#deaf advice

[thatwillnotagewell]

Hi, so it occurred to me recently that no one will directly teach you how to maintain hearing aids. And that sucks! So, buckle up kids, I’ve been wearing these hunks of junks for 15 years and I only really figured out how one does this last year.

I’ve only ever used behind the ear, so I’m going to break down the different types I have used.

Regular care

First things first, if you have custom earmolds, you should be getting new ones every six months from infancy until you’re about 6. Your audiologist should walk you through this. After that it’s about once a year or as needed. If you have an earmold that fits well, save it! Having a spare can make stressful situations much more manageable.

If you regularly (more than once every few months) have issues with wax buildup, you need to do something to clean your ears regularly. I’d suggest something like what I described under the “blockage in your ear canal” section.

Types of hearing aids

High powered hearing aids tend to be bulkier and use a hollow plastic tube. Hearing aids are complicated and it’s important to know what you can change at home.

Receivers in canal hearing aids tend to be much smaller and have wires instead of tubes. They generally have a lot less parts you can change, which makes them a lot harder to mess up and a lot harder to troubleshoot.

Specific trouble shooting (tubes)

If the hearing aid sounds *quieter* than normal, but there’s no distortion or muffling, change the battery. Make sure you turn (both of) your hearing aid(s) completely off and replace the battery.

If the hearing aid sounds *muffled* and the quality changes depending on your head placement, something is probably clogged.

It could be

A clog or bubble in the tube. Either disconnect the tube and run lukewarm water through (use a rubber air blower/ duster to thoroughly dry it before reconnecting it) or run a string through the tube. You can do both if you’re worried about whether you got it.

Blockage in your ear canal. You can use a ball pump to spray warm or lukewarm water into your bare ear. You should see chunks dislodge. You do have to learn how to angle it so you hit the ear drum. Don’t stick the tip in too far. If it hurts, stop doing that thing. There’s also ear softeners that will typically contain hydrogen peroxide. You can just buy a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and use that. You fill up the lid, pour it in your ear and leave it until it stops bubbling. Then you use a ball pump to gently rinse it out. Repeat as needed and then dry.

If the hearing aid sounds *muffled*, but it does not change based on your position, you likely have a bloated filter. Hearing aids will have a hook that screws onto the body of the hearing aid. They’re transparent or opaque. They have a small white ball just past where the hook screws onto the hearing aid. You should be able to see a small way around this ball. If you cannot, it is bloated and you need to change the hook. If you don’t have new hooks, you can fish the filter out, but that can be difficult.

If you are having *feedback* (particularly after certain sounds or words) you need to check your mic covers. Not all hearing aids have this, so if yours doesn’t, skip this. On older hearing aids, you’ll see a soft, black/ gray oval. You have to peel this up with fine point tools, correctly line up a replacement from a sticker sheet, and make sure it sticks. It’s a pain.

If you are having *feedback* generally, make sure you replace your tubes. If they have a hole or are improperly sized, they can generate feedback. Your tube should generally sit just inside the ear mold, with the metal or plastic plate (I don’t know what to call this? It’s a little thing that sticks out?) just below where the tube exits the top of the ear mold. Then, the tube should fit around the hook so the earmold stays on your ear without sitting too far forward or back. I know that’s vague, but you just have to figure out what works for you. Sorry. Also make sure your earmolds fit.

Specific trouble shooting (wires)

Change the filter on the bottom of the ear mold. Sure, you can take it out and leave it in a dry space if it turns off and refuses to turn back on, but there’s really only one part you can change. And that’s one filter. Oticons are brilliant when they work. When they don’t, get uncomfortably familiar with your audiologist.

When to go to the audiologist

I mean, you should go regularly. But for specific issues, generally I’d say:

If your problem is persistent and didn’t change after you’ve replaced every part you are safely equipped to

If your hearing aid is still too quiet after fresh batteries

Sounds are causing you pain

You are quickly overstimulated

A feature you need is not working/ is not enabled

Anything else you do not know how to address at home

When you go to the audiologist, make sure you have a list of specific symptoms, when (or in what situations) they occurred, and what outcome you would like to see from the audiologist.

This could go like (my real example):

I am overwhelmed when I hear high frequency noises. It puts me on the verge of tears to hear someone crinkle a chip bag or scoop ice. Is there a way for me to reduce the volume on high frequencies?

If you know a sign language, please make sure you request an interpreter when you make the appointment. It does very by country/ region whether they are required to provide you with one. However, in the United States, you should be provided with one under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Tools

A lot of hearing aids will come with this stuff, but just in case, here’s some of the stuff I was talking about.

Household items will absolutely do the job, but hearing aid kits like this make it easier to regularly clean them.

(Disclaimer that I haven’t used any of these. They just VERY closely resemble what I use on a daily basis.)

Conclusion

Hearing aids are weird! It’s hard to know what to do with them. I hope this helped.

[dannyphannypack]

Writing ASL: Techniques to Write Signed Dialogue

Hey, guys! I've been reading a lot of DC Batfamily fanfiction lately, and in doing so I realized how little I see of ASL being represented in written text (love you, Cass!). I wanted to briefly talk about tactics to writing American Sign Language (ASL), and ways that these techniques can help improve your writing in more general contexts!

SOME THINGS BEFORE WE GET STARTED

I will be discussing everything in terms of ASL! If you have a character who uses Chinese Sign Language or even British Sign Language, the same rules will not necessarily apply! Don't be afraid to do some extra research on them.

Do not let this dissuade you from writing a character who signs ASL! This is by no means the end-all be-all to writing ASL dialogue, and I do not intend this post to insinuate that by writing ASL the same way you write English you are deeply offending the Deaf community. If this is something you're interested in though, I highly recommend experimenting with the way you write it! Above all, have fun with your writing.

