Xpressive Handz

Traveling as A Deaf Person

2012-03-14T22:57:00.000-04:00

Harrisburg International Airport kindly asked if I would share what it is like to travel as a deaf person. They featured this post over at http://flyhia.blogspot.com/2012/03/guest-blog-air-traveling-with-joyce.html

HIA is a wonderfully social Airport. They have many lovely amenities for fliers and visitors. If you ever stop in, be sure to download the free e-books they have at various stations throughout the facility for your next flight, or to pass the time away while you're waiting for passengers to arrive.

SIGNnin' In the Streets Event in Disneyland

2012-03-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

Coming to Disneyland this weekend is the SIGNnin' in the Streets event! This event is a celebration of the creativity of Deaf community and people. The actors from Switched at Birth will be there with sneak previews of upcoming episodes. "See What I'm Saying", a documentary of deaf entertainers and "The Hammer" will by playing in the AMC theaters, and the actors will be available for autographs and answering questions. I wish we were on the West Coast so we could attend this event ourselves!
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/02/disneyland-resort-celebrates-creativity-in-deaf-community/
If you get a chance to attend, let us know how it is. Disneyland, always the happiest place on earth.

Dine and Sign episode 24 (Deaf in the Military With Guns?)

2012-03-13T01:04:00.002-04:00

Alex and his dad sit down for another "Dine and Sign", this time "Deaf in the Military With Guns?" If you'd like to know more about the TED video of Keith Nolan they are discussing, the link is at the bottom of this post. Meanwhile, enjoy this clip of Alex and his dad.

Visit Dine and Sign at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_539492&src_vid=okaxJReOe3Y&v=pgJcPcS-hOA

Keith Nolan's TED video: http://www.ted.com/talks/keith_nolan_deaf_in_the_military.html

Why It's So Important for Churches to Do This

2012-03-11T22:49:00.000-04:00

I've been getting so many questions about why captioning is so important, how does it work, and why should churches caption. This post by Caption Labs answers these questions quite well. One of the most important points they make regarding the necessity for churches to provide captions is quite simple, " Many others consider it as an undue burden to provide captioning for their TV program or internet media. But in doing so, they alienate viewers who really need and desire access to the church’s message, and more importantly, God"

http://www.closedcaptioning.net/webcasting/captioning-church-programming

Read the excellent post in full and check out other posts by Caption Labs.

Amazing Worship Team

2012-03-09T23:15:00.000-05:00

This is one of the most amazing worship teams I have ever seen, a choir, singers, orchestra AND an ASL signer all singing together! I understand they will have captions coming soon!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k_3urgHeO4U

by Headmistress: "A Language for Thinking"

2012-03-09T07:22:00.000-05:00

I've posted and discussed the value of teaching children Sign Language, whether they hear or not, for many years. I've also read many research articles and books on the topic, however, I've never read anything quite like this.

If you're not familiar with Headmistress (an author and a home schooling parent), you need to head over to her blog at The Common Room and at least read this post. It's informative and quite an eye opener from a fascinating perspective.

http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2012/03/language-for-thinking.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FpQdv+%28The+Common+Room%29

Though it's a bit lengthy, every word contributes to it's final conclusion.

If You Caption, They Will Come

2012-03-07T22:52:00.001-05:00

(Links on what is CC and how to caption are below the post)

Some people erringly think that all Deaf people know ASL. What they don't know is that many were denied the use of Sign Language because others in care of them when they were young were told by "experts" that deaf and hard of hearing children should learn to read lips and speak only. Not everyone is able to learn to do this. Lip reading is difficult, so many words look the same on the lips. We miss important information. Some people have ASL or a variation of ASL. Like English, ASL has many sign variations depending on where you are from. There are some regions that have dialects not recognized by others. In rare cases, they may need an interpreter for their interpreter. However, there is another option we can add. Total communication involves every feasible means of communication available. Reading lips and Sign Language together is "total communication". Add captions to the equation and you have the best case scenario of communicating information.

