Glossary
Here is a list of key terms translated into Singapore Sign Language (SgSL)
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Allyship
Allyship is an active, ongoing effort where an individual uses their personal power, position, or privilege to support, uplift, and advocate for members of a marginalised or mistreated group to which they do not belong (The OR Briefings, 2026). For example, hearing interpreters being allies of deaf individuals or sign language communities.
The OR Briefings. (2026). Allyship commitment- Definition and Explanation. The OR Briefings. https://oxford-review.com/the-oxford-review-dei-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dictionary/allyship-commitment-definition-and-explanation/
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Resources aimed at the removal of barriers for deaf and hard-of-hearing people so that they can participate equally and meaningfully in different domains in society. For example, notetakers, captioning, sign language interpreters or pro-tactile signing are types of acessibility services for deaf, hard-of-hearing people and deafblind people.
AVANTPAGE. (2024). Communication Services for the Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing. AVANTPAGE: empathy beyond words. https://avantpage.com/language-access-for-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing/
Accessibility
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Ableism
"Ableism refers to prejudice against individuals with disabilities, based on the belief that they are inferior. Like other prejudices, ableism manifests in many attitudes and behaviours, such as avoidance, expressions of disgust, verbal abuse, humiliating language, and even hate crimes. It can also take structural forms, becoming systemic and institutionalized discrimination embedded in society's structures, policies, and practices that (often unintentionally) marginalize or exclude disabled individuals" (Dan, 2025, p. 276).
"Examples include inaccessible infrastructure, policies, and attitudes that prevent equal participation in areas like health care, education, leisure, and employment. Moreover, individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in the media, which deprives them of cultural role models to cope with ableism. Misrepresentation additionally reinforces stereotypes and societal attitudes that devalue or ignore their own experiences and capabilities" (Dan, 2025, p. 276).
"Like other prejudices, ableism can also present with a seemingly positive bias towards individuals based solely on their disability. This benevolent ableism usually manifests as pity or charity, paternalistic protection, and condescending or exaggerated praise for common activities." (Dan, 2025, p. 276).
Dan, B. (2025). Benevolent ableism is still ableism: Objectification and ‘inspiration porn’. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 67(3), 276–277. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.16211
Benevolence porn and inspiration porn function under the broader umbrella of benevolent ableism.
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Benevolence Porn
Benevolence porn (Hero narrative) (charity trope) -“Benevolence porn describes media coverage of interpreters as heroic agents of benevolence and any coverage of really, any abled person in the vicinity of disabled persons performing any kind of inclusion” (Robinson, 2022, p. 338).
Robinson, O. (2022). Puppets, Jesters, Memes, and Benevolence Porn: The Spectacle of Access. Przegląd Kulturoznawczy, (3 (53)), 329–344. https://doi.org/10.4467/20843860PK.22.024.16613
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Authority
Authority means the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and control people.
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Audism
Audism refers to discrimination, bias and lack of inclusion against people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. It stems from the belief that those who can hear and speak are superior to those who do not have those abilities(Humphries, 1975).
Humphries, T. (1975). The making of a word: audism. (Unpublished manuscript). [University of California, San Diego].
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Counternarrative
A counternarrative is an alternative story or point of view that challenges a mainstream story, or a dominant, official, or widely accepted version of events.
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Charity Tropes
“The disabled person is objectified and depersonalised, reduced to a trope – a tool for fundraising in fact. The charity labels the impairment, thus establishing ownership and brand identity.” The most common charity tropes related to disability revolve around pity, objectification, and inspiration, often criticized by disability rights advocates for reducing complex human experiences to marketing tools."
Whetham, C. (n.d.). Disability, charity images and stereotypes. Carl Whetham photography. https://carlwhetham.photo.blog/2016/12/10/disability-charity-images-and-stereotypes/
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Charity Model of Disability
“The charity model identifies the individual as having a problem and tends to view persons with disabilities as victims, or objects of pity, their impairment being their main identifier. They are seen as recipients and beneficiaries of services. This approach sees persons with disabilities as passive, tragic or suffering and requiring care. It assumes that it is the community and society’s responsibility to arrange all services for these vulnerable people and know what is good for them” (CBM, 2026).
CBM. (2026). What are models of disability. CMB Inclusive Participation Toolbox. https://participation.cbm.org/why/disability-participation/models-of-disability
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Deaf Culture
The sign languages, beliefs, norms of behaviour, knowledge and histories shared by deaf communities in different countries. In Singapore, deaf signers use Singapore Sign Language (SgSL). (The Singapore Association for the Deaf, n.d.)
