ABSTRACT
Ethnicity alone does not define diversity, as this book clearly demonstrates. Diversity encompasses the variety endemic to humanity. What many fail to realize is that deaf people are part of the diversity spectrum as well (Leigh, Corbett, Gutman, & Morere, 1996). People react to “deaf” as a “difference,” a difference that is rarely welcomed or celebrated by mainstream society. Not hearing, in the eyes of many, equates being cut off from the world of sound, language, and life. In this respect, “deaf” becomes “not able” or, in other words, disabled, in comparison to hearing counterparts (Biderman, 1998; Corker, 1998; Davis, 1995; Humphries, 1993, 1996). And, as we know, people with disabilities have been marginalized; pitied; and rejected from jobs, housing, and social situations, among others. In fact, deaf people have been the victims of discrimination throughout history (Jankowski, 1997; Van Cleve, 1993). What is all too often overlooked is the resiliency of many deaf people and their ability to function as mentally healthy individuals, able to manage their lives independently. This chapter outlines the differences between the paradigms of deaf people as people with disabilities and deaf people as people with a culture, specifically Deaf culture. Next, how these paradigms have influenced deaf identity constructs is explored. The ethnic dimension and its interface with deafness is taken into account. Following this, mental health considerations are addressed.