Related to 2nd rule, but still very important: not everyone will agree that sign language should be treated/written any differently than English. This is a totally valid and understandable stance to take! I do not hope to invalidate this stance by making this post, but rather to introduce an interested audience to how ASL operates in the modern world, and how that can be translated into text.

ADDRESSING SOME MISCONCEPTIONS

ASL is the same as English, just with gestures instead of words.

Actually, no! There is a language that exists that is like that: it's called Signing Exact English, and it's an artificial language; i.e., it did not come about naturally. All languages came from a need to communicate with others, and ASL is no different! It is a language all on it's own, and there is no perfect 1:1 way to translate it to English, just as any spoken language.

2. But everyone who signs ASL knows how to read English, don't they?

No, actually! Because it's a completely different language, people who sign ASL and read English can be considered bilingual: they now know two languages. In fact, fingerspelling a word to a Deaf person in search for the correct sign does not usually work, and is far from the preferred method of conversing with Deaf people.

3. Because ASL does not use as many signs as we do words to articulate a point, it must be an inferior language.

Nope! ASL utilizes 5 complex parameters in order to conversate with others: hand shape, palm orientation, movement, location, and expression. English relies on words to get these points across: while we may say "He's very cute," ASL will sign, "He cute!" with repeated hand movement and an exaggerated facial expression to do what the "very" accomplishes in the English version: add emphasis. Using only ASL gloss can seem infantilizing because words are unable to portray what the other four parameters are doing in a signed sentence.

4. Being deaf is just a medical disability. There's nothing more to it.

Fun fact: there is a difference between being deaf and being Deaf. You just said the same thing twice? But I didn't! To be deaf with a lowercase 'd' is to be unable to hear, while being Deaf with an uppercase is to be heavily involved in the Deaf community and culture. Deaf people are often born deaf, or they become deaf at a young age. Because of this, they attend schools for the Deaf, where they are immersed in an entirely different culture from our own. While your family may mourn the loss of your grandfather's hearing, Deaf parents often celebrate discovering that their newborn is also deaf; they get to share and enjoy their unique culture with their loved one, which is a wonderful thing!

YOU MENTIONED ASL GLOSS. WHAT IS THAT?

ASL gloss is the written approximation of ASL, using English words as "labels" for each sign. ASL IS NOT A WRITTEN LANGUAGE, so this is not the correct way to write it (there is no correct way!): rather, it is a tool used most commonly in classrooms to help students remember signs, and to help with sentence structure.

IF THERE'S NO CORRECT WAY TO WRITE IN ASL, THEN HOW DO I DO IT?

A most astute observation! The short answer: it's up to you. There is no right or wrong way to do it. The longer answer? Researching the culture and history, understanding sign structure, and experimenting with description of the 5 parameters are all fun ways you can take your ASL dialogue to the next level. Here are 3 easy ways you can utilize immediately to make dialogue more similar to the way your character is signing:

Sign languages are never as wordy as spoken ones. Here's an example: "Sign languages are never wordy. Spoken? Wordy." Experiment with how much you can get rid of without the meaning of the sentence being lost (and without making ASL sound goo-goo-ga-ga-y; that is to say, infantilizing).

Emotion is your friend. ASL is a very emotive language! If we were to take that sentence and get rid of the unnecessary, we could get something like "ASL emotive!" The way we add emphasis is by increasing the hand motion, opening the mouth, and maybe even moving the eyebrows. It can be rather intuitive: if you mean to say very easy, you would sign EASY in a flippant manner; if you mean to say so handsome, you would sign handsome and open your mouth or fan your face as if you were hot. Think about a game of Charades: how do you move your mouth and eyebrows to "act out" the word? How are you moving your body as your teammates get closer? There are grammar rules you can certainly look up if you would like to be more technical, too, but this is a good place to start!

Practice describing gestures and action. ASL utilizes three dimensional space in a lot of fun and interesting ways. Even without knowing what a specific sign is, describing body language can be a big help in deciphering the "mood" of a sentence. Are they signing fluidly (calm) or sharply (angry)? Are their signs big (excited) or small (timid)? Are they signing rushedly (impatient) or slowly? Messily (sad) or pointedly (annoyed)? Consider what you can make come across without directly addressing it in dialogue! Something ese about ASL is that English speakers who are learning it tend to think the speakers a little nosy: they are more than able to pick up on the unsaid, and they aren't afraid to ask about it.

Above all, don't be afraid to ask questions, do research or accept advice! New languages can be big and scary things, but don't let that make you shy away. Again, there is nothing wrong with deciding to write ASL the same as you write your English. I've personally found that experimenting with ASL dialogue in stories has aided me in becoming more aware of how to describe everything, from sappy emotional moments to action-packed fighting scenes. Writing ASL has helped me think about new ways to improve my description in more everyday contexts, and I hope it can be a big help to you as well, both in learning about Deaf culture and in pursuing your future writing endeavors. :)

P.S: I am quite literally only dipping my toes into the language and culture. I cannot emphasize how important it is to do your own research if it's someting you're interested in!

P.P.S: I want to apologize for my earlier P.S! What I meant by “I am … dipping my toes into the language and culture” was in direct regards to the post; what I should have said is “this post is only dipping its toes into the language and culture.” While I am not Deaf myself, I am a sophomore in college minoring in ASL and Deaf Culture, and I am steadily losing my hearing. Of course, that does not make me an authority figure on the topic, which is why I strongly encourage you to do your own research, ask your own questions, and consult any Deaf friends, family, or online peers you may have.

