Miss-Delectable
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WSAV.com - Savannah / Hilton Head - News - Could You Stop Speaking???
Every year, millions of people visit Savannah for different reasons – one being that the founder of the Girl Scouts was born here. What many people don't know is that after a freak accident at her wedding, she lost her hearing in one ear.
-- The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education reports 1 in 20 Americans are currently deaf or hard of hearing.
-- More than half are age 65 or older.
-- Less than four percent are under the age of 18.
Monday night, a local Girl Scout Troop is put its sign language skills to good use. The main reason why they learned to sign doesn't have to do with the organization's founder. Two of Troop 755's members are deaf, Adie Griffith and Kiara Jordan. Kiara is taking speech classes and speaks – and signs – in both Spanish and English.
After the first girl joined, the troop leader started taking signing classes and that led to something much bigger then the troop ever expected.
Most restaurants are pretty noisy – but at the Barnes on Waters Avenue, there's a table that doesn't fit that description. No talking was going on at all! So we pulled a few of the diners – a Girl Scout Troop – away from the table to find out why.
"It's an opportunity for the girls to learn about the deaf culture, to learn about what it's like to not be able to hear and to find ways to communicate if you can not hear," says Troop Leader Sam Watkins.
So they sit in silence, order in silence – communicating only through sign language. Just imagine how the waitress feels.
"We had to make sure we didn't accidentally say something. It's really hard," says Julia Watson, who’s learning to sign.
"I think it's fun coming here doing this activity," signs Adie Griffith. She’s one of the two deaf girls in the troop. "We deaf people want to teach hearing people to sign and to learn more," says Adie.
That's why their troop leader wants the girls to remember what they learned during this dinner. "How hard it is to communicate when you can not hear? Placing an order in a restaurant when you can't speak? Communicating when you can not hear is very difficult," says Sam.
The girls say they'll take away much more than that. "This is more important than just a hobby," says Julia.
"I just hope that other people learn sign language so they can speak to deaf people," says Amanda Gall.
Through troop meetings, all the girls know how to sign the alphabet, their names and the Girl Scout promise.
Better Speech and Hearing Month
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. That's why Savannah's Speech and Hearing Center is hosting several open houses to better educate people.
They're set for every Thursday in May from nine to 11:30 am. The center will offer complimentary hearing screens, as well as hearing aid checks.
For more information, call 912-355-4601.
Every year, millions of people visit Savannah for different reasons – one being that the founder of the Girl Scouts was born here. What many people don't know is that after a freak accident at her wedding, she lost her hearing in one ear.
-- The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education reports 1 in 20 Americans are currently deaf or hard of hearing.
-- More than half are age 65 or older.
-- Less than four percent are under the age of 18.
Monday night, a local Girl Scout Troop is put its sign language skills to good use. The main reason why they learned to sign doesn't have to do with the organization's founder. Two of Troop 755's members are deaf, Adie Griffith and Kiara Jordan. Kiara is taking speech classes and speaks – and signs – in both Spanish and English.
After the first girl joined, the troop leader started taking signing classes and that led to something much bigger then the troop ever expected.
Most restaurants are pretty noisy – but at the Barnes on Waters Avenue, there's a table that doesn't fit that description. No talking was going on at all! So we pulled a few of the diners – a Girl Scout Troop – away from the table to find out why.
"It's an opportunity for the girls to learn about the deaf culture, to learn about what it's like to not be able to hear and to find ways to communicate if you can not hear," says Troop Leader Sam Watkins.
So they sit in silence, order in silence – communicating only through sign language. Just imagine how the waitress feels.
"We had to make sure we didn't accidentally say something. It's really hard," says Julia Watson, who’s learning to sign.
"I think it's fun coming here doing this activity," signs Adie Griffith. She’s one of the two deaf girls in the troop. "We deaf people want to teach hearing people to sign and to learn more," says Adie.
That's why their troop leader wants the girls to remember what they learned during this dinner. "How hard it is to communicate when you can not hear? Placing an order in a restaurant when you can't speak? Communicating when you can not hear is very difficult," says Sam.
The girls say they'll take away much more than that. "This is more important than just a hobby," says Julia.
"I just hope that other people learn sign language so they can speak to deaf people," says Amanda Gall.
Through troop meetings, all the girls know how to sign the alphabet, their names and the Girl Scout promise.
Better Speech and Hearing Month
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. That's why Savannah's Speech and Hearing Center is hosting several open houses to better educate people.
They're set for every Thursday in May from nine to 11:30 am. The center will offer complimentary hearing screens, as well as hearing aid checks.
For more information, call 912-355-4601.