hearing loss are often used in medical settings to talk about how much a person’s hearing deviates from the general range. The cultural definition of ‘deafness’ is different, and speaks to groups of people who share a perception of their surroundings through an emphasis on visual and kinaesthetic input, rather than auditory. The cultural definition is used most commonly with people who are Deaf at birth or from early childhood. It describes a cultural, social, and linguistic group, and is often represented by capitalising the ‘D’ (148). The medical definition does not acknowledge the shared experiences, the history, or the pivotal role that BSL has within the British Deaf community, including its young people (149). When supporting a Deaf young person, it’s important to keep in mind that hearing aids or implants do not restore full hearing, and that lipreading is not enough to replace hearing loss. There are some deaf young people who have speech and aren’t part of the Deaf community. In addition to the daily challenges and negative attitudes already associated with being deaf, their identity can also be impacted by not being seen as quite hearing Deaf culture is an essential part of Deaf communities around the world – different communities will have different sign languages and heritages (151). Deaf culture is rich in storytelling – stories that often reflect individual or collective struggles and triumphs, and serve to preserve history for the next generations. Shared experiences can include navigating a world designed for hearing people or fighting for rights, social inclusion, and accessibility. In the Deaf community, cultures are separated into the ‘hearing world’ and ‘Deaf community’. The Deaf community is a linguistic minority, but a vibrant society with a great sense of belonging. Within this community Deaf people who use sign language share news, values, traditions, art, experiences, activities, and events (148). but not being considered Deaf (150). Deaf culture and the Deaf community
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