Deaf Women Research Articles

Hear our voices: The perceptions and experiences of women who are Deaf on gender-based violence

Background: While all women are at risk of gender-based violence (GBV), it is essential to acknowledge that women are not a homogenous group and that women who are Deaf may experience GBV differently. This study aimed to answer the question: What are the perceptions and experiences of GBV among women who are Deaf?Objectives: The study’s objectives were to explore and describe these women’s understanding of GBV terminology, their perceptions of GBV and challenges regarding support strategies in place to respond to their unique circumstances.Method: A qualitative study with four workshops was conducted with 60 participants. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: The results yielded three themes that intrinsically spoke to women’s understanding of GBV terminology, perception of GBV and challenges accessing support. The results highlight that women who are Deaf are at a greater risk of GBV. Participants emphasised the importance of exploring the perceptions of GBV among men who are Deaf. Findings also indicated women’s challenges when seeking support.Conclusion: The findings underscore the necessity of offering specific assistance to Deaf women facing GBV. Based on the study findings, it can be concluded that those providing support in GBV matters should receive specialised training in GBV, including Deaf culture and South African sign language.Contribution: The study findings contribute to the field of disability and the development of effective GBV strategies and programmes that are inclusive of women who are Deaf within a South African context.

Indexical deprivation: The dominant link between cochlear implants and global English among Taiwanese deaf individuals

AbstractThis paper develops the concept of “indexical deprivation” from the experiences of English learning in relation to cochlear implant use among Taiwanese deaf adults. Based on the framework of language ideological assemblage, this paper traces how institutional discourses and practices at different levels contribute to the indexicalization between cochlear implants and elevated proficiency in English as a global language. By examining the top‐down discourses and bottom‐up narratives of two Taiwanese deaf women, the study demonstrates how enhanced English proficiency has been linked to cochlear implants and how individuals are deprived of the capacity to recognize alternative links. This paper highlights how global English has promoted the status of cochlear implants in a sociolinguistic context where English is spoken as a foreign language and increasingly gains prominence at multiple societal levels.

Deaf Women’s Use of Sign Language and Deaf Identity: Focusing on Growth Over Time

Deaf Women’s Use of Sign Language and Deaf Identity: Focusing on Growth Over Time

Do Deaf Women Feel Safe on Campus? A Qualitative Case Study of One UK University

With increasing attention to sexual misconduct on university campuses, universities have focused attention on campus safety, but safety systems are based on assumptions that people who live and work on campuses are able-minded and able-bodied. Any contemplation of campus safety needs to consider the intersectional experiences of students and staff. Considering the experiences of people from minoritised groups can provide insights into socially constructed notions of safety on campus. One such minoritised group is deaf women. Using the broader concept of safety to mean ‘the state of being ‘safe’ and the condition of being protected from any harm or other danger’, this paper reports on interviews conducted with five deaf women who work or study at one UK university to examine whether they feel safe on the campus. Four key themes were identified: (i) safety as a woman, (ii) safety as a deaf person; (iii) intersectional experiences of safety as a deaf woman; and (iv) accessible safeguarding. These five deaf women reported having more concerns because they are deaf rather than because they are women, but noted that the intersectional experience of being deaf and a woman create deeper safety concerns. Recommendations are made for university campuses to ensure that their safeguarding practices are accessible.

From echo chamber to orchestra: Orchestrating job empowerment for deaf employees in Jeddah

