Common Myths and Stereotypes aboutPeople Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
MYTH: All hearing losses are the same.
MYTH: Deaf people cannot speak.
MYTH: Hearing aids restore hearing.
MYTH: All Deaf people can read lips.
MYTH: All Deaf people use sign language.
MYTH: Deaf people are not sensitive to noise.
MYTH: Deafness is genetic. All people who are deaf will pass deafness onto their children. FACT: There is a type of deafness that is genetic, and some Deaf people do have Deaf children, however 90% of all Deaf people are born to hearing parents and also will have Hearing children.
MYTH: Deaf people shouldn’t or can’t drive a car. FACT: Deaf people drive cars all the time. In fact, some studies have shown that Deaf people are actually better drivers than Hearing people due to the fact that Deaf people have enhanced peripheral vision. If you think about it, nothing about driving really requires you to be able to hear. After all, there’s a reason emergency vehicles have both sirens and lights.
MYTH: People with hearing loss will hear if the speaker shouts. FACT: Shouting at a deaf person does not help them to understand a speaker. If a speaker increases the volume when he talks, his face becomes distorted, making his lips more difficult to lip read.
|
|
---|---|
|
|