The Singapore Association for the Deaf. (n.d.). Deaf Culture & Community. https://sadeaf.org.sg/deaf-communityculture/
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Deaf Agency
Refers to the capacity of deaf individuals to act independently, make their own free choices, and resist systemic societal pressures (like audism). It celebrates a deaf person’s independent capability to navigate a hearing world on their own terms. Rather than treating deafness as a medical deficit or disability, having agency means embracing it as a unique cultural identity with its own language, values, and traditions. (The Deaf Museum’s Project, n.d.).
The Deaf Museum’s Project. (n.d.). Deaf Studies Terms. Deaf Museums Project. https://deafmuseums.eu/index.php/en/output/io2/category/from-the-deaf-world-2
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Cultural Model of Deafness
The cultural model of deafness posits deaf people as belonging to a community who share a common sign language and a distinct Deaf culture (Woodward & Allen, 1993).
Woodward, J., & Allen, T. (1993). Models of deafness compared: A sociolinguistic study of Deaf & Hard of Hearing Teachers. Sign Language Studies, 79, 113–126. https://doi.org/10.1353/sls.1993.0014
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Deaf Representation in Media
“Media representation significantly impacts deaf culture by shaping public perceptions and understanding of deaf individuals and their experiences. Positive portrayals can foster awareness and acceptance, while negative or inaccurate representations can perpetuate stereotypes and marginalization” (Lawson, 2025).
Lawson, R. (2025, April 8). The Challenges of Representation for Deaf Individuals in Media. https://elds.org.uk/the-challenges-of-representation-for-deaf-individuals-in-media/
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Deaf Leadership
“Deaf leadership refers to the development of leadership capacities within the Deaf community, grounded in equal participation, accessibility, and recognition of Deaf identity. It promotes the active involvement of Deaf individuals in decision-making processes, community development, and broader societal engagement.” (Empoway, 2026).
Empoway. (n.d.). Deaf Leadership - Training & Project Outputs. empoway. https://empoway.be/en/deaf-leadership/
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Deaf Identity
Deaf identity is about how a deaf individual thinks and feels about being a deaf person. It includes the decisions they make about how they communicate and which languages they use, how they feel about their deafness or hearing loss and how they connect with deaf culture or the sign language community. Every deaf individual’s identity journey will be different. There are different ways to be deaf and one’s sense of identity can change over time (National Deaf Children’s Society, 2026).
National Deaf Children’s Society. (2026). Exploring your deaf identity. https://www.ndcs.org.uk/advice-support/all/deaf-identity-culture/exploring-your-deaf-identity
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Diversity Tokenism
Diversity Tokenism - “defined as limited efforts to increase visible diversity without broader substantive change” (Law & Tan, 2026, p.318). Hiring or appointing an individual or a few persons from underrepresented groups to give an appearance of fairness or diversity without real systemic change (Lapiak, 2026).
For example, a hearing person using sign language on TV to appear inclusive of deaf people and to show appreciation for diversity OR having a deaf person on a board of a deaf organisation that has majority hearing people without letting the deaf person have a real say in matters concerning the deaf community.
Lapiak, J. (2026). Tokenism and Token Deaf People. HANDSPEAK. https://www.handspeak.com/learn/378/
Law, K. K. F., & Tan, J. (2026). Diversity Tokenism. Journal of Accounting Research, 64(1), 317–363. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-679X.70019
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Discrimination
Discrimination - bias or unfair treatment of a person of group because of who they are or their personal traits (e.g. hearing people discriminate against deaf people in domains such as education, employment, etc…).
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Deficit Lens
Deficit language and thinking centres around what a person lacks or can’t do (Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training, 2026). For example, deaf and dumb, hearing impaired and deaf mute are terms that reflect deficit perspectives.
ACDET. (2026). A guide to language about disability. ADCET - Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training. https://www.adcet.edu.au/resources/cdl-hub/advice-tips-and-student-stories/guide-to-language-about-disability
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Horizontal Violence
Lateral/Horizontal Violence - “Lateral violence is violence that we do to others within our own community—people who share the same experiences, discrimination, oppression, and barriers as we do. This chapter explores the factors that develop and influence the perpetuation of lateral traumas in the Deaf community” (Kordus & Somdal, 2025, p. 99).
Natasha Kordus, M., Somdal, A.G. (2025). Lateral Violence Within the Deaf Community. In: Bone, T. (eds) Deaf Mental Health. Advances in Mental Health and Addiction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06274-1_7
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Helper Model of Interpreting
Helper Model of Interpreting - “The Helper Model In the early days of professional ASL interpreting, the role was often filled by family members, clergy, and volunteers who provided communication support out of a sense of charity. This Helper Model of interpreting was based on the belief that Deaf individuals needed assistance navigating the hearing world. Interpreters in this model often took on an overly involved role, sometimes making decisions on behalf of Deaf individuals or assuming they needed advocacy rather than equitable communication access. While well-intentioned, this approach lacked respect for Deaf autonomy and reinforced systemic barriers to independence. This model, though historic, still influences perceptions of sign language interpreting services in some communities today” (DAS, 2024).
