The experience of Maltese deaf individuals within their hearing families

Abstract

This study explores the experiences of Maltese deaf individuals within their hearing families. The researcher was interested in exploring whether Deafness affects their relationship within their families. If so, in what ways: whether sign language and lip reading helps the Deaf individuals in their life such as when they communcate with their family, and how the parents’ support impacted their life. A qualitative approach was considered to be the most pertinent and five semi-structured interviews were conducted. The participants ranged from 25 to 40 years of age, all of whom were Deaf, sign language users, and part of a hearing family. Through thematic analysis, five themes were generated, each constiting of sub-themes which were subsequently discussed. The findings highlight the communication barriers which are experienced by Deaf individuals especially within their family, which cause them to feel isolated from their family. It transpired that the majority of the participants engage in lip reading and oral communication to overcome the communication barriers with their families however, not without frustrations. The support offered by the participants’ parents in their education is highly apparent, which overall contributed to the Deaf individual’s success.