[cripplecharacters]

Hi!

We will no longer be taking asks about name signs or giving characters sign names.

If you (writer) are not Deaf do not make a name sign. If your character is not Deaf they cannot give name signs. Noun names (e.g. my name Rock) are not literally translated to be sign name, they are spelled.

Initials, abbreviations, nicknames, and initialized spellings are fine to use/make if you are not Deaf. Be aware these are for use in conversation after person being referenced has been established by spelling whole name.

If you are unsure what your situation is, just do not make name sign. Name sign will be such a small part of a story about a d/Deaf or signing character it does not matter much!

We are of course accepting other asks about sign language and Deaf culture! I'd love to see your characters and questions!

Mod Rock

[whumpinggrounds]

Writing Deaf Characters

I am making this a series now so pls drop requests if there is something you’re curious about!

Disclaimer: This is all based on personal experience and research, all of which relate to the American Deaf experience. It’s not perfect, nor is it representative of a global experience of d/Deafness. If you plan to write a d/Deaf or hard of hearing character, please do your own research! This is intended to give people a few ideas about where to start.

Vocab

Deaf = Refers to the cultural experience of being deaf and immersed in Deaf communities.

deaf = Inability to hear some or all sound.

Profoundly deaf = Inability to hear almost all or all sound.

d/Deafblind = Inability to hear some or all sound and as well as having some level (usually high) of visual impairment. 

Hard of hearing or HOH = A person whose inability to hear may not rise to the level of deafness or profound deafness, or simply may not identify with the term.

Deaf of deaf = A Deaf child born to Deaf parents.

CODA = Child Of Deaf Adults. This refers to hearing children, not d/Deaf children.

Manualism = Refers to the belief that d/Deaf children should be taught only sign language and should not be taught or expected to learn to speak.

Oralism = Refers to the belief that d/Deaf children should be taught only to speak and should be discouraged from learning or using sign language.

Bilingual-bicultural or bi-bi education = A school of thought that combines oral and manual education for d/Deaf children.

Mainstreaming = The belief that d/Deaf children should be educated in the same schools and classrooms as hearing students. (More widely refers to the belief that disabled students in general should be educated in the same schools and classrooms as nondisabled students.)

Deaf gain = The Deaf community’s answer to the term “hearing loss.” Rather than losing hearing, a person is said to be gaining Deafness.

Cochlear implant/CI = A medical device implanted into the inner ear which (debatably) produces sensation that is (somewhat) analogous to hearing.

American Sign Language or ASL = An American system of communication consisting of hand shapes, hand movements, body language, facial expressions, and occasionally, vocalizations.

Signed Exact English or SEE = A manner of communicating that directly translates English words into signed equivalents.

Home sign(s) = Signed communication that is specific to the signer’s home or community, which may not exist or be recognized in the wider world.

Identity First Language or IFL = A system in which someone is described first by an identifier that they choose and feel strongly connected to. Examples include describing someone as an Autistic woman, a disabled individual, or a Deaf man.

Key Elements of Deaf History

Can’t emphasize this enough - this is a VERY abbreviated list! It is also not in order. Sorry. That being said:

For a long time in America, Deaf children were not educated, nor was it considered possible to educate them. When this did change, American deaf children were educated in institutions, where they lived full-time. These children were often taken from their families young, and some never regained contact with their families. Some died and were buried at these institutions, all without their families’ knowledge.

In the early 20th century, oralism became popular among American deaf schools. This mode of teaching required lip reading and speech, no matter how difficult this was for students, and punished those who used or attempted to use sign language. Pure oralism is now widely considered inappropriate, outdated, and offensive.

Hopefully you’ve gleaned this from the above points, but d/Deaf schooling, education, and the hearing world’s involvement are a very sensitive subject. Proceed with caution. It’s unlikely your d/Deaf character would have a neutral relationship with schooling.

Helen Keller is probably the most famous deafblind person in America. In her time, she was also known for being a socio-political activist, a socialist, and a vaudeville actress. There are dozens of other famous d/Deaf people who are a quick Google search away. Give your Deaf character Deaf heroes, please.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was passed in 1991, and represented a landmark victory for disabled activists in America. Among its provisions were closed captioning for Deaf individuals, ASL interpreters for public services, and the right for d/Deaf children to attend accessible, accommodating public schools. The ADA is a HUGE deal. It’s also not perfect.

In 1961, cochlear implants were invented. I was going to write more about cochlear implants here, but it’s too long. New section.

Cochlear Implants

Massively massively massively controversial in the Deaf community. Always have been, potentially always will be. For people who strongly identify with Deafness and the Deaf community, CIs are an attack on their identity, their personhood, and their community’s right to exist. 

Do not allow people to “hear.” The input that a person receives from CI can, with physical therapy, training, and time, be understood and processed in a similar way to sound. This does not mean it would be recognizable to a hearing person as sound. It is often described by people who have them as being metallic, buzzy, or robotic. YouTube is a great resource for sound references.

In order for a cochlear implant to be effective, a personal will have to participate in years of training and therapy to correct process, understand, and interpret the feedback given by the CI. This is not negotiable. Even if your character just lost their hearing in an accident last week, a CI will not allow them to instantaneously regain that hearing. Nothing that currently exists in the real world will do that.

CIs, to be most effective, are almost always implanted when the recipient is very young. This decision is often made by hearing parents. This, again, is massively controversial, as Deaf activists argue that it violates the child’s bodily autonomy and is inherently anti-Deaf.

A cochlear implant, once placed, irreparably destroys any residual hearing that the recipient may have had. This is because it penetrates the inner ear in order to function. This residual hearing cannot be regained, even if the cochlear implant is not used.

