Computer‐mediated communication use by the deaf and hard‐of‐hearing

Discusses the potential of computer‐mediated communication to reduce the social isolation experienced by many deaf and hard‐of‐hearing individuals. Communication presents significant problems for this group of people, some of which can be bridged by communicating via the Internet or e‐mail. deaf Internet users were surveyed by use of a questionnaire. Their opinions, summarised in this paper, emphasise the significance of computer‐mediated communication for the deaf; namely that interaction can be both less stressful and faster, thereby reducing the isolation many feel due to the physical constraints imposed by their deafness.