StoryCorps and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf

[ablough]

Hi,

I'm writing from StoryCorps, America's largest nonprofit national oral history project. I thought you and your blog readers would be interested in listening to StoryCorps' latest story to broadcast on NPR this morning. Bob Panara, who has been deaf since he was 10, talks to his friend Greg Livadas about his love of baseball and two encounters with a couple of the sport's all-time greats. You can listen to the interview (about 2 minutes) here: Bob Panara | StoryCorps, or read a transcript of the interview below. Mr. Panara's stories was recorded in partnership with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY.

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening. Since 2003, tens of thousands of people from across the country have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to take home and share and is also archived for generations to come at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Millions listen to the award-winning broadcasts on public radio and the Internet. Select stories have also been published in the New York Times bestselling book, Listening Is an Act of Love.

I hope you take the time to listen and share.

Thanks,
Amber Leigh


Robert Panara and Greg Livadas

Robert Panara and Greg Livadas came to StoryCorps in Rochester, NY. Here, Bob tells his friend Greg about his lifelong love of baseball, and his encounters with famous ball players.


Bob Panara: My name is Robert Panara. I just became 89 years old, but I became deaf from spinal meningitis at the age of 10. My father knew how much I loved baseball. And Babe Ruth was my hero. And this is 1931. So he wrote to the Yankees and he asked if I could possibly meet the Bambino, and they arranged it. So we went to the ball game that day, we sat about ten rows from the field, and before the game, my father gives the letter from the Yankees to the usher, usher goes down to the dugout, comes back with the Babe. Big fellow, huge. He says, "Hi kid! How you doing?" Shaking hands with the Bambino was a dream come true. And later on, I realized my father, he was trying to get my hearing back.

Greg Livadas: So your father thought that the shock of meeting him--

Bob: Oh yes, the Bambino, wow! (laughs) But I still remained as deaf as a post (laughs).

And I remember later on taking my son to Memorial Stadium. After the game, my son says, "Hey Dad, I have a ball. I would like one of the players to sign it." Brooks Robinson, the third baseman came out, and I said "Hey Brooks! Excuse me, but my son wonders if you can give him an autograph." Brooks, he looks at me, and then he signs with his hands, "Are you deaf?" I said, "Hey! You know sign language! Where did you learn?" He said, "Well, I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Only blocks from the School for the Deaf, so I used to play with the deaf kids." He became my idol after that.

Anyway, to this day, I live, breathe and die baseball. I look at it as my religion. The stadium, it's my second home (laughs).

 

[Bebonang]

For the Deaf, there is no listening at all as we can not hear the words, even with CI for some members except maybe a very few (scratch). Listening is not what it crack up to be. I think you are hearing and don't know anything about deafness. I do not like oral-only program when it comes to mainstream school, so I don't listen at all. So is lipreading and it sucks. I would rather watch or read caption on people who sign on the program. It is a lot more clearer than trying to listen or hear some words that we don't hear like the hearing people. I don't know why you have to use the word "listen" when we can use ASL better. Geez. :roll:

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

For the Deaf, there is no listening at all as we can not hear the words, even with CI for some members except maybe a very few (scratch). Listening is not what it crack up to be. I think you are hearing and don't know anything about deafness. I do not like oral-only program when it comes to mainstream school, so I don't listen at all. So is lipreading and it sucks. I would rather watch or read caption on people who sign on the program. It is a lot more clearer than trying to listen or hear some words that we don't hear like the hearing people. I don't know why you have to use the word "listen" when we can use ASL better. Geez. :roll:

So... if you don't listen, does that means you're a blind-deaf with CIPA? So ASL, fingerspelling, tactile sign and all of that are not viable option of communications? Anyway, sorry, just had to tease about the word choice.

Anyway, there is absolutely no need to attack the original poster. If you looked at the website, it is in co-oporation with the NAD. The poster AND StoryCorps was nice enough to provide a transcript.

If you don't know what "oral history" means, I would suggest you would look up the definition. It usually means un-recorded history. If a Deaf person sign without recording his thoughts, it would be considered as "oral history," despite the fact that he or she never used his or her voice. This is about an older gentleman who have been deaf all of his life, whose father believed that the shock of meeting a famous baseball player, Babe Ruth, would shock him into getting his hearing back. The NAD was kind enough to work with StoryCorps to record his story.

From looking at StoryCorps's website, their purpose is to preserve people's life stories and the stories that have been passed down to them that didn't have the chance to be recorded via a written language. There is no oralist or audist agenda anywhere on their website. So, it would help if you actually look at the source itself or read through the entire website before being militant upon the original poster. Really, better tact and critical thinking are needed here.

 

[Bebonang]

I understand and very well said on what you have been trying to explain to me. No, I did not read the transcript. I am sorry that I have offend the OP. I thought this is a oralist or audist. I am very naughty old woman. I AM VERY SORRY, ABLOUGH. Souggy, I am not blind, but I am deaf.