ASL in the movies? Rise of the Guardians could have used it with the Sand Man... How cool would that have been?

Have you ever wondered why there isn't more diversity in the media/movies? We've integrated women, people of color, and of different cultures to a degree; and we have Marlee Matlin, right? But when will we truly have a fully representative field of actors/actresses and TV/movie characters/roles as well? We need to advocate for more use of ASL, perhaps an entire network dedicated to this? More people with disabilities or those who consider themselves differently-abled? More cultural films and documentaries? What are your favorite ones to date? Do you have ideas for TV/movies that would fit the bill? Let's chat about it...

ASL... as close to a universal language as it gets?

As a child, from my first exposure to ASL, I wondered why we didn't all learn sign language. Why wasn't it offered in public schools as an Elementary English class or even later as an elective? It seemed to cross all language and hearing barriers; as at that time, I was unaware of Spanish SL, Japanese SL, etc. or any other kind of signed language like SEE or Pigeon.  It appeared to be the PERFECT language! Everyone could communicate and I thought that would be great! Here below is yet another testimony of why it may still be a valid idea today!

What are your thoughts?

 

The Many Faces of the Users of Sign Language

Posted by John @ Signing Savvy on Sunday, November 25, 2012 as General Interest

About a year and a half ago, I came across a young man having problems in one of my schools.  He was about five years old and like any other five year old boy, he was a bit stubborn.  But, unfortunately, he was also known to be a bit of a “flight risk” from the classroom.  We will call him Alex.
Alex isn’t deaf.  I don’t even think he is hard of hearing.  Alex is a very bright young man….a bright young man with Downs Syndrome.  Because of the Down’s, Alex has a lot of trouble with his expressive communication skills.  He can hear everything anyone is saying to him, and he really enjoys interacting with others he comes across.  He is a very affectionate boy.  But up until a year and a half ago, Alex had no real way to communicate back to others what he wanted to say. He made noises here and there but other than gestures, his full thoughts were not being conveyed well and his frustration with communication was evident.

Thankfully Alex’s teacher had previously worked as a speech therapist in a Deaf and Hard of Hearing classroom and she suggested Alex be placed in a DH/H classroom setting where he would be submersed in sign language and he would have continual access to those who used it. Alex picked up on the concept of signing almost immediately.  His signs, much like baby signs are often approximations of the true ASL sign, but they are definitely understandable.  His command of language shows remarkable purpose and thought.

Today it is AMAZING to see Alex sign with his teachers, interpreters and his peers.  He has a schedule and knows exactly how to use it and the purpose behind it, even making suggestions of ways to add to his schedule so that it is more complex and inclusive to his needs.  He is reading everyday words that are a part of his schedule.  His mother and the staff that work with him are so happy with Alex’s progress.  “He has become a MUCH happier boy now that he can effectively communicate his wants and needs.”  Adds one member of his educational team.  His mother’s comment, “Our home life is night and day different and the frustrations, although still there at times, are so much less than what they were before Alex had a voice through sign language.” This comment brought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat.

These are the people we created Signing Savvy for, the people who need a voice and those who work with them. We know there are others out there like Alex who may not be Deaf or Hard of Hearing but are still walking the earth “without a voice”.  If you know anyone who fits into this category, please don’t hesitate to suggest the introduction of sign language to them.  You may dramatically change their life forever!

Alex’s face is distinctly different than your typical Deaf or Hard of Hearing child, yet one thing is very much the same…..the smile when he is communicating.

Did you see this one??? Deaf Kid Kills Friend With Cochlear Implant: Cold Case Episode from 2008 just re-aired this week.

You can read a synopsis of the episode and a deaf person's review here; but, what do you think about these issues? CI's later in life vs. as an infant/toddler?; CI wearers as part of Deaf culture?; Deaf and Hearing as couples? Share your views please, and share this blog with your friends too~ Thank you.

When the science lab confirms Andy Rierdan's blood traces on a piano at his former high school, Lt. Stillman reopens the case of the 17-year-old deaf boy, who had disappeared in December 2006 from his high school campus. While the police search the campus for Andy's body, the team questions Andy's family and friends. The inquiries reveal that Andy was a popular boy at school: a party boy and a straight-A's student. His parents tell the police that he was a cheerful and outgoing guy and was proud of his people, the deaf community.

One day, Andy met Emma Walker, a young hearing girl who was to teach piano in the school, as part of a court order for driving under the influence of alcohol. After a first rough meeting, the two became friends and had a liking for each other. However, Leah O'Rafferty, a schoolmate of Andy's, became jealous because she considered him her boyfriend. When Andy said that she was misunderstanding things, that the two of them couldn't be more than friends, she took it badly.

Leah admits she was hurt by Andy's refusal but also Carlos, Andy's best friend, did not approve of Andy and Emma's friendship. According to Carlos, Emma convinced Andy to get an artificial ear implant, a cochlear. He once saw them together at the piano since Andy was very good in playing piano. They were interrupted by Emma's father who was furious that Andy was close friends with his daughter. Despite his fiery temperament, Mr. Walker denies ever having hurt the boy, also providing a strong alibi for himself.

Mr. Walker directs the police to the headmistress of Andy's school for deaf children, Dean Vivien Harden, who from the very beginning had shown full cooperation with the police offering to be their interpreter. The detectives ask for an explanation of a secret email she had sent Andy. She reveals that she had mediated a meeting between Andy and his parents who had come to know that he wished for a cochlear in order to hear again. His parents did not approve of the ear operation as, for them, this was like betraying his people. As a consequence, Andy had promised to break up with Emma and to never mention a cochlear operation again.

Meanwhile, the cops find Andy's body buried in the campus' playgrounds. Next to his remains, they also find a cochlear and understand that Andy had gone ahead anyway. When questioning Emma, the team discovers that she had spoken again to Andy and convinced him to go for it, leaving him the key to the piano room.

From the clinical reports, the detectives discover that the operation had been authorized by his father so they get back to his parents. Andy's father wanted his son to be happy even if that meant losing him, so he signed the papers. While about to leave the Rierdans, detective Vera, who had been studying sign language, sees that the two were talking about Carlos. To his questions, Mr. Rierdan answers that Carlos actually talked Andy in to it.

The detectives call Carlos to their police station to question him. Rush pushes him to the breaking point and he confesses in tears that he had killed his best friend with a sudden blow from behind while he was playing piano, because he was scared to be left alone.

 Worth seeing over and over again

10

By DominicanSin3, Mar 25, 2010

I absolutely loved this episode.



But as a deaf person some of the reviews are alittle far fetched. I think there is too much expectation on the show being medically accurate and forgetting it's only an hour long show. I think that people also forget that every deaf person's experience is different so how can anyone say that deaf people aren't like that or deaf people aren't like this?



