Deaf people are often viewed incorrectly. According to legend, a Greek mythical character named Procrustes invited tired travelers to rest at his house. Procrustes offered special accommodations suitable for everyone, regardless of the size of the guests. When the guest was shorter than the bed Procrustes owned, Procrustes would lengthen the guest's body to fit and when the guest's legs were longer than the bed, Procrustes would cut his legs so they would fit the bed. Aimee K. Whyte and Douglas A. Guiffrida explained the way deaf people are viewed: “Deaf people are often forced or cut off to assimilate into the majority culture…Deaf people struggle against a Procrustean system of hearing and of speech and continually experience discrimination" ( Whyte and Guiffrida 2008: 190). Deaf culture is viewed in various ways. When written in capital letters, the word “Deaf” focuses on what deaf people have: a living culture where people have unlimited options to realize infinite possibilities. Deaf people in America live among hearing people who have a separate cultural belief system. Deaf culture has many values, and deaf people have many experiences unique to their culture. Deaf culture has many values. Deaf culture is important because it defines who people are and how they react. According to the article: Signs of Their Times: Deaf Communities and the Culture of Language, “Deafness is, at least in part, a social construction. Understanding the complex nature of communities with deaf members requires attention to how people use and think about language…we need to understand more about the culture of language” (Senghas and Monaghan 2002: 70). People who want to learn more about this culture must learn how members of this group interact with... middle of paper.... A person must be deaf to understand these unique experiences and values ​​they hold. American society does not have to be like Procrustes, who made everyone eligible to belong. Works Cited Aimee K. Whyte and Douglas A. Guiffrida. 2008. “Counseling Deaf College Students: The Case of Shea.” Journal of College Counseling, 184-192. Rochester: American Counseling Association. Colasent, Rita. 1996. “The Power of True Expression.” The reading teacher, 378-379. Beachwood: International Reading Association.Madsen, Willard J. You Have to Be Deaf to Understand, 1. Washington: Gallaudet University.Richard J. Senghas and Leila Monaghan. 2002. “Signs of Their Times: Deaf Communities and Speech Culture.” Annual Review of Anthropology, 69-70. Smith, Lentz and Ken Mikos. 2008. Student Workbook Sign Naturally, Units 1-6, viii. San Diego: Dawn Sign Press.