Deaf at Texas State

There are many misconceptions about deafness in the hearing society. Often the hearing world sees deafness as a disability or handicap. However, the deaf world does not view deafness as a limitation or weakness. They are proud to be deaf.

This website was created to inform the hearing population at Texas State University-San Marcos about deaf culture. Texas State has about 35 deaf students registered with the Office of Disability Services. ODS provides captioning services, volunteer notetakers, and both sign language and oral interpreting services.

The chart below illustrates the decibel quality of sounds that hearing people witness every day. Hearing loss is measured in decibels. A hearing loss of greater than 55 dB is considered moderate. A loss of 70-90 dB is considered severe. A loss greater than 90 dB is considered to be profound.

Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart

The information provided in this chart was found here.

Environmental Noise
Weakest sound heard 0dB
Whisper Quiet Library 30dB
Normal conversation (3-5') 60-70dB
Telephone dial tone 80dB
City Traffic (inside car) 85dB
Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic 90dB
Subway train at 200' 95dB
Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss 90 - 95dB
Power mower at 3' 107dB
Snowmobile, Motorcycle 100dB
Power saw at 3' 110dB
Sandblasting, Loud Rock Concert 115dB
Pain begins 125dB
Pneumatic riveter at 4' 125dB
Even short term exposure can cause permanent damage - Loudest recommended exposure WITH hearing protection 140dB
Jet engine at 100', Gun Blast 140dB
Death of hearing tissue 180dB
Loudest sound possible 194dB


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Site Last Updated: May 05, 2010