With technological advances today, we have options we never had before. We have Real Time Captioning and Closed Caption tools available, yet so many businesses/organizations just won't take time to find out what this is or how to use it. Many movie theaters are starting to take notice and are adding this feature for the citizens in their communities, even some churches have discovered the wonderful benefits of captioning their services for their attendees.

With the Baby Boomer generation now heading toward the geriatric generation, hearing loss is a fact of life. We have more deaf and hearing impaired people than ever before. This population is going to continue to grow as we live longer. We pay taxes, we vote, we do business. However, we prefer to put our time and money into places and organizations that acknowledge us and welcome us. If you ignore us, we'll go somewhere else, and you can be sure people will know exactly why we prefer one place over another. We'll either talk about it, blog or tweet. In the area I currently live, there are over 4,000 deaf and hard of hearing people of all ages...that we know of. That's a lot of clients and business revenue that is vastly overlooked or ignored.

Hearing aids aren't always the answer, just as Sign Language isn't always the answer. We live in an age where we can have "Total Communication" and wonderful captioning programs, and yet, we're still not taking full advantage of these tools. Why not? Information, communication, people and relationships are worth investing in. If you caption, they will come.

*Want to know more about Captioning? Visit these sites:

Caption Labs: http://www.captionlabs.com/

Universal Studios: http://www.universalsubtitles.org/en/

Collaborative for Communication Access Via Captioning: http://www.ccacaptioning.org/

Captionfish: (Movies) http://www.captionfish.com/

"Deaf Like Me" short video, honest, straightforward

2012-03-07T07:43:00.001-05:00

This short clip is honest and straightforward, uploaded by bluntrook. I like what the young woman wrote below her video, " Being deaf from birth, most children would either choose to perceive life in a optimistic or pessimistic way. People often forget that just because someone can't hear, doesn't mean they are mentally challenged or incapable of adapting to their environment. As a positive-minded and ambitious individual, I grew to accept my disability, using it to my advantage, and to see the humor in life. This is my story "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UV0pQazRBA&feature=player_embedded

"Fine" by Virgilio Villoresi

2012-03-05T23:28:00.002-05:00

This is something surprisingly different. This is a hand painting video that tells the story of the birth, life and death of a soldier. It's visual, so no words are really needed except the credits and explanation of the story. It's quite a creative concept.

Be sure to check some of Virgilio's other films on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=I5swxoYRa1g

Check for Deaf Friendly Cities Near You

2012-03-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

Here is a great page and video to check out if you are considering moving and want to move either to a "deaf friendly" city, or a town near one. Though these are major cities, there are smaller pockets of deaf friendly cities and towns throughout the U.S. besides what is listed here. The Video is signed and captioned.

http://www.deaf411online.com/dfc.php

I'm curious to see what this list will look like a few years from now.

Keith Wann Signs "Llama, Llama, Red Pajama"

2012-03-04T00:07:00.000-05:00

This favorite children's book is delightfully signed by Keith Wann.

"Parents, Nothing More"

2012-03-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

I saw this on FaceBook, on DeafTV's wall. This is such a cute little couple with a cute little song. This is in ASL and captioned.

Uploaded by rosaleeshow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ICteiYZM4CA

What the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are Looking For

2012-03-01T23:20:00.003-05:00

This post is to help businesses and organizations be more "deaf friendly" and appropriate when providing services for deaf and hearing impaired people.

Do you provide interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing at your events? Make mention on your flyers and on the front page of your website that you do. If you have special events and times when interpreters are available, be sure to post this important information on your front page. If you have classes available, be sure to write, "Interpreters available upon request in advance". This will allow you time to line up a professional interpreter.

When you retain professional interpreters, you're investing in helping bridge communities and building relationships. Your reaching a clientele often overlooked, but when you invest in them, you are investing in future relationships and loyal clients. Don't look at the initial costs in terms of being able to afford this, but rather, how can you not?

Do you have a search form on your website? "New Deafies", or people just starting to lose their hearing don't know slang terms such as "terps" etc., Include all these words "Deaf", "hard of hearing", "hearing impaired", "interpreters", "ASL". If you have "CART" or " Real Time Captions" available, add those words on your search page as well. We use these words when search your site for services or events.

