Deaf-Deaf SAME: Deaf professionals and researchers

When signing Deaf people from different countries meet, they often feel a sense of connection. In some signed languages, this can be expressed as “Deaf-Deaf SAME!” If an international development professional or a researcher is Deaf, how does this impact their relationship with local Deaf communities in developing countries? How does this impact their work or their research? What if the professional or researcher is hearing, but knows sign language? The three authors of this book chapter discuss these questions. They share their experiences working abroad. Two of the authors are Deaf and the third is hearing. All three know American Sign Language (ASL). All three also have learned the local signed languages that Deaf people use in the country where they worked or completed research.

The three authors are Arlinda S. Boland, Amy T. Wilson, and Rowena E. Winiarczyk. This book chapter is in the book entitled It’s A Small World: International Deaf Spaces and Encounters, edited by Michele Friedner and Annelies Kuster. The book published in 2015.

Readers can download the book for free at the link in ePub format. Or, readers can purchase a hard copy of the book via booksellers such as Abe Books, Amazon, or elsewhere. You also can ask your best library if they have a copy of the book.

We were unable to assess whether the ePub file is accessible for people using screen reading software. For people who have print disabilities (for example, blind people), you can try looking for this book in an accessible format via an online service like Bookshare. Or, if you use a library service that participates in the ABC Global Book Service, you may wish to inquire whether this book is available.