hello! i'm writing a character who becomes deaf in his 20's due to an injury. the present of the story takes place sometime when he's in his 30's. i'm wondering what change the passage of time will have on his use of verbal communication. more specifically, if he's less likely to speak alongside using non-verbal communication as the years go on, especially in instances where gestures are enough on their own to communicate. (as an aside, he's still involved in non-Deaf spaces during the story.)
Hi!
This really depends on the community he's involved in and the time period your story is set in.
Many late-deafened people do not learn sign languages. In the past, sign language use was discouraged in all deaf people, and today, advancements in hearing amplification technology mean that it is more possible (though not always easy!) for deaf and hard of hearing people to assimilate into the hearing majority.
Even if he does learn to sign, having 20+ years of speaking and hearing means that he most likely feels more comfortable speaking and trying to understand speech.
This won't universally be true. I know many late-deafened people who immersed themselves in Deaf culture and prefer to sign rather than speak, especially if they know their voice sounds different and are embarrassed about it. Others will sim-com or speak when around hearing people, but want to have an interpreter so they can understand speech better. If he's often in situations where being quiet is important, he may speak less than usual or less than the hearing people around him, even if he usually speaks, because deaf people often have trouble regulating volume.
Really, how much he speaks is very dependent on his experience post-hearing-loss, his personality, and the circumstances of the story. It's up to you, but if you want more specifics or suggestions, feel free to send in follow-up questions!
Mod Rock