I often encounter daily hearing people who think I should automatically know how to read lips so that was pretty much on point. I also encounter the same attitude that was displayed in the episode. I wear hearing aids and am not a native signer b/c I grew up oral and sometimes the attitude I get from the congenital deaf community or those who have been signing for a long time (or even sometimes from hearing students at my school who sign fluently) is that they don't want to be bothered by people like me. Now that is not to say that this is the attitude of all or even most. I have found most are very patient with me and accept me but unfortunately that elitist attitude is present and the producers did a good job of showing this. It is also a reality that some hearing people do want deaf people to conform to them. I think people forget way back when that people would actually take their children to a priest for holy water hoping that deafness was a curse. And cochlears are a big issue in the deaf community. Someone also mentioned about the cochlear process. I think you have to keep in mind once again this is only an hour show they can't possibly be 100% accurate when it comes to such an extended process. It was also mentioned that ASL can't be learned from a book--not 100% true. Yes it is best to have deaf interaction but I grew up oral and I first started teaching my self ASL from the very same book Vera had (Signing for Dummies). And anyone who doubts that the deaf can play the piano is mistaken. Many great composers were deaf. Like I.King Jordan said, "Deaf can do anything, except hear!" If you all can't get over litte inaccuracies that don't really break the story then you will never see the true beauty of this episode.

Overall this episode was as accurate as possible within the time frame and gave an accurate portryal of various perspectives on the deaf community.

Extreme Sports and Charity Walks Include Deaf Participation???

OK, so I went skydiving last week in Molalla, Oregon at Skydive Oregon and took my daughter... wow, what a great experience! It was the most amazing feeling to free fall then to have control of the parachute and do 90 and 360 turns with the pull of the strap! Have you done it? Have you done any other extreme sports? Has being Deaf or H of H been a factor at all? It shouldn't be. My instructor was able to talk right into my ear, but could have easily given simple hand signs if needed. They were all so very accommodating and wanted to make it the best experience for us. What were your experiences?

Also, I walked the 60 miles in the Susan G Komen 3 Day for the Cure event in Seattle this weekend to fund research and awareness and hopefully bring an end to breast cancer! Everywhere I went across 6 cities everyone I signed to was able to sign back! How awesome! We had an interpreter at all times, speeches, games, dance night, and ceremonies. Even the police all dressed up and helping us cross streets and stay safe were able to give directions and encouragement with sign. It was great! Have you ever participated in such an event? Were you made to feel part of the bigger event/team? What was your experience like?

Interview for Preschool Interpreter Position Thursday... your advice?

I'm excited and nervous. I am interviewing Thursday for 2 Preschool Interpreter positions... last interview I was on, my first for such a position... I kinda blew it on the Pokey Little Puppy on the spot interpretation. Totally forgot the sign for running... been practicing since. What advice can you offer regarding interviewing in general? Interviewing for an Interpreter position specifically? Interpreting a preschool story book on the spot? Do we fingerspell the author/illustrator's names to a 3 year old? I wouldn't read the names out loud to a Hearing child... so why would I fingerspell the names to a Deaf child? Your thoughts are requested... thank you so much.

What are you looking for?

This your chance to have me do the research and reporting for you... what are your interests regarding the Deaf culture/community? Are you interested in Deaf events and the newest technological advances? Are you on the fence about Cochlear Implants and other medical advances? Are you in need of ASL support or encouragement whether Deaf or Hearing? Do you want to see more on Deaf athletes or role models in other arenas? Do you want to find interpreter services for church, concerts, appointments? My blog needs people to comment and share so it has to provide what you, my readers want to read! Let me know how to make this the best blog ever! Thank you.:D

Found: The Best ASL Handshape Dictionary

Finally, I found the kind of ASL dictionary that fits my learning style! This one is organized by handshape just like the one I was trying to create myself! I am so happy to have such a great reference. If you are learning ASL, you must give this book a look because it may improve your signing! Available on Amazon.com it is called simply The American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary by Richard A Tennant, Marianne Glusak Brown. It features more than 1,900 sign illustrations including 327 new signs and a complete index of English vocabulary for all signs. Awesome! Check it out!

Check out Yahoo news re: Deaf preschooler asked to change his name sign because some say it resembles a weapon...REALLY?

I've watched this video and it is a shame it has gone this far! SEE is this boys language and his modified "Hunter" symbol is far from threatening... 
Click here for the full story and video, then tell us your thoughts...

Any Deaf Events Left This Summer?

Hey guys and gals,
What's going on yet this summer? Deaf Events or other events with interpretation? Anything at the Puyallup Fair or??? Fill me in and share your plans right here!
Thanks!

Needed: ASL ITP books or DVD's

I am in search of ASL ITP course books or DVD's either for free or at a reasonable price. The ITP program at Seattle Central Community College is no longer available and I am trying to figure out how to further my interpretive skills while waiting on a new program to begin locally. Please help~ thank you.

Girl Scouts deny Deaf girl's needs... What do you think?

Read the article posted on this link to the NAD site and give us your view please.

This blog seeks to bring awareness to discrimination and other controversial issues affecting the Deaf community, as well as to inform of great events and other relevant issues. Your feedback/comments will make this an even better blog... become a follower today and share this blog with your friends!

Breast Cancer Sucks! You Can Help Find A Cure!

Hello there! I have less than 30 days left to reach my personal fundraising goal for the Susan G Komen 3 Day for the Cure! You can help more than you know by supporting my efforts, and in exchange... I will do the walking for you! 60 miles over 3 days... whew! Training is gearing up... 18 miles this Saturday. We will be the one's in pink! When you see us out walking... Honk your horn, wave, and show us your encouraging smiles! See donation links at bottom of this letter to donate on line or by mail~thanks!

One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes in the U.S., and somewhere in the world every 19 seconds. And every 74 seconds ~ someone dies from breast cancer. That is why I am walking and fundraising for the 3-Day. I will join thousands of walkers and crew members in the Susan G. Komen Seattle 3-Day. I am walking 60 miles over three days to demonstrate my determination in finding a cure for breast cancer. Because everyone deserves a lifetime. Chances are that you know someone who has been affected by breast cancer in their lifetime. Consider your donation as a powerful tribute to them. Every mother, every aunt, every sister, every daughter deserves a life without breast cancer.

I served as a crew member on the (Judy Kent) 3-Day kitchen crew, giving my all in service to the walkers for three days. The work I did supported thousands of dedicated walkers and required that I rose before dawn, and worked late into the evenings – I actually loved the two nights in a pink tent! It was an amazing experience each year getting to know the survivors and meeting many wonderful women and men whose lives were all touched in some way by breast cancer. I too have family and friends who have battled breast cancer and other cancers.

I had been on training walks with the Olympia/Lacey team of Hello Cupcakes each season, but remained a kitchen crew member ~ and loved every minute! Everyone on the Hello Cupcake team has a “Cake” name; and last year while training with them, I was asked why I continued to train if I was going to be a crew member? When I explained that I loved to just soak in all the inspiration from their encouraging stories of struggle and survival and determination... I was named “Sponge Cake” and decided right then that the next year I wanted to do more! Well, it's next year! Although my summer was filled with much busyness with a total of 3 family graduations and my son's wedding... I recently managed to get my 2012 training and fundraising underway.

