Ethics of research engagement with Deaf people. A qualitative evidence synthesis.
Tomasz Krawczyk, Jan Piasecki, Mateusz Wasylewski and 1 others
PMID 38879760WHAT IT FOUND
Deaf participants and researchers described academic settings as hostile, hearing-centered spaces that generate deep distrust.
They reported that meaningful engagement requires sign language competence, Deaf leadership, and proactive community relationship-building before research begins, rather than relying on standard consent forms or interpreters.
Key findings
01Deaf participants expressed fear of research malpractice and exploitation, leading to distrust and reluctance to participate, often rooted in a history of mistreatment and audist practices in academia.
02Effective engagement requires the research team to possess sign language competences and to build relationships with the Deaf community before starting the study, as linguistic barriers significantly impact participation decisions.
03Standard ethical safeguards are insufficient; privacy and confidentiality are complicated by the small size of Deaf communities and the difficulty of anonymizing sign language recordings, while informed consent often fails due to lack of basic awareness of research possibilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
All authors are hearing, which may bias the interpretation of Deaf perspectives despite their efforts at reflexivity. The review excluded theoretical publications, gray literature, and quantitative studies, potentially missing broader ethical frameworks or statistical evidence. The included papers were predominantly from the US and UK, limiting the generalizability of findings to other cultural contexts. The analysis combined experiences of Deaf participants and researchers, which may obscure distinct perspectives within the community.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Science Center, Poland. No other conflicts of interest are reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that providing an interpreter solves the ethical and communicative barriers described. The synthesis indicates that Deaf participants often distrust research due to systemic audism and that effective engagement requires sign language competence from the team and pre-existing community relationships, not just translation services.