Deafness
Disability Portfolio
IHDD2001
Hailey S., Jessi H., Maya G., Megan F., Katherine L.
Overview of Deafness
Deafness is defined as the inability of an individual to understand speech through hearing. This disability can occur by a range of different causes like injury, genetics, age, or disease. Besides the loss of hearing, an individual’s cognitive, social, and emotional skills can be heavily impacted. The deaf community struggles with social isolation because of limited services and difficulty communicating with others. From isolation, their emotional development suffers from low self-esteem and their cognitive abilities can suffer as well with fewer educational opportunities. There are also minimal job opportunities for a career, which can affect their socioeconomic status and wellbeing. To reduce these effects, resources like hearing aids, sign language lessons, interpreters, and communication devices can be given to support these individuals. The deaf community lacks awareness due to the struggle to communicate, but society needs to advocate so we can work towards equal communication access for everyone.
The history behind deafness has not always been kind to those a part of the community. Ancient Greeks and other religious accounts looked at being deaf as a result of God’s anger and that they were incapable of becoming educated. In the 1600s there was a monk named Pedro Ponce de Leon who would work to teach deaf people to speak, reiterating the motif of making the deaf community conform to one way of society that we still see today. Moving into the 1800s, deaf education and deaf schools became more available. In this period that is referred to as the heyday of manualism, their efforts to help the deaf community become educated were largely motivated by an impulse to save deaf people’s souls and to ensure that they would be accepted by God. Additionally, during this period, a teacher for the deaf named Laurent Clerc established his French Sign Language (FSL) which paved the way for the makeup of our American Sign Language (ASL). However, moving into the Progressive Era (late 19thcentury and early 20th century) there was a great suppression in the teaching of ASL and focused more on speech training. Furthermore, the deaf community became increasingly concerned with keeping a foothold in the workforce when entering into the Industrial Age. This is when the “deaf renaissance” came into action and heavily worked to educate deaf children in ASL and speech training. While there have been ups and downs in the history of the deaf community, the advancements that are present in the 21st century give a promising future for the inclusion of the deaf community further on. (Murray, 2006)
The Global Burden of Disease Study found that deafness is the fourth leading cause of disability globally (Cunningham & Tucci, 2017, p. 2465). To diagnose someone, doctors can perform several tests to examine the severity of a person’s hearing loss. They can physically look in a person’s ear for inflammation from an infection, conduct a whisper test, or see how a person responds to sounds they hear. Audiologists can also perform audiologic testing to assess hearing thresholds across different ranges of frequencies (Cunningham & Tucci, 2017, p. 2465). Using the data from this test, a doctor can diagnose one with mild to severe hearing loss. A person is legally deaf when they can only hear sound at 81 dB (traffic noises) to 100 dB (industrial noises). (Mckenna, 2021) One major result of deafness is communication being affected. For younger kids, this may affect the development of speech and language skills. For everyone, it may affect relationships and create difficulties in holding meaningful conversations. However, with the advancement of technology, hearing aids, and cochlear implants have minimized some of these effects.
Deafness is a multifactorial disorder that can be caused by genetics, environmental factors, or injuries. Hearing loss is usually categorized into two types: conductive or sensorineural. Conductive hearing loss is caused by impairment of the outer/middle ear, and sensorineural hearing loss is caused by dysfunction in the cochlea, a part of the inner ear that produces nerve impulses in response to sound vibrations (Cunningham & Tucci, 2017, p. 2467). A person may have components of both types and this is known as mixed hearing loss. Some main causes of sensorineural hearing loss include aging, genetic mutations, noise exposure, certain therapeutic drugs, and chronic conditions. Conductive can be caused by allergies, fluids, foreign objects, and ruptured eardrums. Additionally, genetic diseases and head trauma can cause either of these to be present. All in all, if any of these types of hearing losses go without being treated, there is a possibility a person can be diagnosed with deafness.
