How does the deaf community respond to the hearing community?

You can't say the Deaf community all feels one way. There are many different Deaf communities - in the US and around the world. Some are more radicalized than others.

Gallaudet College - a predominately Deaf college - revolted when a new president was appointed to the college who was not Deaf. The student community's protest was successful in that they were able to get a new president appointed who was Deaf.

There are people who are both Deaf who prefer to give birth to or adopt a child who is deaf and raise them Deaf. Most hearing people don't seem to be able to understand this.

Most people who are Deaf think that cochlear implants are a sort of genocide. It could eliminate people who are Deaf if all children were made oral and none learned sign language. Most deaf children are born to hearing parents.

People who see them self as Deaf do not see them self as disabled. They see themselves as having a different language and culture. Most hearing people cannot imagine a person who is happy being Deaf and sees no major problem with it or with how society responds to it.

Yes there is a big problem as many do not take the time to understand that there actually is a "Deaf Culture". I have been involved previously with a group that helps the deaf community in learning the bible. I know many that are actively involved. They are helped in many ways. Videos are given free of charge to help the deaf. There has been a very good response.

One more thing I want to add, getting involved and signing with the deaf is your best teacher. What you learn in school, just scratches the surface. It is a commitment to break down the walls of miscommunication and takes time and effort. Things are just now starting to get better in that regard. Many years ago the deaf were not taught in a proper way and this has led to bitterness, which is understandable. Many have been shuffled around into all kinds of schooling, which has not helped in their development. Some have even been "sent away", thinking they are retarded. The more you get involved into ASL, the more you will find it fascinating. And, you can make a difference.

I was brought up hearing and am now profoundly deaf. Those who lived primarily in the deaf world do have issues with the hearing community. Deaf do not see themselves as being disabled. Yes, I believe the answer it true (not with me but I don't associate myself with truly deaf people).

1. Remember the major issue the deaf community had with Miss America who was deaf? She was brought up hearing and had no issue with either group. It was a big issue at Galludet.

2. Up until 1988 Galludet was run by a hearing President. An internal uprising occurred and a deaf President was given the job.

3. There are variations in theme of sign language. ASL (American Sign Language) which is like a language unrelated to English. The grammatical structure is very different. Rather than saying, "I'm going to the store," you already know in ASL you say, "Store me go." (There is no "I" in ASL.) ASL is the claimed language of the deaf. Those of us brought up hearing know more of a combo of SEE (signing exact English) which is truly a pain to sign because you sign every word. We use pigeon English which is more of a combo of SEE (lovely "qualifiers" for words) and shortened sentence. I might sign, "You go with me store?" rather than "Store you&me go?" I may or may not use the sign for with.

4. The problem and issues is that deaf do not see themselves as impaired. I am. I have a hearing impairment/disability/and am deaf. It's a bit embarrassing to me (a deaf person from the deaf culture would not be embarrassed).

5. Truly deaf people have a hard time speaking and it is difficult for hearing to understand them. Communication does occur but it is tough. Since I grew up hearing (loss occurred over many years), my biggest problems are my voice modulation (soft mostly and loud sometimes) my speech is pretty good and no one can tell I can't hear.

That's plenty for now. Hope I helped a bit. I've been signing for @30 years but recently took ASLI and am signed up for ASLII. I will, however, continue my SEE/pigeon signing or I'll confuse my own hearing friends!

They live in and around insensitive people all the time. No one likes to repeat themselves and get upset if they have to when talking to the deaf even if they read lips. The deaf seem to have a high tolerance and a lot of patience for people who are like this. It is good to see that a lot of schools now teach sign language as a foreign language to help break down some of these barriers. It would be awful to be deaf and not hear again. We need to learn to be more patient too.

There is some really good insight here. I concur with everything that has been written. Just to be different, I will make a succinct remark. (I am not usually known for being so!)

There is an old saying, "Blindness separates people from things. Deafness separates people from people."

I am Hard-of-Hearing, a native ASL Signer, a nurse, an ASL teacher, and an authour of ASL media.

You've got some great answers here like your first answerer said there are quite a few issues that are of importance and you can see why some Deaf people do have a problem with some hearing people. Also Teddy made some great points.

As for your last answerer, I want to say that "me" and "i" mean the same thing, so that's just semantics. Also, ASL IS a language, not "like a language", but maybe they didn't mean it like that.

