From a physiological perspective, deafness can be defined as an individual’s ability or inability to physically hear a certain decibel range (Thomas, 2014). This type of definition may be described in terms of a degree or percentage, perhaps using words such as: partial, moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss, which therefore demonstrates the extent to which an individuals’ hearing deviates from the general range (British Deaf Association, 2018). Moreover, the second way in which it can be defined is through acknowledging the significance of the British Deaf Association (BDA) and individuals’ membership to this group. Rather than a medical disability, it can be described as a state of being. An identity shift that changes from the deaf population being a disability group, to one of a culture, who can share their own language (British Sign Language), beliefs, attitudes and values. This description of Deafness is largely used to describe individuals who are deaf at birth or those who lose their hearing in early childhood. Here, to signify the difference between the two definitions, the latter is often spelt using a capital …show more content…
Unfortunately, this number is set to rise and in 2035 it is projected that 15.6 million individuals in the UK will suffer from hearing loss, which increases figures to 1 in 5 of us. In terms of severe profound Deafness, statistics indicate that there are over 900,000 individuals living in the UK. Surprisingly one in nine children Deaf children are in fact born to hearing