Be sure to provide an email address of a person to contact to handle inquiries from the deaf. It's a bonus if you have someone on staff who is familiar with various relay systems the deaf and hard of hearing may use. There are different systems out there, but the main thing to remember is that someone is on the phone interpreting by Sign Language via Video Relay System, or typing via tty or a caption relay system such as Cap Tel. Those who become deaf late in life will use their own voice, but rely on a Calling Agent or Relay Agent to pass on to them what you are saying.

Be patient while your message is relayed to the caller, and allow extra time for the Calling Agent or operator to relay back to you the caller's response. The most important thing to remember with these kinds of calls is to speak moderately and clearly, and never rush through the call. If there is a pause after you pick up the line, be patient. There will be pauses while the operator or agent tells the caller you have answered the phone, if you are male or female, what you have said and if there are any other sounds in the background such as music playing, people talking or even if there are dogs barking. Their job is to relay all the sounds they hear to the caller. No information is left out. This takes time. It's worth the extra minute or so to connect with a future client. Hanging up on this kind of call only frustrates your potential client. They may or may not keep trying to connect with you.

If you have questions how to do these things, need help with communication and etiquette, look for "Deaf and Hard of Hearing or Deaf and Hearing Impaired Resources" in your local directories. If that doesn't get you connected, contact your local Human Services Resource Center and they will hook you up. Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for someone to come in and train your staff. You want your staff prepared and professional.

By being visible that you are deaf friendly and welcome hearing impaired people in your community, you will increase the reach of your clientele. People will come back again simply based on your sheer effort to try your best to meet their communication needs. If we see the effort you are making to reach us on our first visit, you can almost be certain we will be back.

A music video uploaded by Mediatupa

2012-03-01T01:13:00.000-05:00

I love how the whole congregation at the end is signing in Scandinavian Sign Language. This video is captioned in English. Something a little different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cbrlw9CxCQ

Eloquently Written Article of What It's Like To Be Hearing Impaired

2012-02-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

I saw this article mentioned over on Sarah's "Speak Up Librarian" website, and I just have to share this woman's perspective of what it is like to be hearing impaired. Terri Goldstein wrote this so eloquently. After you've read this, do be sure to check out Sarah's blog. She is one of this year's Oticon Award winners in Advocacy.
This is at the LA Times website, and I apologize for all the advertisements you'll have to skim through to read the piece entirely.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/09/health/la-he-myturn-hearing-impaired-20120109

"Speak Up Librarian" blog : http://speakuplibrarian.blogspot.com/

"Waiting" by Breitenbach, full access music video

2012-02-28T23:32:00.000-05:00

Here is something a little different with signs and captions for the younger, hipper crowd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGRFrUFPdRk

Unleash Your Fingers

2012-02-27T23:44:00.000-05:00

Here's something a little different. No lyrics, no signs, and they say "a new kind of dance by JayFunk". Visually fascinating!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i00O2Jyf7c&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Meeting Deaf Girl Amy and Touring the Rochester Area

2012-02-27T00:20:00.000-05:00

Fabulous Husband recently stated he had a four day weekend coming up and asked if I would like to go meet Deaf Girl Amy Sargent. He remembered I mentioned that I would love to have an opportunity to meet her. She wrote a fabulous book I wish had been available when I first started going deaf. (For more information about Amy's book "The Survival Guide for New Deafies", see the link at the bottom of this post.)

I sent a message to Amy and asked if she was available and would like to meet for lunch somewhere. She graciously accepted and we had a lovely time meeting for lunch and dinner. We met her fabulous husband Arthur and had a lovely time all together.

Amy was a delightful hostess and tour guide. She took us first to a very hip health food store so I could pick up some recommended vitamins, then we went up to Lake Ontario. The lake itself reminded me a great deal of the Pacific Ocean and the beach near where I used to live before I moved to Pennsylvania.

From Lake Ontario, Amy took us to Fairport, also known as one of the 100 best places to live in America. It is a lovely, quaint little town along the Erie Canal. Oh, we also got to visit the Erie Canal. Amy's sister has a delightful "Book-tique" on the block adjacent to the canal. Our son found an interesting book to read while he was browsing in the "man cave" section of the store.