Deaf people do choose to get cochlear implants of their own accord. Many d/Deaf people are very happy with their cochlear implants! It is still a highly charged choice in light of the political history surrounding d/Deafness and hearing.

Notes About American Sign Language

ASL is not a signed version of English. It is a distinct language, with its own vocabulary, slang, and grammar. Just a sentence would not be constructed the same way in Russian, Spanish, or Tagalog, a sentence in ASL would not be a direct translation of its English equivalent.

Deaf people have historically lower rates of literacy. This is not due to a lack of intelligence; it is because ASL and English are two different languages. ASL has no written equivalent. In order to be able to read or write, d/Deaf children must learn an entirely different language. This means that it is not realistic to always be able to communicate with d/Deaf people through writing.

As ASL is a visual language, many signs started out as very literal gestures. This means that many older signs are continuously being phased out as they or their roots are recognized as stereotypical or offensive. Please be careful in researching signs. I recommend Handspeak or Signing Savvy for accurate, relatively up-to-date information.

Many online “teachers” do not have credentials to teach ASL, and especially due to the prevalence of “baby sign,” home signs, invented signs, or false information spreads unchecked. If you see multiple different signs advertised for the same English word, please be diligent in checking your sources.

Not every English word has a distinct signed equivalent, and not every sign has an English equivalent.

SEE is almost never used by Deaf people. It’s rarely used and is generally thought of as a “lesser” version of both English and ASL.

ASL is a complete, complex, nuanced language. A character would not switch into SEE for a technical conversation or really any reason. Complex ideas, technical terms, and even poetry can all be expressed in American Sign Language.

Just like in English, there are some signs that are only considered appropriate for certain people to use. For example, the sign for “Black” when referring to a Black person has a modified version that is only used by Black signers. This does not mean it is a slur or the equivalent of a slur. It is a sign reserved for Black signers referring to other Black people.

Things to Consider/Avoid/Be Aware Of

I hesitate to tell anyone to avoid anything, because I don’t think I have that authority. That being said:

The Deaf community has a complicated history and relationship with cochlear implants and the concept of being “cured.” What message are you sending when you write a story in which a d/Deaf character is “cured” of their d/Deafness?

Generally speaking, d/Deaf people do not identify with the “disabled” label. Each person has their own preferences, and those preferences should always be respected. Your character(s) may choose differently than their real life community, but you should put thought into why that is.

Generally speaking, d/Deaf people use IFL. This means that a majority of d/Deaf people in America would describe themselves as d/Deaf people, rather than people with deafness, people with hearing loss, people that are hard of hearing, etc.

Okay I lied I’m going to tell you what to do here: Do not use words like mute, deaf-mute, or dumb when describing d/Deaf people. Hearing impaired is also not ideal but is considered outdated, rather than outright offensive.

The best lip readers are judged to be able to catch 30% of the words people say. How realistic is it to have a character that relies 100% on lipreading? What do you gain when you write a character that lipreads, and what do you lose?

Yes, Deaf people can drive. I don’t know why so many people wonder about this. It’s okay if you didn’t know, but please don’t come into my ask box about it.

Assistive Devices/Aids

Cochlear implants ^ see above

Interpreters. Will have gone to school for years, might have specific training for certain environments or technical terms, etc. For instance, an interpreter that works with Deaf people that have mental illnesses would be fully fluent in ASL as well as having requisite mental health training in order to interpret for them. Interpreters could be a whole other post actually, but I won’t tackle that now.

Closed captions. Self-explanatory.

Alarm clocks, fire alarms, and doorbells that use light instead of sound. This is sometimes a typical flashing light, but particularly fire alarms in predominantly d/Deaf spaces can be overwhelmingly bright. Bright like you’ve never seen before. Bright enough to wake someone from a dead sleep.

Some assistive devices also use sensation - alarms that actually shake bedframes exist and are the best choice for some people!

Service dogs - can alert people to sounds like the above - fire alarms, doorbells, knocking, etc.

Hearing aids. Generally not controversial in the way that CIs are. Only effective if people have residual hearing. Do not really expand the range of sounds people can hear, just amplify sounds in that range. Very, very expensive.

Microphones. If a d/Deaf or HOH person is in a crowd/lecture setting, the speaker will want to use a microphone. If this is a frequent occurrence, the microphone may be linked to a small personal speaker or earbud used by the d/Deaf or HOH person.

TTY: Much less frequent now that everyone can text and email, but stands for Text Telephone Device and was/is a way to send written communication over a telephone line. The message is sent, the phone rings, and a robot voice reads the message. Obviously, this is not effective for d/Deaf people communicating with other d/Deaf people, but it was often used to communicate with hearing people/hearing establishments, as when setting up appointments.

Media About/Including Deafness

No media is perfect and unproblematic, but here are somethings I have seen that I can verify do at least a pretty good job -

CODA is a movie that features Deaf actors, ASL, and a story about growing up, family, and independence vs. interdependence. 

The Sound of Metal is a movie that features ASL and a story about identity, recovery, and hearing loss/Deaf gain.

A Quiet Place is a movie features ASL and Deaf actors, although Deafness itself is not necessarily integral to the story.

BUG: Deaf Identity and Internal Revolution by Christopher Heuer is a collection of essays by a Deaf man that discuss a wide range of topics. This book is not always up to modern standards of political correctness.

Train Go Sorry by Leah Hager Cohen is a memoir by the granddaughter of a Deaf man, which discusses the intersections of the hearing and Deaf worlds.

Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon is a research book about the effect of horizontal identity on parent/child relationships and features a chapter on d/Deafness. This is a good look at how d/Deafness can impact familial relationships. Some aspects of the book are outdated, and it was written by a hearing author, albeit one who extensively interviewed Deaf and hearing parents of Deaf children.

If you made it this far, congratulations! Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my lil/not so lil primer :) If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback, please feel free to hit me up! If you have any requests for a diagnosis or a disability you’d like me to write about next, I’d love to hear it. Happy writing!

[alpaca-clouds]

On Writing Disabilities

When it comes to writing minorities we usually talk a lot about LGBTQ* and BI_PoC, but the topic that usually gets overlooked are disabilities. While at this point we might see some version of characters with autism, and ADHD. Usually in a way that the characters are a bit "oddballs", though, not in the way of characters being non-verbal and rarely only involving symptoms like meltdowns and such.

And in general... It annoys me. Especially in western media.

During the last two or three years Japanese media has incresingly started to include a lot more disability representation, even among main characters. This mostly happens in slice of life anime and manga, but it generally is a nice change of pace. But there is also stuff like Witch Hat Atelier, that goes stronger into disabilities in a fantasy world.

Now, there is some representation in western media. I mean, Dragon Prince comes to mind with aunt Amaya, and some of the background characters in Miraculous Ladybug have some disabilities. However, I cannot think of a single piece of visual media at the very least with a disabled main character. At least not within all the scifi/fantasy stuff I am consuming.

And even when it comes to side characters, it is not very common. Same with books. And maybe there is a good reason for this, because it really turns out that a lot of abled people suck at imagining disabilities, because when they think about a disability, they will usually think about what they would do if they became suddenly disabled in a very specific way.

The issues with that are somewhat multifold.

One part s, that a lot of abled people misunderstand disabilities in general. This basically boils down to binary thinking. Either something works 100% or it does not work at all. This is why abled people will act as if they have found you cheating when you stand up from your wheelchair. They do not realize that most people who sit in a wheelchair are not in fact paraplegic, but sit in the wheelchair for other reasons. When I need the wheelchair, I need it, because my blood oxygen levels are too low, and I am very, very dizzy on that day, so without the wheelchair I would not be able to move around without falling over. I can however stand up for a moment to fetch something, or I can get up and easily transfer into my bed or a toilet. Other people sit in a wheelchair because of chronic pain, or fits of weakness, or cramps or... the reasons are endless, really. Many people who sit in a wheelchair do not use the wheelchair every day. I am by now down to 2-3 days a month. But on those days I either stay in bed or need to use the wheelchair.

And the same goes with other disabilities. People hear "deaf" and think the people hear nothing. Most people who are labled deaf are in fact hard of hearing. They hear something, just not enough to function like a normal hearing person. Most legally blind people are able to see something. Some see in little flecks, some see just very blurry, some see on one eye and not the other... It goes on like this. But most times when abled people write about this, they do not depict it this way. Because they do not understand disability.

And again, they usually will look at it often from the perspective of suddenly loosing something that they have.

And mind you: Yes, most disabilities are not a thing you have at birth. You will gain this disability somehow during the course of your life. But here is the thing: No matter when you acquire your disability, you will get used to it. Sure, it might be a shock at first, and a lot of the depictions by abled people writing disabled people, might work if the character has recently acquired that disability. But it does usually not work for a character who has been disabled for 10+ years, or who has actually been disabled from birth.

Abled people can often not imagine that there are in fact disabled people - especially among those who have been disabled from birth - who do not want to be "healed". And cannot imagine that to some people "healing" is actually horrifying. We often hear tearjerker stories about blind and deaf people being cured and first seeing/hearing their loved ones. The stories we do not hear are the stories of those being "healed" and then finding, that actually they just mentally cannot properly deal with the visual or audio information and find it horrifying and/or painful.

And that is the other issue with writing disabled people: Often disabled people are written just to be healed. And that is just... not optimal.

So, what am I even trying to say?

Honestly, I don't know. Probably: Read actually stuff from the perspective of disabled people. And keep in mind that disabled people will always exist. Like, if you do not have disabled people existing in your fantasy/scifi works, I will always assume you are eugenicist.

[scriptlgbt]

I have a deaf trans character who went completely deaf in his teens. He is on T. Is it normal for him to be very conflicted on how he sounds to people? Would he be scared, especially when he starts passing more because the voice in his head will always be his old voice? Would he try to ask people to describe exactly how his voice sounds? Is it okay if he really wants a 'cure' due to this and never cared before he came out? Doesn't actually get the cure though.

I'm hard of hearing so my qualifications for answering this are limited. I can hear my own voice. This is my frame of reference here. I hope that deaf trans people can chime in.

When my voice dropped, I could physically feel the change when I talked. I would go to say something in the way I normally would, but it would feel more strained, or I would feel my voice break. (Hard to explain this feeling... It's like a pressure just gives way and I can feel my voice go softer? I don't know.)

I think in general, it's normal to feel self-conscious when your voice is changing. People who have known you with a higher voice seeing you for the first time in a year might be surprised and comment on your voice. Mine changed over a really short timespan so I had more people notice the change and comment on it and usually people expressed they were a big fan. I had platonic friends say it was hot, even. And I think, at least in my own trans community, there's a lot of celebration when people go through milestone changes.

The voice in my head has never been of any particular range or pitch. Sometimes there's an intonation to it, and if I focus, I can imagine a sound so clearly it nearly becomes hallucination. But my normal inner voice is more of just general language, maybe even closer to text than sound. This is another one of those things that varies with everyone.

