I've spent most of my life in a hearing family.
Growing up, I had to speak and lip-read to communicate. Adapting often fell to me.
Now that I'm a mum, I see family communication differently.
It's important to me that the effort is shared. Not only for myself, but for my children, especially as one of them is Deaf.
Some family members have made an effort to learn signs or communicate through gestures. Others haven't.
That difference matters.
Being Deaf doesn't automatically create distance within a family. But maintaining relationships shouldn't depend on the Deaf person doing all the adapting.
Communication works best when the effort doesn't sit with one person alone.
REFLECTIVE QUESTION
How might family relationships change when communication becomes a shared responsibility rather than something one person must manage?
