Deaf as a culture and ASL as a language

The National Association of the Deaf explains a distinction that shapes this whole course. Written with a lowercase d, deaf describes the audiological condition of not hearing. Written with a capital D, Deaf refers to people who share a language, American Sign Language, and a culture that has been created and passed down across generations. Deaf culture has its own history, arts, humor, values, social norms and institutions. Many Deaf people see themselves first as members of a linguistic minority, not as people defined by a hearing loss.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders describes ASL as a complete, natural language with the same linguistic properties as spoken languages and a grammar that differs from English. ASL uses the hands, face and body, and has its own rules for pronunciation, word formation and word order. It has regional accents and dialects. It is not universal: British Sign Language, for example, is a different language, and signers of one cannot necessarily understand the other. ASL grew over two centuries from a mix of local sign languages and French Sign Language. Fingerspelling is used for names and some English words, but it is a small part of the language.

This has a practical consequence that is easy to miss. For many Deaf people, ASL is their first or strongest language and English is a second language. Handing someone a written notice, or offering to pass notes, may not be effective communication for a person whose primary language is ASL, especially for complex topics like eligibility, services or rights. The reverse is also true: some deaf people do not know ASL and rely on written English, captioning or speech reading.

Language about deafness matters. The NAD notes that most people in the community reject the term hearing impaired because it focuses on what people cannot do, and considers terms like deaf and dumb or deaf-mute offensive. Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing are widely accepted. The NAD's core advice is simple: when in doubt, ask the person how they identify.

Concepts to carry forward

Deaf (capital D)

A cultural and linguistic identity shared by people who use ASL and participate in Deaf culture. Lowercase deaf describes the audiological condition.

American Sign Language (ASL)

A complete natural language with its own grammar, distinct from English and not universal.

DeafBlind

Combined hearing and vision loss. Communication may include tactile or close-vision signing, braille, large print or amplification.

Primary consideration

Under ADA Title II, state and local governments must give primary consideration to the communication aid a person requests.

Deaf interpreter / CDI

A Deaf interpreter fluent in ASL and English who often teams with a hearing interpreter. Certified Deaf Interpreters hold national certification.

A fictional example to examine

Fictional case: Maria, a DSD communications specialist, is preparing a public notice about changes to a waiver program. A colleague suggests that Deaf readers will be fine with the written English version, so an ASL video is unnecessary. Maria knows some Deaf community members use written English well, but she has heard from a Deaf advisory group member, Brian, that many people want ASL versions of important notices. The notice explains appeal rights.

Try a situation

What should Maria do?

Publish only the written notice, since anyone who reads English can understand it.

Publish the written notice with an ASL video version, captions, and a plain-language summary, and ask the Deaf advisory group for feedback on the video.

Add a line to the notice telling Deaf readers to ask a family member to explain it.

Carry this forward

The National Association of the Deaf explains a distinction that shapes this whole course.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders describes ASL as a complete, natural language with the same linguistic properties as spoken languages and a grammar that differs from English.
This has a practical consequence that is easy to miss.
Language about deafness matters.

Identify one high-stakes public document in your area, such as a notice of rights. Find out whether an ASL version exists and, if not, raise the gap with the document owner or your division's communications lead.

Deaf as a culture and ASL as a language

What you’ll be able to do