Next time I'll pass on the taco and head to Subway.

Along with interpreting at my church, I volunteer teaching a sign language class.  Recently I assigned the class to go to the Hamilton Place mall, and we were not allowed to talk.  They could only sign so that they would come closer to experiencing the daily communication barrier that Deaf people deal with. 

The first event of the day was lunch at the food court.  Many of the students went to Subway.  One student and I hopped over to Taco Bell, which was right next to Subway.  As we stood in line we signed to each other since we were not allowed to talk at all while at the mall.  As we waited we also took the time to write our orders down on pieces of paper so we could just hand them to the cashier.  I decided to pay for my friend and snagged her order paper as it came up on my turn.

When I got up to the counter, I handed my papers to the woman working.  She looked at them and loudly said to me, "Are they together?"  I nodded my head to show her that was fine but also signed.  She rolled her eyes and angrily said, "You're gonna have to talk to me, I don't speak that sign language, honey."  Since she had refused to acknowledge my head nodding, I went to reach for a pen and set it down on the counter for her to use; meanwhile another friend of mine who was there, but not in my class, told the woman I said that was fine.  I guess that still was not enough for the woman because she then proceeded to shout at me "ARE THEY TOGETHER?"  I scooted the pen towards her.  She rolled her eyes again, shook her head angrily, smacked the counter, and wrote "Split checks?"  I looked at her and AGAIN nodded my head.  She then handed me the receipt and told my friend my order number.  I signed "Thank you" and the woman mockingly said "De Nada".

The woman's name was Regina, and I am SO sad to say that she herself is the manager of that location.

Subway gave the other students kind, patient, and extremely helpful service.  They were willing to write notes and point and gesture to make the communication work.

I was SO humiliated and angry.  I realize now though that I should not have felt embarrassed in front of all the other people around;  Regina should have.  Her temper tantrum was consistent with a young child's.  I have rarely seen someone get so angry so fast.  She could have made the whole transaction so much simpler by either paying attention to my head nodding, listening to my friend interpret for me, or by writing on the paper without making a scene about it.

I do not know if Regina realized I was hearing.  If she did, and that's why she insisted I talk to her, then I still don't understand her behavior and reaction.  As someone very involved in the Deaf Community, I should be able to bring that culture without being treated that way.

If Regina did not realize I am hearing and thought indeed that I was Deaf, then her behavior is even more appalling.  Deaf people often do not read lips and it makes no difference to shout at them.  They are DEAF for goodness sake.   I also cannot believe that she demanded I talk to her.  If I had been Deaf I very well couldn't have.  So her being unable to sign is the same as a Deaf person being unable to talk.  Deaf people are expected to change to match the hearing world; can the hearing world not change to match the Deaf world?

I'm sure Regina views Deaf people as being handicapped and limited;  I however view her as way more disabled than any Deaf person I know.  Her inability to accept differences, and do what is necessary to help WHATEVER costumer she has, no matter their language, race, or culture is infuriating and outrageous. 

A very sad part in me wonders what has gone on in Regina's life to make her this way.  Maybe someone has treated her that bad that now she treats others the way she's been treated.  Maybe it's just the evilness that can run in all of us.

Whatever it is, I pray she can change.  And I will definitely pick Subway in the future.

Just a bit of Deaf Awareness, Conclusion

I want to make sure as I finish this series that you understand that I am NOT an expert. The only ones who deserve to be called experts on these issues are Deaf people and hard-of-hearing people. So remember that they are the best sources for learning about these things.

At the same time, I certainly have learned and experienced more than most, simply because it is the field of study I chose and career path I've followed.

So to leave you with a final thought: remember what you don't know. To make this a little clearer, I'll share another story:

I once observed the following:

A teacher who had a hard-of-hearing student with an interpreter in the room felt the need to say to the class with the most pitiful expression, "Have you ever muted the TV? You know what it's like when you mute the TV? Can you imagine if that was how it always was for you?? Can you imagine if you never heard the birds??" The teacher then proceeded to look at the hard-of-hearing student and asked while shaking their head back and forth, "Have you ever heard the birds??" The student looked at the teacher and voicing for them-self said "Yup." I thought the teacher was going to fall over;)

I must tell you, if I had been the students' interpreter, I probably would have lost my job that day by telling that teacher what they could do with their comments in the future! You see, this teacher was speaking out of two things: ignorance and pity. Not a good combination. She was ignorant in the sense that it's RARELY like the mute button is on for a Deaf person. Most can hear some! The teacher also showed their ignorance by assuming the student had never heard birds. But the worst of all of this was the pity. I couldn't believe this teacher would really have the nerve to use this student as a spectackle in front of the whole class, the student's own peers, to have a pity party for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. I wondered if the teacher would do this for say, a student who is in a wheelchair- would this teacher have the nerve to say, "Have you ever walked?? Ohh students can you imagine never walking!!" I don't think she would do this- I think she would see how embarrassing and insulting this would be for them. But for some reason we have decided it's okay to pity the Deaf Community no matter their embarrassment or hurt feelings.

