| Deaf | The “D” is always capitalized. This is to signify the unique language (ASL) and culture of Deaf people. Most Deaf people identify themselves more as a cultural group rather than as disabled individuals. However, nearly all Deaf people are bicultural as they are part of both Deaf and hearing communities. |
|---|---|
| deaf/oral | deaf People who identify themselves as being “small ‘d’ deaf” are people who communicate using spoken English, French, etc., and identify themselves not as a part of Deaf culture, but as a part of hearing society. These people generally rely heavily on speech reading (lip reading). They may also call themselves oral deaf, as their most comfortable means of communication is spoken language. Some may have learned ASL as a second language later on in life. |
| ASL | ASL is an abbreviation for American Sign Language. Just as this material is written in a language called English, Deaf people call their language ASL. ASL is considered the native language of over half a million Deaf people in Canada and the United States. ASL grammar is different than the grammatical standards of English and other languages. |
| Deaf Culture | Deaf culture is a recognized and distinct culture, having its own history, customs, values and social patterns. |
| Hearing | Culturally, Deaf people call non-Deaf people “hearing.” |
| Hard of Hearing | People who speak, speech read, and have some useful residual hearing – they often use hearing aids – will call themselves “hard of hearing.” They consider English (or French, Spanish, etc.) their first language, and they may or may not have learned ASL. |
| Deafened People | who completely lose their hearing later on in life call themselves “deafened” in order to distinguish the difference between themselves, hard of hearing individuals and culturally Deaf individuals. |
| Speech Reading | We used to say “lip reading.” Although the new term is “speech reading” to reflect the skills involved, both terms are still commonly used. |