One of my characters is a deaf boy. I don't know any deaf people so I don't have any expierence with any them or how to write them. I want to avoid stereotypes and not make a him a charity case of a character. He's not really a main character and is only mentioned in flash backs or memories so I wouldn't need to go too in depth. So yeah, if you're deaf or know any deaf people, please guide me.
I know this much:
When writing a deaf person’s signing do it in italics. That’s all I know, is how to write their signing.
What do you need to know about people who are deaf?
Just basic info about what to avoid, what to do, when writing them
hm, okay.
Depending on whether the character was born deaf or not, they may be completely nonverbal or have little understanding of the language they speak. if they were to speak, they may have to shout, to have the sensation of speaking so they know that they are making noise. Not everyone is completely deaf. Some can hear loud noises or noises that are close to them. When approaching a deaf person, they may not be immediately frightened, considering they have other senses and can feel/see if they are being approached. There are also sign language for different languages like ASL or AUSLAN, so if the character was to communicate through sign language, keep that in mind. I have a deaf character who uses morse cord to communicate sometimes, mostly to his blind friend who can't speak/learn sign language
Thanks! I also have a question, would a person still be able to here some pitches if they were born deaf?
It depends on the severity of the deafness. If they were born completely deaf, then no, they can't hear anything.
However, it's possible for deaf people to hear certain frequencies.
Its depends on the loss of decimals :)
Thanks!