I think that the story you're describing with your questions strikes me as an unusual level of hyperfixation on this. There are definitely people who do fixate on one specific dysphoric trigger, usually either isolated from trans community or whose only trans community are people obsessed with "passing" and coming across as cis enough. This usually speaks to an unhealthy community surroundings and a very big sense of danger in some way, whether founded in reality or not.

But I also don't see why this character wouldn't want to de-prioritize voicing if he has these concerns to this extreme of a degree. We (or me anyway) live in a society which is oralist. Everyone is assumed to communicate via oral language, and this is audist (part of the oppression against deaf and hard of hearing people). This is going to depend extremely on individual access, but, if this character has access to resources to learn the local sign language, this seems like a normal option. It's only really helpful if you know other people to sign with, but that usually comes more easily once you take the step to start learning in the first place. Some d/hh people also use other means of communicating, like typing.

There are some people I know who sometimes go nonspeaking and who carry a notepad for that reason, and will use this to interface with clerks or friends or whoever else they need to. There's also AAC in general.

None of this is to say that these things don't mean facing oppression, harassment, misunderstandings and assumptions from strangers. But I do know that some of the folks I know who use nonspeaking methods of communication are sometimes gendered differently by strangers who do not hear their voice. If this is truly that severe of an anxiety, this is probably the route the character would go.

But I don't think this level of hyperfixation on this is necessarily normal. I think wishing for a cure gets into some really big existentialism, like, what if this extremely core part of me were entirely different? It also assumes that deafness is necessarily a disease that requires cure, rather than something that just happens sometimes, which might or might not be related to some pathology or pathological origin.

I'm sorry to keep bugging them with my tags, but I rec reading work by @cripplecharacters.

But overall I'd just avoid writing this if you haven't experienced it. It's a really specific kind of experience and anxiety. I don't know your identities or anything, but if you are cis and hearing, I would probably just come across this and see it as weird and almost like... making these identities into an unnecessarily traumatizing spectacle. These can be things real people experience that can be represented, but they aren't for every writer to write. Not until people from those experiences write on them and get adequate success from that.

-mod nat

[luna-azzurra]

how do i write a character using sign language?

Hello here are some Tipps ✨

1. Research Sign Language: Start by researching the sign language that your character uses. Sign languages vary from country to country, so identify which sign language is relevant to your character's background.

2. Consult Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals: To create an authentic representation, it's important to consult with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Seek their insights on sign language, Deaf culture, and the experiences of people with hearing impairments. This will help you avoid stereotypes and misconceptions.

3. Develop a Backstory: Create a backstory for your character that explains their relationship with sign language. Were they born deaf, or did they lose their hearing later in life? How did they learn sign language, and who taught them?

4. Show, Don't Tell: When writing a character who uses sign language, show their communication through actions and dialogue. Describe the signing gestures and expressions, and convey the nuances and emotions of their interactions.

5. Include Interpreters: Depending on your story's context, you may need to include interpreters to facilitate communication between your signing character and those who don't know sign language. Describe how this interaction works within the story.

6. Highlight Cultural Aspects: If your character is part of the Deaf community, explore the cultural aspects of that community, such as shared values, customs, and experiences. This can provide depth to your character and the narrative.

7. Diverse Personalities: Just like any other character, make sure your signing character has a unique personality, with strengths, weaknesses, goals, and motivations. Avoid reducing their identity solely to their use of sign language.

8. Respect and Sensitivity: Approach the portrayal of a character who uses sign language with respect and sensitivity. Be cautious not to sensationalize their deafness or make it the sole focus of their character.

9. Subtitles and Descriptions: If your story is written, consider using subtitles or descriptions to convey the signing character's words and expressions to the reader. This allows you to depict both the sign language and the dialogue in a way that's accessible to all readers.

[aesthetically-dying101]

TW vent abt some ableist shit i got hit with today (maybe?) i need advice

This is a genuine question to every disabled person on this app cause idk if i'm the one going insane, but basically i was sitting at lunch with some friends today, and this other girl i didn't know (jessica for the sake of online privacy) started talking to me.

Then she pointed out my hearing aids (signa, they're pretty discrete but are visible) and asked about them.

So i explained my disease and my nervous damage and whatnot... (i'm hard of hearing, as in 80% loss in my left ear, 70% in the other)

She then told me she related to me, and for a second i genuinely thought she was either deaf or hoh... BITCH I WAS SO WRONG

She told me that during this summer she went scuba diving and water got stuck behind her eardrum. (she has no issues now, she recovered 100%)

So she knew how i felt, she then went on a tangent about how hard it is to lose your hearing.

???

Is it wrong that this pisses me off??? Like you can't relate to me?? You barely understand what it's like to lose you hearing.

So uh yeah, this feels so weird to say to someone who's disabled, like idk, to me it feels like telling someone who's lost a leg that you relate to them bc you broke your leg.

Yeah anyways, am i being dramatic? Cause i feel like i'm justified but it could be coming from a nice place?

[fictionwriterthingss]

So you want to write a deaf/HoH character

Photo © Durgesh Kumar, all rights reserved

Admittedly, this isn’t something I’ve done myself. I’ve never written a deaf or hard of hearing character, but I’ve had people ask in a Discord server I’m in “hey, does anyone have any resources on how to write a character that is deaf or hard of hearing?” and I took the chance to find some resources for them – ones that turned out to be pretty valuable, and that I want to share here. 

I love when people include disabilities in their writing, whether visible or invisible. To me, it makes the characters feel more alive and adds another layer of depth to who they are as a person, even though they’re… not real. Adding that aspect to characters gives something for a group of readers to relate to, and can help them feel seen where they might not be seen otherwise. 