I am raising a minimum of $2300 in donations. I had a huge yard sale and raised $175 in sales/donations and have another planned for Sept.1st. This cause is very important to me, and with my determination and your support too, I know that I can do this!

Susan G. Komen™ works hard to build a future without breast cancer, and my goal is to help bring us closer to that goal. Net proceeds support ground breaking research and scientific programs as well as grants fro education, screening and treatment programs at both the national and local level. No breast cancer organization provides more support than Komen. Millions of women rely on Komen everyday. Please consider matching my $60 donation today, or out give me! You can donate at The3Day.org ~ under my name, or by using my personalized enclosed donation form ~ in any amount that works for you. No donation is too big – or too small.

 

See how your donation could be used:

$35 (Could be used to provide the cost of patient transportation to a treatment session.)

$60 (Could be used to support a 3-Day® walker for her/his 60-mile journey.)

$120 (Could be used to provide the cost of a life-saving mammogram.)

$250 (There are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in America.)

$585 (The average 3-Day walker will walk 585 miles while training.)

$1150 (Get your 3-Day walker halfway to their fundraising goal.)

Thank you for your support,
Sincerely,

Kelly Lynne Murray

Participant ID: 2931836

Seattle; Hello Cupcake

***My Personal Page:Highlight the link below and open in a new tab to donate online:
 

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2012/SeattleEvent2012?px=2931836&pg=personal&fr_id=1769

P.S. Don't wait – please donate today!

Susan G. Komen 3-Day™. BECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES A LIFETIME^®.

©2012 Susan G. Komen™

To mail in a donation; please print the document from the following link. Thank you. 

http://www.the3day.org/site/TRGiftForm?fr_id=1769&px=2931836

Ryan Schlecht's One Man Show: The Vivacity of ASL, Voice Interpretation

THIS LOOKS TO BE A GREAT SHOW!
Tickets are only $20
If you have seen this before; give us your review here...
If there are other shows coming soon you want to tell us about... do that too!
Thanks!

http://www.strangertickets.com/events/5621636/the-vivacity-of-asl

Guest Post by John Peter Walsh; My 2 Weeks at Gallaudet

Attending Gallaudet University is not like enrolling in any

college. It's like entering the world of the Deaf.

There are three separate two week summer sessions of

intensive ASL instruction. Six hours of classes daily, plus after

school video preparations, dining in the cafeteria and living in

dorms. Speech will make you as popular as someone answering

a cell phone during a symphony performance.

I stayed at Gallaudet from 7/15-7/27/12. The first day is a little

hectic and confusing as you learn your way around campus and hook up on Gallaudet's private e-mail and video system. However, 24 hours in,

I felt right at home. Gallaudet is the only liberal arts college for the Deaf in the world. I have a Deaf brother and I did not learn to sign with him until in my 30s. No one else in the family ever learned. My brother passed away in 2003 and this trip was not just for language growth;it was about personal, family healing.

The curriculum and teacher were both excellent...more about

that later. The primary reason I would recommend a session at

Gallaudet is the opportunity to sign, day and night, in school, computer lab, library, cafeteria, and dorms. Also, there are frequent signing opportunities in stores and restaurants on or close to campus.

Some students stayed and ate off campus. However, I would

encourage buying a dorm and meal package. The tuition was $660

and a package of twelve days in the dorms plus breakfast and lunch

in the cafeteria cost $720 for a total of $1380. You can purchase

a breakfast, lunch and dinner package but I thought it would be interesting to go out at night and try restaurants that were frequented by Gallaudet students. Dining out did not provide the social and signing opportunities I hoped for, but there were some memorable moments. Not all pleasant.

After my first stressful day, I walked into a restaurant and ordered

a rum and coke. $12. As Dorothy said, "Well Toto, I guess we're

not in Kansas anymore." Most restaurants were reasonable but some

exorbitant.

Stunningly, the food in the cafeteria was excellent. Breakfast

included eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, toast, bagels, fruit plates,

an assortment of healthy cereals and juices. Lunch featured burger and

fries type meals if you were in the mood, but also a great salad bar,

a sandwich bar and one daily special like stir fry chicken and rice.

The last time I ate dorm food was in the 1960s and it was

abysmal, so the Gallaudet cafeteria was a very pleasant surprise.

There were 20 in our class. 19 women and me. Ever wondered

why the interpreter field is dominated by women? I learned at home.

My father was born in 1921. A gentle, loving man but raised

to be the "strong, silent" type. I never saw him cry in my entire life.

My older brother is very stoic, just like my father. If you can't show

emotion with your face, how can you possibly learn to sign well?

Women are much more comfortable than men displaying their emotions and that's why they make better signers.

Fortunately, I cry at the movies or even during sappy commercials,

so that's why I always end up the only male in the class.

Our teacher's name was Edna Johnston. She didn't possess

the hilarious acting skills of Nat Wilson, our teacher at SCCC.

However, she presented an effective curriculum with enthusiasm

and a very positive, supporting attitude. She delivered criticism

always in an encouraging manner and, like Nat, she stayed cheerful

in class at all times and displayed a wonderful sense of humor.

Edna is a Deaf lesbian. She and her partner adopted three

deaf children from Ethiopia. A girl, 7 years, and two boys, 5 years and 15 months. I really honor her for rescuing these children.

One morning the girl and oldest boy came to class for about

an hour to visit in the care of Edna's mother-in-law. The girl

signed at warp speed and obviously enjoys a happy, loving home

life and a positive self image. The boy was more shy, not quite

as effervescent, but also seemed pleasant and well adjusted.

The homework was a series of video presentations that could

be made on any computer in the lab or library. Gallaudet has a program called "Mythread" that allows a student to videotape his assignment and immediately submit it to the teacher. In all honesty, there were some annoying glitches with this program. I always ended up sending in my videos two different ways, because several students sent videos that were lost in cyberspace and had to redo the assignment.

Everyone attended two Deaf related activities in the community

or on campus and delivered a video regarding their impressions. Everyone had to film their textbook work and there were various projects involving room or building descriptions and family life. Almost every evening a project had to be practiced and then filmed.

The temperature frequently hit triple digits...walk outside for

five minutes and wilt. However, every 15 minutes there is an air-conditioned shuttle bus leaving Gallaudet and headed for Union Station.

Once at Union Station, you can take the metro and travel cheaply

to almost anywhere in D.C...Smithsonian, Library of Congress, Capitol Building...in 10-20 minutes. Fortuitously on our weekend off, the temperatures plummeted into the 70s and I spent a wonderful Saturday

walking from the Smithsonian to Chinatown and back to Gallaudet.

Studying at Gallaudet has been a lifelong dream of mine.

On the last day, we all had to give a family related signed presentation.

I spoke of my Deaf brother and his communication separation from

the family and broke down. My teacher and classmates were all

very sweet and supportive.