The deaf community can be hard to define as it is often defined by others who are not hard of hearing and do not know ASL. Many people hold a pathological view when it comes to deafness and is trying to make deaf people into hearing people (Bragg,2001 ). Instead of embracing deafness, many interventions involve amplifiers, implants, or teaching a child how to appear not deaf. Individuals within the deaf community that use ASL to communicate are a minority within their community(Bragg, 2001). This community associates themself with the deaf community even if they can hear using an implant or aid. ASL is rarely taught and many parents choose to use cochlear implants or aids to communicate with their child. Individuals who are deaf may feel pressure to conform to society and hide their deafness. Many feel like they are not accepted for who they are if they use aid and can hinder their ability to communicate with others even further.
Despite amplifying technologies being available, many people that are hard of hearing report having a difficulty in understanding speech when background noise is present. (Glyde, et al., 2013) Additionally, since there is a dysfunction of the inner ear or the cochlea, various auditory stimuli can not be distinguished such as spatial processing abilities, pitch characteristics, and spatial location of the speakers. Hearing impairment causes a spatial processing deficit of some degree. This is important to take into consideration when using an amplifying device such as cochlear implants or hearing aids.
While being a part of the deaf community can be challenging in many ways, there are many resources and sources of support available as well. The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act paved the way for a more inclusive society in the aspects of economic, social, and health-related challenges. Under the ADA, employers are no longer allowed to discriminate against people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Schools and hospitals began to provide interpretation services for those who use ASL, which narrowed the communication chasm even further. Additionally, the emergence of new technologies such as smartphones, video conferencing services such as Zoom, and social media outlets have all contributed greatly to breaking down the communication barriers that were in place previously. While our society still has a long way to go in terms of complete inclusion, those in the deaf and hard of hearing community are becoming able to connect and interact with others more than ever before.
Hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities, with about 20% of the United States population falling into this category. Especially with this in mind, it should be recognized that deaf people represent a significant makeup of people and should have access to the same world of opportunities that anyone else has. Ultimately, it is important to acknowledge the great strides society has made towards making our environments more inclusive, while also continuing to push on and advocate for equality for everyone.
References
Cunningham, L. L., & Tucci, D. L. (2017, December 21). Hearing Loss in Adults. Retrieved
from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6457651/
Deaf World: A Historical Reader and Primary Sourcebook. (2001). United Kingdom: NYU
Press. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/r9Qxrvtqi8kC?hl=en&gbpv=0
Glyde, H., Cameron, S., Dillon, H., Hickson, L., & Seeto, M. (2013). The effects of hearing impairment and aging on spatial processing. Ear and Hearing, 34(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0b013e3182617f94
Murray, J. J. (2019, October 4). History of the deaf. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/history-of-the-deaf
How Much Hearing Loss is Considered Deaf? (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.webmd.com/connect-to-care/hearing-loss/how-much-hearing-loss-is-considered-deaf
.
10 useful resources YOU should know:
Rob Nielson youtube series “Sign Language lessons” https://www.youtube.com/westwoodASL/featured
This short youtube series of sign language lessons are a great resource to help others learn more about deafness and using ASL correctly. These short videos are taught by a deaf, certified ASL teacher that uses a “whole language” approach. Studying/learning ASL promotes awareness and sensitivity to the deaf community as well as a helpful communication tool.
CDC’s Parents guide to Hearing Loss
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/parentsguide/resources/index.html
This guide provides resources and information related to children with hearing loss and their families. The CDC lists websites, contacts, organizations, agencies, etc for parents to explore and use while guiding their child’s deafness. Parents/family needs to learn alongside the child and promote a positive perception and understanding.
American Society for Deaf Children
The ASDC works with parents and families to ensure that they can communicate from an early start. They offer 28 online classes to learn ASL as well as deaf mentors. They also offer a Friends Like Me program so children who use ASL can meet others who communicate the same way.
