Ten Tips for Working with the Deaf
The tip of the arrow beautifully hit the bright red circle! Yes! You did it! You hit a bull’s-eye! When you interact with the Deaf, you also want to hit the bull’s eye and truly communicate. Here are ten tips to help you successfully connect with Deaf people.
Tip #1
Notice the
word “with” in my sentences above. It is a great choice because the same sign
“with” when moved in a circular motion means “together.” Any people group must be approached in a
manner of humility and camaraderie. If
you start a Deaf ministry program or any Deaf group and you use that little
word “to” (i.e.”Ministry to the Deaf”), it can give the connotation that you
are extending help. Any ministry should
extend help, but it is so much better to extend help and to receive help – to
work together with the Deaf. The word
“with” can proclaim, “We are in this together.”
You want to value
each person: the Deaf, the hard-of-hearing, the hearing, and get input from
them all to make your program a success.
When it comes to a Deaf ministry, the Deaf can give valuable input! They can because they know the challenges and
blessings of being Deaf. However, just
as all people differ, you will find that Deaf people may have a lot of common
denominators, but each person is a unique child of God, too, and so each person
will have different ideas and needs as well.
So, humbly work with the Deaf, they will help you more effectively
serve. Encourage the Deaf to be servants
of Christ and leaders in Deaf ministry.
Tip #2
Learn sign language.
If you want to communicate with Deaf people, learn their language! I encourage folks to first learn American
Sign Language and then later learn signed English. It is important to work towards fluency and
be able to communicate with Deaf people who use different sign systems. Lose your pride and strive to
communicate. Never nervously let your
hands flap, aimlessly pretending to sign.
It is not funny, it is actually insulting!
If you have to mime, draw pictures, or write notes, take the
plunge to communicate! If a Deaf person
wants to read your lips, then move your mouth.
If they want ASL with no mouthing, then do that! Immerse yourself in sign language communication
with Deaf people.
Edwin Westlake is a brilliant older Deaf man, who said to
me, “People learning to sign need to remember to not only learn to sign, but to
also work on their receptive skills and learn what the Deaf have to say,
too!” It can be a terrible bore and
disappointment to the Deaf if you don’t take time to listen with your eyes to
what they have to say! So, work on
fluency with expressive and receptive communication skills! But don’t expect it to be easy! You won’t be a perfect signer at first! “Baby talk” in sign language, but keep
growing! Be patient with yourself! But also keep motivated and never give up! You can hit the bull’s- eye of communication!
Tip #3
Reciprocate!
People love to share! You should
seek to be a blessing to Deaf people, but you should allow them to be a
blessing to you as well! Learn to serve
each other with love. Also, if a Deaf
person pours their heart out to you, they want you to share from your heart, as
well.
Effective Deaf mission work will be accomplished when we
learn to serve others with love. It is
important for us to value each other and bear one another’s burdens. To share one’s struggles in this life (share
what you feel comfortable sharing however) is a candid way of valuing each
other. So, with wisdom, share deeply
from your hearts. Reciprocate. Help each
other!
Tip #4
Treat Deaf people as equals. We are all equals. Don’t pity or feel sorry for Deaf people,
they are valuable people. But, do have compassion
for them in their individual challenges, as you would for any person! No one wants to be devalued with pity. No one wants to feel “looked down upon”
because we are all beautiful in God’s eyes!
Value the deaf! Learn from
them! Help them grow! Let Deaf people help you grow in Christ, too!
Tip #5
When teaching
the Deaf, use lots of visuals! Deaf
people think visually; approach them using their own learning style to teach
excellently! Use props and all kinds of
visuals.
Also, don’t do obnoxious visual movements that obstruct
learning! Don’t do nervous leg shaking
or finger tapping in the view of interpreting or Bible teaching! (These visuals and those vibrations can
detract from learning.) Also, avoid,
walking in front of the interpreter, Bible teacher, or preacher. When people are drawing or doing overactive
movements in the line of the presentation, it can be very distracting. The profoundly Deaf can only learn with their
eyes, so distractions must be minimized!
Remember, keep your visuals forefront in your teaching so as to keep the
attention of the audience and to help them “see” the truth!
Tip #6
Don’t expect Deaf people to have the same writing
and reading skills that you do! Most
Deaf people have an amazing command of American Sign Language – which is a true
language. You can learn lots from Deaf
people about how to develop fluency with their beautiful cherished
language! There are many Deaf people who
are fluent in reading and writing English or whatever is the spoken or written
language of the land. However, the
majority of Deaf people struggle with reading and writing. Once again, that does not mean that Deaf
people lack intelligence!
Hearing people take for granted that we learn words from
hearing and overhearing them. Being able
to hear our parents and teachers scold us about verb tenses helped us learn to
write and read. If one doesn’t hear,
they might be unaware of many words, verb tenses, etc.
