Miss-Delectable
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Empowering The Deaf
Deaf people can usually find ways to respond to doorbells, phone calls or smoke alarms. What's not so easy to deal with is the insensitivity of those who inhabit the hearing world.
Shirley Corbett said she learned about such insensitivity when her deaf father was in the hospital for a cancer operation in 2005. Corbett, who is deaf herself, requested a sign language interpreter at the hospital to no avail. She advised medical authorities that her father was deaf.
"After the operation, I left the room for a time, and when I came back, my father had awakened and his hands were strapped down," said Corbett. "He was signing with his hands, but they thought he was flailing around and needed to be restrained.
"That's the straw that broke the camel's back for me," said Corbett. "That is when I saw the light, and the need for the Deaf Empowerment Awareness Foundation Inc. (DEAF Inc.) and got involved with it. We officially formed on 08/08/08 and we have been going strong ever since."
Today, DEAF Inc. is located near the Schnucks Market in Webster Groves at 25 E. Frisco Ave. Directors of the organization have a lot to say through the help of David Corbett, Shirley's son, who serves as staff interpreter with his expert knowledge of using sign language.
Services provided by DEAF Inc. are many. They include access to interpreters, classes to learn sign language, mentoring the deaf or the newly deaf, as well as advocacy, empowerment and awareness. A studio at the Webster location allows DEAF Inc. to make videos to address the mission of education and deaf awareness.
"Deaf people use sign language as their first tongue," said Tony Nitko, director of marketing for DEAF Inc. "I think people need to know that English is actually our second language. We want to help people who have hearing, and those who are deaf, to learn our language. That's why we have classes.
"In classes, we not only talk about our language, but our culture," added Nitko of Fenton. "People just don't understand that we have a culture, a way of doing things. And some people think we are stupid. Trust me, some of the most enterprising and creative people are among the deaf."
Deaf Folks Have Fun
According to Nitko, here is another little secret: Deaf people have fun. A check of DEAF Inc.'s website (DEAF Inc. - Home) makes that fact abundantly clear.
In recent weeks, the group has had a "Turkey Chase" ice rink event in Webster, a movie night for deaf folks and a "Thanksgiving HandSpeak Night." On Dec. 8, the group will partner with the St. Louis Blues for "Deaf Awareness Day," when the Blues play the Anaheim Ducks.
In October, about 40 deaf folks went to watch the Cardinals at a sports bar at Ameristar Casino. They asked that the TV's closed captioning be turned on, so they could enjoy the World Series action in more detail.
"We had three tables of people, but they wouldn't turn on the captioning," said Shirley Corbett of Eureka. "We just wanted to enjoy the game like everybody else. We are not trying to cause trouble or get into a fight. It's just that some things that people can do to help us don't cost a penny. It was disappointing."
Since 1972, TV programs have been available with text for the deaf. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all TVs over 13 inches to have a decoder for captioning, an option that has been a blessing for as many as 4 million deaf Americans.
"Obviously, we are very grateful for the ADA requirements," said Eric Gjerdingen, executive director of DEAF Inc. "When we first moved into our building, we realized it was out of compliance with ADA. We had to put in ramps and outfit the bathrooms. It was very expensive, but if you talk the talk, you have to walk the walk."
Gjerdingen of Fenton said a big part of DEAF Inc.'s mission is to reduce discrimination, bias and oppression of the deaf and hard of hearing people. A non-profit group, DEAF Inc. holds regular meet-and-greets for the community.
"Webster Groves is such a great place for us, because the people are so accepting here," said Gjerdingen. "You can't say that about every place in Missouri. Local elected officials like Jeanne Kirkton of Webster have been especially supportive."
Legislative Battles
DEAF Inc. members do not feel the state legislature as a whole has always been supportive. They took umbrage with a bill passed this year that would have weakened workplace anti-discrimination protections for people with disabilities. It also would have limited affected workers' rights to jury trials or damages in cases of discrimination.
"In our situation, it would have made it harder for deaf people to simply function in this society," said Gjerdingen. "It was a bill that also reduced businesses need to take ADA requirements seriously. That affected a lot of people besides us.
"We stood with Gov. Nixon when he vetoed that bill passed by this state legislature," he said. "His veto showed he cares, and it was a veto that not only helped us, but a lot of other people with disabilities. We worked with those people to oppose the bill, because there is strength in numbers."
Gjerdingen said DEAF Inc.'s collaboration with other groups was consistent with another part of the foundation's mission to "promote understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures by providing a confluence of advocacy, communication, conflict resolution, education, interpreting, technology and visual arts."
