Deaf Culture, Community and Language (DCCL)

General information

• Sign language is not universal since language is derived from culture, which varies from country to country.
• Today, Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) is recognised as the sign language used by the Singaporean Deaf Community.
• Historically, SgSL it is related to Shanghainese Sign Language (SSL) and American Sign Language (ASL), while heavily influenced by manually coded English such as Signing Exact English (SEE) and Signed English.
• In 2006, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) became the official sign language of New Zealand after the second official language, Maori.
• Deaf people are also known as Deafies, and hearing people are also known as Hearies.

Inappropriate terms

The following terms should never be used because they are outdated and extremely offensive.

Deaf and dumb

A deaf person is not dumb. Deaf people are the same as other people, except that they cannot hear.

Deaf and mute

A person who is mute is unable to talk. Deaf people have functioning vocal cords. In fact, some have very good speech.

Normal

Do not use the term "normal" to contrast Deaf and hard-of-hearing people with those who are not. Use the terms "hearing people" or "hearing" instead.

Cultural appropriation

In general, there is one sentence to remember for cultural appropriation, which is:

"Nothing about us, without us."

Keep this sentence in mind when doing anything that is related to Deaf culture and language. If in doubt, please ask a Deaf person for their opinion, and involve them. Remember that something is only cultural appropriation if the Deaf community is not involved, as stated by the sentence above.

For more information, please read this article on cultural appropriation.

Modes of communication

There are 2 modes of communication.

Oral communication

People who are educated and trained in the auditory-oral approach can be trained to listen and speak. However, the success of this approach depends on the following factors:

1. Residual hearing of the deaf person.
2. Intensity of the auditory and speech sessions.
3. Family support.
4. Individual ability and talent.

Manual communication

This refers to the use of any sign languages and gestures used by the Deaf person to communicate with others.

UN models of disability

The video below gives an amazing analogy for the different models of disability.

Charity

• Agency of persons-with-disabilities:

  Persons-with-disabilities are passive objects of kind acts and welfare payments.

• How persons-with-disabilities are viewed:

  Persons-with-disabilities are targets of pity.

• Equality and inclusion:

  Persons-with-disabilities are regarded as occupying a separate social space.

Medical

• Agency of persons-with-disabilities:

  Experts such as doctors, psychiatrists and nurses have extensive power over the person.

• How persons-with-disabilities are viewed:

  Persons-with-disabilities are "abnormal" and can be "fixed" through medicine or rehabilitation to become "normal".

• Equality and inclusion:

  Persons-with-disabilities are regarded as "abnormal" and are to be kept away from society.

In context of the Deaf community

• Deafness is medical problem concerning the ears.
• Language delay due to problems with speech.
• Rehabilitate or train deaf people to be like hearing people, by normalising or curing them.
• Use technology to improve or treat hearing problems.

Social or cultural

• Agency of persons-with-disabilities:

  Society should respond to the expectation of the persons-with-disabilities, not to those of the institution.

• How persons-with-disabilities are viewed:

  Persons-with-disabilities can be empowered, in control of their lives and enjoy full participation if the society is accepting.

• Equality and inclusion:

  Inequality is not due to the impairment, but to the inability of society to eliminate barriers challenging persons-with-disabilities.

In context of the Deaf community

• Being Deaf is okay. It is not an illness, and it does not need to be fixed by technology.
• Deaf people have the right to use their own language.
• Deaf behaviour and ways are of a different culture, not "abnormal".
• Deaf people are a natural community, not just individuals with hearing problems.

Human rights

• Agency of persons-with-disabilities:

  Persons-with-disabilities are the subjects of rights, and others, such as the State, have the responsibility to respect these persons with the help of the law.

• How persons-with-disabilities are viewed:

  Assistance given to persons-with-disabilities is not driven by compassion, but by dignity and respect.

• Equality and inclusion:

  The society seeks to assist persons-with-disabilities to help themselves so that they can participate in society.