While we were in the Rochester, New York area, Fabulous Husband took us to see Rochester Institute for the Deaf., and the gallery inside the National Technology Institute for the Deaf. There is a self portrait in the lobby gallery of the recently deceased deaf artist, Chuck Baird.

Rochester and her outlaying areas are extremely friendly, especially deaf friendly. While Amy and I were signing at lunch, even the waitress joined in signing! The person at the health food store knew only one sign (thank you) she was signing it to us as we were leaving. People were genuinely very warm, open and friendly. Amy and Arthur's hospitality are a reflection of the friendliness of the area. We're looking forward to visiting again when the weather is warmer.

Enjoy these few photos and be sure to check the links at the bottom of the post for more information and more photos.

We also stumbled upon a Greek Orthodox Macedonian Church in the middle of nowhere. They kindly invited Fabulous husband in to meet the priest. The priest was kind enough to give Fabulous Husband a personal tour of the exquisite interior. I'll post the link to view those at the bottom of this post.

Another pleasant surprise was the gorgeous Buddhist Temple and garden.

You can find out more about Amy's book "The Survival Guide for New Deafies" here: http://deafgirlamy.com/buy-the-book.html

And you can check out Fabulous Husband's photos of our trip to Rochester, New York here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hipfotoguy/

There are photos posted of the George Eastman mansion, the Erie Canal, the interior of the Macedonian Church and other points of interests.

Twitter and CB Radios

2012-02-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

As I sit here this Sunday afternoon watching the Twitter posts scroll along my Iphone, I came to the realization that Twitter is to deaf and hearing impaired people what the old CB radios were to people who could hear well. Back in the '70's, I could hear fairly well, well enough to use regular telephones and listen to radios. Just about everyone I knew had a CB or ham radio in their car or home.

If anything was going on, it was broadcast over the air waves, everything from emergencies, to chit chat of what was playing at the movies and grocery lists being spouted of to spouses. If you were into ham radios, you could talk with someone on the other side of the world. Just like those old radios, there are no borders or boundaries to Twitter.

The neat thing about Twitter is just about everyone can use it and get connected. Like the old meet ups with people gathering in diners when someone suggested pulling in and grabbing coffee, it is the same today with tweetups.

Twitter really does level the communication field for so many of us today. I love modern technology. Without it, I would be disconnected from the world, indeed.

Police Brutalize Yet Another Deaf Person. We Need To Stop This NOW

2012-02-23T23:04:00.001-05:00

This is yet another video of a deaf person being attacked by those who are to protect and to serve. How many deaths, unjust brutality and unjust arrests will it take before Police Academies adopt deaf awareness training before officers graduate? When will more police departments have deaf awareness training for their officers yearly? The video was uploaded by Editor Charlie Swinbourne. Be sure to read the links he's provided in the article about other recent deaths and attacks of deaf people by police and security officers. Police Departments need to be held accountable in these situations. See my post of how the students at Maryland School for the Deaf are training a Police Department on Deaf Awareness at the bottom of my blog post.

http://limpingchicken.com/2012/02/21/charlie-swinbourne-shocking-video-shows-deaf-man-being-ejected-from-canadian-courthouse/
See my post about a video with Deaf students in Maryland teaching Deaf awareness to Police officers:

http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2012/01/listen-to-deaf-save-life.html
We need training programs just like this example (listen to the deaf, save a life)

Dine & Sign episode 22: 25 Years of Lousy Closed Caption, Cochlear Implants etc.