Deaf individuals in the Saudi labour market face significant hurdles, adversely impacting their professional integration. This study investigates the reality of job empowerment for Deaf employees from their perspective in Jeddah, aiming to illuminate the nuances of their experiences. A qualitative approach employed interviews with twelve Deaf employees, purposively sampled from the community. The findings paint a complex picture. While overall relations appear positive, a stark gender disparity emerges in workplace power dynamics and opportunities. Deaf males enjoy greater autonomy, wield influence and navigate responsibilities relatively easily. Deaf women, however, encounter discriminatory practices, are often excluded from crucial decision-making processes and professional engagements. This study underscores the urgent need for concrete measures to combat workplace gender bias and empower Deaf females. Business institutions must prioritize equal opportunities for employment, training, and development by fostering inclusive work environments and providing targeted support for Deaf females. Such findings provide an in-depth understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by Deaf employees, particularly navigating the complexities of gender dynamics within the professional sphere. Further research is warranted to explore effective strategies for fostering equitable and empowering workplaces for Deaf individuals of all genders, ultimately promoting their successful integration into the Saudi labour market.

Violence against Deaf Women from an Intersectional Framework in Mexico

This research aimed to analyse the association between violence with linguistic knowledge in Mexican Sign Language (LSM) and sociodemographic data of Mexican Deaf women. To collect data from an intersectional framework, this study applied an opportunistic and chain sampling of 46 Deaf women from different areas of Mexico. Methods included in-person and remote interviews. Forty-one per cent of women indicated that they had been victims of abuse by their partner. In comparison, 73.9% of women had suffered some abuse in schools, and 39% of women had been victims of sexual abuse. The analyses with Spearman bivariate correlation showed that as the LSM learning age of the Deaf women increased, the levels of labour abuse (rs = .50, p < .0001), violence in a bank (rs = . 51, p < .0001), violence in school (rs = .56, p < .0001), and violence by an interpreter (rs = .45, p < .01) increased too. Results also revealed that a more excellent LSM family knowledge of LSM is moderately related to less labour abuse (rs = -.53, p < .0001), violence in a bank (rs = -.45, p < .01), violence in school (rs = -.43, p < .01), violence by an interpreter (rs = -.39, p < .01), and with lower magnitude to institutional violence (rs = -.37, p < .05).

Perceptions of midwifery students and their lecturers regarding challenges faced by deaf pregnant women in accessing maternity care.

Midwives are central to caring for pregnant women in labour, including Deaf women. It is the midwife's responsibility to communicate and establish a relationship with the pregnant woman in labour, despite the accompanying challenges. Explore fourth-year undergraduate Midwifery Students' and their Lecturers' perceptions of the challenges faced by Deaf pregnant women in accessing maternity health care when in labour. A qualitative content analysis approach with purposive sampling allowed for the invitation of Midwifery lecturers (n=2) and Bachelor of Nursing Degree Midwifery students (n=25). Data were collected through four focus group discussions and two individual interviews. Data analysis was guided by Elo and Kyngäs approach and trustworthiness was achieved. Two categories with four subcategories emerged. All pregnant women, inclusive of the often "inaudible" Deaf pregnant woman, are entitled to equitable, accessible, available person-centred maternal health care.

Being a Deaf Woman in Bedouin Society.

Israel's Bedouin population, an ethnic minority, has a higher incidence of deafness than that reported in the literature, but is not studied sufficiently. A patriarchal and collective society, in recent years it has undergone accelerated change spurred by Israel's urbanization policy. Deaf women are an inseparable part of Bedouin society, but they are transparent and their needs are not met. In a qualitative study of 23 Bedouin women with congenital deafness who participated in the only social club for the deaf among the Bedouin population in southern Israel, these women were found to exist between dreams and frustration, between hope and despair, between strength and loneliness-induced weakness, and between transparency and visibility. Focusing on these aspects, the authors describe the experience of being a deaf woman in Bedouin society. Their findings are applicable to deaf women who are members of minorities worldwide.

