people s behavior

Joy

Joy

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i noticed when i go places with my deaf friend and we are having one of my on the spot asl lessons (basically i sign to her how sign and fingerspell or point to what i want to sign and she signs the word i m looking for) and people act strange

we will be at a restaurant and people will be cold or reserved (or at one place actually talking bad about deaf people right infront of us) but when i speak and give the order they are all smiles (or mortified in the case of the latter place)

i encounter the same kind of rudeness towards deaf people at work too

i guess what i m trying to ask here with this long ol post is how do you react to that kind of thing? i know at work i can t really do anything unless i m told to but on my own time what would i say?
 
It is important for me to resume my "normal" activities, regardless of how others may feel about them. One does get used to wearing the giant scarlet D letter on one's chest. LOL Welcome to the scarlet D letter club.

Having a sense of humor has helped me retain my sanity... people wonder why I kid around. It's for my sanity.

It does chip at my heart piece by piece everytime this happens... to me and others. I won't lie. I have a nonexistent skill in oralism, meaning I rely on visual communication 100 percent.. so I couldn't exactly reply back in the way those nice people would understand. I am open to suggestions and insights.

Pardon my rambling... don't worry, I dont think all hearing people are like that.. and yes there are always rotten apples in every barrel (including deaf folks). lmao

By the way.. welcome to Alldeaf. :)
 
If I dont have PMS or something, I'll kill others with kindness. :twisted:
Love conquers all, right? Kindness is powerful... it can change others' mind real fast, huh? lol .. maybe people are just naturally defensive... and have shields up when they encounter something they deem unusual, and I haven't heard of anyone NOT erring on the first impression.
 
Joy said:
i noticed when i go places with my deaf friend and we are having one of my on the spot asl lessons (basically i sign to her how sign and fingerspell or point to what i want to sign and she signs the word i m looking for) and people act strange

we will be at a restaurant and people will be cold or reserved (or at one place actually talking bad about deaf people right infront of us) but when i speak and give the order they are all smiles (or mortified in the case of the latter place)

i encounter the same kind of rudeness towards deaf people at work too

i guess what i m trying to ask here with this long ol post is how do you react to that kind of thing? i know at work i can t really do anything unless i m told to but on my own time what would i say?
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Welcome to the sign-language using world! I am hearing, but I sign enough with deaf friends and hearing friends who know sign, I get plenty of stares.
Personally, it doesn't really bother me. I am proud of my signing ability, not embarrased to be using sign as a communication device, and I hope that people seeing sign will have their interest perked and will maybe have a desire to learn sign themselves. I think giving hearing people exposure to sign is good, and it makes more accepted.
That said, I HAVE NOT grown up having to deal with the stares. I do have the option to hang out with other hearing people and not sign. Unlike deaf people, if it does bother me, (it hasn't yet, but if it does) I do have the option to escape it.
I think the best thing to do when you feel uncomfortable is either ignore it, or look at them and smile. Don't be ashamed that you are using a different language than they are to communicate; ASL is not inferior to English. Most people who watch people signing are just curious, if you saw people signing, you might watch as well, even if it was just to join the conversation.
If your coworkers or someone else you know is rude to a deaf person, or just behaves rudely, LET THEM KNOW. If they are making comments about a certain person's behavior, or about anything deafness related, give them good, truthful information. Let them know you are open to questions if they have any, if they have some questions that you don't know the answers to, ask a deaf person. If it is possible and the deaf person is willing, have them communicate with each other. The only way things are going to get better is if people understand each other.
When strangers make a rude comment, and it is incorrect, you can correct them. If they're just rude, give them a sharp glance if you want, but those people aren't worth your attention.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents, the Easter Bunny is supposed to come soon, so I better get to bed.

ttyl,
Kelsey
 
Well, that's to be expected in a world where sign language is completely new. While I was growing up in Texas, people would look at me funny when I signed with my friends. Now, people don't pay attention to it. They're actually more friendly now than before. Yet, there are still some places in the United States that still have this problem. I'll be driving from Texas to New York with my friends. We stop somewhere along the way and it's out in the middle of nowhere. When I sign, everyone in the whole store looks at us like we're about to rob the place! :roll: I guess it's just something we could ignore and it will go by later.
 
I don't care what people think,,,
they think normal people are the only people in the world...

People need to be aware that there are unique people in the world too.