In my experience many Deaf people don't always have a negative view of hearing people, but, as a whole there is some hard feelings because of how many hearing people view Deaf people.

Many hearing people don't know much about Deaf people, some just think of them as handicapped or mentally impaired maybe because of the noises they make or how they talk, or if they don't talk.

Seriously, I know quite a few people who have asked me "how can Deaf people drive?"!! These are smart people too, it's truly amazing.

Or they wonder how do they wake up or just everyday things. They don't realize most Deaf people are just like us hearing people, only they can't hear so some things are going to be a little different.

Also some people oppress Deaf people and are prejudice, like not hiring them for jobs, not letting them advance in their jobs or schools, looking down on them and treating them differently.

Many in professional fields view Deaf as needing to be fixed, they are broken, let us put a Cochlear implant in them and it will make things all better. Well, guess what, they're still Deaf and the CI's are not always successful. It's not a quick or easy fix.

In addition, many focus on their hearing loss or their deafness instead of them as a person, that would be called Audism, there is a whole DVD about it. Deaf people can be Audist as well.

Some don't even consider ASL a language, which is really dumb considering the masses of research done on it and it has been proved to be a language for some decades now.

Try to put yourself in their shoes in any of these situations I mentioned above or imagine someone not talking directly to you but talking to your interpreter instead, referring to you as "she" in third person, not looking at you. Yes, this is mostly a lack of experience with Deaf people, but some people get it right away, naturally. Some people have common sense when it comes to how to interact with Deaf and some are totally clueless and it amazes me.

In the end, it is partially true, there are many reasons for Deaf people to have issues with hearing people especially when they just don't try to communicate with them or make things accessible for them. It can be very frustrating being in a world with a language that you cannot access most of the time, let alone the fact that some of those people try to block you from learning or view you as abnormal.

I could go on and on as some of my closest friends are Deaf.

Oh, let me add one more thing about hearing people who are learning/know ASL. If a hearing person knows ASL or is learning yet is using their voice when around Deaf, that is rude and really can be frustrating and upsetting/annoying to Deaf individuals. So, let's respect each other and use whatever signs you can when around them and show that you are trying. Many of them live in a world where a large percent of their daily interactions with others is not accessible, they have to write things down or get an interpreter and so on. So for us to learn their language then not use it when we around them sometimes, well that's just silly and I understand why they would be annoyed.

Have you ever gone into a store or maybe a nail shop or something and there are people speaking English but then they start speaking their native language? Does it make you feel paranoid or wonder why they are doing that?

Think about that.

I understand their viewpoint and try to continue learning so that I don't oppress them in any way or put them down. Just like if i went to another country, I would learn how they spoke and acted, their culture is very important too. Same with Deaf people, we all just need more understanding, not judgement.

Hope you learn a lot and that the rest of your class goes well.

I think you'll find that there is a lot of prejudice out there towards people with disabilities -no matter what that disability is. It's might not necessarily be a hearing versus deaf issue, but specific biases about people who can't hear.

You said, " Seemed like deaf community has a lot of problems" Which is true.

I can't give you all information so, I will give you one information or two is enough for me to tell you and I am sure you will understand why.

I went to school and really they don't taught us like the way they taught you.

They did not teach me when I was in school like you do long time ago.

I didn't understand what- Semi-colon , Colon, Parentheses , Apostrophe, and Hyphen really stand for.

There are many things that I didn't know and that make me angry!

The reason why hearing people want their way to teach us, but it doesn't really work! Because they forget one thing....They can hear people speaking and we don't.

I can't read that very good or write in English until 43 years old only one person that helped me with my English problems.

I have learn quickly because... www.asle.tv/ has been helping me learn English quickly!

And now funny thing is that I am getting along with hearing people much better than last year.

I am sorry , this is nice way for me to give you a straight blunt to you because.... Board of Education don't know what they are doing.

http://www.asle.tv/

i was raised by deaf parents, my father who is deaf and mute thinks that hearing people think that deaf people are stupid and worthless. but this isn't the case, in my experience i find that many of them are smart albeit somewhat closed off from a world that doesnt really understand them.

Audism

Cochlear Implants (CI)

Deafness being seen as something that needs to be fixed.

Being seen as dumb.

These are some of the issues that the Deaf Community faces.