ABOVE :Ramon Wolfe (Picture taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/seehear) RECENT DEAF EVENTSThe Deaf community has its own media. Deaf programming including 'See Hear' ( a BBC 2 magazine programme presented in BSL, with a voice over and subtitles that discusses world and Deaf issues) Vee TV ( a Channel 4 magazine and sketch show presented in BSL and using subtitles) and Switch ( a BBC soap opera acted out with BSL and subtitles). The picture above shows Ramon Woolfe hosting the recent Remark! television awards held in London to celebrate deaf people in the media. For more information on the awards and deaf media visit Remark!'s own website by clicking the link here . DEAF POOL III 2005Now in its third official year the second of September 2005 saw thousands of deaf people descend upon Blackpool's Golden Mile for three nights of dancing, singing and signing. People came from afar as Cornwall and Ireland to be part of the party. For many people it was a time to meet up with school friends whilst for others it was just another chance for a good night out.
DEAF THEATREDeaf theatre is extremely popular and extremely diverse, and music often plays its part in setting the mood and contributing to the performance. Deaf theatre ranges from serious, to musical to comedy. Songs are often signed and lip-spoken along to music. Interpreters are also used in hearing theatre to make it more accessible to hard of hearing individuals. |
Someone who suffers from hearing loss may be classified as hard of hearing, deaf, deafened or profoundly deaf and according to the RNID (Royal National Institute of the Deaf) in the UK today there are roughly 8.7 million hearing impaired people (11). Of these people 673,000 are profoundly deaf and between 23,000-25,000 of them are children. 1600 of these children were either born deaf or became deaf very early in life before they developed spoken language- known as 'prelingually deaf'. (11)
People who are hard of hearing have mild hearing loss, deafness is more severe and profound deafness is virtually total hearing loss. Deafened people have lost their hearing, perhaps through age, illness or trauma.
However, the people within these groups may further divide themselves into Deaf with a capital 'D' and deaf with a lower case 'd'. Deaf with an lower case 'd' denotes a group of people who have hearing loss but continue to live their lives within the hearing community. More often than not these are people with mild hearing loss, perhaps who have been deafened later in life. These people may use sign language but usually their first language will be English or another form of spoken language.Deaf with an upper case' D' is used to describe the lesser known group of Deaf people who view themselves as living not in the hearing, but within the 'Deaf' community. The Deaf community see themselves not as a group of disabled indivduals, but as a linguistic minority with British Sign Language as their primary form of communication and find references to deafness as a disability very offensive.
The Deaf community is very supportive and is expressed through the many deaf clubs and societies in England today. Most towns and cities have numerous deaf clubs, which usually take the forms of small bars and day clubs, and deaf pubs. The community also has its own culture, including not only view points and social values, but also its own media and forms of entertainment.
For more information on finding your nearest deaf club visit the website on the link below:
Deaf clubs are not only thriving social communities for the Deaf, but also hearing sign language students. BSL students flock to Deaf clubs to practice their sign language and make friends and most Deaf clubs are very welcoming - however, actual inclusion in the Deaf 'society' is not based on language alone, but more on shared experience, sense of identity and support.
It is difficult to determine the number of people in the UK today using BSL as their chosen language but it is estimated to be between 50000 and 70000. However, it is only in recent years that sign language has become an actual 'language'. Prior to this it was seen as a 'forbidden' language with deaf children in deaf schools being taught that they should speak and not sign. (10)Many of the beliefs that sign language was a 'morally corrupt' ('See Hear'- aired 6/1/06) language stemmed from the 1880 Milan conference on the education of deaf children that recommended that all deaf children should be taught orally (using speech) rather than sign language so that the children are better able to integrate into society. However, the actual basis of this view point for the conference was based on questionable grounds and the consequences of the conference are still a subject of bitter conversation by deaf people today. For more information on the Milan conference click the link below to visit a website dedicated entirely to the conference:
It is important to remember that alike to every other community, not every person suffering from hearing loss will fit neatly into a 'category'- people may live a lifestyle that incorporates both aspects of d/Deafness or may hold their own personal view points on issues such as 'deafness as a disability'.