Deaf culture describes the social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values, and shared institutions of deaf people who use a sign language. When used in this cultural sense, the word deaf is often capitalized in writing, and referred to as "big D Deaf" in American Sign Language or spoken English. Culturally Deaf people tend to view deafness as a difference in human experience rather than a disability

People who are culturally Deaf are (1) audio-logically deaf or hard of hearing, (2) use a sign language, and (3) identify themselves with the larger cultural group. Deaf culture thus does not automatically include all people who are deaf or have a hearing loss. Like most cultures, the exact boundaries of Deaf culture are contested. For example, perennial questions arise as to where hearing people who have Deaf parents and sign fluently fit in.

The phrase "Deaf community" is more inclusive and is often used to include hearing people who sign. According to Anna Mindess, "it is not the extent of hearing loss that defines a member of the Deaf community but the individual's own sense of identity and resultant actions. As with all social groups that a person chooses to belong to, a person is a member of the Deaf community if he or she "identifies him/herself as a member of the Deaf community, and other members accept that person as a part of the community.