Construction and validation of a video about breast cancer for deaf women

Introdução: No mundo, um bilhão de pessoas tem algum tipo de deficiência, dentre elas a deficiência auditiva e mais de 190 milhões são mulheres surdas. É relevante tecnologias para educação inclusiva e acessível sobre o câncer de mama a surdas. Objetivo: Construir e validar vídeo educativo para mulheres surdas sobre prevenção e rastreamento do câncer de mama. Materiais e Método: Estudo metodológico com construção de vídeo educativo e validação por 11 especialistas de conteúdo e sete especialistas técnicos. Conteúdo fundamentado no Ministério da Saúde e no Instituto Nacional do Câncer. Na análise de conteúdo foi utilizado o Instrumento de Validação de Conteúdo Educativo em Saúde. A validade foi atestada pelo Índice de Validade de Conteúdo e o teste binomial. Resultados: O vídeo tem 17 minutos e 12 segundos. Na validação de conteúdo todos os itens tiveram concordância acima de 90,9% entre os participantes. O Índice de Validade de Conteúdo global foi superior a 0,90 entre os especialistas de conteúdo. Consideraram o material excelente, muito bom ou bom, 85,8% dos especialistas técnicos. Discussão: O vídeo contribui para o ensino e aprendizagem sobre o tema, ações de autocuidado e promoção da saúde às surdas. Conclusões: Vídeo construído com narração em LIBRAS, foi considerado válido quanto ao conteúdo e aspectos técnicos e poderá ser utilizado em futuras pesquisas e na educação em saúde de surdas.

Aotearoa New Zealand Deaf women's perspectives on breast and cervical cancer screening.

Since the introduction of both cervical and breast screening programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand, mortality rates have dropped. Both screening programmes track women's engagement, but neither capture the level of engagement of Deaf women who are New Zealand Sign Language users or their experiences in these screening programmes. Our paper addresses this knowledge deficit and provides insights that will benefit health practitioners when providing screening services to Deaf women. We used qualitative interpretive descriptive methodology to investigate the experiences of Deaf women who are New Zealand Sign Language users. A total of 18 self-identified Deaf women were recruited to the study through advertisements in key Auckland Deaf organisations. The focus group interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The data was then analysed using thematic analysis. Our analysis indicated that a woman's first screening experience may be made more comfortable when staff are Deaf aware and a New Zealand Sign Language interpreter is used. Our findings also showed that when an interpreter is present, extra time is required for effective communication, and that the woman's privacy needs to be ensured. This paper provides insights, as well as some communication guidelines and strategies, which may be useful to health providers when engaging with Deaf women who use New Zealand Sign Language to communicate. The use of New Zealand Sign Language interpreters in health settings is regarded as best practice, however their presence needs to be negotiated with each woman.

The effectiveness of the Bisindo-based rational emotive behavior therapy model in reducing social anxiety in deaf women victims of sexual harassment

PurposeSocial anxiety disorder is a common phenomenon that occurs in everyone with varying degrees, ranging from mild to severe. One of the causes of social anxiety disorder is a traumatic experience due to sexual harassment that has been experienced. In deaf women, this experience is made more difficult because of the language and speech limitations shared. As a result, irrational thoughts and beliefs arise for the victim. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Bisindo-based rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) model in reducing social anxiety in deaf women who are victims of sexual harassment.Design/methodology/approachThe research method uses single-subject research with multiple baselines across subjects. The research subjects were deaf women victims of sexual harassment who the National Government Organization Woman Crises Center in West Sumatra and the Association of Indonesian Special Education Professionals identified. Data were collected by observation and social anxiety scale and analyzed by graphical visual analysis.FindingsThe results showed that the Bisindo-based REBT was effective in reducing social anxiety in deaf women who were victims of sexual harassment.Research limitations/implicationsThe implementation of therapy in this study involved therapists, teachers and sign language interpreters. It requires extraordinary time and effort for the subjects to be able to reveal the sexual harassment they experienced. Furthermore, the small number of subjects meant that the results of this study could not be generalized widely. Therefore, this study has implications for future researchers to conduct experiments using the Bisindo-based REBT model on more subjects.Practical implicationsPractically, the results of this study have implications for a model for handling cases of sexual harassment in deaf women that can be used by women’s organizations and the Indonesian Association of Women with Disabilities.Originality/valueIt is recommended for counselors, psychologists and therapists to use the Bisindo-based REBT in dealing with cases of sexual harassment in deaf women because therapy that follows the characteristics of the victim’s language can help them to get the expected results.

