestic violence victim/survivors.

UNDERSTANDING DEAF VICTIM/SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Terminology used to refer to individuals who are disabled has evolved over the years from such crude references to the Deaf, as "deaf and dumb", to more accurate references as individuals with profound hearing impairments. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recognized in its title that people with disabilities were persons first, and disabled second. Therefore, to refer to someone as a "deaf person" is not in keeping with ADA terminology. However, it is important that one refer to individuals with disabilities in a way that is acceptable to them. Most often, hearing impaired adults refer to themselves as Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (HOH), rather than individuals with mild, moderate, or profound hearing impairments. Therefore, throughout this resource page, the terms Deaf and HOH are used. Although it is not customary in writing to capitalize the "D" in deaf, many Deaf persons prefer this as a means of expressing their pride as a member of a sign-language using community or culture. Out of respect for these feelings, Deaf is capitalized throughout this resource page.

Service providers should be aware that even though the ADA includes the Deaf and HOH in their group of individuals with disabilities, who qualify for funding, not all persons with hearing impairments consider themselves disabled, nor do they want others to see them in that light.

COMMUNICATION OPTIONS
Communication is an important component of everyone's life and possible choices for communication include a variety of symbol systems. For example, one may communicate in English through speaking, writing, listening and reading. Despite these skills, communication with someone whose only language is American Sign Language (ASL) is not possible. In the United States, Deaf people also use a variety of communication systems such as: speaking, *speechreading, writing, electronic and manual communication. Manual communication is a generic term referring to the use of manual signs and fingerspelling. The following is a partial list of communication options available to Deaf and HOH individuals.


•Oral Communication - denotes the use of speech, residual hearing and speechreading as the primary means of communication.
•American Sign Language ( ASL) - is a language whose medium is visual rather than oral. As in any other language, ASL has its own vocabulary, idioms, grammar and syntax. This language consists of handshapes, position, movement, and orientation of the hands to the body and each other. ASL also uses space, direction and speed of movements, and facial expressions to help convey meaning.
•Fingerspelling - instead of using an alphabet written on paper, a manual alphabet is one with handshapes and positions corresponding to each of the letters of the written alphabet being used.
•Speechreading - recognizing spoken words by watching the speaker's lips, face and gestures is a daily challenge for all Deaf people. Speechreading is the least consistently visible of the communication choices available to Deaf people because only 30 percent of English sounds are visible on the lips, while a large percentage are sounds that might sound different but look the same on the lips. Example: Look in a mirror and say words like "kite, height, night, without using your voice. You will see almost no changes on your lips to distinguish among those three words. Or say the words "maybe, baby, pay me" - they look exactly alike on the lips. This is not an all-inclusive listing of communication systems available to Deaf and HOH persons. There are a variety of systems of manual communication and within the last decade technology has expanded these options. It is imperative that service providers determine the usual mode of communication employed by each individual and make appropriate accommodations. It is not appropriate to use a pen and a pad of paper as your primary method of communicating with a Deaf/HOH victim.

*Speechread, rather than lip-read, is more descriptive since the client is responding to facial expression and body language in addition to reading lips.


DEAF CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION
"Culture" may be defined in a variety of ways depending on the perspective of the one defining the term. Language in any culture is important. It is important to recognize that some communication systems used by the Deaf employ different rules. ASL, for example, "is a unique language that has its own grammatical rules and sentence structure. It is every bit as precise, versatile, and subtle as the English language. As a result, unless the service provider is fluent in ASL, valuable information may be misinterpreted or missed all together. The use of an interpreter when the service provider does not sign or is not a skilled signer is essential but must be done cautiously. Effective communication has never been more important than when service providers, counselors, or therapists communicate through interpreters.

Even though most service providers may not be proficient signers, they need to become aware of various aspects of Deaf culture and some of the characteristics of ASL communication. When hearing providers adapt their behavior to be more accommodating to Deaf culture, they will be able to provide services more effectively. Here are a sampling of guidelines to consider:

How a hearing person should address a Deaf person: Establish eye contact, don't start talking until the eye contact is made, tap on shoulder if needed, etc.

Deaf Taking Turns: Folding one's arms while frowning and leaning back is a device used to invite someone to take a turn or to encourage a reticent individual to participate - this could be the opposite for hearing people . A shrug or open hands indicate one has nothing to say and gives the floor to someone else. Raised eyebrows with a smile or an open mouth ask for a turn when one has a sudden idea or inspiration.

Hearing Taking Turns: Hearing people need to understand that only one person should speak at a time. This allows the Deaf person and the Interpreter to receive and provide effective communication.

Turning One's Back: As has already been emphasized, maintaining visual contact is essential in ASL. If one wishes to insult another, all one needs to do is turn the head and close the eyes, thus cutting that person off. If someone needs to turn away, they demonstrate a sign with a fist with first finger out to say 'wait'. Then, go back to that person and resume, or tell the person who interrupts to wait until the other person is finish talking.

Taking Another's Hand: Although it is acceptable to take another person's hand in greeting or to touch the hands of a person who is not signing, it is extremely rude to take another person's hand to stop them from signing.

Sharing Information: Many members of the Deaf community do not attempt to hold private conversations in group settings. Generally, privacy is difficult in sign language. Once a conversation has begun, anyone who wishes, may join in or watch. Privacy can be had, by going behind closed doors. But secrecy, except as a joke, is not considered appropriate in the social setting of the Deaf community and so may be considered rude. Deaf people often think a hearing person's attitude toward privacy is infuriating and perplexing.

Hugging: This is a common gesture among Deaf people and is intended only as a greeting or to bid good bye.

Saying Goodbye: When a Deaf person finishes a conversation, they must explain where they are going and what they are going to do. The other person will then reciprocate. Conversations are never considered completely over until everyone leaves for the night, at which time people look for their friends to say good night to them. As might be expected, this process can take a long time. People almost always indicate when they will see each other again, sometimes repeating the date and the place several times. Leaving a social gathering too quickly might also deny someone the opportunity to talk to another; so indicating repeatedly that one is about to leave is a way of announcing to friends that if they want to say something they had better do so.

Conversational Pattern: Interactions often begin informally and jokingly and end formally and seriously. The pace of conversation is rapid at the beginning - people say hello and get straight to the point - but ending the conversation is a gradual process. Getting to the point and being direct is never rude, as it sometimes is in hearing conversation. Ending abruptly, as is sometimes done in American English interchanges, may be construed to mean that the person ending the conversation does not care about the other person. This could be one source of hearing people's complaints that Deaf people are too blunt and likewise of Deaf people's feeling that hearing people do not care about them or talk down to them.

This section on Deaf culture and communication provides only a small amount of the characteristics of Deaf communication that must be understood by service providers. Culture and communication are dynamic. Consequently, these characteristics are also always in a state of change.