How to Write Deaf Characters - From a real Deaf personâs perspective
Hello readers and writers alike, I would like to point out something that has been so glaringly annoying to me and other Deaf/HoH people so that we can end all these misconceptions. People who write for Deaf!Readers should know a few things before starting their imagines, fanfictions, blurbs - anything. It is not anyoneâs fault for not knowing these things, most hearing people are not aware of the Deaf community or Deaf culture so here I am, a Deaf person who is majoring in Deaf Studies and Culture, coming here to tell you a few things to know when writing for a Deaf!Reader
(Remember this is my experience as a Deaf/HoH person and it may differ from person to person but this is what I learned/have slight annoyances within writing)
Deaf and Hard of Hearing is a culture. Yes, most people consider it a disability but IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE ARE ASHAMED OF! Please stop writing fics/imagines about Deaf!Reader being ashamed of not being able to hear or getting hearing aids to impress their SO. Itâs completely wrong and just annoying. We are proud of our Deafness and we donât want to be fixed.
DO NOT USE THE TERM âHEARING IMPAIREDâ! This is basically a slur word. It was widely used in the â90s but now itâs considered a derogatory term. Just use Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Or âdeafâ if the person is medically deaf and not culturally Deaf. (see next point)
Deaf and âdeafâ are different. Deaf is a cultural term for people who are born Deaf and raised in the community. The term âdeafâ is used in the medical field or used to describe someone who has hearing loss that does not associate with the Deaf Community. Usually, a hearing person who has become deaf later on.
Sign language is not a worldwide language. There are different types of language within sign language. ASL is for American and Canada. BSL is for Britain. So if youâre writing a story that takes place in a country that is not America or Canada, do not say ASL.
ASL does not = English. Same for every other language. ASL is its own language with grammar rules and semantics. It does not directly translate to English. So if youâre writing ASL most likely write in GLOSS or write it as you would write a hearing character. (Sentance: I want to go to the mall and buy a dress. GLOSS: I WANT WANT GO TO MALL I. ME BUY DRESS ME )
Deafness is on a spectrum. There is a legal threshold that someone must pass to be considered legally Deaf. Some Deaf people can hear more than others. I can hear high pitched noises sometimes. I know someone who can hear voices but can not hear what they are saying. Both of us are Deaf and we both cross that threshold. So when writing your Deaf!Character make sure to set a bar of what they can and can not hear.
Hearing Aids do not cure anyoneâs deafness. It only helps hear some sounds and maybe hear if people are talking. Not what they are saying although it can help with that depending on how far they are on the Deaf scale.
Cochlear Implants are very controversial in the Deaf Community so if youâre going to write about them do your research!!! They are also not a cure for Deafness, just an aid.
Deaf people are not masters at lipreading! Even the best lip readers can only make sense of 30% of what is being said. Iâve been lip reading for years and I still only understand a little bit of what is being said. So no, your character is not going to miraculously know whatâs going on from lip reading.
DO NOT have your characters yell at your Deaf characters. DOES NOT MATTER HOW LOUD YOU ARE! We can not hear you. Neither can your character. Have your other hearing characters speak normally. Thatâs the best way to lip read if they must.
Most Deaf people are born from hearing parents. Itâs really rare for a whole entire family to be Deaf (Although Iâve met some and itâs super cool). But your character is probably born to hearing parents.
ALSO, the majority of hearing families with Deaf children do NOT learn ASL. It sucks but itâs true. Only about 30-40% of families learn sign for their Deaf family members. So keep it in mind,
So this is my list for now! I may add to it the more I think about things but this is basics I think everyone should know. If I forgot some then feel free to add! (as long as you are knowledgeable about the topic please). If you have questions please message me! Or if you need someone to proofread your Deaf!Imagines then I almost here for that. So happy writings everyone!
ILY
An excellent guide!
@hillsnholland YOOOO THIS WHOLE POST IS ACCURATE!!! Let me, let me!
Momâs deaf and â even tho lots of things overlap with her personality â hereâs stuff i know from living with her all my life: Keep in mind this is based off a personal experience!
Deafness is a spectrum! My ma for example canât hear ANYTHING if she isnât face to face and she moves on her daily life by instinct, hearing aids and all around observation. My theatre teacher, on the other hand, can get by without hearing-aids and senses when you are talking to her by a combo of training, observation and the lil muted sounds she hears. Still wonât know what the hell you are saying if they canât read your lips, tho.
Not all deaf people know sign language. My mother, for example, speaks verbal spanish like a non-deaf person in her day to day and has refused to learn sign language. My teacher is bilingual â speaks both sign language and verbal spanish!
Sign language varies, itâs not a worldwide language and it does have its own dialects and slang. Americans have their language, british too, us argentinians have their own, bla bla bla.