Knowledge and attitudes of deaf persons towards safe abortion services in Ghana.

Deafness refers to partial or total loss of hearing, which, if not appropriately accommodated, may interfere with day-to-day living experiences. Deaf people encountered challenges in their efforts to access essential services, such as health care. While some attention has been given to general access to reproductive health services, less research has focused on the experiences of deaf women and girls when accessing safe abortion services. With unsafe abortion being a major cause of maternal deaths among women in developing countries, this study attempted to explore the perception of deaf women and girls in Ghana towards safe abortion services. The main aim of this study was to understand the perception and awareness safe abortion services among deaf women and girls in Ghana. In doing this, the contributors towards unsafe abortion practices among deaf women and girls were gathered. Penchansky and Thomas' accessibility to health care theory availability, accessibility, accommodation/adequacy, affordability, and acceptability guides this study. A semi-structured interview guide based on components of the theory was used for data collection from 60 deaf persons. The components of the theory were used as a priori themes that guided the data analysis. The results showed challenges associated with the indicators of health access. For instance, in terms of availability, it was revealed that deaf women had little knowledge about existing laws on safe abortion in Ghana. In relation to acceptability, deaf women were highly opposed to abortion for cultural and religious reasons. However, there was consensus that safe abortion could be conducted under certain conditions. The results of the study have implications for policymaking aimed at attaining equitable access to reproductive health care for deaf women. The need for policymakers to expedite public education and incorporate the needs of deaf women in reproductive health policies, as well as other study implications, are discussed.

Invited Essay: Archer M. Huntington's "Dream Team".

Little is known about the history of women's curatorial work in museums, particularly the work of deaf women. The contributions of Archer M. Huntington, founder of the Hispanic Society Museum and Library (HSM&L) in New York City and the women to whom he entrusted library and museum work deserve to be better known. Some of these women were deaf, and two of them, Eleanor Sherman Font and Margaret Sherman, were great-granddaughters of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, founder of the first public school for the deaf in the United States. These women not only worked as curators but also led overseas research expeditions. Information about the deaf women who worked at HSM&L and an examination of the philosophy of the HSM&L founder provide insight into how deaf women succeeded in this unique work, and how their contributions were crucial to consolidation of the HSM&L collections.

Disability Justice Praxis: Sick, Disabled, Deaf Women and Non-Binary Educators of Color Holding Each Other in Radical Love and Accessible Kinship

Academic spaces in the United States remain exclusive and toxic for those who embody multiple marginalized identities. There is hope, however, as subversive practices and resistance to systemic oppression and hostility continue to infiltrate academia through the work of socially engaged scholar-activists. In this paper, we—four sick, disabled, and Deaf women and non-binary educators of color—come together to discuss our paths to understanding ourselves and our places within academia. Through the methodology of activist ethnography, we explore the diverse and complex ways we embrace Disability Justice in our teaching, research, scholarship, and activism. Collectively and through interwoven storytelling, we disrupt and challenge ableism, racism, settler colonialism, cis-hetero-sexism, classism, and other intersecting forms of oppression within academia by (re)centering and amplifying our lived experiences and disabled, Deaf, and chronically ill epistemologies. Simultaneously, through a Disability Justice praxis, we work to imagine and create educational spaces that build and support radical love, accessible kinship, and healing.

Deaf women and pregnancy and perinatal health: Creating systems for communication access.

Linked article: This is a mini commentary on Panko et al., pp.514–521 in this issue. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/1471‐0528.17300

Barriers to utilization of sexual and reproductive health services among young deaf persons in Ghana.

