For Hearies Only

When I was fourteen I taught riding lessons and one of my students was Deaf. Started learning then and have been in love ever since!
 
When I was first out of college I worked a bunch of typical retail jobs. As fate would have it, it seemed like I was always running into deaf customers. Writing back and forth was ok, but it really seemed to me that ASL would just be so much more efficient. But of course time slipped away and classes were forgotten until.....

The final straw came when the Rescue Squad I rode with (I was an EMT) was informed that there was a chronically ill person (meaning we'd be doing lots of transports with them) in our district who was deaf. The Squad promptly handed out copies of the manual alphabet. All it took was one call in the ambulance doing Rochester method to make me take as many ASL classes as I could.
 
I came across a short story with a deaf character. There were only a few paragraphs, but I was immediately fascinated. I’d never come across a deaf character before.

When I was asked to write a novella for a vampire anthology, I decided that I wanted to include a deaf character, for two reasons: 1. I’d only ever found that one deaf character in fiction and though that wasn’t very representative and 2. I knew nothing about the deaf community and thought that was very ignorant of me. I can’t stand ignorance!

Learning ASL seemed like the natural choice. I’ve seen the comment made on this forum before: if you go to a foreign country, you should make an effort to learn a bit of the host language. I learned English before I came to the US and I learned Japanese when I went to live in Japan for a few years. It never occurred to me not to learn ASL.

My reason in a nutshell: I realized there was a great group of interesting people out there in the world that I knew nothing about and couldn’t communicate with, learning their language seemed like the only respectful and polite thing to do.
 
Nadja, I think you're right. The market is there for stories with deaf protagonists. I have a completed novel featuring a deaf amateur detective for sale, as well as its first sequel ready.

Currently, I'm working on a third novel with a deaf beekeeper trying to solve why honeybees are disappearing all over the world.

You're also correct about writing what you know. Those who don't come off looking very silly to editors, who return the manuscript with form rejections saying, "Thank you, but this doesn't fit our needs at this time."
 
Chase said:
Nadja, I think you're right. The market is there for stories with deaf protagonists. I have a completed novel featuring a deaf amateur detective for sale, as well as its first sequel ready.
Click to expand...

Chase, that's awesome. I've been looking for books with deaf protagonists and haven't really found anything. I would love to read a deaf amateur detective.

Keep looking for a sale, please. Good luck with that.
 
Well I didn't start losing my hearing or ever really noticed my hearing being a problem til i was 16, i had really bad tinnitus and then i was like hmm things sound a bit weird..so i went to audi and presto hearing loss. I was interested in asl before i found out i was hoh and now I want to learn it because I think it would be beneficial to myself for the future and to communicate with other hoh/deaf ppl. As well as, i currently work in a bank and we have deaf customers, and i kno it must stink sometimes to have to come in and see all these ppl smiling and being nice ( i always get good quarterly pa's/reports cuz my cust. service is excellent) so i throw in a thank you and ur welcome in asl and i'd like to be able to sign how's your day etc and have a good feeling that I may have just made someone else's day a bit better. N2m i think asl is pretty cool so far!
 
Nothing special, I just took the class and now I wan tot learn everything I can.
 
I started "bootlegging" sign lessons from my very close friend/former roommate. She is Deaf, but becoming progressively more deaf, and has taken ASL 1-4 at the local community college. After returning from the classes she would teach me what she learned. Wish I had gone to class with her, though. Through all this, I am a hearie-enculturated-Deaf, and know sign words now, but not so much grammar.
 
I am a social work student that was born deaf. Back in the 60's people that had hearing issues were only labled slow. At least that was what they thought was wrong with me.

I was interested in sign from about the age of 11 when I had my first experience with ASL.

I am graduating with my BSW on May 12th and will go on to get my MSW. While I am working on my licensure, I plan to go back to the community college and finish up my ASL classes. I have had 1, 2, and half of 3.

I believe the people in the deaf and hard of hearing population deserve the same respect hearies have when they see a helping professional.
 
lcsw2b said:
I am a social work student that was born deaf. Back in the 60's people that had hearing issues were only labled slow. At least that was what they thought was wrong with me.

I was interested in sign from about the age of 11 when I had my first experience with ASL.

I am graduating with my BSW on May 12th and will go on to get my MSW. While I am working on my licensure, I plan to go back to the community college and finish up my ASL classes. I have had 1, 2, and half of 3.

I believe the people in the deaf and hard of hearing population deserve the same respect hearies have when they see a helping professional.
Click to expand...

Congratulations! The profession needs people like you!
 
I'm a coda so I didn't make a choice to learn it. What I CAN say is that I am a better person because I know ASL. I think it makes me different than many people I meet and I am proud to tell people that I have a Deaf mom.
 
AquaBlue said:
How did you get interested in learning ASL? :afro:
Click to expand...

Great Question!!!!!!

When I was a kid, I lived in a foster home about 12 miles out of town. I was little so don't remember lots of details. For about a year, my only friend was a little Deaf girl. I don't remember how we communicated back then, but kids seem to manage.

My brother was engaged to a Deaf woman named Desi, I loved her dearly. She was oral only though and wore aids. I never learned anything about Deaf culture from her. I just loved her dearly. They split up, Haven't heard from her since my mom died and brought us together. We still love each other though.

