The paper examines deaf people as a minority group from a community and cultural perspective. The nature and evaluation of the deaf community are considered, and four basic avenues to membership are noted: audiological, political, linguistic, and social. Distinctive features of the deaf culture are described, including its value system which emphasizes respect for American Sign Language, a general disassociation from speech, and the importance of touch and nonverbal behaviors. It is concluded that the deaf community has a proud cultural identity, with their own language, community, goals, values, and traditions. (CL)