September is National D/deaf Awareness Month, a time to celebrate D/deaf culture, language, and experiences. With 3 million Californians identifying as D/deaf and hard of hearing, the D/deaf community intersects with all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and geographies. To recognize the vastness of this community, we have compiled resources and information about the D/deaf community below!

While this story can’t cover every aspect of the D/deaf community, it aims to serve as an introduction to foster more discovery and action. This story has been created with contributions from DRC’s D/deaf Advocates.

D/deaf Advocates at DRC

DRC’s D/deaf Community Advocates Raven Sutton and Ken Datugan bring a wealth of expertise to their roles advocating for people who are D/deaf and hard of hearing. 

Raven and Ken advocate for the D/deaf and hard of hearing community to have better access to DRC and disability resources through attending community outreach events, presenting about D/deaf issues at conferences and workshops, and informing institutional changes.

“We’re spreading awareness about deaf people’s needs and wants and spreading awareness of the D/deaf perspective,”

–Raven Sutton

Sign Language

• Sign language is a visual language that combines hands, facial expressions, and head and body movements to deliver the full message. 
• Sign language is not a word-for-word English translation, it has its own language, structure, and grammar.
• Black American Sign Language or BASL/BSL is a dialect of American Sign Language. BASL started because Black students were segregated from attending D/deaf schools. Black ASL tends to incorporate more two-handed signs, and often places signs placed around the forehead instead of the lower body.
• While American Sign Language (ASL) is commonly used in the U.S., there are over 300 unique sign languages around the world.

Commonly used terms

• Writing “D/deaf” with the uppercase and lowercase letter “d” is useful when you aren’t sure how someone identifies. The D/deaf community is not a monolith, so it’s a best practice to ask someone what terms they prefer, because each person’s journey with their identity is different.
• Lower-case “small-d” deaf, refers to people who are medically deaf and may use devices such as cochlear implants. They may not have had exposure to the Deaf community because of their upbringing or due to losing hearing gradually. 
• “Deaf” with a capital “D” refers to people who consider themselves part of Deaf culture through things like sign language, advocacy, pride in the Deaf identity, and more. 
• “Hard of Hearing” refers to mild-to-severe hearing loss. People who identify as “hard of hearing” may be members of Deaf culture or may not identify as culturally deaf.
• The community prefers the full term “Deaf and Hard of Hearing” instead of “Hearing Impaired,” but it’s always best to ask how each individual person identifies.

Dates in D/deaf History

Getting involved

• Learn D/deaf history
• Follow D/deaf content creators
• Consider learning sign language or key phrases
• Identify ASL specifically as part of “access” materials
• Incorporate ASL interpretation in public-facing videos on social media, website, and other materials