Introduction to the Problem

This resource includes articles designed to help agencies and local congregations of the United Methodist Church to remove the barriers to the inclusion of hard of hearing and late-deafened people. A common misconception is that sign language is a universal form of communication for those who can't hear. In fact, few hard of hearing and late-deafened people know any sign language, and very few of those ever use it fluently, Although hearing loss affects about ten percent of the population, society and the church have lagged behind in providing the appropriate accommodations.

Below is a brief overview about the different groups of people with hearing loss. More detailed information about access for hard of hearing and late-deafened people is provided in the accompanying materials.

• There are 28 million people with hearing loss in the US.
• Half a million people are born deaf (unable to understand speech through the ear) or became deaf before acquiring spoken language; members of this group belong to the Deaf community, communicate in American Sign Language, and consider deafness a culture, not a disability.
• Ministries and social services for the Deaf community are based on American Sign Language and Deaf culture.
• One and a half million people are late-deafened (they lost the ability to understand speech through the ear after they acquired spoken language and were raised in the hearing community).
• Late-deafened people seldom sign and usually require another form of visual input such as real-time captioning or computer-assisted notetaking both of which are infrequently provided.
• Twenty-six million people are hard of hearing. Although some are born hard of hearing or develop a hearing loss during childhood, most become hard of hearing later in life.
• Hearing loss becomes more common with age and affects a third of senior citizens, but 60% of hard of hearing people are under age 65.
• Hard of hearing people can understand speech with the help of hearing aids and assistive listening systems, but they are often ashamed of their hearing loss and unaware of the assistive equipment that can benefit them.
• The vast majority of late-deafened and hard of hearing people belong to the hearing community and want to remain connected with it. They need technological and psychological assistance in coping with hearing loss and accepting the help they need.
• Ministries and social services for people who are Deaf or disabled generally do not serve the needs of late-deafened and hard of hearing people, and there are very few services and virtually no ministries designed to assist them.
• Most houses of worship and public accommodations lack assistive listening systems, although they are reasonable in cost and easy to install.

NOTE: Persons who are "deaf-blind" may be members of either the Deaf or the hearing community, depending on which one they grew up in. People who are born deaf or become deaf before learning to speak are generally part of the Deaf community. People who are deafened after they acquired spoken language and are raised in the hearing community usually continue to identify with it although though their hearing impairment may isolate them greatly.