Being deaf is an extra effort. I think most people with a certain disability or who arenât neurotypical have experienced this. But being deaf in a hearing world doesnât only mean relying on subtitles in movies (and not being able to watch dubs because audio and lips dont match!). It also meant for my mom going every single afternoon since she was 2 years old to the speech therapist to learn how to speak, to learn HOW TO COMMUNICATE. And it meant my grandparents making a big economic & emotional effort with no state present to back them up. And it means my mom sitting in front of the lectures in school, asking for stuff to be repeated, asking the teacher to move their lips, asking for class notes the rest of her academic life. Yeah, because she went to a mf hearing school.
Deaf people are denied jobs, attention, insurance⊠ââWrite down that you can hear, that way itâll be easier for you to get inââ said an insurance advisor to my mom when I was eight years old. She kicked him tf out of our house. Good riddance. Deaf peeps in my life have a backbone of steel, strong as fuck.
In most countries getting hearing aids is expensive and a struggle. I live in Argentina and even with the public health system, my mom has to pay an insurance to cover 30-40 percent of the big cost of getting hearing aids. They have to be ââtailoredââ to the person so thereâs no chance of getting them cheaper or second-hand.
Non-deaf people should and have to M O D U L A T E!!!!! MO DU LA TE !!!! Thatâs literally fucking essential and those who have lived with deaf people for a while end up doing it instinctively. Modulating is moving your lips while you speak, itâs a bit exaggerated sometimes but thatâs appreciated because itâs essential for lip reading. People who have never been in regular contact with deaf people usually donât have that custom and have to consciously try. Thatâs okay.
Hearing children that are around deaf people learn quite quickly how to communicate with them. My teacherâs baby niece knows to stare at her before babbling something. My mom tells the story to anyone who wants to hear about 2 y/o me tugging her skirt to tell her ââma. telephoneââ ââma. want milkââ. Kids ainât stupid and have way more instinct around deaf people that adults sometimes.
Those who live around deaf people have it naturalised and are usually willing to teach those who want to learn One of the first phrases I remember saying in kindergarden is ââNo, speak to her face to face, sheâs hipoacĂșsica, she canât hear you, she reads your lipsââ. My mom calmly shows people her hearing aids while asking them to speak slower. You get used to it, yo.
The dictionary spanish equivalent of hearing impaired (hipoacĂșsico/a) is NOT a slur. My ma speaks of herself as that, my teacher does too (and sheâs certified in sign language, not only deaf herself). I suppose it depends on the person.
Deaf people can and probably WILL be loud. With or without hearing aids, my momâs a ruckus personified. My teacher, too. Iâve met deaf people who are quiet but Iâm pretty sure it had to do with their personalities. Most deaf people Iâve met are a ruckus like my mom. She canât hear herself, yo.
Deaf people have ââaccentsââ   Donât be fooled, you canât always spot a deaf person! My mom has been confused for french, italian and its variation a good thousand times. My teacher just sounds northern. Thereâs always THAT one letter they canât say right. My mumâs is the âârââ and the ââsââ. Itâs really funny sometimes, specially when sheâs sleepy.
Mishaps with words are common. I was raised by my mom so I have pretty much all her speech patters. To this day, people keep correcting me on words like ââpastafrolaââ that bc of mum I pronounce as ââpastafloraââ. Itâs just dumb funny pronunciation mishaps. People laugh and let them pass. Donât be the asshole that corrects âem. They know, thank you.
Deaf people can learn multiple languages! My mom will stick to her spanish, thank you very much but my theatre teacher speaks spanish, italian, sign language, english and teaches languages to deaf kids on a primary school! And they kill it!
Deaf people are practically always alert and therefore can get tired way more easily. This is a hearing world so they are all the time using all their senses, their instincts and their observational/comunicational skills to make up for it. My ma is quite hyperactive, too, so sheâs always way more loudly grumpy around dinnertime. Donât wake her up while sheâs slumbering. Sheâs a demon. The cat wanted to cuddle and accidentally woke her once. She stood up automatically, took the cat ,YEETED the poor thing across the bed, then rolled back and started snoring.
Deaf people can be very repetitive. Okay. This might be only my mum. But every time we fight over it she blames it on her deafness so..
Deaf people can blame their deafness for petty intrascendental shit. ââDid i lock the doorââ ââyea momââ ââdo you remember if i locked the door?ââ ââ..yesââ ââDid I lock the door?ââ Â ââMUM ITâS THE FIFTH TIME YOU ASK ME. YES YOU DID STOP REPEATINGââ ââiâm deaf i learned how to speak by repeating stuff. Now. Did I lock the door?ââ Â *cue dying ami noises*
Deaf jokes.
*to my hearing dad* ââchristian, you said to buy more curtains?ââ ââno. when did i say thatââ ââright after aimĂ©e told that jokeââ ââshe was talking about the weatherââ âââŠâŠâŠâŠâŠâŠ..christianâŠ..loveâŠâŠ.i think you are deafââ
TOO MANY DEAF JOKES HYIQDWVKF
I hate how I redacted it because itâs been awhile but the general advice still stands. If you are going to write deaf characters, please read this advice! :D