After the final project, the whole class went out to Chinatown

for lunch and celebrated.

If ASL is one of your passions, I would heartily endorse

at least a summer session at Gallaudet. I'd love to study there for

a year if I dwelled in a higher income bracket.

Guest Post by John O'Connor; Help Reduce the Risk of Hearing Loss With Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Help Reduce the Risk of Hearing Loss With Healthy Lifestyle Changes
People who are at risk of hearing loss or those who are already hard of hearing can still reduce their risk of incurring further damage by taking some simple steps. The ears, like the rest of the body, are affected by what we eat, drink, and most importantly, listen to. Exposure to loud noises is one of the most common cause of non-age-related hearing loss.
Several types of hearing loss exist, and not all of them respond the same way to treatments and preventative measures. Noise-related hearing loss occurs because of damage to the cells inside the ears. This type of hearing loss is permanent and cannot be cured. If you feel you are losing your hearing, are currently hard of hearing of even experience a degree of deafness, hearing aids may be a good idea in order to help increase your hearing.
The best and most important way to protect hearing is to avoid loud noises. Extremely loud noises such as gunshots and jet planes taking off can cause damage even with short exposure. Noises at the level of a gasoline-powered lawn mower can cause damage after prolonged exposure.
Earplugs are a good investment in your hearing. Choose a type that is rated to reduce decibels across the entire noise spectrum. Noise-canceling headphones can be useful in some circumstances, but are most effective on lower-frequency sounds and may not protect hearing from higher-pitched noises.
In addition to avoiding noise, there is some evidence that eating well can protect your ears. In a study on animals, research noted that a formula of vitamins and minerals protected the hearing of animals exposed to loud noises for long periods of time. The formula contained vitamins A, C, E and the mineral magnesium. The mixture was more effective than the vitamins alone, magnesium alone, or a placebo (UMHS, 2007).
Age-related hearing loss comes from a number of sources, including noise exposure during earlier life. However, it is also affected by genetics and health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease (URMC, 2012). Eating well and exercising regularly can help prevent these conditions, which should then reduce the risk of age-related hearing loss.
Hearing loss may not be wholly preventable, but there is a lot you can do to reduce the risk. Noise exposure is the most important source of hearing loss in people under 65, and it can be entirely prevented. Age-related hearing loss can be affected by a healthy lifestyle, although it cannot be entirely prevented because of genetic factors. There are a lot of reasons to live healthy, and maintaining your hearing appears to have been added to the list.

Deaf Athletes in the Olympics?

I was wondering if we had any Deaf athletes in the Olympics, so I did what any curious blogger would do... I googled it! I only came up with a few good links; but two things disturbed me. Firstly, what I found most disturbing is that the Deflympics was just in July and I had no idea! I have to find out how to be better informed on such events for the Deaf community! I missed out and am not happy about that.  Secondly, I read that they actually had to debate the use of hand signals and lights to signal a Deaf swimmer Marcus Titus. Read all about Titus and other Deaf athlete issues from the links below. Enjoy! and comment, share, share:D Thanks

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/usa-swimming-will-allow-hand-signals-to-accommodate-deaf-athletes-at-olympic-trials/2012/04/19/gIQAkcbEUT_story.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaf_people_in_the_Olympics


 http://www.deaffootball2012.com/

http://www.2012wdac.org/Public/Home.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/Deaflympics

And the copy of Turn A Deaf Ear goes to...

There were no entries that fulfilled the contest guidelines completely; but in the spirit of giving there were 2 people who each left 2 comments. The first is our blog manager and the second is #
3c74ffa0-dc0d-11e1-82e3-000bcdcb8a73... whoever you are:D
If you are interested in receiving the free book you commented on; please send me your mailing information to my email via this blog. I will pass it along to the publicist and you will receive your copy.
Thank you for your comments.

Final Book Review: Turn A Deaf Ear; Ch 10-12

Enter danger, intrigue, suspense, and a few more characters to keep us inspired til the last line. More about food, family, prejudice, and life's challenges including the Mafia. You simply must read for yourself how this one all ends... I just did, and I am thinking it is worthy of a re-read just for pure pleasure! The Epilogue is a brief history of Deaf struggles, technological advances, and legislation affecting the Deaf community. Visit their website as well at www.turnadeafear.com Thank you so much to publicist Darlene Chan for this great opportunity to review this book and share it with you. There are many of you that read this blog according to my stats... but no one has yet made 3 comments, become a follower, or gotten 3 more followers in order to win a free copy of Turn A Deaf Ear. You still have time tho... read the reviews, make your comments and build the list of followers today!

Book Review: Turn A Deaf Ear; Chapters 7-9

A distinctly Italian chapter that ends on a teary note is followed by Linda's first attempt at interpreting, which came about from a chance meeting. Friendship develops and the circle is enlarged. As we get to know Molly, we learn of another heart-wrenching account of Hearing parents not embracing their Deaf daughter; not learning to communicate with her, and all that comes with that. And if that isn't bad enough, then she gets taken advantage of and like a human slave, forcefully enters the world of drugs and prostitution without knowing where else to turn. This book once again brings to light the controversial topics that plague the Deaf community. Weigh in on them... right here! How do you feel about Hearing parents not learning ASL? What about residential schools vs. public schools? Bimodal? How can we improve helpful public service messages for Deaf runaways? think about it... comment... become a blog follower:D Thank you for your interest.

Oh wow! Loving the book: Turn A Deaf Ear! Ch, 4-6

Well, chapters 4-6 did not disappoint and have me anxious to finish the book! Now we meet John, the Deaf man and feel the emotional issues introducing someone who communicates differently can bring about. I also learned that somewhere out there is a book about ASL that actually answers the questions my ASL 1-6 instructors have not answered... why does this sign mean that concept? In chapter 4 as the romance begins we learn that the sign for America resembles a log cabin... now that makes sense! I need these types of visual aids and my college classes have barely alluded to these concepts. Oh we were told "boy" was like grabbing a baseball cap, but that is about it. I am on the hunt now for the ASL dictionary that gives the visual definitions like America / log cabin because I am sure my comprehension and memory of signs will greatly improve with such visual aids. This makes sense, ASL is a visual language... why don't they teach hearing students to be more visual then? Back to the book, sorry, my passion for ASL took over just then. In chapters 5 & 6 we learn more about the challenges of growing up Deaf in a Hearing family and integrating the two. This book is full of all the controversial subjects that Deaf Culture has dealt with since the dawn of time. It at least touches on them to get the reader thinking about viewpoints and prejudices, but this is afterall a love story... so on we read...

Article re TSA mocking a deaf man... makes me sick!

TSA mocks deaf man, steals his candy, eats it in front of him

Book Review: Turn A Deaf Ear; Chapters 1-3

The first 3 chapters are engaging as we learn about an Italian family from New Jersey. The two teenage  children, the grown and married daughter, and their mother, all face life altering changes together and their family bonds are inspiring.  What I also love about this book so far is that I am learning about life in New Jersey and about being Italian, two things I couldn't even imagine before. I liked the inspirational quotes at the beginning of each chapter that I had to fan through the book to read the rest and behold, there are recipes and other goodies lurking in future chapters! I can't wait to read the next 3 chapters!

