Linguistic Minority

A group whose primary language differs from the dominant language of the surrounding society, often placing them at a disadvantage in education, employment, civic participation, and access to information. Deaf sign language users are frequently described as a linguistic and cultural minority because sign languages have independent grammars and vocabularies distinct from surrounding written/spoken languages, and because deaf communities have their own cultural norms and histories. Framing deafness as linguistic-minority status (rather than as impairment) aligns with the social and cultural models of disability and grounds arguments for sign language rights, bilingual education, and interpreter access.