Just a bit of Deaf Awareness, Part 1

One of the most exciting things in my life right now is that I'm preparing to start an interpreting ministry for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing at my church! I was called to Deaf Ministry a few years ago, and graduated with my degree in Sign Language Interpreting this past May. So now is the time to get ready to put into practice what I've learned! Myself and various staff members at my church have been putting preparations together to begin this ministry this September.

One of the most critical components of this preparation has been to create a level of Deaf Awareness among the pastoral staff and attendees of the church. This has got my brain buzzing to think of all the different small and big pieces of information to pass on to them so that we can then bridge the gap between these people and the Deaf Community! As I've been turning my wheels, I figured at the same time it would be a great opportunity to pass on the tid-bits here on my blog as well. So I will share just a few thoughts in each blog and have a sort of mini-series on this topic.

Rather than jump into these facts today, I will instead just share with you my "why" for all of this.

Like I said, a few years ago I felt the call into Deaf Ministry. I was already in an interpreting program, and one day my teacher gave me a gift- it was the Book of Mormon on DVD in ASL. It was a super well-done piece of work with very skilled signers. While sad that it was the Book of Mormon, my curiosity was peaked to find out what had been done by Christians to interpret the Bible into ASL. I found nothing. Later I found out the New Testament had just been finished being done in ASL on DVDs. The Old Testament is still not translated.

I once asked a Deaf women I knew where she went to church, and she laughed and signed, "You mean the Catholic church, right?? Cause they're the only ones who have an interpreter."

As my burden and searching continued, I found out that the Deaf Community is the 4th largest unreached people group for the Gospel. WOW. And Deaf people are RIGHT HERE in our neighborhoods!

For a church to have an interpreter is rare; for a church to have an educated and skilled interpreter is even more rare. Too often churches accept anyone who claims they sign and moves their hands, without knowing if they are really able to do the job. Hence the common Deaf phrase, "Lousy church interpreters!" This is SO sad and breaks my heart.

So, hence my burden. Deaf people do not have the same access we do to understanding the Bible, the Gospel, or our Saviour. They too often cannot, CANNOT be a part of a church. Christians have failed reaching this group and yet they live right down our streets.

The ADA covers Deaf people at their jobs, at courts, at hospitals.... it guarantees them a qualified interpreter. But laws do not cover churches, and so they still remain places that Deaf people do not have equal access...

It's time we step up as Christians and do our part to reach the Deaf Community! If we don't, someone else will.