Sign of the times
BMJ 2005; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0505210 (Published 01 May 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:0505210
- Channa Panagamuwa, (hearing) specialist registrar in otolaryngology1,
- Kate Wellman, (hearing) British sign language-English interpreter2,
- Marije Davidson, (deaf) legal policy officer3
- 1Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester
- 2London
- 3RNID, London
Britain's Deaf community, like many other minority groups, has a language and a culture of its own. But unlike hearing minorities, access to the majority language and culture is limited by disability. Access to society is also severely limited by prejudice and a lack of understanding of Deaf people, their language, and their culture.
Definitions of Deaf and deaf
“Deaf” with a capital D is used to refer to Deaf people whose first or preferred language is British Sign Language and who identify themselves as being part of the Deaf community. The term “deaf” with a lower case d is used to refer to people with all degrees of deafness, including deafened, hard of hearing, and Deaf.
Language of the British Deaf community
Have you ever tried to access healthcare services in a country where you don't speak the language? How do you explain what's wrong - by gesture or drawing? How confident do you feel to consent to an operation, take prescribed drugs, or accept that you are “OK”?
For Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL), access to health services is almost always in another language. It is a common misconception that BSL is a visual representation of English and that it follows the grammar and word order of English …
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