It can be difficult to write about a disability that you yourself have never experienced, and with the fact that you haven’t experienced said disability is something that can lead to stigmas and stereotypes that aren’t necessarily accurate, especially if you’ve only viewed what outside media has shown you, or what you’ve observed in public settings. Research is so important for topics like this, especially to find resources from people who do experience it on a daily basis, whether it’s something that has developed over time, or something that they were born with.

Without further ado, the resources I’ve discovered.

https://www.tfrohock.com/blog/2016/9/12/writing-deaf-characters - this blog by T. Frohock is very to the point. She begins by saying she doesn’t normally write “how-to’s”, but this one is an exception, and works to provide her own experiences, open about the fact she uses a cochlear implant to hear those around her – or not hear, if she chooses to “turn you off” in her “about” on her blog. She gives a short overview of types of hearing loss, and communication, and also recommends reaching out to an audiologist to learn more about the types of hearing loss. She also gives two links to .org websites if you’re looking for sources. She’s also written two companion pieces to this initial post. The first one is for hearing authors, and the second is about sensitivity readers. I’ve linked both of these in this section, so check them out as well if you’d like a more in-depth look at T. Frohock’s advice.

https://www.sfwa.org/2021/03/23/how-to-write-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing-characters/ - this post by Melanie Ashford on the sfwa website gives a good guide on how to approach deaf/hoh characters. Melanie herself is a hard of hearing author, so her advice is profound and solid, as she is a primary source on how to approach writing these characters. She makes a point in her introduction to say she’s been using hearing aids for 4 years (at the time of posting the article in 2021) and reminds the reader that everyone experiences hearing loss differently, and has different feelings about auditory assistance devices, such as the cochlear implants and how many people in the Deaf community believe them to be controversial and unwanted. She references the social stigma surrounding the Deaf community, and also reminds the reader that deaf characters should be just as well rounded as hearing ones. Though her article isn’t in depth, it’s a great guideline to follow.

https://www.tumblr.com/concerningwolves/168567651639/writing-deaf-characters-speech-is-speech - tumblr user concerningwolves posted this in 2017, and with more than 19,000 likes and nearly 14,000 reblogs, it’s a valuable resource for those who want to write HoH characters. Though a tad aggressive, concerningwolves makes it a point to be, well, to the point and separates their post into two separate posts. I’ve yet to find the second one, and honestly, digging through 7 years of blog posts to find the second one is a little overwhelming, but even this one post is a goldmine of do’s and don’t’s for this particular community.

https://deafaq.tumblr.com/post/190549529559/comprehensive-guide-to-writing-deaf-characters - deafaq on tumblr has a comprehensive guide to writing deaf/HoH characters. This blog in itself is not meant to be for writing help, but they had gotten enough questions about it to make this post back in 2020. Compared to concerningwolves’s tumblr post, this one has less than 2,000 likes but is still full of good and valuable information for the reader.

[concerningwolves]

Hi, im a romantic fantasy author whose book is coming out in february and ive recently sent out arcs.

In my book at the beginning there is a deaf side character that uses hearing aids.

And one of my arc dears thinks i handled this incorrectly.

I read your article on writing HoH characters and was wondering if you were willing to sensitivity read those chapters.

I have the rest of the month to make corrections and am willing to do so if it improoves the story.

I am not HoH but their opinion was i shouldnt use terms like tone-deaf, or fell on deaf ears, even if those phrases have nothing to do with that character.

I thought i had done my due dilligence but am happy for some guidence

Hi!

So firstly, regarding "tone-deaf", "fell on deaf ears": these kind of phrases are... thorny. Which is to say that for some d/Deaf and HoH people they will be offensive, and for others they won't. I personally don't find them offensive, per se, because I register them as metaphors and I feel like 99% of people who use them do so without any thought or ableist intent. They're also so normalised as turns of phrase in the English language that I doubt many of us really even notice their use. But I'm also very aware that they do carry ableist attitudes, e.g.,

"tone deaf" -> the "deaf" is used to imply that they're too ignorant or stupid to gauge the situation. This matters because it has long been a stereotype that HoH and d/Deaf people are inherently stupid (whereas the reality is that we're navigating the world with less or no auditory information, and there are also systemtic problems that mean many HoH and d/Deaf people recieve a lower quality of education).

"fell on deaf ears" -> also equates deafness with ignorance or an unwilingness to listen, and reinforces negative stereotypes about many d/Deaf and HoH people not trying "hard enough" to listen or are being deliberately ignorant or difficult. (Not to mention, if the person were literally deaf, there would be other non-verbal ways to communicate with them).

In a similar vein, people – including medical professionals! – have often described my left ear as my "good" ear and my right ear as my "bad", when what they mean is "ear I have some hearing in" and "ear i have basically no hearing in". It's an unfortunate manifestation of attitudes that equate disability with morality and usefulness, and why I encourage people to find other words than "bad"/"good" when describing injured/disabled limbs and organs. Language is cool and powerful that way.

Therefore, even though I as a deaf person am not directly offended by phrases like these, I'd still encourage finding alternatives. It's a small change, but the kind of thing I would notice and appreciate, as I'm sure a lot of other deaf people would (even if just on a subconscious level).

As for sensitivity reading: If you'd like to hire me (this is what I do for a living, alongside freelance editing services), I'd absolutely be willing! :) Fiction sensitivity reads typically cost between £15–£20 per hour, but I'm happy to negotiate a flat fee too. You can email me at editing@arthompsoncentral.com if you have any questions or want to discuss details (and there's no obligation involved – if you decide not to go ahead after a discussion, that's fine).

Thank you for your question!

