Category: Deaf culture

Deaf Culture

Everyone has a cultural identity. Knowing where you come from can give you a sense of belonging and a sense of self. Culture is about our/your way of life. Your beliefs and values/taonga, language, way of doing things, your traditions. They are the things you/we share with people like you/us.

Deaf culture are things that are important to us as Deaf people, our sign language, our stories, our ways of doing things. It helps us feel as so we belong.

Examples: We use and value sign language. We treasure our history – Deaf Schools. We love spending chatting with other Deaf people and face to face contact. We love our deaf jokes and our humour too. People may identify with other cultures too i.e. Māori Deaf.

Deaf culture connects us all as Deaf people.