You ever get people who tell you not to use sign language?

Wow-- that's ridiculous!
There's so much intolerance, even nowadays. It's like that with spoken foreign languages, too, isn't it?
In regards to a situation such as Shel90 mentioned: since it's a social gathering at a dinner table, would it be impolite to ask for a translation?
 
SignfrmtheHeart said:
Things like that come from the same rude people who think that deaf people are "handicapped," "broken," must be "fixed," that ASL is merely a broken English, not a real language, and there is no Deaf Culture. I'm hearing, and it all makes me quite angry as well, but why let them get to you? Their ignorance is not worth your time.

People have often compared to me a person in a wheelchair with one or no legs to a deaf person, saying they are the same because they are both "handicapped," which always infuriates me. My response? "Is there a One-Legged Person Language? Is there a One-Legged Person Culture?" They are almost always speechless. They're even amazed when they realize that deaf people can drive, too! =-O
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The difference between deafness and other forms of so-called disabilities is that the other disabilities do not require adjustments in communication. There is, therefore, no comparison. Only another communication disorder can be compared to deafness, and only on a superficial level, because the majority of communication disorders involve only one aspect of communication...either receptive or expressive.
 
good heaven! no

but they tell me to use voice while sign. soooooo... *voice pitch in high like girl* whoops.
 
According to nad the deaf and hoh have a right to sign anywhere and anytime they want. Its a right, like freedom of speech is a right for the hearing, its just not a constitutional right.
 
jillio said:
The difference between deafness and other forms of so-called disabilities is that the other disabilities do not require adjustments in communication. There is, therefore, no comparison. Only another communication disorder can be compared to deafness, and only on a superficial level, because the majority of communication disorders involve only one aspect of communication...either receptive or expressive.
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Deafness is not a disability its just an inability to hear -- for whatever reason, and the reasons vary greatly from person to person. If deafness prevented us from functioning psychically or mentally somehow then maybe, it might be a disability. It doesnt though!!
 
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PowerON said:
good heaven! no

but they tell me to use voice while sign. soooooo... *voice pitch in high like girl* whoops.
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i've been told to use voice while I sign. I was like, then whats the point of signing?
 
theCOMDkid said:
Wow-- that's ridiculous!
There's so much intolerance, even nowadays. It's like that with spoken foreign languages, too, isn't it?
In regards to a situation such as Shel90 mentioned: since it's a social gathering at a dinner table, would it be impolite to ask for a translation?
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I dont feel comfortable using my husband as a terp. He does try to sign and let me know what's going on but he is not skilled at being involved in a conversationa and terping at the same time. His signing is very SEE so it takes him too long to finish a sentence and by the time he is finished signing something someone said, the conversation has already moved way ahead by several sentences. He needs to be fluent in ASL...
 
Good thread. I don't have complaints about signing, but I do about closed captions.

In fact, signing has helped people be aware that speech-reading isn't the 100% accurate thing that TV leads people to believe.

Sometimes when I'm trying to speech-read, my girlfriend has to interpret for people who talk too fast, cover their mouths, talk while they're eating, keep looking away while talking, et cetera. After she helps me a couple times (and gives them withering looks) they tend to slow down and speak directly to me.

Sometimes when I'm without an interpreter and struggling to understand speech, I sign a few key words when I speak, and that remeinds most people I'm deaf.

The closed caption thing goes on and on. When I'm in my apartment complex gym an hour a day I turn on the captions and someone always comes in who looks for the remote to turn them off. I explain, but I get "Well, I can't see with them words on the screen." Poor babies! Same thing a some social gatherings.

At one game we were watching at the house of my girlfriend's daughter, a person arrived late and grabbed their remote tried to shut off CC, and my girlfriend's son-in-law kicked the guy out, ha ha ha.

I like Byrdie's way. From now on I'll just mute the set and wait for negotiations to begin.
 
Chase said:
Good thread. I don't have complaints about signing, but I do about closed captions.

In fact, signing has helped people be aware that speech-reading isn't the 100% accurate thing that TV leads people to believe.

Sometimes when I'm trying to speech-read, my girlfriend has to interpret for people who talk too fast, cover their mouths, talk while they're eating, keep looking away while talking, et cetera. After she helps me a couple times (and gives them withering looks) they tend to slow down and speak directly to me.

Sometimes when I'm without an interpreter and struggling to understand speech, I sign a few key words when I speak, and that remeinds most people I'm deaf.

