Sign language allows deaf people to communicate more freely than lip reading. Lip reading is the hearing community’s response to the problem of deafness. People affected by deafness and hard of hearing are more open to learning sign language as they use it in daily life. There are great advances in devices that improve the lives of deaf people. For example, digital hearing aids, which improve hearing for people with partial deafness.
I think the deaf community has a lot to offer businesses. If sign language courses were more widespread and accepted in the workplace. Imagine if more companies invested in their staff and had them sign on. Then they could employ the deaf community. This would result in a feeling of acceptance from the deaf community and make office managers aware of all that the deaf community has to offer. Not only would offices be less noisy, allowing for a better quality of work, but also the act of incorporating deaf people into the work environment would mean a reciprocal feeling of goodwill and sharing of knowledge between everyone in the office.
The implications for society of employing those people who would otherwise be sitting at home receiving benefits are considerable. Twenty-two people out of every thousand in the US are deaf or severely hearing impaired. The exact number of deaf and partially deaf people amounts to twenty-eight million. When you consider that the working population is one hundred and fifty million, then that figure is significant. Of course, you must take into account the deaf elderly who do not work. In short, if more people met regularly with the deaf community, they would be more aware of the community’s needs and therefore more understanding. Sign language tutors can be used as a catalyst to stimulate and encourage staff to learn simple signs, which they can immediately practice with their colleagues. Sign language tutors can tailor the vocabulary to the needs of an organization and its clients.
There should be equal opportunities for deaf and hearing people. Deaf people are weakened in society by the effects of discrimination and exclusion. To gain a greater sense of Deaf culture, hearing people must recognize American Sign Language in their own right. The principle of empowering the deaf community by expanding the number of people with whom they can communicate leads to a greater independence of the community. Once a deaf candidate has been accepted into a staff position, she will add value.
Enabling this sector has financial benefits for taxpayers. If fewer people had benefits or received income support, then they would need less from the government financially. After a period of investment in sign language courses and training, acceptance of deaf-related topics would be higher. The deaf community would feel included and less resentful of society as a whole. This inclusion would help them to be more complete individuals and would allow them to strengthen the economy.
