Myth busting
Some people make assumptions about what deaf people can and can't do. Here are the truths behind some common myths!
Myth: Deaf people can’t enjoy music
Lots of deaf people love music.
Some deaf people can hear music. Lots of deaf people play music directly through their hearing aids or implants, like headphones, so nobody else can hear it!
Other deaf people might not hear music but enjoy the vibrations. Some deaf people don't listen to music at all. Everyone's different.
Find out about assistive technology for listening to music.
Myth: All deaf people can lip-read
Not all deaf people can lip-read. Even people who can lip-read really well can only lip-read a small percentage of speech.
Lip-reading is hard work. It takes a lot of effort and concentration and can be really tiring. There are some things you can do to make it easier.
Find out more about lip-reading.
Myth: Sign language is the same everywhere
There are hundreds of different sign languages used around the world. Like spoken languages, sign languages are organic. This means they are formed over many years by the people who use them.
British Sign Language (BSL) is hundreds of years old. It's different to the sign languages used in other English-speaking countries. For example, the USA has American Sign Language (ASL), Australia has Australian Sign Language (Auslan), and New Zealand has New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).
Find out more about sign language.
Myth: Deaf people can’t use the phone
Some deaf people hear enough to use standard phones. Some people use Bluetooth to stream phonecalls to their hearing aids or implants.
Deaf people can also use the phone using:
- text
- video call services, like FaceTime
- text relay services (where an operator can type out speech for the deaf person to read, and repeat what a deaf person types using speech)
- sign language relay services (where an interpreter can sign what someone is saying to the deaf person, and repeat what a deaf person is signing using speech).
Find out more about assistive technology for using the phone.
Myth: Deaf people can hear everything with their hearing aids or cochlear implants
This is not true. It can be really frustrating when people assume deaf people can hear OK if they’re wearing their technology.
Hearing aids can help focus sounds and make them louder. Cochlear implants send electrical signals to the brain, which interprets them as sound. This doesn’t mean a deaf person hears in the same way, or as well as, a hearing person.
Listening to and processing speech and sound through hearing aids and implants can be exhausting.
Deaf-friendly communication guidance
See our tips for communicating with deaf children and young people