Deaf people can usually find ways to respond to doorbells, phone calls or smoke alarms. What's not so easy to deal with is the insensitivity of those who inhabit the hearing world.
Shirley Corbett said she learned about such insensitivity when her deaf father was in the hospital for a cancer operation in 2005. Corbett, who is deaf herself, requested a sign language interpreter at the hospital to no avail. She advised medical authorities that her father was deaf.
"After the operation, I left the room for a time, and when I came back, my father had awakened and his hands were strapped down," said Corbett. "He was signing with his hands, but they thought he was flailing around and needed to be restrained.
"That's the straw that broke the camel's back for me," said Corbett. "That is when I saw the light, and the need for the Deaf Empowerment Awareness Foundation Inc. (DEAF Inc.) and got involved with it. We officially formed on 08/08/08 and we have been going strong ever since."
Today, DEAF Inc. is located near the Schnucks Market in Webster Groves at 25 E. Frisco Ave. Directors of the organization have a lot to say through the help of David Corbett, Shirley's son, who serves as staff interpreter with his expert knowledge of using sign language.
Services provided by DEAF Inc. are many. They include access to interpreters, classes to learn sign language, mentoring the deaf or the newly deaf, as well as advocacy, empowerment and awareness. A studio at the Webster location allows DEAF Inc. to make videos to address the mission of education and deaf awareness.
"Deaf people use sign language as their first tongue," said Tony Nitko, director of marketing for DEAF Inc. "I think people need to know that English is actually our second language. We want to help people who have hearing, and those who are deaf, to learn our language. That's why we have classes.
"In classes, we not only talk about our language, but our culture," added Nitko of Fenton. "People just don't understand that we have a culture, a way of doing things. And some people think we are stupid. Trust me, some of the most enterprising and creative people are among the deaf."
Deaf Folks Have Fun
According to Nitko, here is another little secret: Deaf people have fun. A check of DEAF Inc.'s website (DEAF Inc. - Home) makes that fact abundantly clear.
In recent weeks, the group has had a "Turkey Chase" ice rink event in Webster, a movie night for deaf folks and a "Thanksgiving HandSpeak Night." On Dec. 8, the group will partner with the St. Louis Blues for "Deaf Awareness Day," when the Blues play the Anaheim Ducks.
In October, about 40 deaf folks went to watch the Cardinals at a sports bar at Ameristar Casino. They asked that the TV's closed captioning be turned on, so they could enjoy the World Series action in more detail.
"We had three tables of people, but they wouldn't turn on the captioning," said Shirley Corbett of Eureka. "We just wanted to enjoy the game like everybody else. We are not trying to cause trouble or get into a fight. It's just that some things that people can do to help us don't cost a penny. It was disappointing."
Since 1972, TV programs have been available with text for the deaf. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all TVs over 13 inches to have a decoder for captioning, an option that has been a blessing for as many as 4 million deaf Americans.
"Obviously, we are very grateful for the ADA requirements," said Eric Gjerdingen, executive director of DEAF Inc. "When we first moved into our building, we realized it was out of compliance with ADA. We had to put in ramps and outfit the bathrooms. It was very expensive, but if you talk the talk, you have to walk the walk."
Gjerdingen of Fenton said a big part of DEAF Inc.'s mission is to reduce discrimination, bias and oppression of the deaf and hard of hearing people. A non-profit group, DEAF Inc. holds regular meet-and-greets for the community.
"Webster Groves is such a great place for us, because the people are so accepting here," said Gjerdingen. "You can't say that about every place in Missouri. Local elected officials like Jeanne Kirkton of Webster have been especially supportive."
Legislative Battles
DEAF Inc. members do not feel the state legislature as a whole has always been supportive. They took umbrage with a bill passed this year that would have weakened workplace anti-discrimination protections for people with disabilities. It also would have limited affected workers' rights to jury trials or damages in cases of discrimination.
"In our situation, it would have made it harder for deaf people to simply function in this society," said Gjerdingen. "It was a bill that also reduced businesses need to take ADA requirements seriously. That affected a lot of people besides us.
"We stood with Gov. Nixon when he vetoed that bill passed by this state legislature," he said. "His veto showed he cares, and it was a veto that not only helped us, but a lot of other people with disabilities. We worked with those people to oppose the bill, because there is strength in numbers."
Gjerdingen said DEAF Inc.'s collaboration with other groups was consistent with another part of the foundation's mission to "promote understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures by providing a confluence of advocacy, communication, conflict resolution, education, interpreting, technology and visual arts."