Association for Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss
https://www.musicianswithhearingloss.org/wp/
The AAMHL creates opportunities for musicians with hearing loss to discuss the challenges they may face. It also creates opportunities for performance in individual and group settings.
National Association of the Deaf
https://www.nad.org/resources/early-intervention-for-infants-and-toddlers/information-for-parents/
This website has so much useful information on what to expect when you are a parent of a deaf or hard-of-hearing child. It also has mental health services, employment resources, government resources, webinars, and so much more listed on its website.
My Deaf Child
https://www.mydeafchild.org/resources
MyDeafChild.org focuses on families that have children with hearing loss. They have information on learning ASL, getting your child a hearing screening, multiple different support organizations, and much more. Additionally, a large part of this website is being able to apply to the Sign It ASL curriculum free of charge which helps families learn ASL with certified instructors.
John Hopkins Medicine
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hearing-loss/types-of-hearing-loss
The section of the John Hopkins Medicine website talks about the different types of hearing loss and its causes. It’s quite informative and can lead people who are curious about deafness in the right direction. Towards the end, it is advising the audience to have an annual baseline hearing so doctors can determine the severity of hearing loss.
Understanding Hearing Loss in Children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3Qg7zgYyGA
This video simply informs people of the different types of hearing loss in kids. I like that at the beginning of the video they provide a diagram of the ear. From this diagram, they talk about how damage to certain parts of the ear is related to a type of hearing loss. They break it down nicely for people who may not know the science behind the hearing.
Through the Eyes of Deaf Children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f1o33kOpnI
This is a video from The Atlantic that simply walks the audience through the school day of a classroom of children in a school for deaf people. It is an incredibly meaningful video in the authentic and simplistic way it exposes hearing people to what the experience of a deaf child might be like, and it was especially interesting to watch the portion in which the kids are told about racism.
Understanding Deafness: Not Everyone Wants to be ‘Fixed’
This article is also coincidentally from The Atlantic and lays out the basic thought processes behind the differences between “deaf” and “Deaf.” It is enlightening to read because it explains the ways that deaf people are often expected to conform to societal standards of hearing when they can actually live successful and productive lives without hearing
Reflections of Learning
The deaf community can face many challenges people may not be inherently aware of. Society does not cater to the deaf community by consistently having closed captions or having people be able to communicate in ALS. Title IV of the Americans with Disability Act makes the telecommunication network available to the deaf or hard of hearing community. Parents can face financial challenges in purchasing cochlear implants or hearing aids which can be extremely expensive. They may even choose to send their kids to schools that are only for deaf children. This may mean that families must relocate or pay for an expensive education. We learned from our parent panel that healthcare is a major issue that families can face and one that does not get a lot of attention or support.
While people in the deaf community may not be physically disabled, they can face many challenges of their own. If a person wears a hearing aid or cochlear implant, they can lose all ability to communicate if their batteries go out. Some people communicate by reading lips and can have a hard time keeping up with a conversation with multiple people. This is extremely limited now with the pandemic and wearing mask. The deaf community is almost cut off from society as their communication is even more limited now. Even if an individual has an implant or aid, they can still struggle with the muffled voices. It is important to note that despite the challenges the deaf community may be facing, we should not view their daily life as inspiring. We learned in Stella Young’s Ted Talk, that most individuals with disabilities do not want to be viewed as inspiring as they are just living their daily life.
Commitment to fostering an inclusive society
Hailey:
One of the biggest ways to foster an inclusive society is to use thoughtful, correct terminology or language. This also means educating yourself and not using derogatory language or slurs that may not have malicious intentions, but can be offensive and damaging to marginalized groups. When talking about disability, it is important to think of the individual first, using person-first language, but also ask them what they prefer. Specifically for the deaf community, most members prefer to be called ‘deaf’ or ‘hard or hearing’ but it is always the person’s preference. It is okay to ask questions and be curious, but when you do this, take the time to intently listen and learn from their unique experiences and different perspectives. I commit to educating myself on using correct, respectful terminology and always being open-minded to understanding different perspectives to do my part in fostering an inclusive society.
