Yeah, it would be difficult because "accessibility" to the deaf is a lot more complicated than putting a "disabled" placard on your car's dashboard.
An old friend of mine works as a resident counselor at the Ohio School for the Deaf (she serves as a "room mom" for a half-dozen or so teenage girls who stay in one of the residence cottages). Anyway, she says that the staff really work hard at keeping these kids from insulating themselves into their own "culture"--which is a natural tendency not only from the commonality of their deafness, but they grow up in the same school system from k-12 and attend the same universities. After that, of course, there aren't many "deaf only" jobs, so they really need to be able to move through the deaf and hearing cultures.
About five years agi I was playing in a reggae band and we were invited to play at the school. Most of the kids couldn't "hear" the music, of course, but they could feel the "low end" from the bass and drums. The director asked us to put in earplugs and "turn it up to 11!". The kids went nuts! Reggae has a very danceable syncopation, and almost every reggae tune has the same predictable beat, so they really dug it. What fun! The guitarists, vocalists and me (keyboards) were just 'window dressing' for the staff--the kids couldn't care less if we were there. LOL! The second set we turned the bass amp so the speaker was pointed toward the floor, did the same with the drum monitors, and eventually ran bass and kick drum through just about every speaker we had. What a hoot! My keyboards kept "buzzing" off their racks. I think it was the best gig I ever played.
Kat, your Brooklyn baseball story reminds me of a neighbor I had years ago. He and his wife were deaf, but their young daughter's hearing was fine. Anyway, he worked second-shift at the Sears distribution center, so he would come home about midnight. Being a Sears employee, he got a deep discount on Craftsman tools, mowers and such. So just about every night suring the summer, he'd get out the lawn tractor, string trimmer, chain saw, whatever, and set to work! At 1:00 am! LOL! The mower had headlights, but for the rest of his work he'd either run the tractor and point the lights at his work or use a miner's light. I tried to give him hints that he needed to do this stuff BEFORE he went to work, but he'd always say, "Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't want to get too tired before going in, and the afternoons afre when I hang out with my daughter." I didn't get much sleep in that 'hood. LOL!
Kyle
----- Original Message -----
From: kat <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2003 12:31 pm
Subject: Re: Amber's trip to Galludet
> Well the deaf community has a long history of mistreatment and
> misunderstandings from the hearing community, I don't blame them
> for being
> defensive and insular. They have more problems than other
> disabled people
> because their disability is a lot less visible and more easily
> understood.
> A classic story from WWII -
>
> A crowd was settling in a stadium to watch a game. They were
> instructed to
> salute the flag and all the men took off their hats, save one. A
> couple of
> Brooklynites yelled at him to remove his hat; he did nothing and
> refused to
> face them. Infuriated, they called him a 'Nazi sympathiser' and
> proceeded to
> beat him up. It wasn't until he was rushed to the hospital that
> anyone found
> out he was totally deaf.
>
> With incidents like this, it's no wonder the deaf are so insular.
>
> Kat
>
> On Thursday 04 December 2003 11:56 am, you wrote:
> > Hi Kat,
> >
> > Okay - wasn't sure what she meant.
> > My point is that it hurts the disabled community in there
> efforts for
> > betterment, etc. A united large community has more clout than
> many small
> > fragmented units. I believe if you looked the numbers for each
> individual> disability then added them all up - you would have a
> impressive number -
> > and number speak.
> >
> > Frankly - since I consider nature's imperfections as normal - I
> am against
> > all the labeling but it seems to be needed in order to get
> things done - or
> > something. To me a "normal" person is an anomaly. I am not sure
> there> actually is such a beast. There does however seem to be a
> universal cookie
> > cutter that people are suppose to come out of. I am not a cookie
> person,> and neither is anyone else. But people have high needs to
> group themselves
> > into units like themsleves and then build fences around
> themselves, and
> > shut others out. Ah well...........
> >
> > Trisha
> >
> > > I think she meant she uses ASL because she has to, not because
> it's fun.
> > >
> > > I kind of understand your point regarding the deaf being
> disabled, but
> > > they don't see themselves as disabled at all, and frankly, I
> applaud> > them, and think it's presumptuous of a non-deaf or non-
> hard-of-hearing
> > > person to tell them they are disabled.
> > >
> > > Kat
> > >
> > > On Thursday 04 December 2003 11:37 am, you wrote:
> > > > Hi Asdis,
> > > >
> > > > I am sorry I don't understand your reply. How is hearing
> going?> > >
> > > > Trisha
> > > >
> > > > > soorry i must reply im deaf because i sign asdis At
> 11:58 2.12.2003
> > > > >
> > > > > -0500, you wrote:
> > > > > >Hi Tamara,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I am sorry. Amber is loving signing. It is challenges
> her -
> > > > > > using her = right hand as a assistant, and it makes her
> slower. But
> > > > > > she loves it. I = wish we would find more ways to get to
> common> > > > > ground rather than the one = uncommon thing we
> might have. Alex and
> > > > > > I are learning ASL right along = with Amber. We talk during
> > > > > > conversations that we aren't involved in and = it works
> great over
> > > > > > distances... like across the room - when you don't =
> want to
> > > > > > shout.=20
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Trisha
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Trish,
> > > > > > >=20
> > > > > > > What Bobby is saying is true. I have a daughter that
> is deaf in 1
> > > > > > > ear =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >and I
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > have tried to have her learn different things about
> the deaf
> > > > > > > culture =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >but yet
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > she is stuck between the two cultures. I have been
> around alot
> > > > > > > of =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >deaf
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > people and unless you are one of them they don't
> accept you. I
> > > > > > > was basically told that if and when Rebekah becomes
> totally deaf
> > > > > > > then they =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >will
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > take her under their wing and teach her everything she
> needs to
> > > > > > > know. This is also a girl that loves sign lnguage and is
> > > > > > > becaoming very good =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >and
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > at using it.
> > > > > > > Tamara
> > > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > > > From: "Trisha Cummings" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > > > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > > > > Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 8:21 AM
> > > > > > > Subject: Re: Amber's trip to Galludet
> > > > > > >=20
> > > > > > >=20
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Hi Bobby,
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > That's just plain silly! I don't mind being
> visually impaired
> > > > > > > > - =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >you =3D
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > > take my glasses away and I can't see well enough to
> find my
> > > > > > > > glasses. =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >I =3D
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > > can't drive without them- heck I can't walk without
> them!!! And
> > > > > > > > it =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >=3D
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > > impairs my ability to hear - when I don't have them
> on. What's
> > > > > > > > wrong =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >=3D
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > > with admitting I ain't perfect? Cute as button
> tho!!! GRIN.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Trisha>
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Trish,
> > > > > > > > >=3D20
> > > > > > > > > Persons who use ASL consider Deafness as a
> culture.> > > > > > > > Many do =
> > > > > >
> > > > > > =3D
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > > not like
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Hearing persons. They do not consider deafness a
> disability> > > > > > > > just =
> > > > > >
> > > > > >as =3D
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > > persons do
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > not
> > > > > > > > > consider being an American as a disability.
> > > > > > > > >=3D20
> > > > > > > > > Bobby
> > > > >
> > > > > Asdis night owl mom of the purring cats, Agatha Mist queen
> of our
> > > > > apartment and Odinn Thistill my little baby!!!
> > > > > implanted with CI NC24 18 Juni 2003.
> > > > > Hookup-date 15 august 2003
> > > > > [log in to unmask]
> > > > > [log in to unmask] msn messenger
> > > > > asdisj_astradsdottir yahoo id.
> > > > > Iceland.
> > > > >
> > > > > Faith, Hope and Love.
>
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