Life for thedeaf and hard of hearing(HOH) has changed significantly in the past half-century.
Policy changes and new technologies have provided solutions for many, and yet some hurdles have stayed the same.
The Soukup familythree generations of deaf menhave watched these changes and roadblocks unfold.
Lokibaho / iStockphoto
Every one of them denied his system for one simple reason: He was deaf.
However, a great number of challenges persist.
Passed in 1990, the law was a major turning point for the deaf community in the United States.
The impact was monumental.
Employers were no longer allowed to discriminate against those who were deaf or HOH.
The communication chasm between the hearing and non-hearing worlds began to narrow.
The emergence of the internet and electronic devices continued to transform the way deaf and HOH individuals communicate.
But while the playing field may indeed be leveling, persistent challenges remain.
These same gaps persist in education as well.
The impact of these employment and educational challenges has a ripple effect.
Poverty
Poverty has its own way of impacting health.
Studies show that low-income Americans with limited education are consistently less healthy than their higher-educated, wealthier peers.
Because of the interconnectedness of many of these issues, overcoming them will not be a simple legislative fix.
Some hear a little with the support of a hearing aid.
Some cant hear anything at all.
In fact, the abilities and needs of those with hearing disabilities are as diverse as the community itself.
The ADA required public institutions and schools to provide ASL interpreters for those who need them.
You have probably seen them at news conferences during natural disasters, for example, or even at concerts.
ASL is not simply a gesture-based translation of English.
Even when a sign language interpreter is provided, sometimes its not enough.
In particular, they have specialized training in using gesture, props, and other tools to facilitate communication.
The experience can be frustrating for all involved.
People can be born deaf from genetic factors such as hereditary hearing loss and intrauterine infections.
Two examples of intrauterine infections arerubellaandcytomegalovirus.
People with deafness communicate through visual, auditory, and tactile modes.
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