Jessi:
One way to foster an inclusive environment is through acknowledgment of a disability or struggles that someone may have. With this comes the responsibility to be aware of my actions and how I may disadvantage or inhibit someone's ability to do an everyday task. To be inclusive, I can learn as much sign language as possible or make sure movies I play or videos I post have closed captioning. It is also important to know respectful terminology, language, and to always use individual first language. If you are unsure of what term to use when addressing someone, it is important to ask instead of assuming. People in the deaf community prefer to be called ‘deaf’ or ‘hard of hearing’. I am committed to educating and holding myself accountable for being inclusive as well as being mindful of the terminology that I use. I will always strive to be open-minded to different people’s perspectives and struggles.
Maya:
One way that I believe I can foster an inclusive society is through educating people. When I took a look at myself before this class, I was never actually intentionally disrespectful to individuals with disabilities, but I was just uninformed. Now that I have gained a lot of knowledge on disabilities, I feel that I can be a better ally to those with it. Sometimes people won’t go out their way to research a topic that doesn’t receive a lot of coverage, so if I see something wrong I will try my best to correct it. Most likely I will start with family and friends who may use wrong/outdated terminology and inform them of the correct language they should use. Although I don’t see it often on my timeline, I feel like twitter would also be a great place to inform people of what’s right or wrong. I am devoted to bettering myself and my community by continuously educating society as circumstances change. I find it very important to be open to change within our world as we are all trying to move forward in a positive direction.
Megan:
I think that the start of being able to foster an inclusive society around the deaf community is to first become educated on the topic. After taking this class and completing this project, I feel as if I am more capable of being an advocate for people with disabilities because I know more about the extensive list of disparities that they face. In my career, I am going into a medical professional setting where I think this class will prove itself to be beneficial. I will foster inclusive environments in my personal relationships by using person-first language, recognize the disadvantages that are present for people with disabilities in our society, and help to educate the people around me when I feel it is necessary.
Katherine:
After absorbing all of this information about deafness and the Deaf community, I think that simply having an understanding of all that they desire and push for in advocating for their community is such an asset in my pursuit of fostering an inclusive society. Over the course of this semester, we have learned all about disability and how to encourage appropriate language as well as awareness for it in general, but in completing this project I have come to an understanding that deafness and the Deaf community differ from other disabilities in unique ways. Because of my awareness of this, I can speak out against exclusivity and the lack of accessibility, spark conversations to raise awareness, and could get involved with different movements and organizations that work to include the Deaf community.
Political Cartoons
Check out the political cartoons underneath these descriptions
1.) This political cartoon relates to the idea that deafness is not something that should be considered a disadvantage as it is often assumed to be by people. As there are many who may not have relationships with those in the Deaf community, it is easy to think that deaf people want to hear. However, I think this political cartoon does a cool job of expressing how in households where deafness is a daily reality, a child who looks up to his father and does not experience his deafness as a negative trait might wish to grow up and be deaf like his dad.
2.) This cartoon shows the insensitivity that a person who is hard of hearing can face. Someone is asking him a question about his life with his disability but it is insensitive as the person was born deaf. It goes to show how important it is to think before asking questions about a person’s disability.
3.) This cartoon illustrates some of the stereotypes that are present around the deaf community such as being dumb because they use a different means to communicate. This cartoon also demonstrates the misconception that all deaf people can’t speak which is untrue. It shows how important breaking the stereotypes and stigmas around deaf culture is.
4.) This political cartoon has a play on the word High Def or HD. The older man in the picture can be seen trying to really understand what is happening on the TV. Since the TV is most likely loud, its volume is loud for those who may have a harder time hearing the audio from the television. This cartoon shows that sometimes a disability can occur from an older age.
