Deaf and Hearing Loss
Close to 1 million Americans are functionally deaf, while 10 million are hearing impaired or hard of hearing. Causes of deafness include secondary effects of disease or illness, injury, long-term exposure to environmental noise, damaging reactions to medications, and genetic factors, among others. With the assistance of hearing aids and other assistive technology, however, being deaf may have minimal impact on your ability to live a fully independent life. The following articles provide more information about causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options as well as recent research findings.
Deaf, hard of hearing, and even hearing students with an interest in the deaf community can attend the world’s largest liberal arts school just for them. Gallaudet University offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees, with most classes online as...
Teased for his hearing impairment as a child, Lou Ferrigno turned to bodybuilding and became the youngest Mr. Universe. An acting career followed, highlighted by a stint as The Incredible Hulk.
Lou Ferrigno: Living, Acting and Bodybuilding with Hearing Loss
Learn more about the challenges children of deaf parents face, including interpreting for their parents in public, communication issues within the family, and filtering and protecting themselves and parents from objectionable comments.
Three universities stand out for their special deaf education programs and extensive deaf communities: Cal State University Northridge, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY, and Gallaudet in Washington, D.C. Learn more about...
Check out our Deaf and Hearing Loss Core Knowledge Section
Articles
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Book Celebrates ASL and the Deaf Community
When her sister drowns, Rachel tries to contact her by learning sign language. This twist on a disability theme leads the novel's protagonist to a career with the deaf. An engaging and very readable...
Deaf Volunteer Teacher Hears Student Needs, Not Voices
John Kulman is deaf and a former professor who teaches English as a second language to immigrants. He discusses his love for teaching after receiving a cochlear implant, and why he's the perfect...
Visual Sound for the Deaf Created Through Lumisonic Software
An assistive technology software system that translates sound waves into real-time dynamic circles, Lumisonic software may help deaf and hearing impaired people in speech rehabilitation by helping...
Hard of Hearing Comedian Kathy Buckley Continues to Draw Laughs
"Kathy Buckley grew up hearing impaired and labeled ""mentally retarded."" She also grew up to be a stand-up comedian (Comedy Central), an author, and an after-school mentor to children who are deaf...
Filipino Filmmaker Showcases Deaf Community in Silent Odyssey: A Journey into the Deaf World
The story of filmmaker Mirana Medina, who gives voice to the Filipino deaf community in her latest movie, "Silent Odyssey: A Journey into the Deaf World," which explores what it means to be hearing...
Deaf Veterinarian Dr. Thomas McDavitt Has a Heart for Animals
Deaf since the age of 5 from spinal meningitis, Thomas McDavitt had always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. McDavitt now owns his own vet clinic in Illinois and uses sign language to communicate...
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