Deaf Service Center

Here we have compiled a dossier of frequently asked questions concerning deafness and hearing loss which you may find helpful.

Q: Do deaf people like listening to music?

Studies have shown that many deaf and hard of hearing people do in fact enjoy music as much as those who can hear, the majority of those asked who loved music did have hearing to some extent but all deaf people can feel physical vibrations and this is often felt through music.

Deaf people will even dance to music, they are able to this either by standing close to a solid object such as a counter top or table and rest there hand on it, this way vibrations from the music will be felt through the object. The bass in the sound system is also relied upon as this will give out vibrations also.

Many profoundly deaf people also enjoy music in a different way to you or I when listening to music through the use of a hearing aid, it doesn’t sound the same as what a hearing person will hear but deaf people find it stimulating in its own right.

Q: Can deaf people drive?

Deaf people are excellent drivers and most probably better than the person with hearing because the deaf person’s visual side is more acute than that of a person with hearing. Communication is of course a problem when driving as the person’s concentration is on the road not on reading your lips.

Q: Can all deaf people read lips?

Lip reading is a skill that is learnt by the deaf or hard of hearing it is not a natural inbuilt thing in the deaf, some deaf people find it extremely easy to pick up and some struggle to learn just as each person with hearing finds it difficult or easy in learning something new.

Q: Can deaf people hear anything at all?

A lot of people classed as deaf can actually hear to some degree, the sounds they can hear are generally sounds such as dogs barking and aeroplanes. Deaf people are classed as being deaf when they pass a decibel hearing loss test. Even though certain sounds can be heard most deaf people don’t have the ability of hearing a person speaks even when aided.

Q: Does it hurt a deaf person if there is a sudden loud noise?

An unexpected loud noise does in fact hurt the ears of a deaf person just the same as it would hurt a person with hearing.

Q: If both parents are deaf will they have deaf children?

Deaf people who’s deafness was caused by genes have a higher risk of having children who will be deaf too as the gene can be passed on but for those who’s deafness was caused by other means then the chances that there children will be born deaf is minimal.

Q: Why can some deaf people speak and not others?

People who are born deaf will never have heard the spoken language but people who have gone deaf or are hard of hearing they will have learned to speak as any normal child would do growing up.