Deafhood

Question 1

What is Deafhood?

Answer 1

embracing Deaf culture, language, pride AND doesn’t see deafness as a disability

Question 2

When was Deafhood coined?

Answer 2

First coined in 1993 by Paddy Ladd

Concept developed further through his PhD on Deaf Culture 1998

Book finally published 2003

Question 3

Facts about Deafhood

Answer 3

In the last 10 years, 150+ workshops have been held across 5 continents to approximately 10,000 people

Very big in the USA – lots of current research ongoing

Deafhood Foundation (USA)
Deafhood Spirituality Groups (mainly USA)
Deafhood Yoga (USA)

Question 4

Popularity of Deafhood

Answer 4

Brings together everything they have felt about Deaf life into one word

Helps people in general to see/frame Deaf communities in a more political context

Empowers us via the focus on Deaf achievements and history

Question 5

Re-framing deafness

Answer 5

Need to get rid of the medical model of deafness

Thus there is a need for the Deaf to:

Understanding themselves and their communities, their ‘place’ on Earth
Understanding how they have been treated – how they have responded
Recognising and fulfilling their potential as a global family – tribe – people

Question 6

How were the Deaf colonised?

Answer 6

100-plus years of Oralism

Deaf teachers banished  Deaf cultural wisdom not passed down and lost

Deaf History, Deaf Studies, etc. removed from ‘curriculum’

Now oral mainstreaming with CIs, and closure of deaf schools

BUT the Deaf have survived so far thanks to their ‘ancestors’ who fought to keep languages and cultures alive and also not forgetting support from some hearing allies