5.) This political cartoon shows the struggles of the deaf community during the Covid-19 pandemic. With the mask mandate and face coverings, the deaf community cannot read lips or see mouth movements/facial expressions which make the community feel isolated and ignored. However, clear masks are being worn that are geared to this community and their communication.
Top ten
Jessi
1.Rights for people with disabilities is a somewhat new concept as it happened not long ago and a lot of acts were written in the ’90s.
2.The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in many areas including employment, transportations, public accommodations, communications, and access to state and local government programs and services.
3.Learned about intersectionality and how it can negatively affect people.
4.The talks from the parents were very eye-opening to what they go through as parents and healthcare seem to be the greatest issue that they share.
5.I also learned that money was one of their main concerns. And childcare can be hard to get as well as expensive.
6.It was helpful to know that the parents really wanted help with filling out paperwork and knowing which services would best help to support their children.
7.The models of disabilities were helpful to understand what people might believe about peoples with disabilities.
8.The medical social model seems to be one of the most widely used by people.
9.The ted talks, especially the one by Stella Young, were insightful to see how individuals with disabilities like to be viewed. I would have never thought that they preferred to be called inspiring so that changed how I view people with disabilities.
10.I was shocked to know that institutions were still an issue that was going on in the 21st century. The Olmstead Decision made the unjustified segregation of people illegal and this was decided in 1999.
Hailey
Person-first language - We need to be mindful of our language and make sure we address the person first, then their disability. It shows respect by emphasizing people are not defined by their disability.
Respect - People with disabilities are human and deserve to be treated like one! We need to value them and their differences!
Don’t stare - It is okay to be curious, but never okay to stare. Most people with disabilities encourage you to ask questions, but be mindful of not being offensive by asking “what’s wrong with you?
Not your inspiration - The words ‘special’ and ‘exceptional’ can be hurtful to people with disabilities. Everyone learns how to use their bodies the best they can! Some people just get out of bed in different ways. We need to remember to not use people with disabilities as inspiration,
Educate - It is not anyone’s job to teach us. We need to make sure we are being our own teachers and taking the time to find resources to help us learn! It’s important to look back on history to educate ourselves on how people have been treated for generations.
Listen - Taking the time to listen and hear what others have to say is the best way to understand how to support and advocate! Everyone has their own experiences so listening will help us advocate for them!
Know when to speak up - Sometimes we can be a voice when someone does not have one. Calling someone in is a great way to confront an issue in a conversation, maybe they don’t know what they are saying is offensive!
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable -get used to not being in your comfort zone anymore. Disability makes a lot of people uncomfortable, but we need to start to recognize diversity and get comfortable with it!
All of us will somehow be impacted by disability -at some point, we all will be affected or have someone affected by a disability in our lifetime. So it is important that we know how to interact and communicate with everyone.
Not all disabilities are visible - don’t assume someone doesn’t have a disability because you can’t see it. Some disabilities can be hidden.
Maya
1.I feel like one of the most important things I took away from this class was person-first language. Instead of saying she is wheelchair-bound say she uses a wheelchair. Something so simple as this could have a huge impact.
2.I also really liked talking about disability at the intersections. I knew there was a such thing as facing multiple challenges because of the different ways you identify, but never knew an actual name for it. It’s important to highlight this issue and advocate for peoples’ different identities.
3.The #disabilitytoowhite hashtag we learned about confronts this issue by raising awareness that disability representation leaves out people of color usually. Many organizations highlight the voices of white persons with disabilities and not others.
4.Models of disability were also a good topic we touched on because it talks about how disability is viewed from different perspectives. It was interesting to know the history behind the many models and more people should definitely look into these models.
