For the second day of Deaf Awareness Week, we will focus on “Deaf Gain” as a source of our conversations.
Watch the below clip to start thinking about how hearing loss is reframed to Deaf Gain.
“Framing refers how we interpret the world, and specifically, to how certain views are encouraged while others are expressly discouraged.” (Bauman & Murray, 2009). George Lakoff, a cognitive linguist, shared the importance of assessing multiple frames and multiple layers of meaning (2005). Deafness has long been viewed as a hearing loss—an absence, a void, a lack. It is impossible to think about deafness without thinking about loss. Yet deaf people don’t view their lives as loss. This means reframing hearing loss to “Deaf Gain”.
Deaf Gain was coined by Aaron Williamson, when he shared his story of going deaf later in life. He consulted many doctors who repetitively told him he was losing his hearing. Never was their response something of a gain—never it was “gaining his deafness”.
Deaf Gain is defined as reframing “deaf” as a form of sensory and cognitive diversity that has the potential to contribute to the greater good of humanity.
(Bauman & Murray, 2009)
Ask ourselves and each other these questions:
What is normal? What is your definition of “normal”? Why?
What does it mean to be human?
Why should we continue to value the existence of Deaf people?
What advantages do you have as a Deaf person?
How are or can Deaf people across the globe be a model of a cosmopolitan community?
Do you think culture is a fluid process? Why or why not?
Why are deaf people considered a sense of collectivism?
Imagine there would only be Deaf architects—what would our world look like? How would it differ from the status quo?
How would Deaf Gain have an impact on the lives of deaf people born today? What is the new frame these families would face when they meet a deaf person for the very first time: their own?
Do you agree with this statement/or what do you think about this statement: Every deaf baby born on this planet is a gift to humankind.
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