Cuz I haven't seen one deaf person in real life for my entire life. I know that deaf people are out there. But like where though? They aren't grocery shopping. They aren't clothes shopping. They're not at the parks.
I think it's because they're so rare that unless you seek them out or happen to move into a town with a community of them, you're not gonna find them very easily. I've met a few in my life, but never had a close relationship with them. In fact, you're more likely to meet people who work with them, rather than actual deaf people.
I think they do go places, but it's hard to travel long distances alone when you're deaf. You're not allowed to drive because your lack of hearing is a hazard on the road, so you have to rely on others to get you places, and of course, our public transportation system is terrible outside the cities. Traveling by plane or boat isn't so bad, but again, you still have to be careful if you go somewhere you're not familiar with, and have that handicap. Deaf people also can't get a lot of the same jobs as the rest of us, so many who aren't married or part of a family have to live on public assistance money. The ones who are part of a family have it a bit better, but that's no guarantee their spouses or family members earn enough to move a lot either.
What's nice is, thanks to the internet and nonprofit organizations, the deaf communities have it a lot easier these days, finding others like themselves, in addition to taking advantage of newer technology to get around their handicap.
What I find shocking, based on what this missionary couple who worked with the deaf overseas told us in the early 2010s, is that there are still stigmas around the world towards the deaf, including in places such as Latin America and Africa.
That missionary couple also revealed how hard it is for deaf people to learn how to read. Evidently we humans are hard-wired to use our ears in addition to our eyes in learning how to sound out words in our head, whereas it's really, really hard for those born deaf to do so. Due to the reason listed above, it's really hard for deaf people to get through reading the Bible (in addition to other thick books). For now, many often watch videos of people reading the Bible out loud with subtitles, Biblical films with the captions left on, or maybe one or two outdated videos of people signing, but they don't cover the entire manuscript.
One of this couple's biggest projects (besides building better communities for the deaf as well as preaching to them overseas) was to create a series of CGI films with an animated interpreter telling Bible stories to the deaf viewers. They had plenty of both hearing and deaf friends that were more than eager to help out, but they were having issues getting enough funding and programmers to help out as well. I'm hoping they made more progress since we last met them. It's been over a decade.
My personal theory is that they all go to Hell because they sold their souls to the devil so that they never have to hear all the stupid shit people say.
My left hearing is gone. I’ve had 3 tympanoplasties to no avail. I currently have to have more surgery due to scar tissue (which continues to grow) behind the ear drum. I have a tube in my right ear. My hearing is so bad I purchased a sound bar. Trouble is I erred because it’s for a 65” TV. My TV is a 44”.🤭