I just sign away... with friends. :wiggle:
 
There are many ways to handle signing in public:
1) Just sign and ignore them as well as how hearies speak in public and dont get stares unless they say something really offensive worthy of an attention.
2) Just smile and wave hi to the gawkers. They'll either smile back or look away in embarrassment. (few of my friends has done this before and told me how they handle it).
3) Be an a$$hole about it and stare back with "do you mind?" attitude/expression and they may be taken aback and move on.
 
deaf24fan said:
There are many ways to handle signing in public:
1) Just sign and ignore them as well as how hearies speak in public and dont get stares unless they say something really offensive worthy of an attention.
2) Just smile and wave hi to the gawkers. They'll either smile back or look away in embarrassment. (few of my friends has done this before and told me how they handle it).
3) Be an a$$hole about it and stare back with "do you mind?" attitude/expression and they may be taken aback and move on.
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do u do all three in the above??? :lol:
 
FeistyChick said:
do u do all three in the above??? :lol:
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I do number two: Just smile and wave hi to the gawkers. They'll either smile back or look away in embarrassment.

It works. It doesn't scare the hearing patrons away from understanding Deaf/HoH better.
 
so what, there are many rude people in the world...
this world will never get better...
only technology world.
 
Deaf24 don't mind her shes not herself she needs to go somewhere like umm ravensteven's little hellhole world ( sorry im being really bad tonight)
 
You certainly are no better than Miss*Pinocchio and ravensteven are. You do have issues to deal. I could pull several posts to show the evidences!

It is not nice to bring up ravensteven's name when he is unable to defend himself here!
javapride said:
Deaf24 don't mind her shes not herself she needs to go somewhere like umm ravensteven's little hellhole world ( sorry im being really bad tonight)
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I think it is important to note... sometimes hearing people gawk because they are interested in sign. I have met many who want to learn.

That said, I think my worst experiences aren't with hearies watching my conversation. They can't understand it (I may be hoh, but I never use voice or mouth what I'm signing), if they can they understand any commenting I make asking what that person is staring at, and I know hearing people listen to other hearing people's conversations anyhow....some will even pay more attention if the langauge they're hearing is new to them. I guess I just don't really care, but I hate it when a signer watches a conversation without giving any notice that they can sign.

My worst experiences have always been with hearing people who thought I should be able to hear. For many of these people, the explaination of "I'm hard of hearing. I didn't hear you" just doesn't seem to process. People just aren't to bright sometimes.
 
I am HOH and when I tell people I am that, they either forget and later get mad if I did not hear them. Or they will think I am making an excuse. I am married to a wonderful deaf husband. Only when I am around him and our friends do I feel FREE from having to remind and explain to hearing that I am REALLY HOH.

I don't mind the staring but one time one hearing was rudly following me and my husband, watching us sign. Finally I gave her the look and she backed off. I don't like those kind of people.
 
Joy said:
i noticed when i go places with my deaf friend and we are having one of my on the spot asl lessons (basically i sign to her how sign and fingerspell or point to what i want to sign and she signs the word i m looking for) and people act strange

we will be at a restaurant and people will be cold or reserved (or at one place actually talking bad about deaf people right infront of us) but when i speak and give the order they are all smiles (or mortified in the case of the latter place)

i encounter the same kind of rudeness towards deaf people at work too

i guess what i m trying to ask here with this long ol post is how do you react to that kind of thing? i know at work i can t really do anything unless i m told to but on my own time what would i say?
Click to expand...


I'm hearing..If people treat my wife rudely cause she's deaf and I know about it..They best make sure I don't catch them in a dark alley...So basically they get an attitude adjustment.
 
Yeah it happen to me a couple of times when I am at the store or whatever places I would be with my sister or my deaf friends, people will stare if we sign, sometimes they will laugh or start to gossip, it don't bother me at all, I simply ignore it and not to let it bother me since I'm only going to see those people once and they will forget who I am LOL....
 
If I encounter ANY rudeness to ANY person with any sort of special needs -weither its sign language, a wheelchair, eye glasses - I immediately speak with the manager in charge and file a complaint. Then I will contact the company's headquarters and lodge another complaint.

Once I was at a fast food restuarant and the girl behind the counter rolled her eyes and thought I was a big bother because I am HoH. The next day, I told the manager and he said he was going to fire that employee immediately and he didn't want that sort of person working for him.

I have never seen that fast food worker at that restuarant ever again.
 
Tootie04 said:
I am HOH and when I tell people I am that, they either forget and later get mad if I did not hear them. Or they will think I am making an excuse. I am married to a wonderful deaf husband. Only when I am around him and our friends do I feel FREE from having to remind and explain to hearing that I am REALLY HOH.

I don't mind the staring but one time one hearing was rudly following me and my husband, watching us sign. Finally I gave her the look and she backed off. I don't like those kind of people.
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yeah, i really hate it when people just think i'm making an excuse....and it's even more annoying when they justify it by the fact that i don't wear heaing aids.

as for that woman....that's kinda creepy.
 
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