The Stigma of Deafness

Walker is very concerned with the stigma attached to deafness, especially in the time she grew up in, the 1950s and 1960s. As many other medical conditions, deafness was poorly understood and ignorance led to bigotry and prejudice. Thus, part of the reason for Walker's book is to debunk the myths of deafness and provide commonsense explanations for the otherwise strange behavior of deaf people.

The deaf are usually rigid thinkers, meaning that they think in terms of yes or no, right or wrong, without nuance or gray areas. Researchers have linked this rigid thinking to the lack of hearing during crucial years of infant development. Walker urges society to appreciate this difference when dealing with deaf people. Deaf people may become frustrated when there isn't an easy answer or a definite set of steps to follow to accomplish something.

The deaf, for similar reasons...