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Deaf Women are just the same as Hearing Women
One of the simplest things to remember is that Deaf women are also women – they have all the same feelings, reactions and competences as do hearing women. They are governed by all the same legislation and should be offered all the same courtesies and understanding that hearing women experience. Equal pay, maternity leave, understanding about the care of children, homemaking and care of relatives, are all to be treated in the same way as for hearing women. (Back to top)
Deaf women are not the same as Hearing women
Paradoxically, of course, Deaf women are not in the same position as hearing women. They have had to cope with discrimination and harassment from an earlier age, from both deaf and hearing males; they are likely to have had greater difficulty in accessing education while at school or college; are likely to have been more detached from the workplace, from updating their skills while on maternity leave or sick leave and are more likely to have difficulty in participating in the mutual support networks that exist among women at work. (Back to top)
It is important to realise that some women would prefer to use a female interpreter, for example, if they go for a medical check up. It is also important to ask the Deaf woman whether she would prefer a female interpreter, even for things like appraisals. It is the Deaf woman´s right to have an interpreter an to specify her preference. This means that appointments need to be fixed; rather than specifying a day, a specific time must be agreed upon in order to book interpreters. (Back to top)
Deaf women homemakers
Deaf women often miss out on local information that hearing mothers take for granted. Very often Deaf mothers find it difficult to know which school to put their hearing children and as over 90% of Deaf parents have hearing children this can be a real difficulty. Many hearing mothers learn via word of mouth about which school they should send their children to. Deaf mothers do not have access to that information. Therefore if the Deaf woman in your workplace is local it would be helpful to share this type of information with her. (Back to top)
Men and women have different ways of talking about things in life. Deaf women can become paranoid if a group of people, especially men, are laughing as they may think they are talking about them. Hearing women can hear what is being said so they know what they are laughing about. It is a good idea to inform Deaf women briefly what they are laughing at.
Deaf women may also feel more vulnerable around male colleagues. They may feel that they can be taken advantage of more easily due to their deafness. Therefore Deaf women often feel more comfortable socialising in larger groups rather than one to one. (Back to top)
Deaf people are often more sensitive to body language and facial expression than hearing people. Therefore colleagues should be aware of this when with Deaf women. If for example, a manager needs to discipline a Deaf woman then he/she should treat her in the same way a hearing person would be treated but should be careful about using harsh facial expressions as she may be frightened by them. Similarly, men in particular should be careful about their body language when around Deaf women. Body language is often not meant in an aggressive way but may appear to be aggressive or overwhelming to Deaf women. Male colleagues should remember not to lean into the woman´s space so as not to appear oppressive. (Back to top)
Usually people like to use the telephone for an emergency situation as it is usually the most convenient way compared to any other means of communication. It is important to involve a Deaf woman right at the beginning as you would a hearing woman. It would mean when receiving a call, you would need to hold the line and fetch the Deaf woman. Deaf women must be treated the same as other women as mothers have the nature as the carers so they tend to worry about their children and their families more then men. (Back to top)
Because English is a second language to many Deaf people, Deaf women often find technology quite terrifying as do many hearing women with all the jargon. Deaf men often overcome their reading difficulties as it is in men´s nature to have hands on experience. Deaf women prefer to have one to one training and you will be surprised how quickly they will learn through clear visual demonstration. Instructions using simple bullet points will be sufficient. (Back to top)
Many Deaf mothers find it more difficult to make arrangements for medical appointments over the telephone if she or any of her children are ill. They may need to use the Typetalk service or an interpreter. If the employer is not flexible about making phonecalls in work time this can add to stress for the Deaf woman. It is also a fact that nationally interpreters are in great demand must be booked well in advance of an appointment. These issues may lead to a Deaf woman deciding that it is just too difficult and that the reason to go to the doctor is trivial when in fact they should be encouraged to take themselves or their children to be checked. (Back to top)
It is important to consider that Deaf women might need to have at least one woman in their presence when attending an important meeting such as staff review. Hearing women may feel the same but Deaf women feel it much more as they have been oppressed all their lives, no matter how trivial it may seem like to many of you. It will not take much of your time to ask a Deaf woman what she thinks. (Back to top)