Despite significant progress made to improve access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to the general populace in Ghana, information on the accessibility of such services to deaf persons is limited. This study investigated access to and utilization of SRH services among young female deaf persons in Ghana. Sixty deaf persons were interviewed from six metropolis/municipalities/districts in three regions of Ghana. The data were collected using focus group discussion and one-on-one interviews. The data were subjected to content analysis, leading to the identification of two broad themes. The study identified barriers at two levels: point of service delivery and barriers at the individual level. For instance, at the point of service delivery, they were claims that deaf women were victims of negative attitudes from health workers. The study concludes on the need for health policymakers to consider collaborating with the Ghana National Association of the Deaf in an effort towards designing inclusive SRH programmes.

Reproductive Justice for the Deaf Community.

Almost half of all pregnancies each year in the United States are mistimed or unwanted and associated with adverse health outcomes. Deaf women are as likely to be pregnant as their hearing counterparts but are 67% more likely to experience unintended pregnancy. Although there are limited data on the sexual health behaviors of deaf individuals, research has shown that deaf people are more likely than the general population to rely on withdrawal and condoms to prevent pregnancy. Further, health resources and communication with physicians are often not fully accessible, with the former often in spoken or written English and the latter when sign language interpreters are not present. The combination of use of less--effective methods of contraception and inaccessible health resources puts deaf women at heightened risk for unintended pregnancy. Deaf women are denied reproductive justice when they are inadequately equipped to practice bodily autonomy and prevent unintended pregnancies. In this commentary, I present literature to illustrate the disparity deaf women face compared with hearing women and to make the case for the association among unintended pregnancy, its adverse effects, and reproductive injustice for deaf women. As a medically trained deaf woman conducting reproductive health research, I leverage my lived experience and accrued knowledge to elucidate the shortcomings and strategies to use. As public health researchers and health care professionals, we can alleviate this injustice with inclusive research methodology, representation on research and health care teams, and ensuring access to health information with time given and accommodations provided.

Sign language as a technology: existential and instrumental perspectives of Ugandan Sign Language

AbstractThe introduction of Ugandan Sign Language in Acholi, northern Uganda, was part of a growing internationally linked disability movement in the country and was set within the framework of development policy and human rights-based approaches. In this context, Ugandan Sign Language appeared as a technology of development. But how did the appropriation of Ugandan Sign Language change deaf people’s lives, their being-in-the-world, in Acholi? In using the theoretical approach of existential and instrumental perspectives on technologies by Martin Heidegger, this article analyses the complex transitions following the appropriation of Ugandan Sign Language on international, national and local levels. The disability movement – including Ugandan Sign Language projects – reached Acholi during the time of war between the Lord’s Resistance Army and Ugandan national forces. Displacement brought scattered deaf people together in towns and camps, where Ugandan Sign Language was introduced through workshops and institutions including churches. This created new forms of communication and possibilities of sociality. After the war, gender differences emerged, as many deaf women returned to rural homes where they had few opportunities to communicate with other sign language users.

Achieving universal reproductive health coverage for deaf women in Ghana: an explanatory study of knowledge of contraceptive methods, pregnancy and safe abortion practices

BackgroundThe first world conference on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in 1994 helped create the awareness that reproductive health is a human right. Over the years, attempts have been made to extend services to all persons; however, lapses persist in service provision for all in need. Recently, countries have been encouraged to target minority groups in their reproductive health service provision. However, studies have rarely attempted to develop deeper insights into the experiences of deaf men and women regarding their knowledge of SRH. The purpose of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the knowledge of deaf persons regarding services such as knowledge of contraceptive methods, pregnancy and safe abortion practices.MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was adopted for this study. In the first quantitative phase, 288 deaf persons recruited from three out of the 16 regions in Ghana participated in this study. They completed a 31-item questionnaire on the main issues (knowledge of contraceptive methods, pregnancy and safe abortion practices) addressed in this study. In the second phase, a semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from 60 participants who took part in the first phase. The key trend emerging in the first phase underpinned the interview guide used for the data collection. While the quantitative data were subjected to the computation of means, t-tests, analyses of variance, correlations and linear regressions to understand the predictors, the in-depth interviews were analysed using the thematic method of analysis.ResultsThe results showed a convergence between the quantitative and qualitative data. For instance, the interview material supported the initial findings that deaf women had little knowledge of contraceptive methods. The participants offered reasons explaining their inability to access services and the role of religion in their understanding of SRH.ConclusionThe study concludes by calling on policymakers to consider the needs of deaf persons in future SRH policies. The study limitations and other implications for future policymaking are discussed.