My daughter in law is totally deaf in one ear, slight loss in other ear. She was learning ASL.

Mostly, I have always felt terrible when I would see a deaf person and I couldn't have a conversation with them. For many years I have told people I wanted to learn ASL. For many years I was too busy raisin nine kids and working two jobs to persue it.

My husband died in 05, and my kids are raised, I could now chose to follow my dream. It was like a magnetic thing... No particular reason, but a really deep feeling. I started to study Deaf history and culture. I literally cried, and still do, when I found out just how much Deaf people have misunderstood and mistreated. I decided I would dedicate what is left of my life to changing that in any little way that I can. I wanted to advocate for the Deaf and to volunteer as much as I can to help people who can't afford interpreters. Anyway, I entered the interpreter's program,,, and everyday my desire to be a bridge over the river of ignorance just gets stronger. I hope I can become fluent in sign, and be an asset to the Deaf community. Some of my most favorite people are Deaf, and they have been a treasure to me.
 
jillio said:
LOL! I posted in another thread yesterday about my memory of the first time my son saw Linda Bove on Sesame Street. He was jumping up and down signing "Lady deaf, lady deaf! Same me!" Realizing what a monumental experience that had to be for him brought tears to my eyes. And getting so excited over seeing someone like himself, an experience that hearing children take for granted, left me with the constant awareness of how being denied that has such a profound impact on a deaf child's development.
Click to expand...

AMEN Jillio!
 
jillio said:
Because I recognized that the frustration he was experiencing was the result of being forced to do something that relied on his weakest sense. It just did not compute for me. I saw too many holes and unanswered questions in the oral philosophy. ASL just made sense. It made sense to me that I did not know what a deaf child experienced, and therefore, what they needed, and the onlly person that could tell me what it was to be a deaf child was a deaf adult that had experienced it. It's pretty much the way I address everything in my life. Emotional reactions don't offer solutions. Logical assessment does.
Click to expand...



Amen again Jillio!
 
Chase said:
Nadja, I think you're right. The market is there for stories with deaf protagonists. I have a completed novel featuring a deaf amateur detective for sale, as well as its first sequel ready.

Currently, I'm working on a third novel with a deaf beekeeper trying to solve why honeybees are disappearing all over the world.

You're also correct about writing what you know. Those who don't come off looking very silly to editors, who return the manuscript with form rejections saying, "Thank you, but this doesn't fit our needs at this time."
Click to expand...


Off topic, sorry,,, What is the "TITLE" of the book.... LOL, you know I am old, you gots to spell it out for me! will you sign a copy for me,, and I will send you a check??? That is if you have any copies layin around?
 
Love it!

I absolutely love ASL! I'm going to be a Junior next fall in Scranton, PA for studying Speech Pathology/Audiology, but I also want to go for a Masters in Enterpretive Sign Language.

I started taking interest in ASL 1, which was manditory for us to take. It's an absolutely beautiful way of communication and I really can't wait to learn more. Now that I'm home for the summer, however, I really don't know what to do about keeping up with it. I'd love to take a few hours out of my week to meet with someone who uses ASL in everyday life because I wish to become somewhat close to that point. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them! THANK YOU!

For class one day, as a project in college, we had to be deaf for a day. It was humbling and an amazing experience. I think everyone who is hearing should try it. Just once to understand the difficulties and hardships in order to realize and appreciate what you have.

It's absolutely amazing and I love ASL!

P.S. Not all of us hearing people are assholes. I've seen some of the horrific posts on here and I'm disgraced by those people. They obviously take things for granted.

Thanks for your time and I hope that I get some feedback!!!
 
That's a fun question, I'm not sure why I wanted to learn! I've always wanted to, I don't even know anyone who is deaf, which is a bit of a problem now, I really want someone to practice with. It's weird I guess, none of my family really gets it, I guess they figure since we have no reason to use it then it's stupid to learn.

I actually work at a scrapbook store and quite a few deaf people come in. So I felt bad everytime someone would come in and I couldn't ask them if they needed help without being embarrassed that I don't know asl and ended up doing the stupid hearie thing, pointing to a peice of paper and a pen. So now I'm finally learning and I feel so much better!
 
i started learning asl to interpret at church. but it just became a love for me. i think i sometimes use asl more than i do english.
 
AquaBlue said:
How did you get interested in learning ASL? :afro:
Click to expand...
I started working with children with autisim and other special needs that required special modes of communication and i realized i had happened upon something that made my heart sing. Children that communicate out of the norm often hold the many secrets of life and love and how to truly be happy.
I realized that i can teach children of all sorts hearing deaf special needs language needs or even children that just have a ahrd time sitting still can benefit from ASL.
I want to make sure that all children are given all of the tools that they need to succeed in life dispite what a mainstrem school may have to say about ASL or cued speech or even a message board with pictures from life and home to communicate what they feel and need. ( this tool is actually one of my favorite )
but yes off on a tangent! that is how i found ASL and how i plan to use it ....
 
I learned from a deaf missionary who came to my church 2 years ago. I started interpreting about 6 or 7 months ago. I still have sOOOOOOOOOOO much to learn...my receptive skills are horrible :eek3:
 
Back
Top