OASIS

The majority of people in the world are hearing. However, a significant proportion does not have full hearing. Some people are born profoundly deaf, or become deaf at an early age before learning a language. These people are typically taught sign language and are involved with the Deaf community from early in life.

Other people become deaf later in life after acquiring a spoken language. Alternatively, some people born deaf never get the chance to be involved in the Deaf community. As there is no established community of these non-signing but deaf people, they may never meet anyone in a similar position and can feel very isolated, or simply frustrated that they have nobody to share their common experiences with. A frequently overheard comment is “I don’t belong in the hearing or the deaf worlds”. OASIS (or, as some would say Oral And Signing Interacting Socially) is for these people, forming a community where our level of deafness and life experiences are something that draw us together rather than set us apart.

Before joining OASIS, most of us had not met anyone with a similar level of hearing. Simply meeting people who do not assume you have full hearing can be very rewarding, and sharing difficulties and successes has brought a sense of satisfaction or relief when people realise that they not so unusual after all.

Every member is likely to have a different reason for being involved. Some like having social contact with people with similar experiences. They enjoy going out and having a good time. Others appreciate the support available to all members. Our essential resource is obviously our diverse group of members, who may be in a position to understand and share their experiences and knowledge. OASIS plays an important role in facilitating group discussions via email, and soon, by a mailing list. Some also use OASIS as a stepping stone to becoming more involved in the mainstream Deaf community - their wish is to feel comfortable in both the Deaf and hearing worlds.

Whatever the reason, whether you come for support, or just to hang out with a friendly bunch of people like yourself, we invite you to become part of the OASIS community.