Breaking the barriers : overcoming the hurdles encountered by deaf persons in their day-to-day life

Abstract

The disability sector is very broad one; however, many a times the general public's perception of disability is stereotypically that of persons who are wheelchair users, or persons with any other visible physical impairments. In reality, impairments vary in diagnosis and in degree. This research attempts to provide more awareness on one particular impairment; Deafness. Through this research it is hoped that the wider community would become more acquainted with how members of the Deaf Community view their impairment, the societal barriers they encounter, and how they live their daily life despite the hurdles encountered. Furthermore, this research aims to give more voice to the Deaf Community, since to a certain extent, it is a neglected area of research locally, and thus there is a certain degree of lack of information. The data collection for this research has been done through qualitative methods, particularly emancipatory research. Emancipatory research enables both researcher and research participants to act as partners in the research, which creates more trust in the relationship. Emancipatory research also enables the researcher to enter and be part of the community and culture being studied and thus, gain better understanding of their reality. From the data collected, it was very interesting to discover how Deaf persons are able to adapt to whichever circumstance and are very resilient and flexible in any situation presented to them. Members of the Deaf community are able to creatively communicate with persons who may be ignorant of the communication needs of Deaf persons. Deaf individuals have a positive view of their life experiences and, as a community they are very open to others, ready to include new members in any way possible, whether these members ha Furthermore, from the literature collected as well as from the observations conducted, it is very evident that Deaf persons view themselves as a language minority; thus, they often choose to engage in activities with other Deaf persons, where communication is fluent through sign language. Nonetheless as a minority group within society, they do seek for inclusion, which is a human right of every individual. Throughout the research, together with research participants, it has been pointed out that although Deaf persons may be able to adapt to situations and achieve goals like anyone else, there are certain integral systems within society, such as the educational system, medical systems and other services, which have not adjusted adequately to meet the needs of Deaf persons. Such adaptations are crucial in order to ensure that the Deaf person's right to equality and full inclusion in society is being upheld.