Accessible Meditation: Culturally Inclusive Practices for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities
Nadine J. Pelling
Mind-Body Practices in Healthcare July 3, 2025 DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.1011002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Proposes that meditation practices can be made accessible to Deaf, deaf, and hard of hearing individuals through visual and tactile adaptations, co-design with Deaf community members, and culturally attuned communication access. |
Abstract
Meditation offers a range of psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual benefits. However, traditional practices often rely heavily on auditory cues—such as spoken guidance, bells, or music—which can create barriers to access for Deaf, deaf, and hard of hearing individuals. This chapter introduces the purposes and techniques of meditation, then explores key variations across cultural and spiritual traditions, highlighting how auditory reliance can limit participation. Foundational terminology and ethical considerations are discussed, with attention to audism, cultural safety, and the importance of respectful language. The chapter outlines specific psychological and cognitive benefits of meditation for Deaf participants, particularly when practices are adapted to accommodate visual and tactile communication. Inclusive and culturally aligned design strategies are presented, including visual anchors, signed or tactile guidance, and storytelling methods that resonate with Deaf culture. Facilitator communication techniques, co-design with Deaf community members, and long-term sustainability strategies are also explored. The role of interpreters is discussed in depth, along with recommendations for ensuring high-quality, culturally attuned communication access. By integrating ethical reflection, applied adaptations, and Deaf-led perspectives, this chapter offers a framework for culturally inclusive and sustainable meditation practice—one that affirms sensory diversity and enables long-term contemplative wellbeing.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 21
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- The effects of a mindfulness‐based stress reduction program on stress, mindfulness self‐efficacy, and positive states of mind Stress and Health June 10, 2004
- Mindfulness-based programs for substance use disorders: a systematic review of manualized treatments Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy July 29, 2020
- Defining Meditation: Foundations for an Activity-Based Phenomenological Classification System. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- Meditation and Its Mental and Physical Health Benefits in 2023. Cureus June 1, 2023
and 16 more in the library