2012-02-22T23:05:00.000-05:00

Alex and his dad did it again. They discuss President's Day, birthday, Closed Captioning, sensing sound through vibrations and the controversial issue of cochlear implants. They welcome you to stop in and eavesdrop on their conversation. (total of 8 minutes)

Be sure to subscribe to their channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_120087&feature=iv&src_vid=8MBqkblrfwQ&v=vp2yEWpOBHI

LOOSE TRANSCRIPT NOW AVAILABLE for "Real Food: Is It Too Much To Ask"

2012-02-22T20:02:00.000-05:00

I posted a request for someone to interpret or caption the video of "Real Food: Is It Too Much to Ask" and Headmistress stepped up to the plate and gave us a loose translation. This is very important information, especially if you have children, allergies, or you just want to feed your family the best food possible. There is a lot of information in this, but I think you will find it valuable.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/82494670/Loose-Transcript-of-Robyn-Obrien-s-speech

A HUGE thank you goes out to Headmistress for this very kind deed!

Real Food Is That Too Much to Ask? : Transcript NOW Available!!

2012-02-22T07:23:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Headmistress, we now have a transcript of this video!! READ it HERE: http://www.scribd.com/doc/82494670/Loose-Transcript-of-Robyn-Obrien-s-speech

My friend Annie posted this on her FaceBook page. I would love to have access to this information. If any of you can interpret this, or know someone who can, into ASL and caption this for the rest of us, please do so. There are many people who become deaf later in life and haven't learned sign language, or are fluent. Closed Captions are used more and more by baby boomers who are becoming deaf late in life as well.
http://www.wimp.com/realfood/

The Angry Dad in ASL and a Challenge from Keith Wann

2012-02-20T23:01:00.001-05:00

There was a video of an angry dad ranting about his disrespectful daughter on FaceBook last week. It wasn't captioned, so many of us were curious exactly what was going on. Here is the ASL interpreted version of the video, courtesy of Keith and Emilia Wann.
Keith also challenges students to step up and start video interpreting other newsworthy and pop culture items into ASL for the Deaf Community. What a concept! Be sure to read what he has to say and the challenge he puts forth below his video:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150686564169274
Let's see more like this! Also, if you would kindly caption them for so many baby boomers who have now become deaf late in life, but aren't fluent in ASL, that would be an added bonus.

See What I'm Saying - HD Music Video from Deaf Entertainers Documentary

2012-02-20T02:02:00.003-05:00

This music video was filmed with Deaf actors and it is closed captioned, accessible to all audiences. This is directed by Hilari Scarl, and the song was written for the film by rock band Powder. I love this artistic and visually interesting video and the message it presents.

http://youtu.be/x0qNABSVdbM

www.seewhatimsayingmovie.com

The Streets Perform the Edge of A Cliff

2012-02-17T22:57:00.002-05:00

I love the way the artist, the interpreter (BSL) and the captions are incorporated in this music video, as well as the message of the song. The interpreter is known as ithinkmynameismoose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA8ua6XIMrE&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

"Bullying Is Everywhere"

2012-02-17T08:08:00.000-05:00

"Bullying is everywhere" says Emily Osmet in this video campaign against bullying. See what she, Katie LeClerc and others have to say about it. (Click the cc button for the captions).

Check out this link for more things YOU can to to help put an end it to it: http://abcfamily.go.com/movies/cyberbully/resources/pl_PL5547513/vd_VD55133208

A Compromise of Terms

2012-02-16T00:07:00.001-05:00

There have been some interesting discussions over the terminology between "hard of hearing" and "hearing impaired". It seems it has to be one or the other. In fact, I recently saw a survey on Facebook asking which term people like to use best.

On one hand, we have the argument some prefer "hard of hearing" over "hearing impaired" because they feel that to use the word "impaired" implies something is wrong with them as a person. Still others prefer the term "hearing impaired" because they feel their hearing isn't working as it used to, therefore their ears have become "impaired", similar to vision impairment. A few people voice that they would prefer to be an "impaired" person over a "hard" person.

Let's get a little more practical with this, shall we?

Why don't we say those born with hearing loss, but not to the degree of deafness, are simply hard of hearing.

For those who once had better hearing, and are now experiencing hearing loss, let's use the term "hearing impaired", because, quite frankly, their hearing has become impaired.

Why not incorporate these terms and respect the choice each individual person chooses in referring to the matter of the status of their ears, and include those terms, just as "deaf" and "Deaf" are used for differentiation.