The closed caption thing goes on and on. When I'm in my apartment complex gym an hour a day I turn on the captions and someone always comes in who looks for the remote to turn them off. I explain, but I get "Well, I can't see with them words on the screen." Poor babies! Same thing a some social gatherings.

At one game we were watching at the house of my girlfriend's daughter, a person arrived late and grabbed their remote tried to shut off CC, and my girlfriend's son-in-law kicked the guy out, ha ha ha.

I like Byrdie's way. From now on I'll just mute the set and wait for negotiations to begin.
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I always have the sounds down when I watch TV myself, because sounds are not necessary for me unless some hearing mates of mine are over at my house. I turn it up for them. They have no problem with captions. They find it useful for the hearing people, for instance, they are on the phone at the same time and they can't hear the tv -- captions are the other useful tool ;)
 
jillio said:
The difference between deafness and other forms of so-called disabilities is that the other disabilities do not require adjustments in communication. There is, therefore, no comparison. Only another communication disorder can be compared to deafness, and only on a superficial level, because the majority of communication disorders involve only one aspect of communication...either receptive or expressive.
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And along those lines....deafness is more "invisible" than other disabilities such as blindness, wheelchair bound, etc.
 
Jclarke said:
I always have the sounds down when I watch TV myself, because sounds are not necessary for me unless some hearing mates of mine are over at my house. I turn it up for them. They have no problem with captions. They find it useful for the hearing people, for instance, they are on the phone at the same time and they can't hear the tv -- captions are the other useful tool ;)
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That reminds me, Jake, that I always have the sound off on my TV so that I won't disturb neighbors if I watch TV late at night (I live in a three-story apartment with hearies all around).

I always give them the remore so they can turn it up to suit them. None of my friends complain about captions. In fact, some like them.

Ha ha ha, but the flashing strobe light door bell makes one or two come right off the couch, thinking it's some kind of fire alarm or SWAT invasion. It's really bright and in every room, including the bathroom.
 
Chase said:
That reminds me, Jake, that I always have the sound off on my TV so that I won't disturb neighbors if I watch TV late at night (I live in a three-story apartment with hearies all around).

I always give them the remore so they can turn it up to suit them. None of my friends complain about captions. In fact, some like them.

Ha ha ha, but the flashing strobe light door bell makes one or two come right off the couch, thinking it's some kind of fire alarm or SWAT invasion. It's really bright and in every room, including the bathroom.
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Chase, fair is fair ;) Friends who is aware of friends who is deaf. Like my own and I love them. (They can sign too) I have the door visual light alert which I call it 'Black box' when it goes off, there is a bit of a strange clicking noise in the box. So I need to get that fixed and it is good to go when I have it installed in my new apartment soon. My friends will have to get used to the system I have at the apartment, there won't be a problem ;)

And that reminds that I need to research for a new fire alarm.
 
jasin said:
Deafness is not a disability its just an inability to hear -- for whatever reason, and the reasons vary greatly from person to person. If deafness prevented us from functioning psychically or mentally somehow then maybe, it might be a disability. It doesnt though!!
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While I agree with you that deafness in and of itself is not a disability, social construction does create barriers that create disability. Failure to provide proper accommodations create disability.
 
Byrdie714 said:
And along those lines....deafness is more "invisible" than other disabilities such as blindness, wheelchair bound, etc.
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Absolutely. Which, in turn, leads to less tolerance from the majority. And greater attempt to further mask it.
 
jillio said:
Absolutely. Which, in turn, leads to less tolerance from the majority. And greater attempt to further mask it.
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So, what's the reason for masking it? Shame?
 
shel90 said:
So, what's the reason for masking it? Shame?
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Could be. But it boils down to masking to appear more like the majority, to gain a perception of greater acceptance by the majority, or to gain some perceived priviledge of being more like the majority.
 
PowerON said:
good heaven! no

but they tell me to use voice while sign. soooooo... *voice pitch in high like girl* whoops.
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As a Hearing person who is also dyslexic, I really appreciate when a Deaf person can "use voice" while they are signing. My receptive skills lag way behind my expressive skills.(partly because of the dyslexia) So, often Deaf people will assume that I can understand more than I am able to because I am able to express my self and if I'm not too excited I use proper ASL order too. They get puzzled looks until they figure it out, (and it doesn't take them long) Usually one Deaf friend will remind others in the group to use voice for me.
 
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