Evolving Identities of Adolescents Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Scoping Review

The authors employed a scoping review to examine peer-reviewed journal articles published 2002-2020 focusing on adolescents who are deaf or hard of hearing and their self-reported identities. d/Deaf identity theory was explored in light of recent advances in developed countries, e.g., universal newborn hearing screening, increased access to mainstream school placements, and rising rates of cochlear implantation. Key themes were explored, including deafness acculturation, competing and complementary identities, and flexibility and fluidity. The results demonstrated that the way adolescents perceive their identity is evolving, in what is often a flexible and fluid process dependent on the adolescents' context. Other identities, such as those relating to ethnicity and culture, were often seen as equal in importance to one's d/Deaf identity. These findings are contrasted with those of wider research on d/Deaf identity, and further research investigating adolescents' perceptions of themselves is recommended.