Turn A Deaf Ear; A story about food, family, and love.

Turn A Deaf Ear, by Janet Fiore Horger & Linda Fiore Sanders, is a love story about a hearing girl who marries a deaf man and how their worlds mesh. I have been asked to read it and write about it on this blog! How exciting! The book sounds very intriguing. The publicist, Darlene Chan, has also permitted me to have a contest so one of you awesome deaf project blog readers can win a new copy of this book for yourself!
All you have to do is become a deaf project blog follower, share this blog with your friends and family and get at least 3 of them to become followers too, and comment on at least 3 of my book review posts. I plan to begin reading tonight and post updates at the end of each chapter. I should finish the 12 chapters of this book in 4 weeks, reading at least 3 chapters per week.
Deadline for contest entries will be August 7th, 2012, my 50th birthday!
Any readers that qualify will have their names put in a drawing that will produce one book winner!
What a great opportunity we get to share! Let's do this!

The book's website is www.turnadeafear.net and you can read other reviews on it's Amazon.com page too.

New Deaf Super Hero's!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57441370-71/marvel-creates-superhero-for-boy-with-hearing-aid/

This is definitely a company I respect. What are your thoughts?

What would really be cool is a Deaf super hero!

Or a super hero fighting cancer!

There could be a whole line of new super heros!

Letter from an adult with CI; one valid perspective

 Dear Blog readers,
The following is copied from an email I received from a friend of a friend, who began wearing her CI as an adult. She blessed me by her willingness to answer my questions (in black) for the sake of my learning more about the Deaf and HoH cultures and wanting to share that information with my blog readers. While I am sure that these questions would have very different answers if the respondent had began wearing a CI as a child, this is still one valid perspective ~ a place to start our investigation. At the conclusion of her answers to my questions is a link she provided to me to another story of an adult in a similar situation that was published in the Los Angeles Times. If you go to that story, you will also find links to other related stories on Deafness.
Thank you for your interest in our CI investigation and in this deaf project blog.

How would you describe what your ears hear?

·        My ears are completely deaf, but I hear with CI very comparable to the hearing people, except for the music and TV sounds, and few other small limitations

What is your basis for this description? ie. can you hear some sounds or voice without it or from one ear only? I noticed that not everyone with a cochlear uses two, some only use one. I wonder why.

·        I am deaf on both ears and hear absolutely nothing without my CI, I may feel some vibrations depending on how intense that sound may be.  I have only 1 CI on my left ear.  The reason for implanting 1 ear is because I was used to hearing out of my left ear, since I had 'some' hearing in my left and had 'none' hearing in my right ear

Can you please tell me a brief history of your hearing loss as well as of the affects of wearing a cochlear? *specific questions follow:

Was it placed at birth before speech developed or afterwards due to illness or accident (prelingually/postlingually)?

·        I was supposedly born hearing, but at the age of 2 my neck became stiff on right side and slowly started to lose hearing because of the nerve damage...at age 7.5 years old I was fitted for my first hearing aid, and heard with my hearing aid pretty well, again some limitations like loud places, far away people talking to me...

Do you speak clearly or do people have trouble understanding you?

·        I speak clear, however I do have very little Serbian accent and it's only noticed on harder words...

Do you remember the "therapy" you needed to use the cochlear?

·        What's therapy? I never needed one, I heard sounds very well from an instant when I got my CI.

What was that therapy like?

·        N/A

Were you able to keep up in school? fall behind? excel? feel like an outcast?

·        I was able to keep up in school with my hearing aid (ha), I had good grade.  When I moved to the United States at the age of 14, I had to learn English with my ha and that was very difficult, many words sounded exactly the same like pot & dot, unless used in a sentence... I overcame that and learned the language.  I did well in school even though I was in most ESL classes.  Went on to College and graduated with Bachelors Degree. 

·        Did I feel like an outcast? Many times and many different situations...

Did you have a choice in the use of a cochlear or did your parent(s) make the decision for you?

·        prior to suddenly losing all my hearing at the age of 25, I was already aware of CI's, so when doctors could not help me anymore, I went and researched all about CI and made the decision to go with Advanced Bionics in CA.

Do you know if the decision was influenced by doctors or if the decision was ever regretted by them?

·        It was my decision, I wanted to hear so bad, I didn't want to be 'deaf', my kids were so little and I could not hear them, I could not teach them how to say new words, my daughter was only 1 month old at that time and my son was only 19 months old at the time of me suddenly losing all my hearing

If you made the decision later in life, have you ever regretted it?

·        I absolutely have no regrets, I love my CI

Do you use ASL? Do you consider ASL your first language?

·        No, I do not use ASL, I've never learned it in either Serbian nor English.  I consider Serbian as my first spoken language, and English as my second language.  I do regret not having an opportunity to learn the sigh language in Serbian language.  When I moved here, I always had so much to do that ASL was never on my list because of my busy life.

Lastly, do you enjoy music with the cochlear implant?

·        I have to say I do enjoy music when I'm in the mood, LOL.  I do find some music do be actually annoying.  When I try to listen to the conversation with my family (for example) I cannot stand hearing music in the background as it takes it away for me to focus hearing what someone is trying to tell me, while most hearing people don't have to worry about that.

Hi Kelly,

Here's 2 more additional questions you asked me about... Please let me know if you have any other questions, I promise not to make you wait this long on the next question... I just got a brand new android phone with email loaded to it, so I will be responding much faster...

1. Do you identify with the Deaf community? Deaf culture? ie. consider yourself Deaf/attend Deaf events/films?

• ·        Sadly, no offense to anyone, but I do not associate with Deaf culture, I was raised in  hearing world, I heard well with ha, and I heard even better with my CI, so I was never part of Deaf culture, my parents raised me in a hearing world.  I do not attend any events for the Deaf....
• ·        I know of another family in our community where both mom and dad are deaf and use ASL, but their 3 boys are hearing, and I speak to them slowly so that they can lip read me and I can read their lips too and that's how they communicate with the hearing world.  They do not believe in CI's, and all of their 3 boys know ASL.

2. If you do consider ASL your first language, how many in your family learned ASL to better communicate with you?

• ·        Nobody in my family knows ASL, or even Serbian sign language, we all rely on speech and we all hear.  I consider myself hard of hearing, even though I know I'm legally Deaf....

Again, I can't thank you enough for allowing me to ask such personal questions of a stranger; but please know that my motives are pure and I will use any insight you give me to further my passion to work with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in whatever direction God leads me.

Kelly

This is the link to the article in the Los Angeles Times:
http://articles.latimes.com/2000/feb/28/health/he-3373

The Challenge: to Learn ASL Later in Life...