5.People should also know about the different things parents of kids with disabilities go through. Speaking with the parents first hand and hearing how they struggle with receiving help from the government with things like caretakers while they have to work was a real eye-opener. Not to say I was shocked though
6.Specifically to Georgia, I think it’s important to the history behind disabilities in this country. We once had the largest mental health institution that was run terribly! The history behind it is just sad to know that people were treated in such a way
7.Also some history stemming from Georgia, it’s important to know that the Olmstead decision made it illegal to segregate persons with disabilities and ensure that they receive services in an integrated setting.
8.From this class, I’ve also noticed how important it is to be an ally to those with disabilities. We should be advocating for them in different settings and uplifting their voices and movements.
9.Many times throughout this class I think about crip camp and how that displayed true allies. I think everyone should take a look at this movie and how it helped to build a movement.
10.Lastly and most importantly, I think it’s essential to educate yourself! Look into other social topics that are not highly broadcasted on tv and social media. Many groups are being affected so it’s important to learn how to interact respectfully with others and move them forward!
Megan:
All people with any disability should be treated with respect at all times. Disabilities are all different and can call for different responses, but they should all include respect.
Person-first language is always important and shows that someone is not defined by their disability but by the person that they are.
Becoming educated about disability and the history behind it is so important! Learn something new so that you will be able to interact with someone who has a disability accordingly.
Be a voice for people who need their voice to be heard. Disability deserves representation so that we can move towards a more inclusive society.
The ADA is a civil rights law that does not allow for discrimination based on disability.
Disabilities come in many different forms and one is not “better” or “worse” than another.
Our society favors able-bodied people, so being an advocate for disability accessibility and accommodations is important.
Everyone should watch Stella Young’s TEDTalk and know that disability should not be glorified.
Disability can be viewed from different perspectives as shown in the different models of disability.
People with disabilities make up a huge part of our population and it is likely that you will be affected by disability in some way at some point in your life.
Katherine:
Disability does not equate to abnormality. The idea of normality- when it comes to the physical traits of people- is a social construct.
Disability does not inherently carry a negative connotation. It is up to the person with the disability if they choose to view their disability as an obstacle in their life, and the people around them should respect that.
Person-first language is what is deemed the standard in the United States- the most basic example of it is identifying someone as “a person with a disability” rather than a “disabled person.”
“Handicapped” or “disabled” are no longer considered appropriate ways to identify someone who has a disability.
Ultimately, a person’s preference for identification is up to them, so go with what they say and if you are unsure, stick with person-first language.
There is a community of people with disabilities who are united in their pursuit to create a more inclusive society.
The disability movement carries an important and meaningful history that is not often enough talked about or included in children’s education.
It’s a positive thing to ask questions when it comes to disability- it’s better to politely and genuinely ask than to go on not knowing and reducing your ability to be an ally.
There are various forms of disability- physical, mental/emotional, and cognitive. Although not all disabilities look the same, blindness is a disability just as Bipolar Disorder is a disability.
Although disability rights have come a long way, there is still a lot of progress to be made, and becoming an ally is a seemingly small contribution that can have major impacts. Be an advocate- speak up!
Website Review
https://www.hearinglikeme.com/ - Hearing Like me is an online website that connects and supports the deaf/HoH community with stories and news from around the world. It is a place that welcomes everyone to learn and advocate in inspiring and meaningful ways. The website is very useful and has a toolbar with options for News, Entertainment, Life, Community, Technology, Hearing Loss 101, Careers, etc. It keeps the community up to date like how Instagram and TikTok have auto-captions, the first deaf and black character in a video game, and plenty of other amazing updates! Not only is this website informative but it is very connective! There is an opportunity to read inspiring stories from people all around the world. The stories on the website are written by people who have hearing loss, family members with loved ones with hearing loss, or hearing loss experts so the quality of these articles is accurate. Hearing Like Me is a great source for the deaf community or others interested to know more about it and how they can help advocate. Everyone should check out HearingLikeMe.com, I would give it 5/5 stars!
A Quiet Place
Discussion of a film
A Quiet Place, 2018, Directed by John Krasinski.
