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Deaf children invited to visit signing Santa at Moorestown Mall | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/20/2010
For many deaf children, visits to a mall Santa Claus involve handing over a written list, not rattling off desires with typical Christmas excitement.
But what if the jolly man in the red suit could communicate with them one-on-one? What if Santa knew sign language?
Dan Swartz, 55, of Cherry Hill, a nationally certified interpreter, describes working as a "signing Santa" in Maryland in the early 1990s as "overwhelming." Used to being disappointed, many of the children couldn't fathom Santa communicating with them in such a way, he said.
"I would sign to them, 'Yes, Santa can sign,' and they couldn't believe it," said Swartz, executive director of 360 Translations International Inc., an interpreting service based in Cherry Hill. "They'd start jumping up and down and say, 'Oh, great!' and then their hands would go a mile a minute. It was like a floodgate had opened."
Often the scene affected Santa as much as the children.
"There were times when kids would leave my lap, and tears would come to my eyes, and I would have to take a break for a minute," Swartz said.
He expects to have similar experiences Sunday at the Moorestown Mall on Route 38. He will don the Santa suit once again and sit with children from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Macy's Court. He will be accompanied by elves who also can sign.
When Swartz "called to volunteer his time, it was a great opportunity for us to be able to provide deaf children throughout the community - and New Jersey - to meet Santa and also be able to have a conversation with him," said Lisa Wolstromer, the mall's senior marketing director. Signing "adds to the magical experience for the kids."
Swartz and his former interpreter company in Baltimore hatched the idea for a signing Santa while discussing ways to give back to the community.
"I really wanted to do something for the kids, and there were no signing Santas in the area to speak of," he said.
Swartz, who is not hearing-impaired, studied American Sign Language at Gallaudet University in Washington.
After his first encounter with a deaf person more than 25 years ago, his interest in the field was piqued.
"I met someone socially, and they were signing and I was taken aback, and I was like, 'I can't communicate with this person; this is not cool at all,' " Swartz said.
He has been signing ever since. In addition to running his Cherry Hill company, he works as a video interpreter and interpreter for the Pennsylvania court system.
For many deaf children, visits to a mall Santa Claus involve handing over a written list, not rattling off desires with typical Christmas excitement.
But what if the jolly man in the red suit could communicate with them one-on-one? What if Santa knew sign language?
Dan Swartz, 55, of Cherry Hill, a nationally certified interpreter, describes working as a "signing Santa" in Maryland in the early 1990s as "overwhelming." Used to being disappointed, many of the children couldn't fathom Santa communicating with them in such a way, he said.
"I would sign to them, 'Yes, Santa can sign,' and they couldn't believe it," said Swartz, executive director of 360 Translations International Inc., an interpreting service based in Cherry Hill. "They'd start jumping up and down and say, 'Oh, great!' and then their hands would go a mile a minute. It was like a floodgate had opened."
Often the scene affected Santa as much as the children.
"There were times when kids would leave my lap, and tears would come to my eyes, and I would have to take a break for a minute," Swartz said.
He expects to have similar experiences Sunday at the Moorestown Mall on Route 38. He will don the Santa suit once again and sit with children from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Macy's Court. He will be accompanied by elves who also can sign.
When Swartz "called to volunteer his time, it was a great opportunity for us to be able to provide deaf children throughout the community - and New Jersey - to meet Santa and also be able to have a conversation with him," said Lisa Wolstromer, the mall's senior marketing director. Signing "adds to the magical experience for the kids."
Swartz and his former interpreter company in Baltimore hatched the idea for a signing Santa while discussing ways to give back to the community.
"I really wanted to do something for the kids, and there were no signing Santas in the area to speak of," he said.
Swartz, who is not hearing-impaired, studied American Sign Language at Gallaudet University in Washington.
After his first encounter with a deaf person more than 25 years ago, his interest in the field was piqued.
"I met someone socially, and they were signing and I was taken aback, and I was like, 'I can't communicate with this person; this is not cool at all,' " Swartz said.
He has been signing ever since. In addition to running his Cherry Hill company, he works as a video interpreter and interpreter for the Pennsylvania court system.
What a wonderful man!