Accessibility for Deaf people

Communication

• Sign language interpreter
• Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART)
• Note-taker

Information

• Captioning
• Subtitling
• Visual and texture information

Assistive devices

• Hearing aid
• Cochlear implant
• Vibrating alarm clock
• Baby cry detector
• Telecommunication

Built environment

• Visual fire alarms
• Visual door alarms
• Text announcements

How to sign more like a native Deaf signer?

• Make your signs as small as reasonably possible. Particularly, you should aim to minimise the width of your signs.
• When signing numbers with a zero, you can just close your fingers into a zero straight away and not need to move your hand to the right when signing the zero.
• When signing numbers with a hundred in them, you can move the "C" backwards instead of to the right.
• Maintain constant eye contact with the other person when conversing.

Finger spelling tips

• Finger spell from left to right.
• Finger spell within the area between your shoulders.
• Start your finger spelling from below your chin.
• Spell smoothly and do not bounce or move your hand up and down when spelling.
• Relax your hand and wrists, don't strain your wrist.

How to communicate with Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing individuals?

One-on-one situation

• Get the Deaf person's attention before speaking. Call out the person's name. If that is not successful, a tap on the shoulder, a wave, or another visual signal usually does the trick.
• Speak slowly and clearly but don't yell, exaggerate or over pronounce.
• Look directly at the Deaf person when speaking.
• Don't place anything in your mouth when speaking such as chewing gum.
• Avoid standing in front of a light source such as a window or a light bulb.
• Be courteous to the Deaf person during conversation. If the telephone or doorbell rings, excuse yourself and tell the Deaf person you are answering the phone or the door.

In a group with Deaf people, like in a class or meeting

• Ask the Deaf person to choose the best seating for communication. They will know where to sit.
• Provide new vocabulary in advance.
• Use visual aids.
• Slow down the pace of communication slightly.
• Allow full participation by looking out for Deaf people who have questions.
• Repeat questions if the Deaf people look doubtful.

Using an interpreter

• Use a specialised academic or educational interpreter.
• Abide by the code of ethics to ensure accurate communication between people who have different language needs, as effective professional practice requires both parties to have a clear understanding of each other.
• Treat the interpreter as a professional.
• Speak directly to the Deaf person, and not the interpreter.
• Don't use "tell him / her" when using an interpreter.

How to introduce yourself to a Deaf person?

When introducing yourself to a Deaf person, be prepared to include the following in your introduction.

• Your first name and last name.
• Whether you are Deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing.
• Who is teaching you the language and culture.
• Where you are studying.
• Why you are learning the language.

How to leave a Deaf event?

Do let the Deaf people or organiser know that you are leaving. You are not being obnoxious, but are instead being polite as they cannot hear you leaving the room.

How to know when it is your turn to speak?

In a one-to-one conversation, it is appropriate to watch the signer's face rather than the hands. Deaf people are generally more accommodating and after some practice, you will be able to catch the signs through your peripheral vision.

In a group conversation, you should watch the leading signer. Try to keep your eyes on the signer. A good strategy of turn taking is to watch the signer slow down, and you can interrupt without offending him or her. Alternatively, the signer may pause and look up, which is the sign for running out of topics, and you can step in.

Directness

It is known that Deaf people can be very direct.

They can be direct with comments and questions about topics that hearing people often consider rude. For example, Deaf people don't consider it rude to make comments such as, "You've really gained weight, what happened?" In fact, not commenting on an obvious change like weight gain can come across as aloof or uncaring.

Alternatively, while hearing people might interpret Deaf people's directness as rude, Deaf people can be confused by how roundabout hearing people can be. For example, when giving criticism or feedback, hearing people often "pad" their negative feedback with positive statements. For Deaf people, this can send mixed messages since it isn't clear what message the hearing person is trying to convey.

You should speak the same language that Deaf people use and be direct but be tactful too. There may be some pro-deaf militarist who may not take a direct response from hearing or Deaf people kindly.

Being tactful

Being tactful is about showing that you respect the other person's perception. It is a conversation style that helps you get your needs met while caring about the impact your message has on people.

