Okay, last Monday I was in a Chinese buffet and a group of 4 deaf individuals came and sat a couple of tables away from me.
I hated to do this, but I was pretty much listening/watching their conversation. But, after a while my attention faded back to my family at my table. A little bit later one of the women in the group was trying to get the attention of a waitress. Once the waitress made her way over there, the woman was trying to communicate to the waitress that she needed a cup of warm water to heat up a baby bottle for her child. Here is where I became very uncomfortable, this woman was having a very hard time trying to tell the waitress what she needed. I knew exactly what she needed. I just sat there, completely terified of getting up to help.
I dont know how to do that in the Deaf community. How might I approach a deaf person who is obviously (to me anyway) needing help communicating a need for something? What is protocol so to speak?
(I am hearing and totally new to the Deaf world, I am taking Sign in college. I really enjoy it, but I don't know the Deaf subculture.)
Thanks,
Jordan
I hated to do this, but I was pretty much listening/watching their conversation. But, after a while my attention faded back to my family at my table. A little bit later one of the women in the group was trying to get the attention of a waitress. Once the waitress made her way over there, the woman was trying to communicate to the waitress that she needed a cup of warm water to heat up a baby bottle for her child. Here is where I became very uncomfortable, this woman was having a very hard time trying to tell the waitress what she needed. I knew exactly what she needed. I just sat there, completely terified of getting up to help.
I dont know how to do that in the Deaf community. How might I approach a deaf person who is obviously (to me anyway) needing help communicating a need for something? What is protocol so to speak?
(I am hearing and totally new to the Deaf world, I am taking Sign in college. I really enjoy it, but I don't know the Deaf subculture.)
Thanks,
Jordan
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