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RHS observes Deaf Awareness Week - Redlands Daily Facts
Students at Redlands High School recognized Deaf Awareness Week with an activity each day of the week promoting the cause.
Held annually across the nation, Deaf Awareness Week is dedicated to drawing attention to the deaf community and honoring deaf people's accomplishments, culture and language, said Dahlene Williams-Holliness, an American Sign Language teacher with the Colton-Redlands-Yucaipa Regional Occupational Program (CRYROP) and the school.
Students from both the ASL class and ASL Club partnered to hold planned activities which began on Tuesday, when they performed a song and spoke about the cause during their lunch hour.
On Wednesday, students took a vow of silence. Participants wore buttons indicating what they were doing, Williams-Holliness said.
On Thursday, students held a lunchtime rally where they demonstrated how one could communicate with someone who is deaf.
And during the school's homecoming game tonight, the RHS ASL Club will have a booth to distribute information about their group and the cause.
"This is our second year here as an ASL class and I felt it was important to take part in this activity too," explained Williams-Holliness. "They're learning about the language, but even more so, it is important for them to know where the language comes and the overall perspective of the deaf community."
Senior Savannah Wilson, 17, president of the school's ASL Club said that joining the on-campus group helped her come to an understanding of what the deaf community deals with on a daily basis.
"I'm part of this club because I really like it and it is really easy for me to learn. And I love the deaf culture," she said. "I really appreciate deaf people because they don't feel like they're handicapped. They don't feel that it holds them back. And I find that to be really inspiring.
"And they're really accepting people," she added.
ASL Club member of Krystal Patton, 18, an RHS senior said that that Wednesday's activity was probably the hardest of the weeklong event.
"Kids that are in sign-language class are so used signing and not talking at all, but others did not understand (what I was saying)," she said. "I had to write everything down and became just so frustrated. But I (understand) now how deaf people can get so frustrated and angry communicating with others when they don't have an interpreter around. But we took it so seriously and while it was really hard, it was really fun as well."
Students at Redlands High School recognized Deaf Awareness Week with an activity each day of the week promoting the cause.
Held annually across the nation, Deaf Awareness Week is dedicated to drawing attention to the deaf community and honoring deaf people's accomplishments, culture and language, said Dahlene Williams-Holliness, an American Sign Language teacher with the Colton-Redlands-Yucaipa Regional Occupational Program (CRYROP) and the school.
Students from both the ASL class and ASL Club partnered to hold planned activities which began on Tuesday, when they performed a song and spoke about the cause during their lunch hour.
On Wednesday, students took a vow of silence. Participants wore buttons indicating what they were doing, Williams-Holliness said.
On Thursday, students held a lunchtime rally where they demonstrated how one could communicate with someone who is deaf.
And during the school's homecoming game tonight, the RHS ASL Club will have a booth to distribute information about their group and the cause.
"This is our second year here as an ASL class and I felt it was important to take part in this activity too," explained Williams-Holliness. "They're learning about the language, but even more so, it is important for them to know where the language comes and the overall perspective of the deaf community."
Senior Savannah Wilson, 17, president of the school's ASL Club said that joining the on-campus group helped her come to an understanding of what the deaf community deals with on a daily basis.
"I'm part of this club because I really like it and it is really easy for me to learn. And I love the deaf culture," she said. "I really appreciate deaf people because they don't feel like they're handicapped. They don't feel that it holds them back. And I find that to be really inspiring.
"And they're really accepting people," she added.
ASL Club member of Krystal Patton, 18, an RHS senior said that that Wednesday's activity was probably the hardest of the weeklong event.
"Kids that are in sign-language class are so used signing and not talking at all, but others did not understand (what I was saying)," she said. "I had to write everything down and became just so frustrated. But I (understand) now how deaf people can get so frustrated and angry communicating with others when they don't have an interpreter around. But we took it so seriously and while it was really hard, it was really fun as well."