Language Mediation as an Area of Risk for a Deaf Person

Abstract

The article presents the risk areas of dependence in communication of persons with disabilities. In particular, it describes interference with communication and social relations of deaf persons and their sign language interpreters Based on long-term observations and 25 autobiographies of deaf/hard-of-hearing students, seven major risk areas were identified and described: 1) risk of intentional or unintentional meaning distortion, 2) risk of mediator’s dominance in the process of communication, 3) risk of initiating communication only in presence or through mediator, 4) risk of a “social filter”, 5) risk of “protective umbrella” and isolation, 6) risk of the instrumental relations and 7) risk of excessive attachment – personal dependency.