I know you’re sick of writing questions, but this isn’t technically about writing… I think? Mostly I’m wondering what the best resources would be for researching about the d/Deaf community and life as a d/Deaf person. I know the best resource would be the community itself, but I’m just starting to learn sign language and don’t want to bother people who are just trying to live their lives. I’m planning to hire sensitivity readers, but I feel like that will only get me so far in terms of creating realistic, relatable characters.
My only Deaf friend is back in Japan (I’m in Europe now), and even though I’ve studied both Japanese and some JSL, we often struggle to communicate about more complex topics. I guess my question is: How do I research and ask questions without being annoying or insensitive? Is it okay for me to reach out to organizations in the d/Deaf community and ask if they know of anyone who would be willing to answer some questions? Should I offer monetary compensation for their time, or would that be considered rude?
I know these are fairly broad questions, and I don’t expect you to have definitive answers, but any insight you could give me would be helpful!
you are lucky, you caught me in my wordy era!
Before you start approaching people, I recommend reading up on some literature. I can recommend you some old classics :
Journey into the Deaf-World by Lane, Hoffmeister and Bahan. Still amazing book which gives lot of great insight into Deaf community (mostly USA).
The Mask of Benevolence by Harlan Lane, which talks about audism and how hearing society and medicine view deafness. (though the information there about cochlear implants is largely outdated, it still has lot of interesting ideas and examples).
Inside Deaf Culture by Carol Padden
Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture by Carol Padden and Tom L. Humphries
Understanding Deaf culture: in Search of Deafhood by Paddy Ladd
If you want a historical memoir, The Story of My Life by Hellen Keller, who was deafblind from chilldhood. For modern memoirs, Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco (winner of America's Next Top Model) and I'll Scream Later by Marlee Matlin (actress who won Oscar).
If you are interested in how sign languages work in general and linguistics,
Australian Sign Language (Auslan): An introduction to sign language linguistics by Johnston and Schembri - book about general sl linguistics and lot of info about languages which arent american sign language.
Some of these books are older and might be harder to acquire, but your local library should either have them or they can borrow them from other libraries over the world. (also, some of the older books can be found in pdf online but you didnt hear it from me)
You didn't specificy a country, but lot of European countries have books in their language about their culture and their sign language! For example France has tons of materials. If your story is Not set in USA but elsewhere, I recommend researching the local stuff since USA Deaf experience and ASL is not universal, just the most visible. And we need representation of smaller countries and languages!
If you wanna talk to a Deaf expert about your book, I recommend two options - first is to search if your country has a Deaf studies Major/field at your university(ies), you can reach out to them. Another option is finding a local Deaf organization or club and contacting them through email. If you want them to reply, your best chances are if your email has a clear request or question.
You can offer money compensation or invite the Deaf person for a drink/coffee. It won't be considered rude. In fact, Deaf people are often blunt and to the point and if they don't want to talk to you, they will just ignore you or tell you no. However, most Deaf people won't be interested in writing to you or talking to you. They will be happy to chat in sign language, though. If you want a written reply, the university is more likely to do so.
You can also try attending a local Deaf event. Some are community only, but lot of them are for everyone. Prepare to be swarmed and asked in Sl about who you are, why are you here and what got you interested in Deaf stuff. Sport events or lectures can be good for that.
Also keep in mind that Japan specifically can be really different from Europe when it comes to deafness. Some deaf experiences are universal, some less so.
But honestly, depending on what you are writing, this might be just tad an overkill. Start with reading literature and go from there.