Yes, some deaf people can talk. Some of them use sign language and don’t use their voice. Other deaf people use their voice and sign language at the same time. Some just speak. At Mirakle we emphasise the use of Indian Sign Language (ISL) to communicate around the office.
Loss of hearing can be caused by various factors; it can be either prenatal (from birth) or post-natal. Rubella virus (German measles), cytomegalovirus (CMV), toxoplasmosis, herpes or genetic factors can cause a child to be born deaf (pre-natal). Acquired deafness (postnatal) can be caused by many things including illness, accidental injury, infection like meningitis, measles and mumps, continuous or sudden exposure to excessive noise etc.
Aging is a common cause for hearing loss. As a person grows older the ‘mechanical’ parts of the ear for e.g. the ear drum and the ossicles wears out or get damaged, or the nerves may gradually deteriorate causing gradual hearing loss.
Following are the types of hearing impairment:
Source: www.deafchildworldwide.info
No. There are different sign languages for different regions. There are some standardized national sign languages. In India the educated deaf community uses Indian Sign Language (ISL), in the uk it is British Sign Language (BSL) and in America it is American Sign Language (ASL). While some words are similiar there are also a lot of differences.
Yes, they can use a phone. They can use a TTY or TTD (telephone typewriter or telecommunications device) at home or on the road.
Hearing aids help some deaf people hear, but they don’t work for everyone.
A cochlear implant is an automated device that a doctor surgically embeds in the bone behind the ear.