This film creates a world where sound is the enemy. The plot revolves around a father and mother whose goal is not to protect their children from vicious sound-seeking monsters. Through ASL, they can communicate in silence. Their oldest daughter, Regan, is deaf but her disability is what keeps them alive. The movie was empowering and a big win for the deaf community!
Jessi: This film is eye-opening to what it is like to communicate and live with a hearing impairment.
Hailey:^^ Yes it was so eye-opening!t I liked this film. As I was watching I made a comment that I had to pay attention to the screen with the captions way more than I usually would. Watching this film showed my privilege when I complained I missed something if I turned away from the screen.
Megan: Yes! I saw this movie when it came out in theatres and it only had closed captioning for the parts with ASL, but not for the spoken parts. However, we don’t experience that issue when watching on Netflix, so that was interesting for me to catch on to.
Katherine: I thought it was interesting that John Krasinski, the father in the film and the director, was intentional in choosing to use a deaf actress to play the role of a deaf person
Hailey: I looked up some interviews the actress who played the deaf person(Millicent Simmonds) came to set and taught the cast sign language!
Jessi: Yeah, I appreciated this inclusion of a person with disabilities and how they adjusted to meet her needs in using ASL to communicate.
Hailey: ^^I did too! I know the media has not had the best representation and they do not cast deaf actors, so it was great to see that it was intentional. A big win for the deaf community!!
Maya: This film helps depict the life of a person who is deaf and how they communicate with them to overcome barriers.
Hailey: Something I liked in the film was when the camera was on Ragen(the deaf child) the background noises were gone and everything was completely silent but when the camera was on other family members you could still hear footsteps, wind, other quiet movies, etc. It was a creative and powerful way to portray how a deaf person experiences life every day.
Katherine: ^I also noticed that too and thought it was a cool way to create an audience experience that felt more realistic to the everyday life of a deaf person
Jessi: One of the main characters, Ragen, was deaf and she was the oldest sibling. I found it interesting that she was the only member who was deaf but the entire family had to use ASL to stay alive.
Megan: I agree! It was interesting to see being deaf portrayed as a desirable trait because having a disability is normally looked at negatively.
Hailey: Yeah, it was a great insight to families/parents of children who are deaf. They were able to communicate with Regan and each other through sign language which also ends up being the number thing they needed to know to survive. That seems like a superpower to me like we’ve talked about in class, whether in scary conditions like the movie or real life!
Katherine: At the end of the movie, we discover that the way to kill the deadly monsters is by projecting a high frequency. I think it’s cool that Ragen, the daughter who is deaf, is the one who figures this out due to her deafness. It puts an interesting spin on the way we think about disabilities- in a way, her deafness is what ultimately rescued them
Jessi: Yes! I appreciated this as in many movies, people with disabilities are in the background but Ragen could be classified as a hero in this film.
Hailey: ^ I also liked that twist at the end of the film, something that people see as a disability and weakness in today’s society is showed as this amazing ability/survival skill in the film! I wonder if the dad in the film was on to something about knowing the high frequencies could kill the creatures or if he just wanted Ragen to be able to hear with an implant. I don’t think the movie specified that but maybe that was because we could interpret it in our way!
Maya: I loved how they showed that for his daughter we can’t hear what’s coming to intensify the movie while still showing what the life for a person with this disability would be like.
Hailey: Totally agree^ The silence was intense! Ragen did not know when the creatures were behind her since or she couldn’t hear the rocket making noises with her little brother who ended up dying from the creature. The film did a great job of portraying what life being deaf is like in the world!
Jessi: Yes. Not being able to hear what’s coming puts a lot of things into perspective. I appreciated how they did that instead of having intense music.
Hailey: I felt like this film did not stereotype deaf people as helpless or pitied. It showed how strong and determined they were to survive! In society, being deaf is considered a disadvantage but in this film, they had the advantage of being able to communicate and live in silence. People assume that the deaf community is “weaker” or not able to do as many things, but the film does not reflect those stereotypes at all.
