SignHealth refers to ‘deaf’ people throughout our website and materials. You might see others use the terms Deaf, d/Deaf, hard of hearing, hearing impaired, deafened, people with hearing loss, etc. So what do we mean by ‘deaf’? Who are we referring to?

At SignHealth, we are talking about people. People from all different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, cultures, religions, etc. When we use terms to describe people who are deaf, this is not from a medical perspective. We do not need to be defined by medical conditions or our medical history. We are also usually talking about ourselves. 70% of our staff are deaf.

Previously, SignHealth used the  capital D whenever we referred to deaf people. In the past few years that has changed to lowercase d. Why? We want to recognise the diversity of the deaf community. This includes deaf children and young people, the majority of whom are from hearing families and are in mainstream education. They also need our services and will benefit from better access to healthcare. We want them to know they are included and can find support at SignHealth that meets their communication needs too.

Deaf

Sometimes you will see Deaf with a capital D, which is used by many people in Deaf community to recognise cultural and linguistic differences. Deaf culture is a set of shared values, beliefs, behaviours, traditions, and institutions of a community that uses sign language as the primary means of communication. In the UK there is a very strong Deaf community with a proud culture and sense of identity, based on a shared language – British Sign Language.

SignHealth is proud to be the largest employer of Deaf people in the UK and that our services are infused and enriched by Deaf culture.

It is important to note that many Deaf people have been deaf all their lives, or since before they learned to speak. This is called pre-lingually deaf. For many Deaf people, sign language is their first language and English is their second language. Understanding complicated messages in English can be particularly challenging. This language barrier should be given more recognition when services are considering accessibility. Sharing information in written English, captioning videos, or communicating with notes back and forth may work for some, but a sign language interpreter or translator is usually more appropriate communication support for Deaf people.

deaf

The word deaf with a lower case d is used to describe anyone who does not hear very much. It covers a broad spectrum of people. Some may have been deaf from birth or early years or who lost their hearing over time.

We share some common experiences of how being deaf in a hearing world impacts our lives regularly and in many ways. This often leads deaf people to have a ‘deaf identity.’ Our experiences are different to that of hearing people. The way people perceive us, the communities we build, and the ways we overcome challenges, shapes this identity.

Other ways of describing deafness

d/Deaf

To recognise the linguistic and cultural differences between deaf people, it was suggested for a time that the most inclusive term to use is d/Deaf. While we appreciate the intentions for this term, at SignHealth we feel it is a little too academic and English language centric. While some of us identify as big D, we are also part of the wider deaf population, which is why, at SignHealth, we use an umbrella term that includes us all.

Hard of hearing

The phrase ‘hard of hearing’ is often how someone refers to or identifies themselves. Someone can be hard of hearing for their whole life or, most often, the hearing loss occurs in later life. People who are hard of hearing might use hearing aids. Most people who are hard of hearing may communicate more easily if they can lipread while listening and avoid places with lots of background noise.

Hearing-impaired

In some settings, particularly in healthcare, you might notice the term ‘hearing-impaired’ referring to anyone with any level of deafness. Many people find being labelled ‘impaired’ offensive and inaccurate. We don’t use that term and strongly advise against it in any setting.

Medical terms for hearing loss

There are a few different medical terms for types of hearing loss, the Royal College of General Practitioners lists these as:

• Acquired hearing loss
  people who were born with hearing but have lost some or all of their hearing.
• Congenital hearing loss
  people who were born with hearing loss which may become progressively worse.
• Deafened
  people who were born with hearing and have lost most or all their hearing later in life.

Why does SignHealth provide services for deaf people?

We encourage all health and social care services to become deaf aware, accessible and inclusive. However, the reality is that this isn’t the case.

SignHealth provides psychological therapies, domestic abuse and sexual violence support services, outreach and residential services to meet the needs of deaf people who are excluded from vital mainstream services. Our by-and-for services are unique and highly specialised to support and improve deaf people’s health and wellbeing.

Would you like to partner with the deaf health charity in the UK?

Contact us at communications@signhealth.org.uk and we can discuss ways we can work together to improve the health and wellbeing of deaf people.

How healthy are deaf people?

Sick Of It is SignHealth’s ground-breaking report uncovering the health disparity deaf people face in the UK. Published in 2014, the report has influenced policy and changed practices in the NHS to improve communication and reduce barriers.

Report: Sick Of It

Why SignHealth?

The majority of our 200 staff are deaf people and our award winning board has been recognised for its diversity and inclusivity. Together we are working to improve health and wellbeing for everyone.

Deaf people continue to face barriers in mainstream health and social care services. Since 1986 we have been providing services to the deaf community and campaigning for better access to healthcare.  

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