When you encounter someone who is deaf or hard-of-hearing, your first instinct may be to use your hands to communicate. Maybe you’re fluent in American Sign Language, know basic fingerspelling, or just use gestures to illustrate what you’re saying. As well-intentioned as your motives may be, these methods may unintentionally make you harder to understand.
That’s because not all deaf and hard-of-hearing people know sign language. In fact, of the 48 million people in the United States with hearing loss, less than 500,000 — or about 1% — use sign language.
Hearing loss is a spectrum, with varying types of loss and communication strategies. Some deaf people use hearing aids or cochlear implants; generally, this group chooses to lipread and use auditory cues when possible. For others, sound amplification doesn’t work or is otherwise unappealing. Sign language may be the primary mode of communication [...]
