Community building among deaf and hard of hearing people by using written language on social networking sites

Since D/deaf and hard-of-hearing users of social networking sites (SNSs) may have communication specificities in comparison to hearing people, we proposed a model for understanding what factors affect building online communities. The model includes written language skills, the frequency of written communication, online Deaf and hearing identity, and the tendency for community building. One-hundred-and-sixty-two German D/deaf and hard-of-hearing users completed an online questionnaire in German sign and written language. Evaluation of the model with structural equation modelling revealed three main findings. Firstly, identification with the hearing online world has a positive effect on written language skills, the frequency of written communication on SNSs and indirectly on the tendency to build online communities. Secondly, the frequency of written communication has a positive effect on the tendency to build community. Thirdly, a positive effect of online Deaf identity on the frequency of written communication was found. Our findings may aid in understanding that, despite possible technological constraints, both D/deaf and hard-of-hearing people communicate on SNSs in written language more frequently due to their identification either with the Deaf or hearing online world which results in an increased tendency to build online communities.