American Sign Language (ASL) has steadily gained more exposure through television, movies and social media. It’s the third largest language used in the United States.
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People are eagerly taking classes, watching videos, and downloading Apps to learn ASL. They’ve even created signing Holograms and included ASL in a new video game.

So, the more people that know ASL, the less communication barriers we, Deaf, will face. Deaf people will be able to be more involved in the community around us.

​Or that’s what everyone thinks……

No matter how many times Nyle DiMarco posts on Twitter, how many PSAs Marlee Matlin makes, or how many episodes of Switched at Birth there are – people still have negative bias towards Deafness and low-set standards towards them.

We constantly fight to get:

• Interpreters in hospitals and doctor’s offices
• Adequate job opportunities
• Adequate education
• Acceptance that Deaf people CAN be independent successful people.
• Acceptance that Deafness is FINE with us

 
Let me explain further:

​Whenever we need to go to the doctor’s office, or to the Emergency room, we constantly fight for our communication rights in getting an interpreter. I’m not talking about the portable video relay interpreter (VRI) unit mind you!

You wouldn’t expect someone speaking Spanish to forgo an interpreter and be forced to communicate in their broken English and understand everything clearly? Why are Deaf people subjected to this discrimination and stress.
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So, we constantly fight for communication access that WE choose, not something forced on us by administrators because it’s a cheaper alternative.

There are only 48% of the Deaf Community that are employed. Some of those who are employed are woefully underemployed. I know several that have degrees but can only get employment in unskilled jobs, like in a factory or retail.

Firstly, this change has to start early in High Schools (whether it’s a Deaf institute or a mainstreamed school) where the tendency is to steer Deaf students towards vocational training instead of higher academic goals.

Secondly, higher education institutes need to provide better accessibility to their colleges and universities (this goes back to the interpreter issue).

Thirdly, employers need to provide adequate access as well. Many just skip over potential candidates just on the disability issue alone (can’t prove it, but it’s been done).
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So, we battle an unfair war to gain respectful employment.

There are State schools for the Deaf all across the U.S. and Canada who primarily teach in ASL. But even then the sign language competency is inadequate! There was a State review of the Florida School of the Deaf and Blind that revealed 82 of the teachers didn’t meet proficiency requirements. This is widespread across a lot of schools.

I attended a Deaf High School, the rumor was that some of the teachers weren’t qualified enough to teach in the Public sector so they were assigned to a Deaf School.
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So, we get second-rate teachers who can’t even communicate well with us?

I see and read so many stories, as well as experienced it myself, that as soon as someone finds out that a person is Deaf – their expectations of that person drops dramatically.

Forget about the awkwardness of trying to communicate, that’s understandable if they’ve never met a Deaf person before, I’m talking about people’s instant opinion of that Deaf person. The majority of the time that opinion is that Deaf = Mentally Deficient and we’re treated as such. “Where’s your caretaker”, “Can you get someone else to sign this for you?” “How will you look after your child?” and the list goes on.

So, no matter how much exposure Deaf people get in the Media, we still encounter people who don’t believe that we can be scientists, business owners, teachers, actors, and everything else!

Putting all the above aside, we just want to be accepted for the way we are and that we don’t need to be cured or fixed in order to be a productive member of society.

We have a beautiful, vibrant, and healthy Culture that is thriving and we cherish and are proud of. We have art, poetry, movies, stories, humor, history and socialization that is unique from any other Culture in the world.

So, we continue to strive without “hearing” intervention and oppression. We just want people to stop asking about our hearing loss and whether “they” should fix it for us.

One glaring example of everything I just discussed is summed up in this video:

• Notice the comment “Your baby won’t have a normal life”?
• Notice the Deaf couple being treated this way despite having accomplished job positions?
• Notice she had to write on pen and paper?
• Notice “they” wanted to make the decision for the child without the parents?

This is not a "one time" instance, it happens over and over again all over the place. It's usually a daily struggle.

Now I think it’s awesome that more people are learning to sign, but we also need to get rid of the stereotypes and attitudes towards Deafness and the Deaf community.

So please, along with learning ASL - become involved in changing mentalities too.

Need the Transcript? Don't forget it's Captioned for the "Signing Impaired"

Saw this on Pinterest and laughed way more than I should've.

I think they were high when they tried to type "language" too.

​We've all seen the News of the futuristic technology coming out, such as the new cochlear implant that has no external parts, sign language translation programs, and cool animated interactive sign language.

But what about those people that these technologies cannot help, or for those who don't want to be "fixed"? 

If you ask me, researchers should also include adaptive technology for these people as well.

So here are my ideas for adaptive technology that we'd really need and want:

1. Text Based Technology

We need better speech to text technology! One that will work with any speaker and accents and a higher rate of accuracy. Yes there are a lot of programs and Apps out there, but I'm talking about something that doesn't require pre-programming to the speaker beforehand and one that actually WORKS!

Need an example? Turn on "automatic captioning" on pretty much any YouTube video and you'll see what I mean. WTH right??

​2. Access for the Deafblind

Sure the animated sign language is awesome, and who knows maybe someday there'll be holographic interpreters than can beam into a meeting and interpret right there. But what about those who cannot see and depend on tactile sign language?

​Sure there's the face-to-face texting capability of text to braille and vice versa; or the Lorm glove that vibrates out the alphabet on the Deafblind person's hand. There's several problems with these:

• Many Deafblind are accustomed to ASL because the majority of them were Deaf first and became blind later. So ASL is their preferred method and much better to understand.
• Very few Deafblind know the Lorm Alphabet so you're asking them to learn ANOTHER language (after many had to learn Braille as well).
• It's time consuming - Waiting for the texts to relay back and forth, or spelling out each word on the glove (akin to listening to morse code).

So PLEASE come up with something that's more tactile and sign language based!!

​3. Improved GPS Systems

Sure there's tons of GPS Apps and gadgets out there and even newer Apps that are mapping indoor spaces for Blind/Deafblind people, which is great, but they need improvement.

But we all know they aren't specific and sometimes are wrong. Even my home address is displayed wrong by 50 feet! So when trying to "Find a Friend" you can be at their location but still be 25 feet away! This isn't helpful for Deafblind people trying to find a location or a friend (I can't even see past 6 feet let alone 25 feet).

4. Just stick to what works!

Instead of trying to invent gadgets and technology to help YOU (the general public) why don't you try and help US?

• Stop trying to invent sign language translation programs and just go LEARN Sign Language!
• Stop inventing ways for us to hear (like the stupid tongue hearing aid) and LEARN Sign Language!
• Stop inventing off-site interpreting gadgets like VRI and invest more into interpreting programs!

So, are there any technologies you'd wish there was? Let me know!

 I heard about this site through Social Media and had to check it out.

Sign with Robert uses GIFs to teach a word or phase in ASL. It's short, clear and simple. It's categorized in Topic groups so it's easy to look up.

I like this as it'll help with my ASL Tutoring in case I don't know a phrase or sign a client wants to know, I can look it up right then.
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Like the ASL shown...I'm impressed.

There's also an entire series of DVDs of over 15 hours of sign language & Deaf Culture material.

So if you want to learn ASL or need to look up a word or two to refresh yourself, check Robert DeMayo  out!

Good Morning!

Today's Welcome Wednesday is a Facebook Page called "The Flipside" which features short and funny clips about life as a Deaf person and ASL.
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Whenever I see a new video from him in my Newsfeed, I know I'm going to have a good laugh. I hope you check him out!