Deaf Awareness Week

• September 23rd-27th, 2013• Held annually during the last week of September• The first Deaf Awareness Week (DAW) meeting took

place on May 11, 1972, chaired by Jerry Moers.• 133 Deaf Organizations involved in DAW now.• Purpose of DAW is presenting a united front of the

Deaf people to the world.• The International Week of Deaf also increases

solidarity among deaf people and allies. • Used as a way to stimulate greater efforts to

promote the rights of deaf people.

Definition of Deafness

• ‘Hard of hearing’ (HoH) refers to people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe– Usually communicate through spoken language – Can benefit from hearing aids, captioning and assistive listening

devices– People with more significant hearing losses may benefit from cochlear

implants

• ‘Deaf’ people mostly have profound hearing loss– Which implies very little or no hearing– They often use sign language for communication

Current Statistics about Deafness• 360 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss (over 5%)• Half of all cases of hearing loss are avoidable through primary prevention• Unemployment rate in USA (16 years and over), August 2011:

– Persons with a disability -- 16.1%; – Persons with no disability -- 8.8%

• College graduation – 12.8% hearing graduates– 5.1% of the deaf or hard-of-hearing graduates

• Incomes– Hearing families - 26% earned between $10,000 and $24,999

• Deaf or hard-of-hearing families - 28% earned same range

– Hearing families- 29% earned $50,000 or more• Deaf or hard-of-hearing families - 14% had incomes in the same range

Causes of Deafness• Congenital causes lead to hearing loss being present at or acquired soon after

birth.– Hereditary and non-hereditary genetic factors– Complications during pregnancy and childbirth

• Acquired causes lead to hearing loss at any age.– Infectious diseases – Chronic ear infection– Collection of fluid in the ear (otitis media) can cause hearing loss.– Use of ototoxic drugs at any age can damage the inner ear.– Head injury or injury to the ear can cause hearing loss.– Excessive noise can harm a person’s hearing.– Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is caused by degeneration of sensory cells.– Wax or foreign bodies blocking the ear canal can cause hearing loss at any age. Such

hearing loss is usually mild and can be readily corrected.– Among children, chronic otitis media is the leading cause of hearing loss.

Deaf Etiquette• Do’s

– To get a Deaf person’s attention, tap him or her on the shoulder or flick the light switch.– Let a Deaf person know that you can hear and that you’re learning Sign.– If you’re at a Deaf social function, allow the Deaf friend you came with to introduce you to others.– Introduce yourself using your first and last name.– Converse about sports, the weather, politics, pop culture, or whatever else you’d discuss with your

hearing friends.– When talking to a Deaf/HoH person look at them and speak clearly. They cannot hear you and lip

reading can be difficult to do.

• Don’ts– Don’t barge into a Deaf person’s house because you think they can’t hear the doorbell.– Avoid ordering for a Deaf person in a restaurant, unless he or she asks you to do so.– Never try to correct a Deaf person’s signing or lecture them that they don’t sign the way your

instructor does.– Don’t use the terms Deaf-mute, Deaf and dumb, or hearing impaired.– *Don’t initiate a conversation about a Deaf person’s hearing loss. Asking such questions implies

that you think of the person as broken or inferior.

Deafness in the Workforce

• Misconceptions– That deaf individuals will be unable to effectively communicate – That accommodating a deaf employee would be extremely costly

• Accommodations– Americans with Disabilities Act 1990– Reasonable Accommodations can be to provide interpreters, video-

conferencing equipment, and visual alerting equipment

• Legality– During the application and interview process, it is illegal for employers to ask if

you are disabled or what kind of disability you have– If employed and you feel you have been discriminated against based on your

disability, you have the right to file a complaint and potentially sue within 180 days of the incident with EEOC

Deaf Communication7 tips when communicating with deaf employees• One should use eye contact, a small wave, or a light touch on the shoulder to get

individual’s attention• Always maintain eye contact when speaking to a Deaf individual• Do not slow one’s speech or raise one’s volume when addressing a Deaf individual

unless they ask you to• Use hand gestures and point to items that one is referencing in his or her

conversation, including mimicking actions such as “lunch” or “type”• Use visual aids, such as a PowerPoint presentation or a written agenda with notes• During meetings, in order to assist an interpreter to help a deaf person who may

be able to lip read, enforce a rule that only one person may speak at a time • When a conversation between a hearing employee and deaf employee is

interrupted by someone calling on the telephone or knocking at the door, the hearing employee should be sure to let the deaf employee know that he or she is stopping the communication to respond to an interruption

Famous Deaf People

• Helen Keller (Public speaker and writer)• Heather Whitestone (Miss America 1995)• Sean Berdy (Emmett from Switched at Birth)• Marlee Matlin (Melody from SaB)• Derrick Coleman (NFL Seattle Seahawks

starting fullback 2013)• Beethoven (Composer and Pianist)

Deaf People can be Sexy too! ;)

• Sean Berdy (Emmett from Switched at Birth)

Deaf People can be Sexy too! ;)

• Marlee Matlin(Melody from Switched at Birth)

Calendar of Events

• September 24th 6pm – 3rd Meeting LWCC• September 24th 7-9pm – Deaf Bowling Social– $6 unlimited bowling and shoes rental– Westview Lanes 1700 Ward Blvd. Wilson, NC

• September 25th 5-7pm – FroYo Silent Social hosted by Barton College Sign Language Club– FroYo 101 at 3401 Raleigh Rd Pkwy W Wilson, NC

• September 27th 7-9pm – Deaf Awareness Event at Pentecostals of Greenville

Calendar of Events Continued

• October 8th TBA – School For The Deaf Wilson, NC Tour

• October 15th 6-7:30pm – SAB DiversiFYI Workshop in MSC Social Room (60 people)

• October 22nd 6pm – 4th Meeting LWCC• November 5th 6pm – 5th Meeting LWCC• November 19th 6pm – 6th Meeting LWCC• December 3rd 6pm – 7th Meeting LWCC

SAB DiversiFYI Silent Pirates Workshop

Events Sign Up

• We need people to sign up to assist with the following events

• Preferably two people per hour– Deaf Awareness Event Pentecostals of Greenville

September 27th 7-9pm

Resources

• Personal Website: www.ecusilentpiratesweebly.com• Twitter: @ECUSilentPirate• Vine: ECU Silent Pirates• Youtube: ECUSilentPirates• LinkedIn: Silent Pirates Group• Email: silentpirates@ecu.edu• OrgSync: search Silent Pirates

– Please register on Orgsync.com and add us– This will be one of the easiest ways to keep you updated,

conduct polls, do sign-ups, and keep track of your volunteer hours (VSLC is now requiring you to use OrgSync)

Proposals

• Change our format to a Deaf culture base• Promote in-club signing – Sign what you know– Fingerspell– Ask questions for what you don’t know– Always use your hands

• Weekly Meetings beginning Spring• Hendrix Captioned Movie Nights• Wednesdays ASL Movie Nights• Monthly dinner socials