Jessi: I think a stereotype is isolation and loneliness from each other. Even though this family was isolated from other people, they still were social with each other and had family conversations over the dinner table. They were like any other family, they just communicated by ASL.
Hailey: That’s a really good example! I do feel like that stereotype can be true in society sadly. People find it difficult or uncomfortable to communicate with the deaf community, so they are usually socially isolated. You are right about the film being isolated from everyone because they are trying to survive. I know that there is a 2nd movie coming out, I wonder if we will be able to see some of the characters intact with other people who may not communicate through sign language!
Jessi: The film positively portrayed the deaf community and the ASL language. For this family, the only way to survive was to stay quiet which led to them using ASL to communicate. I think disabilities can be portrayed sometimes negatively or in a way that people can pity that person. But in this film, the only way to survive was through ASL and this makes you view it in a positive and almost heroic way.
Katherine: I think the film did a great job of showing the work ethic of the dad is trying to create accessibility for his daughter. Multiple scenes showed his workshop and all of the attempts he had made at trying to create a hearing aid that worked for her. I think this positively portrayed how we can be more proactive as a society in providing accessibility for those with disabilities
Maya: I also like how this just emphasizes a parent’s love for their child. Willing to go beyond and above no matter what.
Hailey: I also enjoyed that part! I liked that they didn’t see Ragen as a “weak link” wherein in another situation the deaf character would most likely be seen as that, like a burden to them and have a difficult time communicating. Ragen was their child and they did everything in their power to protect her!
Jessi: I think this film did a great job of portraying the deaf community because this was their way of life and how they had to survive. It did not slow them down and they lived life despite the dangerous circumstances they were living in.
Maya: The character is considered “disabled” because she differs from others by having a condition that limits her from doing major life activities. It was disadvantageous to her because the other family members could hear when the monsters were attempting to attack. As stated before, the character is a person with a disability in real life in addition to her character role. This in itself is s a big deal for a person with a disability to be cast and also for the movie to feature this!
Jessi: I agree. I think Ragen would be classified as a hero because she was the one who discovered how to kill the monsters by the high frequency.
Megan: It was so cool to see how Ragen was able to save the world with her cochlear implant. I also think it’s sad that her dad wasn’t there to see her save everything since it was his work that helped her hear again.
Hailey: She is a hero for sure! Another heroic thing Ragen did was save her younger brother when he fell in the corn silo. Without her help, he would’ve suffocated but she saved him by jumping in and not thinking of herself. It was a very selfless act from Regan to save her brother!
Katherine: When considering the different models of disability, it was honestly more difficult to relate them to this film, since we don’t get to see how the individual with the disability interacts with a larger community or society in general. Additionally, because of the nature of the lifestyle of the family (they couldn’t talk out loud for a majority of the time), it wasn’t super often that Ragen was singled out due to her disability- maybe this alludes to the Social Model of Disability in the way that it shows how the disadvantages of a disability are accredited more to the attitudes of others rather than the disability itself
Jessi: Yeah, this film was in a supernatural setting so it was a bit hard to relate. I do hope they will make more films using the deaf community in everyday life. I think this could help to bring more awareness to the community.
Katherine: Although the story and setting are unrealistic, I thought this film did a complete job of portraying deaf people and their daily experiences in a way that was positive and authentic, so there wasn’t anything I especially noticed that I would change I don’t think!
Megan: I agree! I also hope that this movie makes it more common to have an actor with a disability play as the character with the disability instead of having an able-bodied actor!
Hailey: Yes, the film did a great job portraying the experiences of the deaf community besides the creatures and horror parts! However, I think the one thing I noticed that I would maybe change is when the father and son who both were able to hear and speak were talking by the waterfall, they did not have captions on the screen. I think adding captions to that scene would have made the film more inclusive!
"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."