As many of us know, languages carry much more than the words they convey between us while talking. American Sign Language is no different as it gives us full access to a rich and beautiful culture of its own.
Culture lies within a community, and Deaf culture and the Deaf community are no different. Those who have hearing loss, use sign language and have a shared experience hearing loss or sign language usage make up the Deaf community. Although this explanation can paint a broad brush, many may choose to self-identify differently.
There are three main self-identification categories for those in the Deaf community. “Big D” Deaf are those who take great pride in their identity as a Deaf individual and use sign language as their main source of communication. In general, “little d” deaf individuals do not associate with the Deaf community (notice the subtle changes in the capitalization over the last few sentences) and feel more comfortable identifying with the hearing world. Individuals who are hard of hearing (HoH) generally have hearing loss but also experience residual hearing. Both “little d” deaf and HoH may use auditory devices to help them communicate. In any case, if you are unsure how a person identifies, ask them how they self identify.
As the Deaf Community has no geographic boundary, the same is true for the idea of Deaf Pride. With the inclusion of more Deaf individuals in the media and the reduction of barriers, those with disabilities more and more are claiming stake in the Deaf Community and showing their pride in being a Deaf individual. In doing so the Deaf Community is growing, providing the world with more access to the rich culture of the Deaf Community.
If you would like to learn more about American Sign Language, please consider purchasing Barron's American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Guide to ASL 1 and 2
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