Deafness, social network and social protection

Deafness brings consequences to deaf people's life as well as to their families, who usually has its dynamic changed in the struggle to adapt to the new needs and demands. In this sense, the families not only use their internal resources, but also, they look for help and support out of their group, in their social network. The goal of this paper is to describe the social network used by families with a deaf member in their everyday life. Also, it discusses the meaning of these networks in the framework of social protection. A qualitative research was developed, using a semi-structured interview to collect data. Eighteen parents of deaf children or teenager assisted at a center of rehabilitation were interviewed. Mapping the networks of relationships and social resources that the families of a deaf person use to deal with deafness showed the interconnection between family members, other relatives, friends, neighbors, professionals, private and public services. The networks play an important role of support and social protection to the deaf person's family in the everyday life.