Paddy Ladd states that the heart of Deafhood is the international spirit. Communication is difficult on an international level because signed languages are not universal and each country can have one or more signed languages. Signing must be kept in the purest form possible, leaving out "accents" and other added effects so that both parties can be understood. In these settings, Ladd states "one's national identity begins a process of 'enlarging' itself into a transnational commonality of Deafhood." This points to the fact that there are two approaches to Deafhood. One is based on the effort in maintaining Deafhood within the boundaries of the oppressive deaf world as it was historically. The second approach is focused on trying to do the opposite—to enlarge the idea of what Deafhood might mean, taking ideas from anywhere and adapting them to deaf life.
