METHODOLOGY

Fieldwork & Interviews

This study consists of seven interviews; the consultants were selected because they are either a part of or directly connected to the Deaf Community in Hong Kong.

The interviewees include:

  • A social entrepreneur and owner of a restaurant
  • A Deaf employee
  • Two Deaf students currently studying at university
  • Two Deaf working youths
  • A Non-Governmental Organisation advocating for the Deaf

Along with the interviews, five Deaf individuals who participate in activities hosted by the NGO were given a quick questionnaire to answer. Each member of the group will also provide a personal reflection of our perceptions of the Deaf community at the start of the research and what it means to be deaf in Hong Kong. Our reflections serve to represent the views of the mainstream community and offer an insight into the possible shifts in perception that comes with a greater knowledge on deafness and the Deaf community.

The interviews aim to discuss issues the Deaf community faces in two major areas of life; this being in school and at work.

University Deaf Students

Both students that we interviewed are currently undergraduates from the Faculty of Science and they suffer from high-frequency deafness and medium level of hearing loss respectively. By having them share their thoughts and personal experiences from the Hong Kong education system, we hope to find out how their secondary and tertiary education in mainstreamed schools have an impact on their identity formation and how they perceive themselves in both the Deaf community as well as the mainstream society.

The Social Entrepreneur & Deaf Employee

Mr. T is a Social Entrepreneur and the owner of a vegetarian restaurant. Ms. DZ is 58-years-old and one of the employees currently working at the restaurant. She was born profoundly deaf but received a cochlear implant when she was 16. She is divorced and has a daughter who is 34-years-old.

By conducting interviews with the deaf employer & employee , we hope to gain an all-rounded view on the kind of social mobility the Deaf community experiences. We want to find out what are the working opportunities and upward mobility in term of employment that are available to them as well as some challenges that they might face when it comes to communication at their workplace. This draws on the principles of emergence and partialness as asserted by Bucholtz and Hall (cite), which highlights the significance of social and cultural context to a speaker’s linguistic identity at any particular moment.

Non-Governmental Organisation

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) play an important role in providing support and advocating for the deaf community. In speaking with Ms. L, a staff member from an NGO that advocates for deaf members in Hong Kong, we are able to better understand an important perspective in the deaf community.

Ms. L is a staff member at one of the service centres under the mentioned NGO. She is extremely experienced in serving the deaf members at the centre, having worked there for her entire adult life (since high school graduation). As a coordinator, she regularly organizes recreational activities and events for centre members. Despite not being hearing impaired herself, Ms. L has a wealth of knowledge about the Hong Kong deaf community, including their needs, struggles and opportunities. Over the 30-minute interview, Ms. L provided us with important insights on inclusive education, public perception of the deaf community, and employment-related challenges of the deaf.

Deaf Youths

Through a non-governmental organization, we were invited to meet with two local working Deaf youths after their weekly rugby practice.

Youth A is a 20-year-old female who suffers from severe deafness and relies on hearing aids. She knows oralism and can communicate via both signing and speaking fluently with others. She has studied two years in a special school until Form 3, and has been working in her family Food & Beverage business ever since.

Youth B is a 25-year-old deaf working male. He is completely deaf, so he depends on oralism and sign language. The interview was conducted with the help of an interpreter. He attended a special school for the Deaf until he was Form 6 and has attained average results for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). He has been working as a freelancer at through the connection of his friends.

Through the interviews with Youths A and B, we hope to have a better understanding of the struggles the Deaf community may have encountered in their education as well as currently in their workplace.

Deaf Members of NGO

The five respondents of our questionnaire are members of the NGO aged 40-60 with varying degrees of hearing impairment. They regularly attend activities and events organized by the NGO as a time of fellowship in one another's company. Our questionnaire hopes to find out more about the difficulties they encounter, how workplace communication is maintained and have a better idea of their working experiences.