Is it possible at my age? Ugh... even after getting a 4.0 on my Pledge of Allegiance; I am once again doubting my passion for ASL will ever be more than a passing fancy. The RT's are my stumbling blocks... who am I kidding? They are more like my Devil's Towers or Mt. Rushmore's... which are 2 of the dozens of translations I totally missed tonight. But seriously... it seems like you also have to be a wiz at Geography and know where all the Deaf institutions and popular vacations spots are, know how a car engine runs and what a corticosteriod is, in order to translate. I feel so totally lost and yet will probably pass ASL 6 with a decent grade overall. Is there any encouragement out there? I am going to look into summer jobs/volunteer opportunities to work with the Deaf community in any capacity. Do you know of any in the great Northwest? Hope your day was awesome!

Viral video of 2 year old hearing mom's voice for the first time, thanks to his Cochlear Implant.

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/cooper-hears-mom-8217-voice-first-time-viral-195100068.html

What are your thoughts and experiences about CI's? Different for children and adults? How?
Is deafness something to be fixed? Is it a handicap or more like an 'accent' or foreign language?
Is the surgical risk always worth it? Does CI therapy impede more natural learning?
Does the child still learn ASL? Will/should the parents learn ASL?
Will the child identify with both the Deaf culture and the Hearing culture? Neither?

Looking for C.I. input...

Hello ASL friends...
I am getting ready to publish an interview with a woman who wears a cochlear implant and just loves it! I am grateful for her candid interview and appreciate her view point; but would love to hear from others on the subject. The interview I have involves a woman who received her CI as an adult and had gone deaf gradually. It would be a more informative post if I could get input from others like her but who do not love their CI; and also from those who lost their hearing before speech developed and/or got theirs at a much younger age. I would like to review as many as possible for comparisons.
Please send a private message to my email with your permission for my use on this blog.
Thank you.
aservantsheart@yahoo.com

Oh, and by the way, teaching the first graders the song has been fun and very challenging actually and I think we are pretty close to pure ASL with it, but have not had the chance to check for sure. At any rate, it's what we are going with and I am excited to post a video of their performance by mid June!

The National Anthem / The Star Spangled Banner; ASL Frozen Register

This is the first ASL expressive video I have been brave enough to post. It is also my first 4.0 ASL video.        I must admit I never understood The National Anthem / The Star Spangled Banner song; but now, thanks to ASL, I know what a "rampart" is and I can really sense the patriotism of the song! I hope you enjoy it! 
Just click on the above paragraph and it will take you to the video as posted on my fb.

Kids say the darndest things... question: ASL or SEE?

So said Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby... and I couldn't agree more!
So, I had this captive audience of the sweetest first graders ever gathered around my feet as I began to talk about some of the causes of deafness and what it might feel like to be deaf. Their wonderful teacher had already prepared them by showing a film about being Deaf and posting the manual alphabet in their room. Taking the advice of Audism Idaho (see comment on earlier post), I asked the kids how they might feel if they were in Japan surrounded by people speaking Japanese and heard in the distance an American speaking English? I suggested that they would be very excited and drawn immediately to this person even though they were strangers just because they shared a common language. I said they would probably ask each other lots of questions like where they came from, why they were in Japan, and where was the closest McDonald's...
to which a very bright young man who obviously watches the evening news said...
"We can't go to Japan right now because they are rebuilding from the Tsunami!"
Whew, I had my work cut out for me already, but this is getting more challenging every minute.
We talked about some of the different causes of deafness like genetics, illness, injury...
oh, and the problem of missing ear hairs... but what I did not know; and now that I do know ~ know that I cannot explain in understandable first grade terms is:
The hollow channels of the inner ear are filled with liquid, and contain a sensory epithelium that is studded with hair cells. The microscopic "hairs" of these cells are structural protein filaments that project out into the fluid. The hair cells are mechanoreceptors that release a chemical neurotransmitter when stimulated. Sound waves moving through fluid push the filaments; if the filaments bend over enough it causes the hair cells to fire. In this way sound waves are transformed into nerve impulses. (This must lead to the brain and to hearing?)
Well, needless to say, they won't be getting a science lesson from me on this one!
I also stressed the importance of facial expressions. I taught them the eyebrow raising for yes and no questions as well as the furrowed brow for questions requiring an answer other than yes and no. We also talked about how important it is to just be friendly when they meet someone who is different in any way.
Over the 2 Friday's I have worked with them about 40 min. each day and I had to miss last Friday due to possibly being exposed to Pertussis/Whooping Cough.
So I ask them at the start of our second lesson, what do you remember from last Friday?
An excited young man shouted out (as his hand went up), "We need ear hair to hear!"
All I could picture was Grandpa O and all the scraggly gray ear hair he used to have that just stuck out... it was all I could do ot to laugh out loud. We then had fun practicing a couple phrases we learned the week before and a couple new ones, "Hi, how are you?" and "What's up?"; "Hi, my name is _____." and "You are beautiful." Several kids took turns signing, "Hi, my name is _____." when they signed their name to me, I signed back, "Hi, ____ It's nice to meet you!" Lastly, we sang and signed the ABC song. I asked the kids if they could "see" the letters on my handshape. Obviously, "seeing" the letters is subjective and not 100% realistic, but it was a start to teaching them that ASL is a visual language.
Need your valued opinion... in teaching the song, It's a Wonderful World...should it be pure ASL or SEE?
 Thank you so much for your patience with this blog. Several irons in the fire are: a post from a person who actually wears a cochlear implant who volunteered to answer a ton of my questions, an interview with a teacher of the Deaf, and so much more!
Please share this on your fb or through emails
AND please consider becoming a follower, and I promise to update more often.
Be blessed:D

Teaching ASL to First Graders... New Project!

I have been given the opportunity to teach my son's first grade class sign language every Friday from April til the end of school! I need to know what basics to teach them and how to incorporate Deaf Culture on their level. They are an all Hearing class. Suggestions welcomed! I am so excited!
Then after teaching them the manual  alphabet and some basics; at the teachers request, I will be teaching them to sign the song "It's a Wonderful World" for them to perform at their end of school production. Still,I need to work on my receptive skills even more; and my instructor suggested You-tube. If you have any links or certain u-tube videos you think are especially helpful, please let me know those too. Thank you and please stay tuned for Deaf Project #3 ~ Teaching First Graders!

That Deaf Guy Comics

http://www.thatdeafguy.com/

How do you feel about Deaf humor?

Seattle Deaf Film Festival 2012

http://www.deafspotlight.com/sdff/tickets#!__sdff

It's going to be great! Hope to see you there!

The Deaf Project-Flying in Virtual Silence-#2

#2 Flying in Virtual Silence

By Kelly Murray

My 7yr old son and I were dropped off at SEATAC around 10pm Tues., Feb. 28^th for our flight leaving at 8am Wed. morning. We arrived early because my husband works graveyard shift at the Air Force base and he drove us. The plan was to stay in the USO lounge (traveling military) accommodations overnight where we could be comfortable and rest a little before flying. It has free food and comforts of home. I had purchased tickets by phone to get the best deal on a last minute flight; however, our seats were not next to each other. Thus began the Deaf Project #2, Flying in Virtual Silence.

