Four Common Myths About Deafness
Persistent myths about deafness often cloud our thinking about what it means to be unable to hear. In this article, we'll take a look at four such misconceptions.
Myths about deafness can be difficult ones to fight. Fortunately, we've got a rich, ever-evolving body of research that makes it relatively simple to research the true story, one largely developed by the hearing impaired themselves.
With the advent of the Internet, deaf people have been able, more than ever, to disseminate the details of their lifestyles and experiences, and are often quite happy to do so. Those are the major tools we've used here to reveal the truth about common misconceptions regarding the severely hearing impaired.
Myth 1: All deaf people read lips.
This is probably the most persistent myth about deafness, but it's not necessarily true. Remember, to most deaf people English is a second language (after Sign Language), and second languages can be very difficult to learn. Many deaf people are fluent at lip reading, but some are not, and never learn to be.
The truth is, lip reading isn't all that effective a method of communication anyway; only about 25% of speech sounds have a visible manifestation. As one source puts it, it's almost impossible to tell the difference between "paddle" and "battle," based on lip movements alone.
Myth 2: Most dead people are mutes.
Don't fall for this myth about deafness. While some deaf people really are mute, most are not, though they may remain silent most of the time for fear that they won't be understood. Since they can't hear their own voices, they usually can't tell if their volume or pitch is off.
Myth 3: Hearing aids can cure deafness.
While hearing aids can boost existing hearing, they're unlikely to bring it to a normal level. Don't assume that a person who wears hearing aids can hear normally, any more than a person who wears spectacles has 20/20 vision with them on. That's why they're called hearing aids, not hearing cures.
This myth about deafness is especially false for those who are profoundly deaf. A hearing aid can only work if the person wearing it has some small portion of their hearing remaining; if there's nothing there, it's like multiplying by zero. Sadly, the result is still zero.
Myth 4: Deaf people can't do most things hearing people take for granted.
Actually, about the only thing deaf people can't do is hear. Deaf people drive, read, dance, become world-famous athletes, get married, have kids, work, pay mortgages, build bridges, build houses, go fishing, write novels, become actors and stuntwomen...and, well, just about anything else.
Don't even assume deaf people can't talk on the phone -- they have their own Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) network. Strobe lights take the place of ringers. Before you accept any myth about deafness, then, give it some thought -- you can be sure deaf people have already found a workaround.
