An advocate for the d/Deaf community challenges churches to re-evaluate their approaches to fellowship and evangelism to raised serve the distinctive needs of this sizeable people group, which has its own cultures and languages.
Emily Owen “knows what it’s to be broken and what it’s to fulfill God there.” Owen was diagnosed with a neurological condition called NF2-Schwannomatosis (NF2) as an adolescent and suffered many medical surgeries to combat the health issue. NF2 led to brain surgery causing her to lose hearing traumatically overnight in Nov. 2001 on the age of 21. She also has to walk using crutches due to her condition.
However, Owen pushed on along with her profession in writing and public speaking on faith and disability topics. She writes her own blog and has authored several books, including devotionals and youngsters’s books, winning the Association of Christian Writers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Christian Publishing in 2018.
Owen also serves as a team member and email compiler for Open Ears, a UK charitable organization facilitating fellowship for impaired hearing Christians. Her mother Anthea is chair of the charity.
Speaking to Christian Daily International in a private capability, Owen explained how individuals with hearing issues broadly fall inside three categories.
Deaf (capital letter D) individuals are born Deaf and frequently use sign language as a primary language. “Deaf is their culture,” Owen explained.
Secondly are those termed “deaf” (lowercase letter d), namely “individuals who, like me, lose their hearing in later life, normally who’ve acquired spoken language.”
Thirdly, “Hard of Hearing” people whose hearing must be amplified with a hearing aid.
“It is simple for any of the above categories to feel isolated in church, as communication is difficult,” said Owen, while outlining methods for churches to raised engage with this people group.
“Churches who’ve a variety of visual information are helpful, though often the Deaf community don’t read well, as English is their second language after sign language.
“Good lighting is very important, as many individuals with any degree of hearing loss will lipread to an extent.”
Speech-to-Text apps might be useful for many who are in a position to read, she said.
Owen also said an excellent Loop System helps those with hearing aids, adding that background noise could make listening very difficult for those wearing such devices.
The issue of churches engaging with hearing loss people is international, not only within the U.K. Owen has just returned from the twenty first International Conference for Pastoral Care amongst Hard of Hearing in Oslo, Norway, at the tip of August. The theme was “Participation is feasible” and talked about inclusion, with 42 people from nine countries attending.
The Joshua Project (TJT) estimates the world Deaf population between 30 and 70 million. Although often labeled as a disability, TJT has said a more accurate perspective is to see these people as a definite cultural group with their very own languages and history.
Asked if she had a selected message for evangelical churches on how one can higher engage with the Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing communities, Owen responded that it was rare for the needs of those communities to be prioritized by churches.
“Learn from Jesus,” she said. “In the healing of the deaf man story, Jesus took the person aside before He ‘opened his ears’. That was such a sort and compassionate thing to do – noise/people/crowds might be overwhelming. It is unlikely that you’ll get to know a D/deaf/HoH person thoroughly in a crowd.”
She encouraged churchgoers to ask a D/deaf person themselves what their specific needs were with a view to access church life.
“People are different and should prefer various things. You cannot be expected to know, but you possibly can ask.”
“Perhaps consider offering deaf awareness training to your congregation,” Owen added. “There are charities and skilled bodies that will come and provides this.”
In some circumstances, it could be appropriate to recommend a D/deaf person attends one other church with higher facilities to fulfill their needs. “Sometimes signposting to a different church, which could be higher equipped to fulfill needs, is the very best welcome,” said Owen.
“Remember that hearing loss/lack of hearing could be very isolating, particularly when surrounded by hearing people. It is tough to follow what is occurring.
“Allow time and space in your service for D/deaf people to maintain up. Have visual indicators where possible.”
The importance of providing every possible means for a D/deaf person to feel fully included can’t be overstated. Hearing loss “steals confidence” and the church has a task in rebuilding self-esteem, helping them to feel properly incorporated into the church community.
“Hard of Hearing people especially will often feel very embarrassed – even ashamed – about their hearing loss, and take a look at to disguise it – meaning they often miss out – so concentrate on that.”
An additional challenge stays with sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with D/deaf communities. Owen said communication was the essential obstacle. However, nothing is unimaginable with God, she says. She recalled a Deaf man becoming a Christian at a faith event recently where there had been an indication language interpreter.
“There is currently a project going [BSL Bible] which goals to make the Bible available in British Sign Language,” said Owen, “however it takes time.”
Owen asked believers to wish for the gospel to be “presented and available in an accessible way that [hearing loss] people can understand.” She referenced Romans 10:14: “And how can they imagine within the one in all whom they’ve not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
