Originally Posted by trueup84

You know half of the comments and complaints can be blamed on just plain ignorance. I am a "hearie" and I have most likely somewhere in my past said something just as stupid. Here is the kicker, I feel you are rightfully angry, but if ignorance is half the problem and it for at least a lot of these complaints only takes 30 seconds to explain that maybe you would be doing yourself and everyone else around you a huge favor by simply correcting a person. Don't get me wrong and please don't be offended but the deaf community and culture is a foreign nation. The hearing people have spent decades studying your way of life as has people that study the French or Celtic culture. To be fair deaf people are all over the world and not just thousands of miles away.

Case and points:
Unless you are a kid that blasts his music in his car than the correlation to hearing when driving can seem really important. For instance the sirens of emergency vehicles, motorcyclists that can't figure out how to stay out of blind spots. Deaf people are trained to use peripheral (pardon the spelling) vision a thousand times over hearing people. That is the reason that hearing people that speak ASL can’t just focus on your face we have to watch your hands. The normal everyday person doesn't know that.

During my first day of class for ASL I used the term and please forgive my ignorance "hearing impaired" (to us this is politically correct) low and behold that is all wrong and had I said that to a deaf person? I have a lot of respect for the deaf culture and it is only consistently growing greater but this isn't something we can pick up from a 3 page pamphlet. Had I been screamed at been rude to my immediate impression would not have been so good.

Communication for the hearing is verbal, all be it people can be cruel and like I stated before you have every right to your irritation and even for those people that would purposely disrespect anyone let alone you should be hit. But a lot of it is misunderstanding. Miss ordering or getting incorrect food because of a breakdown in communication happens every day regardless of race, level of hearing, or even if you are mute but can hear perfectly.

My point is this, although some people are vicious I find them for the most part to be just as welcoming as you all are. Albeit I have had a lot less contact with the deaf community (something I aim to fix) the real frustration shouldn't be at people. If anything being a little less sensitive and a little more education will only lessen the gap of misunderstanding and difference.

Last but certainly not least because I go to school and am Learning ASL and self studying deaf culture doesn't mean that you are a specimen of an experiment. As previously stated we can go ahead and call the deaf community and culture foreign, with different intricacies (again pardon the spelling), triggers for anger, language, self-expression, ways and styles of life. Being a point of study just means you are interesting, and I'll admit it in a lot of ways I am very jealous about many things. The biggest one is that the deaf community is very close knit in comparison. There are people from all over the World on this website alone and are all willing to be one heck of a support group.

My hope and aim in going to college is to teach high school, and for those students that are hard of hearing or deaf I want them in my class. There is a lot to be said for deaf institutions but a lot of kids, as you all know, are not that fortunate. Although I can guarantee you that a lot less prospects that could be the same bridge to the gap, is dumbed down due to lack of patients and understanding of each other’s circumstance.

I challenge you, all of you, to seek the higher road because in the very end you can only gain from it.

Originally Posted by RonJaxon

I was out with some friends and this guy started talking to me. I couldn't understand him so I said, "Sorry, I'm deaf. What was that again?"

This idiot started moving his hands as if he was speaking is ASL. But he didn't know ASL. He was just miming like he was signing and I could tell he really thought that's all that ASL was. Just moving the hands in any fashion.

I could have gotten upset or offended. But being an entertainer (Comedy magician) I turned it around on him. A few of my friends where watching this take place so I said out loud:

"Did you see that? This Dude just tried to propose to me!!!"

Lesson learned. When faced with these ignorant people. If possible use humor to put them in their place. Believe me it's better then getting mad.

Ron Jaxon

Originally Posted by RonJaxon

I was out with some friends and this guy started talking to me. I couldn't understand him so I said, "Sorry, I'm deaf. What was that again?"

This idiot started moving his hands as if he was speaking is ASL. But he didn't know ASL. He was just miming like he was signing and I could tell he really thought that's all that ASL was. Just moving the hands in any fashion.

I could have gotten upset or offended. But being an entertainer (Comedy magician) I turned it around on him. A few of my friends where watching this take place so I said out loud:

"Did you see that? This Dude just tried to propose to me!!!"

Lesson learned. When faced with these ignorant people. If possible use humor to put them in their place. Believe me it's better then getting mad.

Ron Jaxon

Originally Posted by RonJaxon

I was out with some friends and this guy started talking to me. I couldn't understand him so I said, "Sorry, I'm deaf. What was that again?"

This idiot started moving his hands as if he was speaking is ASL. But he didn't know ASL. He was just miming like he was signing and I could tell he really thought that's all that ASL was. Just moving the hands in any fashion.

I could have gotten upset or offended. But being an entertainer (Comedy magician) I turned it around on him. A few of my friends where watching this take place so I said out loud:

"Did you see that? This Dude just tried to propose to me!!!"

Lesson learned. When faced with these ignorant people. If possible use humor to put them in their place. Believe me it's better then getting mad.

Ron Jaxon

Originally Posted by sallylou

Wirelessly posted (droid)

What a prick.

