Different Ways Deaf People Communicate

While some deaf individuals use hearing aids and cochlear implants to communicate with speech, most deaf people rely on other methods of communication. Sign language has evolved naturally as the language of the deaf community, and new technology has allowed deaf individuals to communicate with greater ease.

Sign Language

• Sign language is a naturally occurring language that allows deaf people to communicate with each other. In most cases, each country has its own sign language--for instance, American sign language is different than Mexican sign language.

Facial Expression

• Whether using sign language or not, facial expression is important to deaf individuals for conveying attitude and emotion--the same information hearing people convey with vocal tone and inflection.

Homesign

• In the home, many signs often develop among family members that are unique to that family and its communication style.

Technology

• For long-distance communication, new technologies, such as video phones, allow deaf users to communicate visually.

Communication with Hearing People

• Some deaf individuals get hearing aids or cochlear implants for partial hearing and speech communication. Others, even without any hearing aid, learn to lipread and speak, although their intonation usually differs from that of hearing people.