DAS. (2024). Evolution of ASL Interpreters. https://deafaccess.com/blogs/evolution/
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Hearing Colonialism
A power relationship between hearing people and deaf people that is unequal. This typically occurs when hearing people control and rule over deaf people and imposes the hearing cultural norms onto deaf groups, which is the subordinate group (Lapiak, 2026).
Lapiak, J. (2026). Colonialism of the hearing society. HANDSPEAK. https://www.handspeak.com/learn/339/
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Inspiration Porn
“Inspiration Porn is used to describe the objectification of disabled people with the intention of making people without disabilities feel good. The term was made popular by Stella Young, a disabled comedian and activist, in her TED talk titled “I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much.” Young explained that society has been sold the lie that having a disability is a bad thing, so simply living with a disability makes someone exceptional. The media tends to glorify disabled people for existing and praise non-disabled people for helping disabled people. These superficial narratives have detrimental effects on the representation and perception of disabled people in society” (Moro, 2023).
Moro, L. (2023, December 7). Inspiration Porn: What It Is, Why It’s A Problem, and What You Can Do. Disability Belongs. https://www.disabilitybelongs.org/2023/12/inspiration-porn/
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Inclusion
“Disability inclusion refers to the meaningful participation and integration of individuals with disabilities into all aspects of society, ensuring that they have equal access to opportunities, resources, and services. It aims to eliminate barriers, physical, attitudinal, and systemic—that limit people with disabilities from achieving their full potential. Inclusion goes beyond just physical accessibility. It focuses on ensuring that individuals with disabilities feel valued, respected, and empowered. Disability inclusion is not a favor but a fundamental human right that allows people with disabilities to engage fully in their communities, workplaces, and social environments" (The OR briefings, 2026).
The OR briefings. (2026). Disability Inclusion – Definition and Explanation. The OR Briefings. https://oxford-review.com/the-oxford-review-dei-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dictionary/disability-inclusion-definition-and-explanation/
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Linguistic Gatekeeping
“Linguistic gatekeeping is primarily exclusionary in purpose. It involves mostly a list of don't's. Language gatekeepers typically do not engage in any systematic study of language structure. Instead, they issue judgments on specific items of usage that are structurally and functionally unrelated. Gatekeepers cite particular words or expressions as “wrong,” “incorrect,” “illogical,” “uneducated,” “awkward,” “substandard” or “ungrammatical” (out), and sometimes to alternative items as “right,” “correct,” “logical,” “educated,” “standard” or “grammatical” (in). These are terms of prescriptive rather than descriptive grammar.” (MACNEIL/LEHRER PRODUCTIONS, 2005).
MACNEIL/LEHRER PRODUCTIONS. (2005). Gatekeeping. do you speak american? https://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/correct/gatekeeping/
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Language Policing
Language policing occurs when “certain forms or varieties (usually of non-standard vernaculars) are stigmatised to make space for preferred standardised or international languages. In a sense, we can say that LANGUAGE POLICING is a form of Language Management.”
Kieu, C. Y. (2024, December 28). Confronting “Grammar Nazis”: 5 Reasons why LANGUAGE POLICING Backfires. Language Educators Assemble. https://languageeducatorsassemble.com/language-policing/
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Language Ideologies
“language ideologies tend to be implicit; we don’t realise that we are making value judgments about languages, or assumptions about what is or isn’t language. We are exposed to language ideologies in a way that people around us act and refer to language” (Wilkinson & Morford, 2024, p. 9). For example, the belief that ASL is superior to other signed languages or English is superior to Singlish or other spoken languages.
Wilkinson, E., & Morford, J. P. (2024). Understanding signed languages (1st ed.). Routledge.
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Internalised Audism
Dysconscious audism or internalised audism is “"a form of audism that tacitly accepts dominant hearing norms and privileges. It is not the absence of consciousness but an impaired consciousness or distorted way of thinking about Deaf consciousness” (Gertz, 2003, p. 58).
Gertz, E. N. (2003). Dysconscious audism and critical deaf studies: Deaf crit’s analysis of unconscious internalization of hegemony within the deaf community. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). [University of California Los Angeles].
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Medical Model of Disability
Medical Model of Disability - The perception that the disability is something to fix or cure.
ACDET. (2026). A guide to language about disability. ADCET - Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training. https://www.adcet.edu.au/resources/cdl-hub/advice-tips-and-student-stories/guide-to-language-about-disability
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Linguicism
Linguicism - Linguicism is discrimination based on language such as their proficiency level, languages they know or do not know, languages they use or do not use (Skutnabb-Kangas, 2015).
Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (2015). Linguicism. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Malden,
MA: Blackwell. Published Online: 19 JUN 2015 DOI:
10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal1460.
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Linguistic Prescriptivism
“The term prescriptivism refers to the ideology and practices in which the correct and incorrect uses of a language or specific linguistic items are laid down by explicit rules that are externally imposed on the users of that language.” (Straaijer, 2017).
Straaijer, R. (2017). Linguistic Prescriptivism. In M. Aronoff (Ed.), Oxford Bibliographies in Linguistics (1st edn). Oxford University PressNew York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199772810-0208
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Segregation vs Mainstreaming
“ It’s a completely unique and different set of challenges for deaf or hard of hearing students. It’s not about deciding which school to go to, but rather whether to go to a mainstream or deaf school. It’s a complex situation because the big challenge is that there isn’t a clear-cut answer that suits everyone.[…] Also be aware that every single student, regardless of whether that person is hearing, deaf, hard of hearing, ethnic minority, wheelchair user, family background, etc. is different (Khalifa, 2019).
Khalifa, A. (2019, December 18). Mainstream school vs deaf school: what’s the difference and the respective pros & cons? Hear Me Out! [CC]. https://hearmeoutcc.com/mainstream-school-vs-deaf-school/
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Paternalism
Paternalism - “Paternalism is the interference of a state or an individual with another person, against their will, and defended or motivated by a claim that the person interfered with will be better off or protected from harm" (The Metaphysics Research Lab, 2002).
The Metaphysics Research Lab, Department of Philosophy, Stanford University. (2002, November 6). Paternalism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paternalism/
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Othering
“Without realizing it, we often pick up on biases based on what we think is "normal." Sometimes, this bias is very apparent, but it can also act as an invisible barrier that keeps people seen as outsiders from accessing certain spaces or opportunities. […]Othering is a phenomenon in which some individuals or groups are defined and labeled as not fitting in within the norms of a social group. It affects how people perceive and treat people who are part of the "in-group" versus those in the "out-group.”[…]Othering also involves attributing negative characteristics to people or groups that differentiate them from the perceived normative social group.” […] Othering can happen because of differences in age, race, gender, or religion (Cherry, 2026).
Cherry, K. (2026, March 30). How Othering Contributes to Discrimination and Prejudice. verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-othering-5084425
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Spectrum of deaf identities
deaf, hard-of-hearing, oral, bimodal, bicultural, signing, deaf blind, late-deafened, deaf disabled, not deaf enough, Deaf, there’s no one way to be deaf (Morpheyes Studio at RIT|NTID, 2024).
Morpheyes Studio at RIT | NTID. (2024). Deaf Identity | Episode One of “Deaf And...” YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nythXwJY61Y.
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Social Model of Disability
Social Model of Disability - The belief that society is not set up to accommodate differences - this is seen in barriers in the environment and also social attitudes.
ACDET. (2026). A guide to language about disability. ADCET - Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training. https://www.adcet.edu.au/resources/cdl-hub/advice-tips-and-student-stories/guide-to-language-about-disability
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Stereotypes
“Part of stereotyping is the attitude that all members of a particular group are the same, or else fall into a very small number of types. This is particularly true in the few cases where persons with a disability appear in media” […] Perhaps the most common stereotype of persons with disabilities is the victim, a character who is presented as a helpless object of pity or sympathy. […] The flip side of the victim stereotype is the hero, the character who proves her worth by overcoming her disability. Roper calls this type the Supercrip: “Supercrips are people who conform to the individual model by overcoming [their] disability and becoming more ‘normal’, in a heroic way…" (Common Portrays of Persons with Disabilities, n.d).
Common Portrayals of Persons with Disabilities. Media Smarts: Canada’s Centre for Digital Media Literacy. (n.d.). https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/media-issues/diversity-media/persons-disabilities/common-portrayals-persons-disabilities
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Feature Title
This is the space to showcase the specific characteristics and capabilities that make your product stand out.
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Feature Title
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Supercrip Narrative (a subset of inspiration porn)
“A common stereotype in the disability literature is known as the supercrip, or someone who overcomes their disability in ways that are often seen by the public as inspiring. […] Often the accomplishments they are praised for are superior gold-medaling winning performances, but more mundane tasks such as going shopping are also praised. Excessive praise for engaging in everyday activities is thought to reflect low expectations about what a person with a disability can do. Many individuals view their impairment as part of their identity and not something to overcome or defeat. Supercrip-related praise for Paralympians can unrealistically raise expectations for all people with disabilities, including many who cannot do many of the things athletes with disabilities can do. ” (Martin, 2017, p. 139).
Martin, J. J. (2017). Supercrip Identity. In J. J. Martin, Handbook of Disability Sport and Exercise Psychology (1st edn, pp. 139–148). Oxford University PressNew York. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190638054.003.0015