Tact is about responding with the skills of sensitivity rather than reacting, or speaking too soon. First gauge who, what when and where to respond, then think about how to apply the most tactful response based on the information.

Observe your emotions and the intensity you are experiencing about the situation.

All you have to do is pause and THINK:

• Is it True? Can you identify the facts of the situation? Be specific. This helps you avoid misinterpreting situations and making subjective judgements.
• Is it Helpful? Will this help you deal with this person in the future?
• Is it Inspiring? Can you deliver a message as a positive learning experience for the other person?
• Is it Necessary? Will your message ensure that the person will have complete understanding?
• Is it Kind? Are you coming from a place of kindness and care for all parties?

Once you have done your THINK-ing, prepare your response to the other person. Do not blame, judge, accuse or assume you know what is motivating the other person. Keep your body language neutral to reflect the most respectful interpretation of the events.

Interacting with elderly Deaf people

Unlike interacting with younger Deaf people, you should not touch elderly Deaf people to get their attention, as they are easily frightened. It is best to wave your hand in front of their face to get their attention.

Visual vernacular (VV)

• Visual vernacular is a theatrical art form of physical expression, story-telling with a strong sense of body movements, iconic signs, gestures, and facial expressions.
• Visual vernacular has elements of poetry and mime. However, it is totally different as it is shown visually such as performing solo or in a group.

5 features of visual vernacular:

1. Long shot and close up to give a distance perspective to the story.
2. Fast and slow motion to slow down or speed up the action to build anticipation as the story unfolds.
3. Zooming in and out to gain a variety of perspectives of an object or person.
4. Panoramic view to "set the stage" for the story and develop the story environment.
5. Role shifting to show movements, activities, and communications by various characters and how they interact with all other characters and in their environment in the story.

Terminology in education for Deaf children at primary level in Singapore

There have been different approaches and communication methods in the education of Deaf children in Singapore.

Oral approach

This is an approach to deaf education that emphasises auditory training, articulation ability and lip-reading. It assumes that all information can be transmitted by using spoken language. This approach usually excludes the use of a signed language.

Manualist approach

This approach makes use of sign language in the classroom. This approach is very old, and lip-reading and articulation ability are not emphasised.

Total Communication approach

Total communication approach is a method of interacting with individuals with language impediments using a combination of spoken language and signs, which includes sign language, voice, finger-spelling, lip-reading, amplification, writing, gesturing and visual imagery (pictures). Signing Exact English (SEE) is used in the Total Communication approach.

Sign Bilingual / Bicultural approach (Bi-Bi approach)

This is a philosophy of teaching a sign language as a native or first language of Deaf children and the national written language as a second language. It recognises the authenticity and importance of both hearing and Deaf cultures, and that incorporates elements of both in the classroom.

Studies have shown that Deaf students who have higher levels of sign language profiency also have better results in reading and writing tests (literacy tests), and perform better in cognitive tasks.

Deaf schools in Singapore

Oral School for the Deaf

• Founded by Mrs E.M. Goulden, and ran with support from the Red Cross Society.
• Made use of the oral approach, which was phased out by 1975.
• Merged in 1963 to form the Singapore School for the Deaf.

Singapore Chinese Sign School for the Deaf

• Started as a tuition centre in 1954.
• Made use of the manualist approach, which was phased out by 1975.
• Merged in 1963 to form the Singapore School for the Deaf.

Singapore School for the Deaf

• Formed in 1963, when the Ministry of Education designated a school site at Mountbatten Road to be the holding school.
• Oral School for the Deaf and the Singapore Chinese Sign School for the Deaf merged to form the Singapore School for the Deaf.
• Made use of the manualist approach, by using American Sign Language (ASL) for one year, 1975.
• Afterwards, it used the Total Communication approach, making use of Signing Exact English (SEE), from 1976 to 2015.
• It closed on 31st December 2015.