So try to remember to say what you truly know, and hold or humble your tongue in areas that you just don't. And please, PLEASE refrain from showing such pity to people who do not want it! Think of an insecurity YOU have, and imagine if you were constantly pitied for it! Helpful? I think not! Encouraging? Hardly!

Thank you SO much for reading this blog and desiring to grow in your understanding of the Deaf Community! Hopefully in time and progress, we will all appreciate our differences more and equality will be recognized!

Just a bit of Deaf Awareness, Part 3

It is SO ironic that I was planning to blog this on today of all days! Here's why...

Today as I was going through the Walmart line, the cashier felt the need to ask me 20 questions. Finally she got to the one, "Where do you work?" and I shared that I work at the elementary school. "Oh, so you're a teacher!" she said. "No, actually I'm an interpreter for a Deaf student," I explained. Upon saying this, the Walmart lady gave me a look of disdain and in the most condescending tone said, "Don't you know that they read our lips??"

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to either cry, laugh, or both!!! I clarified to her, "No, not always, and definitely not when they're 5 years old!!!"

It KILLS me when hearing people think that all Deaf people automatically read lips, as if they are born with the skill! On the contrary, NOT all Deaf people read lips, and even great lip-readers are still not 100% accurate and often still use interpreters. Also, lip-reading is a learned art that takes much, MUCH work.

But apparently the Walmart lady thought she knew more about my field than I did;)

So, along with recognizing that not all Deaf people read lips, here are a few other quick tips (some review, and some new) to file away:

1. The Deaf Community is a cultural/linguistic minority group. Basically that means they have their own culture and language. Deaf people generally preferred to be viewed as such, instead of as a disabled group.

2. American Sign Language (ASL) is NOT English put to motions. It is a separate, visual language that has its own grammar, rules, and structure.

3. The term "Hearing Impaired" is generally a negative term to the Deaf Community. While some individuals may claim the label, it is best not to use it unless you know someone wants to be called it. The terms "Deaf" and "hard-of-hearing" are generally acceptable.

4. Just like any group, you can’t put Deaf people in a box- some use their voice; some don’t. Some wear hearing-aids; some don’t. Some read lips; some don’t.

5. When using an interpreter it is important to just speak naturally and directly to the Deaf person. Look at the Deaf person, not the interpreter, and refrain from saying things like "tell him"/"tell her" to the interpreter. Also, no need to shout! :)

6. Generally speaking, Deaf people do NOT wish they were hearing. They are happy the way they are, and the last thing they want is to be pitied!

7. Deaf people are just as smart and capable as anyone else. Some famous Deaf people you may have heard of are Marlee Matlin, Beethoven, and Helen Keller. There are also many Deaf people successfully living and working in YOUR area!

Just a bit of Deaf Awareness, Part 2

- The Deaf Community is a culture/linguistic minority group. This basically means that they are a group of people who have a different culture and use a different language. They do not generally want to be viewed as a disabled group, and the last thing most Deaf people want is to be pitied. It is important to view the Deaf Community as another culture with another language, not as broken people. This is one of the reasons the term "Hearing Impaired" is generally viewed as a negative term by the Deaf Community. Shocking, right? I know it is plastered everywhere as the "politically correct" term; but unfortunately politically correct doesn't actually mean it is sensitive to what people truly want to be called. Instead the terms "Deaf" and "hard-of-hearing" are generally preferred, unless of course a specific person wants to be called Hearing Impaired. (For more of my thoughts on the whole "disabled" term, please see my blog "Disabled, or Abled?")

- American Sign Language (ASL) is a valid, complete, language. That means that to those who don't "speak" it, it is a foreign language! It is not motions, nor is it "English on the hands". There are many different types of sign languages just like there are spoken languages- British Sign Language, Portuguese Sign Language, French Sign Language, etc. There are even different forms of sign language used in America. There is English Sign Language, which is VERY different from ASL. There is also what is known as CASE (Conceptually Accurate Signed English) which is a mix of ASL and English Sign Language. Because English Sign is still English, and CASE is a mix of different the sign systems, ASL is the only one of the three that is linguistically viewed as it's own true language.

~There is much diversity among Deaf people, just like there are with hearing people. Some Deaf people voice/talk, some don't; some Deaf people read lips; some don't. Some Deaf people wear hearing aids; some don't. There are also different levels of deafness- it's not always like the "mute" button is on. So basically remember not to try to put Deaf people in a box.

~Generally speaking, Deaf people are happy the way they are and do not wish they were hearing! You probably don't or even can't understand that, and that's ok, you don't have to. Just believe it. Don't look at Deaf people with pity and sadness- do you want them to do that to you? Some probably do on the inside! Remember that Deaf people have a culture, a language, a world... and generally they are quite content!

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.

A Taste into the Deaf Community

Here is the new Marlee Matlin official YouTube show about a Deaf/Hearing family that uses ASL to communicate...