Walking the wiggly red line
Anyone who has seen my Facebook page, Twitter feed, or blog knows that I teach college English and writing. Fewer know that the posts about my failures and triumphs would have looked like drunken freshman scribbling if not for cyberediting. Since the semester began, I have been checking and double checking the spelling and syntax [...]
Deaf and Hearing People in Conversation: The Differences
It’s interesting to observe how Deaf and hearing people converse with their peers. There are a few noticeable differences (Disclaimer—these are just general observations… there are of course numerous exceptions): 1. Deaf people tend to be more visual in their conversations. They use their hands to demonstrate something that they are describing. Hearing people rely [...]
The YouTube Video You Don’t See
It has been about a week now since the video of Sarah Churman was posted on YouTube. You know what happened next… it went viral, major news networks picked up on the story and reposted the video on their websites, and since then there has even been a television interview or two. Sarah Churman, if [...]
A Flawed System
There was a brief time when I could not have cared less if my deaf son ever knew any ASL. I wanted him only to be oral. I figured if he got a cochlear implant, he wouldn’t “need” sign language, so why learn it? As irrational as it sounds, I almost feared him becoming [...]
Who Would We Be If We Weren’t Deaf?
We as Deaf folks are defined by our deafness. Our deafness makes us who we are and shapes our way of thinking and moral structure. Being deaf makes people treat us in different ways, both good and bad. It propels us to make our decisions in a certain way and shapes our life philosophy [...]
An Open Letter to Starkey Hearing
Dear Starkey, Are you willing to really support the Deaf community? (The question isn’t a taunt – it’s almost hopeful, and honestly meant). Thus far you’ve been willing to take on Deaf people representing you. Now you’re looking for Deaf youth to represent you internationally. Both of these I think are great things. Now, I’d [...]
Empty Messages
During a discussion I had with several co-workers today while we attended a statewide curriculum meeting, the facilitator came to our table to look at what we wrote on the poster and gave us a thumbs-up sign. I then told my co-workers that I had been scarred when I was in middle school by the [...]
Propaganda and Legislation a la AG Bell
Propaganda is the spreading of an idea or falsehoods to promote and propagate an agenda in this case the idea and ideology is the notion that to hear and / or behave as a hearing person is superior to being Deaf. This notion is known as AUDISM and it is not cool From the AG [...]
The Problem of Speaking
I’ve adopted a saying lately: “Nothing is without weight.” I say this to myself in my mind as I go through my day, as my meanderings are halted with the shock of seeing speaking in front of me when I had barely become accustomed to the relief and comfort of visual communication (on what [...]
Signed Languages and the iPad
The coolest thing about the iPad, for me, is that it becomes basically this powerful walking library. Yeah, it has games. Forget that. BOOKS. MOVIES. COMICS. DICTIONARIES. AUGMENTED REALITY PLANETARIUMS. And all this is in your hand – or your backpack. Now, several countries are releasing SL apps and we have the benefit of becoming [...]