Having said this, it is critical to realize that Deaf individuals do not view deafness as a handicap or deficit. They view it as something which simply makes them different, not unequal.

The following list from Reynolds and Titus (1991) shows us how to view deafness from the cultural perspective of difference:

• Define deafness as merely a difference, a characteristic that distinguishes normal Deaf persons from normal hearing persons.
• Acknowledge deafness openly – show pride in being deaf.
• Emphasize the abilities of Deaf persons.
• Pay attention to issues of full communication access for Deaf persons through visual devices and services e.g., telecommunication devices, captioning devices, light signals, and interpreters.
• Encourage development of all communication modes, including, but not limited to, speech.
• Emphasize strongly the use of vision as a positive, efficient alternative to the auditory channel.
• View sign language as equal to spoken language.
• View sign language as the most natural language for people who are born deaf.
• Focus on subject matter in education rather than on the method of communication – work to develop all communication skills.
• Support socialization within the Deaf community, as well as the larger mainstream community.
• Regard successful Deaf adults as positive role models for Deaf children.
• Regard professional involvement of Deaf people working with other Deaf members of society to provide access to the same rights and privileges that hearing people enjoy.
• Respect, value, and support the language and culture of Deaf people.

One other cornerstone of Deaf culture is that major decisions about matters relating to the Deaf are typically taken back to the community to get a consensus decision. This is important to note when you have Deaf individuals in an organization. It is not the norm for Deaf individuals to make decisions on behalf of a larger group. Such individuals will appear to be reticent or uncertain if they are required to make a unilateral decision. Consensus of the group is an important element of Deaf culture.