Was Alexander Graham Bell Anti-Deaf?

Was Alexander Graham Bell Anti-Deaf? Kanika Agarwal The Invention of Miracles: Language, Power, and Alexander Graham Bell's Quest to End Deafness. Katie Booth. Simon & Schuster, 2021. 416 pp. $30.00 (paper). Deaf people who use sign language as a mode of communication have often suffered due to restrictions regarding the use of sign languages during their school years. Part of this legacy of suffering is often attributed to the infamous Milan Conference of 1880 and the voting members who were present there, Alexander Graham Bell being the most prominent among them. Katie Booth, author of The Invention of Miracles: Language, Power, and Alexander Graham Bell's Quest to End Deafness, explains these historical circumstances and the incidents in Bell's life that led him to believe that oral education would benefit deaf children. The book is an eye-opener for the people who have always considered Bell the enemy of sign language. It illuminates the dilemma of how and why oral education gained momentum during Bell's time. It also prompts readers to reconsider conventional wisdom and ask if Bell really was an anti-deaf person. The Invention of Miracles is a biography in which Booth aims to fairly judge Alexander Graham Bell's oralism-tinged views on deaf education while maintaining her own clear stance of advocacy of sign language and its importance to the Deaf community. It is a must-read for people juggling oralism and signed approaches as they try to understand their impact on the education of deaf children. The book begins with Bell's personal life and the surroundings in which he grew up. While it is well known that Bell's mother and wife were deaf, few people know that Bell's father developed a unique alphabet system capable of representing almost any sound in the world. He called it Visible Speech. The method consisted of attributing a written system of codes to every type of sound ever heard. It was not only intended to be a new system for speech, but a unique code system for speech that Bell's father hoped could gain worldwide acceptance with time, much as the Latin alphabet, which is used to represent English, had done. Bell's father trained him on this method, and together they believed that they could use it to effectively develop speech skills among deaf children. Cued Speech and sign writing were not methods used in deaf education in those times. It is a topic worth debating if the ideas of cued speech and sign writing emerged from the system invented by Bell's father. The first part of Booth's book describes how the Visual Speech system was developed, refined, and adapted for deaf children. The system was concurrent with efforts by Deaf experts like William Turner, Thomas Gallaudet, Laurent Clerc, and others to bring sign language to the fore in deaf education. Since the use of sign [End Page 372] language and other visual modalities was gaining momentum in those times, Bell's oral approach was seen in a very critical light by promoters of sign language. Thus, within the education system for deaf children arose two contradictory directions—the oral approach and the signed approach. The second half of the book illuminates Bell's professional life revolving around inventions, patents, and his quest for fame as a scientist. Booth also explains how Bell's passion for teaching deaf children brought him back into oral education for deaf children with a bang—as a now famous scientist. This section also introduces other luminaries contemporary with Bell who worked on developing oralist skills among deaf and deafblind children, thereby giving Bell the confidence to advocate oralism: For example, Laura Bridgeman, a deafblind girl, started speaking following training in her school. This acted as a catalyst for Bell in promoting speech for the deafblind that only intensified when Bell started training Hellen Keller for development of her speech. Miracles intricately weaves Bell's personal and professional lives, throwing a light on his beliefs, his passions, his professional viewpoints, and his personal life with two deaf women—his mother and his wife. One aspect shows how hard Bell worked on developing...