I had taught my son many signs over the last few years; but we used them only for quick and quiet conversation such as needing him to “stop now!” if he was acting out in public or to ask if he had to use the bathroom while at the movie theatre. I had also taught him the ASL alphabet but he was just learning to read and spell so that was not going to help a whole lot. The biggest hurdle however; was that he is ADHD and very talkative… how in the world would he be able to stay silent the whole time? As we approached the Delta ticketing area, I found a safe spot nearby for him to sit with his suitcase and backpack and play with his DS, while I attempted to get our seats changed so we could sit together. I pulled out our tickets and my tiny notepad and pen. I had to be visually aware since I would not be able to hear an agent call me to their spot. Finally it was my turn. I placed my tickets and military ID on the counter and showed her a note that said to check my bag for free and please find us seats together. I pointed to JoJo sitting down nearby. She began to make pleasant facial gestures to me as she typed away. Then she asked another agent for assistance by telling her that I wanted to sit with my grandson. JoJo is adopted and I am old enough to be his grandma, but I am his mother; however, I could not correct her mistake since technically I did not hear her comment. Next came the misreading of my military ID card. She read the back and said to the other agent that I was on military orders and so my bag was free. Now, I do think all military get one bag free anyway; but I was not on orders even if it mattered, and I could not correct that mistake either.  Virtual silence rendered my relationship and military status unimportant for the task at hand.

Even though we would have to wait to get seats together until the morning at the gate, we did get directions to the USO. JoJo was catching on to not talking to me and doing great with our “Deaf Game”. I reminded him of some signs he had forgotten and taught him some new ones out of necessity and learning “on the fly” became easier and easier, especially since no one actually knew I was signing to him – remember, no talking to mommy, just signs ok? It was like a special bonding between us. Virtual silence meant we had a secret language and that was cool!

Finally, we reached the USO lounge on the Mezzanine level. It was a long walk down a balcony type walkway where we could see the shops below. The last time I had been there was some 26 years ago with my first born son. We had only been visiting WA then, showing him off to the grandparents and needed a place to wait since we missed our initial flight out. We were returning to MI to stay with my family while his daddy finished a year-long tour of King Salmon, Alaska. A quarter of a century later, it remained; a haven, a home away from home for weary travelers. I loved all the “we support our troops” and “thank you for all you do” drawings from school age children that decorated the walls. It was stocked with donuts, coffee, fruits, and a cooler full of sandwiches and sodas.

Anyway, the older gentleman at the USO seemed rattled as I approached his desk signing to JoJo that we needed to stay here til our plane left in the morning. He smiled nervously and pointed to the computer sign in screen and the keyboard. Then he got us luggage tags while simultaneously speaking everything he was doing, focused on JoJo who was interpreting for him. It worked like a charm. JoJo answered him politely and handed me the tags pointing to the room where the bags needed to go. In the middle of the night, after I had written out and stamped some cards to mail, I turned to a woman for directions to a mailbox. She tried at first to gesture directions, then decided to just take me to it. Good thing too, because it was a painted purple square with a slot, on a wall, under a staircase. A very difficult description of a mailbox even for an accomplished signer! Many volunteers and military personnel came and left throughout the night and they all were kind without too much staring. They also always told the next volunteer that the lady over there was Deaf and her boy was sleeping. This prompted offers of food and drink every couple hours. Funny, if I were Hearing they wouldn’t have told others – hey, over there is a Hearing lady and her sleeping son! Virtual silence labeled me as different and in need of recognition for possible assistance.

Waiting to board in the morning I noticed a most colorful individual. He was a large black man with amazing dreadlocks. He was wearing a Boston Celtics 16 Time Champion green leather jacket covered in patches for each victory. The rest of his outfit consisted of a red shirt sporting a different team logo and a yellow backpack a bit on the small side for his frame. This was topped off with large yellow headphones with red skulls on them – wow! We had exchanged pleasant gestures regarding waiting to board the plane and when the agent finally arrived to help with getting us seats together, she addressed him and he told her I was first. She accomplished the task without much reaction to the situation, as matter-of-factly, like she gets Deaf passengers every day. Virtual silence felt normal.

The next incident worthy of notation is when we were on board the plane and the stewardess should have taken notice of my being Deaf when she helped me find a place for my son’s carry-on bag; but apparently she did not remember that when they began the safety briefing. As a seasoned traveler, I did take out the safety placard from the seatback and looked it over. When the announcement came on to turn all phones off however; I was actively texting my family. A stewardess came by and verbally reminded us to turn off our phones. I continued to text. A different steward (male) came down the aisle and got my attention to tell me as he motioned to me about the phone. I simply closed it shut. When the stewardess returned she asked him if I had turned my phone off and he lied and said he saw me power it down. I don’t know why he did that unless the anxiety of trying to convey to me the difference between shutting the phone and powering it down was just too much. Virtual silence made me exempt from the rules and a possible safety hazard due to ASL anxiety.

The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. When the stewardess offered drinks I wrote down my choice and my son asked for snacks. When he received the wrong snack, I obviously did not know what he was saying… but the passenger to my left got the stewardess’ attention and told her of his choice and she handed him the peanuts. Then I realized what he said. He did not sign to me of the wrong snack because his communication was with the stewardess; unfortunately he was not loud enough. It’s hard to be silent one moment with your mom and then shout to get a bag of peanuts! Virtual silence meant my son had to become a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult) and he was a real trooper!

Some other memories worth mentioning: There was this one steward on my return flight that thought the closer her got to my face, the easier reading his lips would be! Good thing he did not have bad breath! And there was this one gate agent that I asked about upgrading to first class seating; but when I began by signing the ASL sign for curious… she thought I meant I just couldn’t talk! I had a devil of a time getting her to realize I couldn’t hear after that… but first class seats are too expensive and I am not a gold member so it was all just for more practice. I also had my husband bring me a bag full of blank greeting cards I had stored in a drawer at home. When he arrived to pick us up, I ran them up to the USO and donated them to the currently empty basket with a sign taped to the front that said – Free Cards Please Use. I had typed a thank you for your hospitality message on my cell phone’s note pad that also told that I was donating the cards because I had plenty and it was a good way to show my appreciation to the USO and the military that pass through. It was lengthy so I thought my phone was a better choice than a dozen small squares from my note pad and easier for them to understand than my gesturing it all since JoJo was not with me. Silence, virtual or literal, should never be an excuse for rudeness, and I am not saying that the Deaf are a rude group of people. However; I do know that they are often perceived to be rude by those who do not realize someone is Deaf and expect a certain response from them. I also know some Deaf people think it is the Hearing world’s problem and that it is on the Hearing person to figure out a way to better understand and communicate. Communication is a two way street. If I were Deaf, I would do my best to make communication go easily and smoothly for better relationship building. Many Deaf people I have met at events are happy to help teach ASL to anyone interested and often give intimate details of their lives to strangers because that’s how the expressive language and culture works.

