Many people experience hearing loss, in fact, “it is estimated by 2050 over 900 million people, or one in every 10 people, will have disabling hearing loss” (handtalk.me).
Deaf education is an important first step in becoming an ally. Hearing people can read articles and books about deaf issues and topics and enlighten themselves with new information. Current areas where deaf people do not feel included are: “healthcare institutions, public transportation, culture, etc.” (signschool.com). Currently there is an injustice and prejudice of negative viewpoints of deaf people by some hearing individuals.
Secondly, “one of the key things to realize is that deaf people are very visual—so having a screen or written document to share information can go a long way” (handtalk.com). “In general, try to focus on digital accessibility. If you’re creating a corporate video, make sure to add sign language interpretation or at least captions. This will help you include people who are traditionally marginalized but also reach a bigger audience” (StartASL.com).
Third, a person can step in when they see a deaf person being discriminated against. For instance, if you saw a deaf person trying to order coffee and the barista was laughing at them you could sign to the deaf person needing help and then sim-com the order. You could also tell the barista the person is deaf and the behavior is unkind.
I hope that this information was helpful to you, good luck on your deaf ally journey!
References:
How to be an Ally to the Deaf Community - Hand Talk. (2022, February 17). Www.handtalk.me. https://www.handtalk.me/en/blog/how-to-be-an-ally-to-the-deaf-community/