Canossian School

• Originally started as a boarding school in 1956 and named as Canossian School for the Deaf.
• Renamed as Canossian School for the Hearing Impaired in 1983.
• Renamed again as Canossian School in 2003.
• It made use of 3 teaching approaches:
  • Oral approach, from 1956 to 1980.
  • Total Communication approach, from 1980 to 1995.
  • Auditory oral approach, from 1995 to 2025.
• It closed on 3rd January 2025.

Lighthouse School

• Used to be known as the Singapore School for the Blind in 1956.
• Renamed in the 1980s as Singapore School for the Visually Impaired.
• Renamed again as Lighthouse School to accept Deaf children and other children with multiple disabilities in 2007.
• It made use of 2 teaching approaches:
  • Total Communication approach in 2010.
  • Pilot Bi-Bi approach in 2017

Mayflower Primary School

• The Ministry of Education (MOE) has designated it as the pioneer school for bilingual education for the Deaf in 2017.
• The first cohort was launched in 2018.
• It makes use of the Bi-Bi, or bilingual approach.

Annoying habits of Deafies

Poor table manners

It is known that in dining etiquette:

1. Don't eat with your mouth open.
2. In most events, the host would decide who and where each person should sit, but Deafies tend to choose to sit at the best seat at the table, which is the one with the back of the chair to the wall. They choose that seat to have a better view of their surroundings.
3. It is polite to wait until the host or hostess starts to eat.
4. If you do not like the food and are unable to give a compliment, it is better to keep quiet.
5. Keep your elbows off the table.
6. Loud eating noises such as slurping and burping are considered rude.
7. Whenever a woman leaves the table or returns to sit back down, all men who are seated with her should stand up.
8. When a different wine is served with each course, it is quite acceptable to not finish each glass of wine poured.
9. Don't hold food on your fork or spoon while talking.
10. Don't wave your silverware in the air or point with it.

However, Deafies would most likely have failed to follow 9 of the 10 rules above. Despite that, it is not considered rude in the Deaf community.

Deaf people love good food, so the reason why Deafies eat noisily could simply be because of our sheer enthusiasm for the culinary delights.

In most cases, Deafies have to maintain eye contact while they are eating to continue their conversation.

Using "Deaf time" to their advantage

For Deaf people, the usual laws of space and time are a little inverted, especially when it comes to leaving a Deaf gathering.

Deaf people can never simply say "goodbye". There is always just one more thing we need to say, which kick off a whole other conversation.

Being too direct

Deafies tend to be too direct when it comes to making new friends. They are simply trying to break the ice. Sometimes, the questions can be a bit too personal, but in reality, they don't intend to be a busybody.

Eating too much at buffets

Sometimes, Deafies tend to pile up on food because they don't want to take multiple trips to the buffet table. They prefer to sit down and chat without any interruptions.

Doing disgusting things with their ear moulds

Deafies do not know that it is rude to dig your ears in public view.

Talking about other Deaf people as if everyone knows who they are

"You know... My. Lim Chin Heng! He is now married to Poh Yoke."

There is no doubt that the Deaf world is small, but it is still remarkable just how often Deafies act as though other Deaf people they know are minor celebrities, known to just about everyone.

This is how some Deafies know the life history of a number of Deaf people whom they have never met.

Closing their eyes when they don't want to listen

Deafies usually close their eyes when they don't want to listen to another person's point of view, as they won't be able to obtain any information without using their eyes.

Knocking people with hands

No matter how quiet or busy the places are, unsuspecting hearing people that walk past Deafies might get hit by their "flying hands".

Making audible bodily noises such as walking in public

Deafies do not realise that they have a distinctive manner of walking, recognisable by the sound they make when walking.

Signing and driving

Studies have shown that Deaf people have better peripheral vision, which means that as they drive, they can spot potential hazards out of the corner of their eyes quicker than hearing folk can.

They have heard many "horrible" stories from hearing people who sat in the cars Deafies are driving. Most hearing people cannot accept that Deaf people can sign and drive at the same time.

Statistically, Deaf people are incredibly safe drivers, so perhaps their amazing peripheral vision makes up for it all.

Or maybe, they should let their petrified hearing passengers decide whether they feel safe or not.