Deaf refers to a culture of people whose native language is a sign language. They are a group with their own culture, language and traditions. This is not the conventional definition of people known for their absence of a sense of hearing, although most members of the culture do share this characteristic. In this case, deaf will refer to people who use American Sign Language as their native tongue, whose primary relationship to the world is visual.

Medical and Sociological Definitions of Deaf

The medical definition of "deaf" is defined negatively where the "norm" are people who can hear and the "deaf" are people who cannot. This view differs widely from the view that is based on linguistic and sociological research, which realizes that these people form their own culture. There is a complex set of factors examined when defining a community and the deaf meet those conditions.

Deaf culture has a need for meeting and communicating directly with one another. They have their own politics, theatre, issues, movies, and other cultural characteristics. In this example, sign language is another trait held in common with the culture, not merely a means of communication.

Throughout history, deaf people have sometimes defended their right to be deaf and hold their own identity to the point that it has shocked the mainstream culture. Their identity and self esteem are so strong that sometimes people consider them an extremist group. In fact, during the 1970s a "Deaf Power" movement emerged, bringing visibility and public awareness to deaf issues.