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Craig Daily Press / Church bridges the communication gap for deaf and hearing
Asking someone to describe his or her perfect day is generally straightforward.
But when one person is deaf and the other doesn’t know sign language, suddenly the situation is more complex.
At Saturday’s gathering of the local deaf community at Calvary Baptist Church, hearing people and deaf people began an evening of dinner, games and socializing with an icebreaker questionnaire. The questions were a way for all involved to practice interacting and to get to know one another.
Asking and answering questions was a small example of the kind of difficulties the deaf face every day as they try to communicate. But the activity also showed that obstacles can be overcome.
“It really is harder. It’s harder to find a job, to be on our own. We need hearing people, and we have a lot to offer,” organizer Staci Nichols said. “We wanted to pull the deaf out of isolation and show opportunities the world has to offer.”
Nine deaf people and twice as many hearing ones attended the dinner.
Elberta Cochran, 81, remembers when Craig’s deaf community was only she and her husband.
It’s “nice, really nice” to have more deaf people to socialize with, Cochran said. “We need social skills, to visit.”
For Mariah Kowach, 12, the evening was a chance “to meet new people who sign like us.” She and Amber Snow, who translates for Kowach at Craig Intermediate School, were at their first local deaf social.
Allison Cunningham and Sophie-Shifra Gold came from Grand Junction for the chance to spend more time with other deaf people.
“Being deaf myself, it’s good to meet with others — older and younger — and to get to know more people like me,” Gold said.
Cunningham, a junior at Mesa State College, said she appreciates Craig’s tolerance.
“It’s backwards in Grand Junction,” she said. “There is not a lot of acceptance of signing and deaf culture.”
The dinner was deaf-friendly through and through.
Instead of a fork tapping on a glass, flashing lights caught attendees’ attention before grace. People applauded by waving their hands instead of clapping them. Instructions, speeches and the blessing all were both audible and signed.
As the crowd waited for spaghetti to finish cooking, they played “the elephant game,” which is popular with the deaf, Nichols said. She stood in the middle of a circle of participants signing directions as Kevin Haynes translated.
When she signed an elephant or tree, the person she pointed at and those on either side had to form mammal or plant. Those who messed up took a turn in the center.
The hearing also benefited from the evening, Nichols said.
“They get to see that anything can be overcome and to encourage diversity,” she said. “It encourages us not to take anything for granted, especially communication.”
Deeana Armstrong, who is working toward her certification as an interpreter, organized the evening with Nichols.
“We had been thinking of how to join the deaf and hearing,” Armstrong said. “I’m hearing, and she’s deaf, but we socialize a lot.”
Patience and taking time to learn how to communicate have made their close relationship possible, she said.
Asking someone to describe his or her perfect day is generally straightforward.
But when one person is deaf and the other doesn’t know sign language, suddenly the situation is more complex.
At Saturday’s gathering of the local deaf community at Calvary Baptist Church, hearing people and deaf people began an evening of dinner, games and socializing with an icebreaker questionnaire. The questions were a way for all involved to practice interacting and to get to know one another.
Asking and answering questions was a small example of the kind of difficulties the deaf face every day as they try to communicate. But the activity also showed that obstacles can be overcome.
“It really is harder. It’s harder to find a job, to be on our own. We need hearing people, and we have a lot to offer,” organizer Staci Nichols said. “We wanted to pull the deaf out of isolation and show opportunities the world has to offer.”
Nine deaf people and twice as many hearing ones attended the dinner.
Elberta Cochran, 81, remembers when Craig’s deaf community was only she and her husband.
It’s “nice, really nice” to have more deaf people to socialize with, Cochran said. “We need social skills, to visit.”
For Mariah Kowach, 12, the evening was a chance “to meet new people who sign like us.” She and Amber Snow, who translates for Kowach at Craig Intermediate School, were at their first local deaf social.
Allison Cunningham and Sophie-Shifra Gold came from Grand Junction for the chance to spend more time with other deaf people.
“Being deaf myself, it’s good to meet with others — older and younger — and to get to know more people like me,” Gold said.
Cunningham, a junior at Mesa State College, said she appreciates Craig’s tolerance.
“It’s backwards in Grand Junction,” she said. “There is not a lot of acceptance of signing and deaf culture.”
The dinner was deaf-friendly through and through.
Instead of a fork tapping on a glass, flashing lights caught attendees’ attention before grace. People applauded by waving their hands instead of clapping them. Instructions, speeches and the blessing all were both audible and signed.
As the crowd waited for spaghetti to finish cooking, they played “the elephant game,” which is popular with the deaf, Nichols said. She stood in the middle of a circle of participants signing directions as Kevin Haynes translated.
When she signed an elephant or tree, the person she pointed at and those on either side had to form mammal or plant. Those who messed up took a turn in the center.
The hearing also benefited from the evening, Nichols said.
“They get to see that anything can be overcome and to encourage diversity,” she said. “It encourages us not to take anything for granted, especially communication.”
Deeana Armstrong, who is working toward her certification as an interpreter, organized the evening with Nichols.
“We had been thinking of how to join the deaf and hearing,” Armstrong said. “I’m hearing, and she’s deaf, but we socialize a lot.”
Patience and taking time to learn how to communicate have made their close relationship possible, she said.