Why the Deaf community must be recognized as a culture

Ellie Kidder

My name is Ellie Kidder, founder of Deaf Cultural Arts & Wellness, or DCAW. DCAW strengthens Deaf culture through art, storytelling, community relationships, historical preservation, and Deaf-led leadership.

Our purpose is not simply to help Deaf people gain access to hearing arts organizations. We are building a Deaf cultural arts ecosystem – one in which Deaf people create, lead, teach, preserve our stories, and shape our own future.

Many people still see Deaf people only through the lens of disability. Disability rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act are essential. Interpreters, captions, and other accommodations matter. Yet access alone does not describe the full Deaf experience.

Access allows Deaf people to enter a room. Cultural recognition allows Deaf people to help shape the room.

The Deaf community is not simply a disability group. We are a linguistic and cultural community with American Sign Language, shared history, traditions, values, humor, storytelling, art, social norms, institutions, and a deep sense of belonging. Deaf artists create visual art, performance, literature, poetry, film, and other cultural expression that comes from our lived experience and language.

So why may arts leaders hear so little from the Deaf community?
It is not because Deaf people lack ideas, artists, stories, or knowledge. Too often, silence has been created by barriers.

Many Deaf people grew up without full access to American Sign Language. They may have experienced language deprivation or limited communication at home and in school. This can affect confidence, education, written English, self-advocacy, and whether a person believes their voice will be respected.

Other barriers are familiar: arts events, meetings, grants, and leadership opportunities that are not accessible in ASL; interpreter requests that require long notice while invitations arrive at the last minute; hearing-led organizations making decisions about Deaf people without Deaf leadership; and limited funding for Deaf-led cultural work.

Deaf people are often invited into systems already designed without Deaf people. Deaf people may be expected to adapt, rather than be welcomed as equal partners. After years of being misunderstood, ignored, or asked to explain themselves again and again, silence can become a form of survival.

I have experienced these barriers personally. I have repeatedly tried to work with Hennepin County Library so Deaf children can enjoy storytelling directly from a Deaf storyteller at their local library. I have made numerous attempts to build that partnership, but I have been denied. This is not a small matter. Deaf children deserve to see their language, imagination, and culture reflected in the public places meant to serve every child.

A Deaf storyteller does more than translate words into signs. A Deaf storyteller carries visual language, cultural knowledge, humor, rhythm, history, and connection. Deaf children deserve to see a Deaf adult lead, create, and share a story in American Sign Language.

Recognizing Deaf culture does not mean separating Deaf people from disability rights or disability justice. Many Deaf people also identify as disabled, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, or in several ways at once. We are stronger when we work together. But one identity should not erase another.

Deaf cultural rights mean recognizing that American Sign Language and Deaf culture have value. They mean protecting the right of Deaf children to language, community, education, and cultural belonging. They mean supporting Deaf artists and Deaf-led organizations as cultural leaders – not treating Deaf people only as recipients of services.

Minnesota has the opportunity to become a national leader in Deaf cultural arts. That begins with listening to Deaf people, investing in Deaf-led work, and building meaningful relationships with the Deaf community.

DCAW is available to give presentations about building stronger connections between the Deaf community and the arts community. We can speak about Deaf culture, Deaf arts, language deprivation, access, and why Deaf people must be recognized as a cultural and linguistic community – not solely through the lens of disability.

We are not asking others to define Deaf culture for us. We are declaring that Deaf culture exists, has value, and deserves recognition, preservation, investment, and a place within Minnesota’s arts community.

Deaf Cultural Rights are the foundation upon which future language-access and education protections can be built.

Longfellow resident Ellie Kidder is the founder and executive director of Deaf Cultural Arts &

Wellness. For presentation opportunities, contact hello.dcaw@gmail.com. She experienced language deprivation and did not begin learning English until she was eight years old. ASL is her primary language, so written English can sometimes be challenging. She uses ChatGPT to help organize her thoughts and correct her grammar, but the ideas, experiences, humor, and voice are hers.