Deaf people often will not find our puns to be humorous. Puns
are funny due to their sound, so since the Deaf don’t hear the “funny pun-ny”
it might be misunderstood and not at all humorous. Even it is explained, often the humor of puns
is lost in the translation. Also,
hearing people have been raised learning lots of idiomatic expressions. Deaf people have not had the same access to
numerous idioms. However, some Deaf
people do know LOTS of idioms, because they find that idioms are interesting,
so they study to become familiar with idioms!
If they are unfamiliar with an idiom, they could be perplexed. For example, if the Deaf person didn’t know
the idiom, “it’s raining cats and dogs,” they might really scratch their head
in bewilderment. Be purposeful and
sensitive to truly communicate with everyone you meet. So, beware of puns, and make sure your idioms
are understood when communicating with Deaf people.
Tip #7
Offer all
forms of communication. Although some
Deaf people can struggle with reading and writing, still work towards all forms
of communication access. Add closed
captioning and open captioning to everything that you can! But, also always make provision for everyone
to have access to teaching/preaching with sign language. Offer excellent interpretation for services. Make sure to get a Christian interpreter to
interpret services. The Spirit of Christ
will illumine and shine forth from them as they share God’s Word.
Statistical research show that Deaf worship services and
Sunday School classes where everything is done first in sign language (not
interpreted) is often more effective in reaching the Deaf for Christ. So, prayerfully consider helping start a Deaf
Sunday School program and worship service which will often offer more clarity
in explanation, more service leadership opportunities, and deeper
fellowship. However, some Deaf people
really do prefer interpreted services. Be
sensitive and try to help meet the needs of the Deaf in as many ways as
possible.
Tip #8
Be respectful
and attentive when talking with Deaf people.
If you are communicating with a Deaf person, and you continually break
eye contact and look away, you send a message of rejection. Always looking away states, “You and what you
have to say is not as important to me as all the sounds around me.” You need to focus on the person you are
talking to!
Did you ever see the movie “Up?” Well, the dog in the story would always get
distracted from his current activity and look at the squirrels! He would turn his head, widen his eyes, and
cry out, “Squirrel!” When communicating
with the Deaf, don’t be crying “Squirrel” all the time!
Emergencies do arise!
Important things can interrupt any good conversation between any two
human beings, whether they are Deaf or hearing, but if you must take a break in
a conversation, then respectfully say, “Please hold just a second,” before
breaking eye contact if at all possible.
Sometimes babies will stick their fingers in electrical outlets and
perhaps you might have some circumstances where you just have to disengage, but
typically you can show respect and value to the Deaf person by politely saying,
“Please hold!” So, make your goal to be
attentive in conversations, giving facial feedback and comments showing that
you are truly engaged in the conversation!
Tip #9
Teach Jesus first.
When sharing God’s Word with Deaf children or Deaf people who don’t have
a lot of Biblical knowledge, share the stories of Jesus first. Of the trinity, Jesus is the most visual. Jesus is the Son of God and Son of Man, who
came to show us the way.
Since on earth, no eye has fully seen God, the concept of
God is challenging at first for “visual” people and really all people. The Holy Spirit being spirit is harder to
explain at first too, so begin first in teaching Jesus. Sharing Christ’s love and the message of the
Gospel should be our greatestrgoal of imparting to others. Since the Deaf have not had opportunity to
receive the word of Christ we should be passionate about Deaf people having
opportunity to “hear” (actually “see”) the Good News. (Romans 10:14-15)
Tip #10
Don’t be a
“fly by night” friend of the Deaf, ministry team member or missionary! Be committed!
Seek God about how much time you can dedicate, but whatever God leads
you to do, be devoted to ministry with the Deaf. So many people are so fascinated with the
beauty of sign language that they “jump on the bandwagon” (get excited to
learn) to learn sign language, but with time their enthusiasm fizzles out. People learning any language must know that
the point of learning the language is to love and know the people.
In missionary commitment, there can be different stages: the
honeymoon, then the green banana stage, and then finally the committed
missionary stage. When working with any
other cultural group, people can first experience “the honeymoon” stage where
everything is exciting and wonderful!
What a thrill to learn to use sign language, to be understood! How moving it is to sign songs passionately
and expressively from your heart! But
then later, the “green banana” stage can hit!
Signing can be tiring, challenges can be overwhelming! When trials come, we can tend to see
everything as a “yucky green banana” and just want to quit. It is in the “green banana” stage that we
must remember our commitment to love and work alongside and with the Deaf to
see the Deaf come to Christ.
When we are able to
face the “dark clouds” (discouragement) and the sunshine (exciting good times)
and come what may, still make the choice to be committed to Deaf ministry, it
is then you become a dedicated Deaf ministry servant. But, of course, we must keep on rededicating
ourselves to God’ service as more challenges come our way. (Galatians 6:9)
So, put the arrow in your hand, make it ready to pull back
the bow! Use these 10 helpful tips to
assist you in successfully working with the Deaf! As you trust God and remember these tips, you
will find yourself hitting the “bull’s- eye” and having victory in serving God
with the Deaf.
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