I attempted to write this paper not only in proper English; but more importantly, with good ASL descriptions and background scenes which are necessary as a culturally integrated part of the ASL language. I felt that since this Deaf project is taking the place of true interaction with Deaf persons as required for my ASL 5 class; it should in the least be told from the Deaf perspective, as much as I am capable of relaying. Ideally, I would have loved to block out all sound and to have traveled in Literal Silence; but even the best of headphones don’t cancel all sound. Had I been wearing huge headphones it would have rendered me unbelievable as a Deaf person and therefore also skewed my project reporting of how the Deaf are treated in a predominately Hearing world.

Have a deaf child? A must read...

I have gotten permission from the author of this article to share it with you and highly recommend you pass it along to anyone with a deaf child in their home, classroom, congregation, whatever the situaion. It pretty much sums up several serious issues facing deaf children from history til now... have a box of tissue handy.

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_19684252#.TztoN6zrzRc.email

The Deaf Project-Shopping-#1

The Deaf Project

By Kelly and Danni

Feb. 17, 2012

Nervous, but excited, Danni and I entered our first of four stops we would make for our Deaf Project last night. The Kitchen Collection store in Centralia, WA is located in the outlet store section of town. Our mission was to see how Deaf consumers would be treated personally by fellow shoppers and professionally by business personnel. It was a very interesting experience to say the least.

We began by casually browsing the aprons where I found a cute one and asked Danni if I could buy it for her for her birthday the next day. We joked about the fact that her husband does the cooking in their home and then proceeded down the aisles of the store one by one. In each aisle, we found several things over which to chat and investigate. Then, suddenly ~ a female store clerk approached from the back end of the aisle asking sweetly if we were finding everything ok. I truly appreciate good customer service; having worked in the industry and just in general as a consumer. This made it even more difficult to basically ignore her until she walked close enough for me to spot her in my peripheral vision. I paid her the quick courtesy of a returned glance, making eye contact,  and tapped Danni on the shoulder to get her to direct her attention to the clerk as well. We told her (signed in ASL) that we were Deaf, and it seemed to take her by surprise as she gasped, “I’m sorry!” and hurriedly backed away, turning and disappearing quickly. It appeared to us that she avoided the sales floor altogether after that and kept herself busy with other customers and stock in the front.

While checking out unique egg and hot dog cooking machines; and can I just add that signing about them was challenging and fun, Danni and I noticed what we thought was purposeful avoidance by other customers as well. They started to enter the aisle we were in and abruptly changed their path to the next one. Perhaps our signing made them nervous that we may try to communicate with them. Maybe, we were just being sensitive ~ as Deaf tend to be.

Enter store clerk, Mike. He was a bright young man, tall with dark curly hair and a friendly smile.  We never noticed if the female clerk told him of her experience with us or not; but he approached us and simultaneously signed “ok” while asking verbally if we were finding everything ok. What a relief! We met his gaze and smiled and returned his greeting with “yes and thank you.”

I was genuinely interested in purchasing new oven mitts, and after checking out the different varieties they had in 3 separate areas of the store, I decided the “Ove Glove” was too expensive and the design I liked best was not available in purple… at least not on the display floor. I liked it best because the thumb was on the bottom and was easier to use than the ones with thumbs on the side. Danni went to ask Mike if they had purple in the stock room. He obviously knew very little ASL, but was sincerely trying to communicate both with crude signs and verbally. He must have thought we could read lips well; but there are mixed reviews on lip reading. http://lipreadingtranslation.com/faq.htm    I asked Danni if she thought I should get the kind I liked, only in green, or look elsewhere for that same type in purple. She thought they might be cheaper elsewhere and so in the end, I decided not to purchase any oven mitts.

When we checked out, Mike rang up my purchases. With the purchase of a towel, I was supposed to get a free washcloth, but had brought the wrong one to the register. We used that opportunity to teach Mike how to sign “free.” He seemed enthusiastic to learn. Danni then asked him where he had learned to sign and he said his ex-girlfriend worked for McDonald’s. We aren’t sure what that meant exactly; but after showing him how to sign “girl” and “friend” it seemed time to thank him and leave. He was never bothered by our communication differences and didn’t avoid eye contact nor did he limit our conversation in any way. In fact, he even told me by pointing and signing numbers, that I was entitled to a 10% military discount on my purchase. He then signed the total to me when he could have just pointed to the screen. Very impressive! Great guy! Great experience!

Our second stop was the aforementioned McDonald’s restaurant drive-thru where we expected to be handed a picture menu. When we pulled forward to the window, Danni told the young male worker we were Deaf. He said, “ooooh!” and quickly handed us a pencil and piece of slippery register tape to write on. It is not easy to write on but she managed to order a medium French fry and an ice cream cone. Sadly, this employee either did not know to use a picture menu or was too flustered to remember. Next time maybe we will just hand the paper and pencil back and try to ask for the picture menu or just sign our order. There was only a thank you at the pick-up window. Not a bad experience, but not as fulfilling as it could have been.

Next we went to the Burger King where we thought the Deaf coffee event was to be held. No Deaf people were there. We chatted for awhile and used the bathroom before deciding the event must have been cancelled or that we had received the wrong information.

Our last stop for the night was the Safeway grocery store. As we crossed the street we saw a police car pull out of the parking lot with it’s lights on. After we parked, we noticed fire trucks and rescue vehicles also heading toward the freeway. Must be an accident we thought and so we decided maybe we would take the back roads home. Once inside the store, we located the breadsticks we were looking for, but they only had one variety, not three like usual. There was no one around to ask about the other varieties. Oh well, that can happen to anyone.

We checked out the magazines while waiting in line at the register. Finally it was our turn. The clerk, whose name was also Mike, made eye contact and smiled at us. He never tried to speak to us. He must have seen us signing about the magazines and was not going to try the lip reading theory, or just felt it was not necessary to communicate beyond friendliness and good service. I felt he respected us and figured we knew where to look for our total and how to use the card machine. I appreciated that respect. As he handed us the receipt, he did sign thank you to us and smiled again. 

Overall, our experience was a good one. We received great customer service and would recommend these establishments highly. We could have improved our experience by not using the pencil and paper at McDonald’s and by creating more reasons to ask for different things at Safeway; but it can be so frustrating that sometimes the Deaf tend to not inquire.

Note to ASL students; if you try this type of project for yourself, remember that you should not snap your fingers to get the attention of one another, you should not have your car radio on at a drive-thru (unless you have Hearing passengers), your phone should be on vibrate (and you should probably not answer verbally), and when you hear things like clerks talking, or things that get dropped, or emergency sirens… DO NOT TURN YOUR HEAD TO THE SOUND! Lessons learned.

Thank you and we hope this project has been as insightful for you as it was for us. We plan to do more of the same so keep checking back. Please feel free to leave positive encouraging comments and any suggestions you may have for future deaf projects.