BRINGING CULTURE TO THE FOREFRONT - FORMULATING DIAGNOSTIC IMPRESSIONS OF DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING PEOPLE AT TIMES OF MEDICAL CRISIS

Deaf and hard-of-hearing people exist in a culture quite different fro m the hearing world-it is a culture that is unique to the Deaf communi ty. Deaf culture is different from the culture of the hearing world, b ut it is even more different than the culture of the medical community . A discussion of cultural differences and case examples are used to i llustrate the profound shift in meaning that happens when culture is b rought to the forefront and behavior is viewed from multiple centers. Basic concepts of medical crisis counseling are useful in framing cult urally appropriate interventions for members of the Deaf community who are drawn into the health care system in medical crisis.