Originally Posted by RachelRene

How much do I love that he had to ask you to go slower, after making his remarks?

Also, I am not kidding--from now on, I'm measuring everything in peasants. So much more fun that way.

Solidarity, sister.

Originally Posted by sallylou

Wirelessly posted (droid)

Ash, hope that you find a new job soon.

Originally Posted by ash345

so mine for the day... it is adventures in lipreading... client... "how do i increase numbers in access 6.5 peasants..." me... "6.5 peasants?" client "why the hell would you think I said peasants" me... "because it looked like it..." client... "i said peasants... peasants... like you must only use 50 peasant of your brain..." that is when it clicked... percent... not peasant... very different thing... me (with a confused look on my face)... "ok you want to increase your numbers in access 6.5 percent..." client... "what? access? no... the thing that adds numbers for you" me... "a calculator?" client (his face was beginning to turn red now)... "why do they hire disabled people here... the thing... the thing with the little boxes... microsoft access... the speedshit" me... being highly embarrassed... "sir... can you write this down for me, I'm sorry i'm not understanding... but I am deaf..." client... starts talking while turning around... finally wrote it down... excel... me... "ok let me show you..." client... "can you do that again... slower?"

Originally Posted by deafbajagal

You drive?! But...but...you're deaf!

Originally Posted by JabberJay

"How do they let you drive on site? Won't you get run over by heavy haulers if you can't hear them coming until it's too late?"


Honestly if you can't see a truck larger than a house then you have a problem.

Originally Posted by MidnightSun

WOW, I know this comment will not be popular, but that's never stopped me from saying anything I feel before so...I really do understand your obvious anger with the people each of you mentioned, and all the others who just do not understand deafness. But that's my point, it may be annoying and some may say or do ignorant things, but don't you understand "they, the hearing" just don't get it, and probably never will unless they themselves experience deafness. Each of you have every right to be angered by the things you've had to endure by those who really just can not understand and probably never will. My problem is that instead of behaving like them, ignore them, refuse to do business with them, or just make a statement like, "so sorry if me deafness inconveniences you".

See I know for a fact, that most hearing people will never understand our world. Unless they choose to educate themselves (doubtful), or they or someone close to them becomes deaf. I just don't see anything positive coming out of behaving the same way they are, rude or ignorant. When I was hearing I made the same stupid mistakes most hearing do, I will admit it.
I just really had NO idea what it was like. Then overnight I became profoundly deaf, can't even hear my own voice. My own family who loves me,
didn't know what to say or how to approach me..they had to be taught as I had to learn...I really wish the deaf would take the "higher road" and not resort to the same ignorant type statements, the hearing make to us. It achieves nothing but furthering the anger and misunderstanding. My brother, who I love dearly went to the library and got a sheet on finger spelling and learned to finger spell with both hands..lol..he's amazing. My point being when I came home from the hospital after 2 weeks of testing, and the answer of "well we really do not know why you are deaf" My brother sat with me and taught me to finger spell. He said he saw the terror in my eyes sitting in the hospital bed, crying and screaming (I had no idea how loudly I was talking).
He decided he and I would learn the simplest way to communicate with out writing. I am Blessed to have him. But you see, he chose to educate himself so that we could communicate. Every hearing person in the would should know simple finger spelling. Kids learn it in a few days.
So, I apologize if I have offended any of you, but please, understand the hearing, for the most part do not have a clue to what we are experiencing. Is that their fault for saying these totally ridiculous things...I don't think it is.

I take responsibility for educating those around me, and if they do not want to take the time to learn 26 letters in hand movements..then OK we are going to lose each other or write everything..I just do not think it is fair to
rage on a hearing person who YES, says and does inapropriate or riduculous things because they just can not understand what our lives are like unless they themselves become HOH or deaf. Peace to you all, I do not expect you to agree, but those are my true feelings. Just because I am deaf does not mean I am going to act and/or react with anyless grace or dignity then I had when I was hearing. I myself am still working on Tolerance, but I'm getting there...Midnight♥♥♥♥ (with a little love we can change the world)

Originally Posted by deafbajagal

So today I went to the Urgent Care clinic because my ear kept bleeding (wouldn't stop)...of course, my eardrum had ruptured. The nurse went on and on about how I might get hearing loss. Dumb bitch didn't even think...I'm using a sign language interpreter because...???

Originally Posted by sallylou

Dang deafbajagal. I'm sorry to hear that. Hope that you feel better soon. Is it ok if I give you tea and sympathy?

Originally Posted by society's_child

Oy, that made me tired just reading it.

Originally Posted by deafbajagal

So today I went to the Urgent Care clinic because my ear kept bleeding (wouldn't stop)...of course, my eardrum had ruptured. The nurse went on and on about how I might get hearing loss. Dumb bitch didn't even think...I'm using a sign language interpreter because...???

Originally Posted by sallylou

Dang deafbajagal. I'm sorry to hear that. Hope that you feel better soon. Is it ok if I give you tea and sympathy?