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Two to four of every one thousand people in America is considered functionally
deaf.
Of these people, around three hundred sixty thousand to five hundred seventeen
thousand
consider themselves part of the deaf community and deaf culture.
The deaf community is considered by many to be a minority culture made up of
people from all walks of life
who share the common bond of being deaf.
They share the same experiences and language, American Sign Language.
Oftentimes, when hearing people think about deafness, they think of it as a
disability. They associate deafness with not being able to hear,
not being able to communicate,
and not being able to socialize with the majority of society.
However the deaf community strays away from the disability label. They believe
that being deaf is simply a different way of life and worthy of being embraced.
In fact many deaf people believe in a concept known as Deaf Gain.
Deaf Gain is a way to re-frame
the idea deafness into something positive
offering a diversity of experiences and perspectives
that can benefit everyone,
hearing or Deaf.
One aspect of Deaf Gain
is known as Deaf Space.
Deaf Space is the idea of creating spaces in buildings that are Deaf friendly.
There are a number of factors to consider when designing spaces for the Deaf.
Deaf people use a form of communication that is very visual.
Because of this, deaf spaces need to have a lot of light and reduce glare.
Opening a space to natural light can provide diffuse lighting that is ideal
for deaf people to sign.
In addition, artificial lighting can be placed in areas that will allow it to
bounce off other surfaces, making rooms brighter.
Others can benefit from this concept as well.
Many people are concerned about being energy-efficient and conserving
resources.
More natural lighting and the efficient use of artificial lighting can help to save
both energy and money.
Deaf Space designers may also take into consideration
what material the floor is made out of.
Wooden floors tend to resonate more when people walk
allowing deaf people to feel when someone is approaching or moving around.
Hearing people can also benefit
from knowing when people approach or leave the room,
especially when using headphones
or when the environment is too loud to hear footsteps.
Walls and closed spaces are often a problem for the deaf
who can't communicate through them or around them like hearing people can.
Creating spaces with
partial or translucent walls is important
for places where people congregate,
such as between the kitchen and dining room or in an office building.
Frosted glass can also be helpful for more private spaces allowing the deaf to see
whether someone is in the room.
Others can benefit from partial or translucent walls as well.
In offices, glass walls can create an environment that is more open and
accessible.
People can wave at one another and create a sense of community that is
lacking with closed-off rooms.
This also fosters the exchange of ideas and information
creating a productive and enjoyable work environment.
Modifying outdoor areas for the deaf is also important to Deaf Space architects.
Along with wider hallways, wide sidewalks and paths facilitate communication in ASL
where it is important to keep space in between the signers.
Hearing people can benefit
from wide sidewalks as well
as they allow friends to walk side by side when conversing,
or people to pass by a group of people standing and talking.
This reduces the need to step into the street which can lead to an accident with a car.
Sidewalks may also be made to curve around corners at intersections instead of
being at right angles with blind corners.
This helps the deaf to see if people are coming and avoid a collision.
Although hearing people
will usually hear a person coming around a corner,
people wearing headphones may not.
Curved corners can also benefit runners who can't make such sharp turns
as well as people with strollers.
The idea of Deaf Space can help to create a more open, safe, and productive environment
that can benefit everyone.
It is also a great example of how the Deaf community
can contribute to society at large
an offer new perspectives through the lens of Deaf Gain.