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Deaf Gain is a theoretical framework that counters the traditional view that deafness is a debilitating loss. Through this framework, our society can view how deafness and its communities contribute in various ways such as but not limited to philosophical, language, architecture, social, cultural and disabilities studies. As a social and linguistic minority, its phenomena in visual language is worth noting as a compelling study of human capabilities and desire to communicate.

Philosophy

Philosophically, deafness is typically perceived as a loss while Deaf communities and its members commemorate it with a sense of pride and normalcy. Also, as a cultural, linguistic minority, deaf communities and its members hail deafness with a sense of pride. H-Dirksen L. Bauman and Joseph J. Murray who co-authored Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity (2014) breaks down this framework into six aspects of gains, and one point is philosophical which touches on normalcy and biocultural diversity.^{[citation needed]}

Language

All over the world, Deaf people and signed languages are now being researched for studies about bilingualism and linguistics. Signed languages represent a cultural-linguistic minority which researchers are using to understand more about linguistics and bilingualism as a whole.^{[citation needed]}

Current studies in bilingualism are addressing cultural and linguistic minorities like signed languages and the Deaf. Specifically, these studies are focusing on how these individuals are using their native and primary language to acquire a second language. According to Garcia and Cole, theoretical frameworks in bilingualism are typically based on research of hearing but since have been influenced, redirected or reframed by studies in bilingualism of the Deaf.^[1]

American Sign Language (ASL) is revered as the primary and natural language of American Deaf people^{[by whom?]}. The fundamental language organization in ASL using linguistic analyses discovered by William Stokoe in the book Sign Language Structure: An Outline of Visual Communication Systems of the American Deaf (1960) embedded itself into the studies of linguistics in signed languages.^{[citation needed]}

Language Gains

According to George Veditz, "Sign Language is the noblest gift God has given to deaf people".^{[citation needed]} Rather than seeing deafness as an hearing loss in which something was missing, the term "Deaf Gain" was coined by Bauman and Murray as an effort to change public perception of deafness from what is lost to what is gained. They believed language to be an important aspect of what make us human and Sign Language and deaf people were the pioneers in revamping how we view previously viewed language. For instance, language have long been believed to be a unimodal phenomenon, however, although not uniformly agreed by all linguistics, more linguistics are recognizing that language constitutes multiple modalities. Deaf people and the study of sign languages have opened up new possibilities and a renewed attention toward sign language has expanded and influenced formerly perceived language ideologies.^[1]

Gainful Employment

It have been documented that hiring Deaf employees have been beneficial for their hearing employers in terms of work productivity and efficiency in manual labor. For instance, in 1905, a New York times article wrote an interesting piece on how sign language use is the reason deaf workers are more efficient at making telephones than hearing workers. Another example was an article published by the New York Times in 1907 in which deaf employees were valued and some employers actively recruit deaf workers as is the case of a bottling company. The owner of the bottling company mentioned how his Deaf workers were better workmen in all their factories and more than 50% of the employees were Deaf. In addition, after 7 years of observation the employer stated that deaf workers are distinguished from hearing works by their faithfulness and intelligence. Once introduced to an idea, the idea is quickly grasped and the task are performed efficiently. ^[1] Although dating back to the early twentieth century, these exempts are all example of deaf people ability to contribute to the workforce.

Cultural

“Deaf culture possesses all those features universal to being human.”^[1]

Through the cultural lens, the Deaf community does not view their deafness as a loss but an identity. In contrast to being regarded as a disability, deaf people believe that deafness is merely a hearing privation.^[1]

Martha’s Vineyard is a historical example of a thriving community that consisted of what many Deaf people consider a utopia. As reported by Nora Groce^[2], the deaf residents of Martha Vineyard in the 1800s were viewed as “pretty normal”, “merely a human variation such as eye color.”^[1]

Creative Gains

The Deaf Space Project

Let's imagine a world design by Deaf architects. The architecture will be totally different because Deaf architects have a unique perspective on building and designing.

The DeafSpace Project (DSP) was established in 2005 by Hansel Bauman in conjunction with ASL and Deaf Studies Department at Gallaudet University.^[3] Deaf Space guidelines were developed focusing on five major touch points: sensory reach, space and proximity, mobility and proximity, light and color, and acoustics.

Within sensory reach, Deaf people "read" activities in their surroundings through tactile and visual cues. Space is critical for Deaf people to have clear communication. Deaf signers typically maintain distance for effective visual communication using eye gaze, scanning the surrounding, and adjusting without interruption to the discourse. Deaf people use their eyes everyday, especially to communicate. Poor lighting conditions such as glare, shadow patterns, and backlighting interrupt visual communication and can lead to visual exhaustion. Lastly, acoustics involving reducing reverberation and background noise are considered to address varied hearing level for Deaf people.^{[citation needed]}

In the media

The topic of Deaf Gains was mentioned in the American television series Switched at Birth^[4]

Future research

Future research on Deaf Gain is needed. Deaf people continues to seek open dialogue and discussion on the theoretical frameworks of Deaf Gain.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bauman, H-Dirksen L. and, Joseph J. Murray (2014). Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity. University of Minnesota Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-8166-9122-7.
^ Groce, Nora Ellen (1985). Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Havard University Press.
^ "DeafSpace". www.gallaudet.edu. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
^ Asif, Saljooq M. (2018-02-23). "Deaf Gain Goes Prime Time: Identity, Spaces, and Marginalization in ABC Family's Switched at Birth". Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies. 12 (1): 35–51. ISSN 1757-6466.

[:0-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bauman, H-Dirksen L. and, Joseph J. Murray (2014). Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity. University of Minnesota Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-8166-9122-7.

[2] Groce, Nora Ellen (1985). Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Havard University Press.

[3] "DeafSpace". www.gallaudet.edu. Retrieved 2018-04-27.

[4] Asif, Saljooq M. (2018-02-23). "Deaf Gain Goes Prime Time: Identity, Spaces, and Marginalization in ABC Family's Switched at Birth". Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies. 12 (1): 35–51. ISSN 1757-6466.

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