Culture is a word that describes the way people live, how they communicate and how they organize their group of people. Different people have different cultures. People from other countries have different ways of living. The Deaf Community have their own culture, their own language and their own way of organizing themselves.
Cultures develop around people’s self-identity, i.e., their experiences and ideas about themselves and their place in the world. It is a natural development when people who share similar experiences and identities come together. Cultures gather strength when they are passed down over generations and are enriched with historical knowledge.
Deaf people’s interaction with other people and with the world around them is primarily visual. Deaf culture is based on this visual orientation.
Many people seem to believe that by isolating Deaf people from each other, this Deaf cultural identity would not develop. But people seem to have an innate need to congregate with others who are like them in some way and who accept them for who they are, and Deaf people are no different – sooner or later they seek each other out. Ironically, the experience of isolation from the Deaf community and the Deaf culture becomes for many Deaf people one of the commonly shared experiences and hence one of the culture’s unifying factors. Source Deaf Australia Inc.
What is Deaf Culture?
Deaf Culture refers to the shared beliefs, behaviors, art, history, values, and institutions of communities that use sign language and share the experience of deafness. It views deafness not as a disability but as a unique cultural and linguistic identity.
Identities in Deaf Culture:
- Deaf (capital “D”) – Culturally and linguistically part of the Deaf community, primarily using sign language.
- deaf (lowercase “d”) – Refers to hearing loss without cultural affiliation (read: medical term)
- Hard of Hearing (HoH) – Varying hearing loss, may use speech, hearing aids, or sign; cultural identity varies.
- CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) – Hearing children of Deaf parents, often bilingual in sign and spoken language.
- Deaf-Blind – Combined vision and hearing loss, using tactile or adapted communication.
- Deaf-adjacent – Hearing professionals like interpreters, teachers of the deaf, SLPs, and audiologists working closely with the Deaf community.
Sign Names:
Sign names are personalized signs given by fluent or native Deaf or HoH individuals. They reflect traits, personality, or interests and represent community acceptance and inclusion.
Cultural Values:
Deaf culture values visual communication, storytelling, humor, community bonds, and equal access. It centers around shared language (like ASL), mutual support, and a worldview shaped by Deaf identity.