Difficulties for a Deaf Person?

QUESTION:

Hello Dolly, what are some of the things that makes everyday life difficult for a deaf person?

ANSWER

Here are just some basic things that are part of everyday life for Deaf people, just as they are for hearing people.

Conversation

Just like hearing people, the Deaf like to talk with others. Depending on who the Deaf are talking with, conversation can be difficult for them. If two deaf people are signing to each other, there isn't a problem, but if a hearing person and a deaf person are trying to communicate and the hearing person doesn't know sign, or much about the Deaf community, there can be a communication problem. When the deaf person goes up to the hearing person, and starts signing to communicate the hearing person might look away in disgust because of their lack of learning about the Deaf community. Deaf people converse in many ways. Two of the most common ways are sign language and lip-reading.

Television

Just like hearing people, the Deaf like to watch TV , but since the Deaf have hearing impairments, it is harder for them to able to watch and enjoy TV. Closed captioning is not perfect, though. Spoken words, shouted words, and whispered words are all printed the same way. So the deaf have to imagine the people's emotions.

Driving cars

Just like hearing people, the Deaf drive cars. Many hearing people think that this is a problem. They think that the inability to hear would prevent a deaf person from being a good driver. The Deaf, with their hearing losses, usually become very observant visually. Because of this, many are GREAT drivers.

Telephones

Just like hearing people, deaf people enjoy talking on the phone. Since they have hearing impairments, however, it can be difficult or impossible with a regular telephone. Ringer lights are lights that flash when the phone rings, so the deaf person knows when the phone is ringing.

Specially trained dogs can also alert a deaf person that the phone is ringing.

Most states today have relays operated by phone companies. A relay is used when a deaf person and hearing person want to talk to each other. They call a special phone number and an operator answers. The operator has a TTY machine. This operator will read to the hearing person what the deaf person is typing on the TTY, and will type back to the deaf person what the hearing person is saying. This enables people who do not have access to TTY's to converse by phone with deaf people who do.

Baby crying

Just like hearing people, deaf people have children. When the children are babies and they cry, they may need attention. In fact they may need immediate attention. With their impaired hearing deaf people may not know that their baby is crying, especially if the child is in another room.

Deaf parents, like all parents, need to know when their child is crying. Baby monitors are available to flash lights when a child is crying. The deaf parent can see the light flash and can then check to see if something is wrong or what the child needs or wants.

Specially trained dogs can also alert a deaf person that the baby is crying.

Fire alarms

Just like hearing people, the Deaf need to know if something is wrong. If a fire ever starts in a house, the people inside need to know about it and be able to get out of the house in time. The same goes for the Deaf.

When there's a fire in your house, you need to know about it -- right now! You need to be able to get out of the house to safety. You need to call the fire department. Deaf people are exactly like hearing people, except that they may not be able to hear their smoke alarm going off. There are, however, fire alarms and smoke detectors with strobe lights and very loud audible alarms. These flash an extremely bright light to warn deaf people of smoke or fire danger. The light is bright enough to wake a person from a sound sleep. They can see the light and many can either hear the alarm or feel the vibrations of the sound.

Special dogs for the Deaf can also alert a deaf person that the smoke detector is going off.

Doorbells

Just like hearing people, deaf people need to know when their doorbell rings. Except they might not hear and that can make it hard to know when to answer the door.

Since the Deaf cannot hear well -- or at all -- it can be hard to tell when the doorbell is ringing. A "door light" will flash a light when the doorbell rings.

Also specially trained dogs can alert a deaf person when a doorbell rings.

Alarm Clocks

Just like hearing people, deaf people have to get up at a certain time, so alarm clocks are used to wake people up. Since the Deaf have hearing losses they have a hard time hearing the alarm clocks.

Deaf people have jobs and go to school and everything else that hearing people do. When they have to be somewhere at a certain time, they have to wake up at a certain time. But they may have trouble hearing alarm clocks because of their hearing loss. There are watches that vibrate when the alarm goes off. There are also clocks with vibrating bed alarms that are used to wake them up. These alarms usually use a vibrator of some kind that fits under a person's pillow or mattress.