What's It Like to Be Deaf?Reflections on Signed Language, Sustainable Development, and Equal Opportunities

The Constructs of Loss and Gain

The question "What's it like to be deaf?" has engendered debates on whether deafness should be considered a loss, a gain, or both. It is doubtful that many scholars would agree that an adequate answer entails only a depiction of the degree of hearing acuity or loss, perhaps in conjunction with age at onset, thresholds for speech (i.e., for a spoken language), and hearing reception and comprehension. This might be a reasonable place to start, but it might not be the place to stop. Nevertheless, considering deafness as a hearing disability and focusing on attempts to remedy it through the development of spoken language(s) and literacy (or literacies) of mainstream society is deemed an appropriate route by a number of researchers, educators, and parents/caregivers (Paul & Moores, 2010; see also Wang & Andrews, 2014, 2015, for various perspectives on developing English literacy).

There are scholars who would argue that this is the wrong place to start. Rather, the focus should be on the intertwinement of Deaf identity, signed language, and culture, which highlights the sociological or sociocultural dimensions (e.g., beliefs, mores, attitudes) of individuals in groups (De Clerck, 2012a, 2012b; Ladd, 2003; see also Young, chapter 3). Understanding signed language usage might provide a better understanding, for example, of the manner in which a number of d/Deaf (and some hard of hearing) individuals learn to read and write the spoken language of society without actually speaking or signing the through-the-air form (Wang & Andrews, 2014, 2015). Even more interesting, the preferred construct should be characterized as a gain (i.e., Deaf Gain), not loss, to understand and appreciate the contributions of d/Deaf individuals to society (Bauman & Murray, 2014). In my view, we can appreciate the diversity of what it means to be human from this perspective. It is also possible that the focus on gain might lead to creative solutions to promote inclusion, employment, and a better quality of life for many d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) individuals.

The dichotomy of loss and gain (i.e., clinical and cultural views; Paul & Moores, 2010, 2012b) and the subsequent reactions might be one way to view responses to "What's it like to be deaf?" However, both global views (i.e., loss and gain) are inadequate if each does not also consider other complex sociodemographic variables, such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, culture(s), type of language(s), or communication usage. It is also important to mention the geographic location variable—being situated in either a developed or developing country with the varying nature of societal resources and attitudes toward disabilities or the condition of deafness or Deaf identity. The sociodemographics of d/Dhh individuals in a developed country might be quite different from those of individuals in a developing country, and this can affect guidelines for education and societal inclusion, not to mention equal opportunities and employment. Geography also makes it difficult to proffer intercultural or cross-cultural guidelines.

In essence, it might be that the possible answers to "What's it like to be deaf?" can influence the development of guidelines for educational programs, curriculum, and methods, and for societal and other quality-of-life issues (Paul, 2014). However, can this question really be answered? Can any type of response address the needs of diverse d/Dhh individuals with a range of characteristics? Should there be specific or general guidelines? Who should answer this question—policymakers, theorists, researchers, educators/clinicians, parents/caregivers, d/Dhh individuals themselves, or some tricky mix of all of these? How do we maintain a balance between the needs/desires of a particular d/Dhh individual and the needs/desires of the larger society? Is balance the appropriate metaphor?

I can support a combination of emic (individual/personal) and etic (scholarly/general) approaches and responses to this question. However, this should not be construed as an either-or situation (Paul, 2014). I acknowledge that either my emic or etic view represents a...