The 3rd Interdisciplinary Conference "Exploring the Deaf Community – 2025: On the Periphery of Attention" was held at the GES-2 Community Center.
From October 17-19, 2025, the 3rd Interdisciplinary Conference "Studying the Deaf Community – 2025: On the Periphery of Attention" was held at the GES-2 Community Center. It was organized with the participation of the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research. Speakers from 20 countries participating, presenting over 90 papers on the culture, languages, and experiences of the deaf community. The RDC-2025 laboratory team also presented four studies prepared over the past year. These studies focused on the social structure of deaf society, the formation of deaf identity in bilingual education based on the archives of a Moscow gymnasium, sign singing in deaf culture and its perception by deaf and hard of hearing people, and clubs as a center for the development of deaf culture.
![The 3rd Interdisciplinary Conference "Exploring the Deaf Community – 2025: On the Periphery of Attention" was held at the GES-2 Community Center.](/data/2025/11/06/135980862/%D0%9E%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%98%D0%A1%D0%93_2025.jpg "The 3rd Interdisciplinary Conference "Exploring the Deaf Community – 2025: On the Periphery of Attention" was held at the GES-2 Community Center.")
The diversity of research materials presented at the conference, across more than 20 sections , allows us to highlight several current trends in deaf community and culture. A central trend permeating all presentations is the shift from a medical model (deafness as a pathology) to a sociocultural and cultural-linguistic model. Deafness is conceptualized as the basis for the formation of a unique linguistic and cultural identity. This is reflected in the recognition of sign languages (SL) as fully-fledged linguistic systems requiring study and documentation. Sign language, as the foundation of deaf identity , separating the linguistic and cultural community from the medical category, became one of the key themes of the "ISG-2025: On the Periphery of Attention" conference .
The significant role of sign language is recognized in education: speakers confirm that a bilingual approach (SSL + written language) is critical for the acquisition of knowledge (from mathematics to languages). It has been noted that early access to SSL is directly linked to mental health and cognitive development. Language is also becoming a key tool for ensuring inclusion, which is understood not as genuine physical presence, but as active participation and co-creation. This is an active process of transforming the environment (education, culture, architecture) to meet the needs of various groups, rather than adapting them to existing norms, which requires translation, subtitling, and visualization of information in museums, theaters, and the workplace. Research has documented the heterogeneity of the deaf community. Complex social distances are analyzed between those born deaf, those with hearing loss, cochlear implant users, deaf-blind individuals, and children of deaf parents (CODA), highlighting internal hierarchies and boundaries.
New directions in the field of Deaf Studies were also explored. Architecture and the urban environment are recognized as significant agents of inclusion. The principles of Deaf Space (space, light, color) are proposed as a practical tool for universal design that goes beyond standard solutions. While technologies (AI, digital platforms, online dictionaries) are viewed as powerful tools for education, employment, and communication, questions are raised about accessibility and existential risks (confidentiality, identity when using technical rehabilitation aids (TRAs)). Furthermore, the use of these technologies can be accompanied by systemic barriers such as stigmatization of hearing aid users, imperfect design, and psychological barriers to their use (especially among older people and those who have recently lost their hearing).
To foster positive change and facilitate dialogue between different social groups, exposure to deaf culture is essential. This can occur through personal relationships (friends, family), formal education (sign language classes), or online community activities. Such experiences enable a cognitive shift: instead of a "communication deficit," people begin to see deaf and hard-of-hearing colleagues as communicatively competent, overcoming ableism (systems of prejudice and discrimination based on the idea of hearing superiority, manifested in stigmatization, infantilization, and the imposition of a medical model).
It's worth noting that not only researchers studying aspects of the deaf community from an academic perspective but also industry practitioners working with the deaf confirm that despite the improvement of inclusion, the equal integration of deaf people into various spheres of society, and the shift toward a cultural understanding of deafness, barriers still exist, for example, to the integration of deaf people into the labor market. These barriers include a lack of awareness of career opportunities and promising niches, a mismatch between the education received and the actual demands of the labor market, a shortage of adapted educational content, and many others. Everland, a motivational school for the deaf called "I Can Do It," was presented as a solution. explore Participants digital professions, develop communication skills, and work with real-life case studies. There is also a dedicated online platform that helps deaf people find work and identify various employment formats.
Thus, key trends point to a broader research focus on design, technologies developed for the deaf community, and internal social dynamics. These identified trends reflect the need for a more in-depth, nuanced, and intersectional perspective on the diverse experiences of the deaf community in an international context.
This year, the "Researching the Deaf Community 2025: On the Periphery of Attention" conference was held for the first time over a full week, offering a rich program for researchers and interested parties.
The event has significantly expanded its usual format. In addition to scientific presentations, the program included practical master classes and a workshop, which took place on October 15 at the HSE campus on Pokrovsky Boulevard. Participants were particularly interested in a special exhibition—the recreated office of Professor Galina Lazarevna Zaitseva , a Soviet and Russian special education teacher, featuring unique archival documents from her personal collection.
The conference clearly demonstrates that Deaf Studies is actively developing and encompassing a wide range of new disciplines, opening up new research opportunities. The next conference is planned for two years from now, in 2027.
Research Assistant
Research Assistant
Nikita Bolshakov
Leading Research Fellow
Elena R. Iarskaia-Smirnova
Laboratory Head