KEY POINTS:
Why are we asking this now?
Because an extensive search is under way for missing deaf Christchurch woman Emma Agnew.
The 20-year-old has not been heard from since Thursday of last week when she sent a text message saying she was meeting someone interested in buying her red Mazda Familia.
The car was found partially burned out at Bromley Park in the city that night.
What is the difference between deaf and Deaf?
The word deaf is used differently in different contexts.
Spelled with a lower-case d, deaf refers to the audiological experience of someone who is partially or wholly lacking hearing.
Within the Deaf community, the term Deaf is capitalised when written, and refers to a tight-knit cultural group of people whose primary language is sign language.
They practise social and cultural norms that are unique to them.
What causes deafness?
Deafness can be genetic, caused by infections such as meningitis, or congenital, age-related, caused by trauma to the ear such as exposure to loud music or by toxins getting into the ear drum.
Temporary hearing loss can be caused by the build-up of wax in the ear canal, injury to the head, allergies, ear infections and reactions to medications.
It is estimated that more than 400,000 people in New Zealand have a hearing impairment.
The different categories of deafness and hearing impairment are:
* Unilateral: loss of hearing in one ear only.
* Pre-lingual: deafness at birth or deafness acquired before language is learned.
* Peri-lingual: deafness acquired while learning a first language.
* Post-lingual: acquired after a language has been learned.
* Partial: limited hearing loss.
* Progressive: hearing loss which increases over time.
* Profound: complete or near-complete hearing loss.
* Tone deaf: inability to distinguish between relative pitch (in music).
* Tinnitus: a high-pitched ringing in the ears which drowns out other sounds.
How do deaf people communicate?
Deaf people use sign language, which is an official language of New Zealand, to communicate among one another.
It is a construction of hand movements, facial expressions, space and direction, with rules for grammar and syntax.
Sign languages differ from country to country, just as spoken languages do.
The International Sign Language is Gestuno, which is used at international conferences and meetings.
Most deaf people have some knowledge of the dominant language of their country and are able to lip-read, speak, or read and write.
People with partial hearing may wear hearing aids, which are small devices worn in or behind the ear to amplify sounds.
How can I prevent going deaf?
Avoiding loud noise is one of the main ways to prevent deafness. If you cannot avoid loud noise, wear earplugs or earmuffs to protect your ears.
Taking steps to reduce injuries or disease may prevent certain types of deafness, but there is no current way to prevent congenital or genetic deafness.
Hearing screening in babies can help insure that hearing loss is detected so it can be treated early.
What support is available for deaf New Zealanders?
The Deaf Association of New Zealand provides interpreters, equipment, information and training programmes.
However, there are many more organisations that support deaf people, such as the DEAFinitely Youth Group, Deaf-Quip, the Deaf Sports Federation of NZ, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People NZ, the New Zealand Deaf Rugby Football Union, NZ Federation for Deaf Children, New Zealand Sign Language Teachers Association, Sign Language Interpreters Association of NZ and Deaf Mental Health Service.
Victoria University offers a certificate in deaf studies and Auckland University of Technology runs a diploma in sign language interpreting course.