[bodhrancomedy]

Ok I have a lot of people asking me for advice to get into acting so here’s my actual advice (despite being a beginner actor myself)

1. Put yourself out there. Meet people. Be kind and helpful and just generally pleasant to be around. I got an agent because I met a guy on TT who was part of that agency and forwarded an opportunity and now I’ve been represented for about a year. That guy is also one of my best friends now.

2. WRITE DOWN DEADLINES JESUS CHRIST. In the last week, I missed out on two opportunities because I totally forgot to apply. Also, keep your emails organised. (I’m guilty of both of those).

3. Mandy is probably to be avoided. It’s free but there’s a ton of dodgy shit on it in my experience. Backstage is probably the best casting site for beginners but it costs money.

4. For the love of God, if a casting call specifies a race or inborn trait (I.e disability) you don’t have, don’t go for it. It doesn’t look good. (Never done this, had this done to me)

5. You don’t pay agents. They take money out of your cut once you get work. If an agency asks for money, it’s a scam.

6. Student films are good, but don’t tend to pay. They’re for getting showreel footage.

7. “For exposure” is bullshit. Acting is work. Work gets paid.

8. Not getting the job doesn’t mean the door’s closed. If they liked you, they’ll keep you in mind. Sometimes that is quicker than you think.

9. Unless you were asked to read from an existing script (ie bring your own and you brought Shakespeare) DO NOT PUT YOUR AUDITION ON LINE. Not only is it unprofessional, you’ve outed yourself as someone they’ll have to watch regarding NDAs.

10. Channel 4 (or more accurately smaller companies subcontracted to Channel 4) trawl Backstage and StarNow looking for young people to put in reality type shows. Think really fucking carefully before you take them. Usually they’re unpaid and really scummy TV. I’ve been offered twice, one I got close to since they pitched it as an opportunity to talk about politics and it was asking me to talk about losing my virginity. If the word “spicy” comes up, that’s an alarm bell.

11. Skills. Skills. Skills. Go try things you haven’t done. Try and build a network of Things You Can Do. Not only does this keep you fit and happy, but you can make friends. Also, looks great on your CV.

[quotelr]

Though love may be blind, it sees much;though it may be deaf, it hears much;though it may be mute, it says much;and though it may be lame, it does much.

Matshona Dhliwayo

[cripplecharacters]

Just curious, what's the reason/meaning behind doing stuff like d/Deaf? Is there an importance to the capitalisation I'm oblivious to?

Hi!

Yes, capital D Deaf is for cultural Deafness and lowercase d deaf is for the literal condition of not being able to hear.

Writing d/Deaf is inclusive of people who are culturally Deaf as well as people who are deaf but not involved in Deaf community.

I write d/Deaf/hoh which is inclusive of hard of hearing people as well (there is a threshold of hearing loss between being medically considered deaf or hard of hearing). Hard of hearing people can also be culturally Deaf.

Please see the resources in our pinned post for more information on the Deaf community :) [smile face]

Mod Rock

[moontxt]

how do you guys deal with the dread of picking a masters program and going into debt and applying for grad school and actually going and not knowing if you will enjoy it or if you will make any money at all even though it seems pretty promising but you can’t predict the future and what if it’s all misery forever. what then

[lexiconne]

Dumb Writer Needs Help Writing Disability!!

So, I have this project I've been working on that has come together really nicely here lately. It's on its rewrite phase, and I really want to make sure it's exactly the way I want it to be this time.

However! I am going to be writing about several main characters with physical disabilities, and as I have no personal experience and very little other experience with their disabilities, I'd like to ask those who do for input.

I have already done research! However, it can be just as valuable if not more so to ask the source directly for personal recounts, and I tend to have trouble reading/really comprehending/remembering resources that are worded too stiffly. I have the basic terms down (I think), but I want to know: what's something that irritates you about the disability on a day to day basis? What's something you find comforting about it? Are there any positives you'd like to express? Any little neutral happenings that just go along with it? Think how glasses wearers (me) know that touching the lenses is the WORST thing to do, and rain is a MASSIVE pain in the butt. Just little things that I can perhaps include and make the characters and their experiences seem more authentic.

I currently have:

a Deaf character (can only hear very faint sounds) who has special Magic Fantasy Hearing Aids™ to help magnify existing sound to whatever degree he needs. They do have downsides and are not perfect, and he makes frequent references to being Deaf; they're not a magical way to make him un-disabled when convenient, just a disability aid that would exist in this world in their time period. He's been Deaf since birth.

a character who loses a limb (her leg) and creates her own robotic prosthetic. This has world-specific drawbacks like needing to be oiled, getting too hot or cold, etc. but I would love to include real-world ones too. (I know next to nothing about prosthetics ^.^*)

A character who has her voice sealed away via a curse, making her speech-impaired (mute? Is that offensive?) in that she cannot form words. Sounds can be made, but they cause pain. This one is more heavily tied to the fantasy aspect and while I can make up my own rules for a curse, I'd like to include some real-world similar experiences to make it seem more grounded.

(The first and third one meet and he teaches her sign language!)

Please feel free to mention any aspects you want or point out if I've said something you find odd! Plus, if you have any more resources you want to link like official articles and such, that would be so appreciated. This is a learning post. <3

Thank you for your patience, time, and energy!

_

TLDR: need help from disabled peoples! Please infodump on me!

[chamomiletealeaf]

I’m all about inclusivity and accuracy in my writing. What are some ways/ideas I can be more inclusive for readers? :) I was thinking about researching to write a deaf/hard of hearing reader, or reader with a wheelchair (I don’t know if using the term disabled would be offensive or not) but if any of you guys have any tips or suggestions please please please leave a comment or leave some in my asks! :))