Finding My Name Sign
My first name sign was given to me by a hearing person. The A handshape tapped squarely in the feminine area on my cheek. It weathered years in a mainstreamed classroom, and traveled with me to the deaf school in eighth grade. The deaf school was also my eye-opening immersion into Deaf culture and [...]
On Why Dora the Explorer Isn’t a Superhero—Where a Lack of Discrimination is the Problem
Quite a few deaf people, I would bet, have experienced the following scenario: A couple of years ago I was at the airport (using a major airline). I told the people at the desk near my gate that I was deaf; a standard practice of mine in case somebody announces a gate change. [...]
IMHO: From a Parent’s Viewpoint
In a recent article, “The Distrust Runs Deep on Both Sides?” the author asserts: It’s not like these parents find out their child is deaf, go on the internet, discover a deaf community sharply divided between the oral and ASL-using camps, panic, and somehow decide they’ll embrace the oral camp while never trusting any [...]
HB 1367 – The Distrust Runs Deep on Both Sides?
As a critical reader of media, I find myself left with a lot of questions after reading the article entitled “Deep Division on Deafness” in journalgazette.net (based in Fort Wayne, Indiana) regarding HB 1367. These questions are not meant to point out fault in the story itself, but to bring these questions before the [...]
Deaf Film Festival Coming Soon to Seattle, Washington!
Seattle, WA- The first Seattle Deaf Film Festival is coming soon! Deaf Spotlight, an organization that focuses on Deaf culture, cinema, performing arts and visual arts, is proud to present the Seattle Deaf Film Festival. The festival promises a full weekend of films on, about, and for Deaf community. This three day [...]
Indiana School for the Deaf vs. Hear Indiana
Maybe you have been hearing stories coming out of Indiana and wondered what the fuss was all about. To understand the situation in Indiana, you need to know the back story. I will give you a hint upfront: oralists are up to no good. The back story begins with Indiana School for the Deaf [...]
Frontrunners in Ghana
Not too long ago I was backpacking in Central America, exploring the nomad’s life through three different countries. Having said this, I recall meeting a deaf dude at a cafe in Costa Rica. He expounded to me about a leadership program in Denmark infused with leaders. He said the leadership program consisted of an [...]
The Canary in the Coal Mine
Just as I’m flying to California State University Northridge to present at their Deaf College Student Leadership Conference, I was reading a copy of Newsweek. There was a story on the infectious appeal of the #Occupy Wall Street movement. One particular quote stood out to me: “In 2008 vast new numbers of Americans transformed [...]
From Sesame Street to Self-Discovery
Ninety-five percent of deaf children have hearing parents. What does that mean? It means that many of us are used to being the only deaf person in the family, in the community, or in school unless we are at a deaf school. It means that our family is our first introduction to the ways [...]
Stuff Deaf People Like #6: Kitchens
Kitchens are a very special place to deaf people. It is the only room in a house that is important. If you want to find a deaf person, go check your kitchen. There are probably one or fifty in there. Check all the corners, sometimes they are hiding in there chatting up a storm. If [...]