The Problem
The Deaf and hard of hearing face a myriad of burdens in the US. Deaf Planet Soul is working to change this. Some of the problems we address include the following:
- Deaf adults face an unemployment rate of about 47%.
- Deaf women are twice as likely as hearing women to experience domestic violence.
- The average Deaf adult reads at about the 4th grade level.
- Deaf individuals of all ages experience high rates of social isolation, often stemming from mainstream education and separation from Deaf peers.
- As a result of the aforementioned isolation, Deaf adults often struggle with executive functioning skills.
- Fewer than 1% of US movie theaters offer open captioning.
- Virtually no fitness centers in the US offer on-site ASL interpreting or instruction as the standard.
- Deaf consumers are often denied access to qualified ASL interpreters, even in legal and medical settings.