This makes sense to me. Let's not squabble over simple things like this to where we become disconnected from one another, even discriminating. It's time for acceptance and respect, perhaps even a simple compromise of terms.

Deaf Girls are Risky on Valentine's Day?

2012-02-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

I respect these two gentlemen and their thoughts.. They open themselves up vulnerably and honestly. Another interesting episode, Gentlemen.

Be sure to subscribe to their channel and come eavesdrop often-you never know where the topic will lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8MBqkblrfwQ#!
Episode 21

Valentine's Day interpretation

2012-02-14T08:03:00.000-05:00

This is a lovely tribute by Dano Kaufmann for his wife for Valentine's Day last year (2011). So beautiful and sweet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWevjjlg8ag

From This Moment On (Keith Wann's ASL version for lovers)

2012-02-13T08:07:00.000-05:00

Many know him as being the "bad boy" of "Deaf comedy", but he has many facets, from his radio show (Keith Wann Cultural Bridges), to performing children's ASL stories (NADINE), to advocating for ADA legal rights (Legal Shield) and this, a love song:

(Lyrics are below the video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlKjakTfMko

(I do swear that I'll always be there.
I'd give anything and everything and I will always care.
Through weakness and strength, happiness and sorrow,
For better or worse, I will love you with
Every beat of my heart.)
From this moment life has begun
From this moment you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on

From this moment I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness
And for your love I'd give my last breath
From this moment on
de.com/lyrics/s/shania_twain/from_this_moment.html ]
I give my hand to you with all my heart
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment on

You're the reason I believe in love
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
From this moment
I will love you as long as I live
From this moment on

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/shania_twain/#share

Love Valentine's Day? Dine and Sign Episode 20

2012-02-12T23:32:00.000-05:00

Alex and his dad discuss their thoughts about Valentine's Day. Be sure to check out their channel and see other episodes of discussions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_81sYBnEgv4

Listen To Your Heart

2012-02-12T11:46:00.001-05:00

This is an artfully expressive song with a strong message by funky13pixie. (there is no audio, it is signed and captioned)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc2s1Bp4WLU&feature=player_embedded

ASL Music Videos Mentioned in the New York Times

2012-02-11T09:30:00.002-05:00

The New York Times has a wonderful item about ASL music videos and the people who interpret them into sign.

‘Singing’ With Their Hands

By AUSTIN CONSIDINE

Published: February 10, 2012

AS far as YouTube music acts go, Michael Chase DiMartino’s won’t be mistaken for Justin Bieber’s. In a series of videos called Songs in Sign, Mr. DiMartino doesn’t sing, his lip-syncing can be off, and the dancing can be comical.

But one thing he does extremely well is “sing” with his hands. Known to his fans as Mister Chase, he is among a budding crop of YouTube stars who are hand-synching their way to online fame, performing songs like Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” using American Sign Language.

Call it karaoke for the deaf and hearing-impaired. And like LOLcats and the “Stuff People Say” videos, it seems to be a growing Web phenomenon. “Searches for ‘ASL’ over the past few months are the highest we’ve seen them,” said Kevin Allocca, the YouTube trends manager. “And 40 percent of all videos tagged ‘sign language’ on YouTube were posted in just the past year.”

The most popular of those are music based, Mr. Allocca added. Among the most viewed is a video by Stephen Torrence, a clean-cut jocular Texan who performs a self-possessed and humorous hand-sign interpretation of Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the U.S.A.” The video has had almost 2 million views.

Another is by Sean Berdy, an 18-year-old actor from Florida, who performs in a sleek and melodramatic version of Enrique Iglesias’s “Hero.” There’s lots of signing in the rain and crying, along with subtitles for those don’t understand A.S.L.

Mr. DiMartino, 27, a pop performer from Manhattan, said he was surprised by the popularity of his hand-sign videos, which have garnered more than a million views. “People just started responding to me, saying: ‘Wow, this is amazing. I can finally feel connected to the music,’ ” he said.

Adrienne Chiusano, 33, a cashier from Lower Burrell, Pa., who is studying to become an A.S.L. teacher, said her daughter, Claudia, 6, is “a very big fan” of Mister Chase. Claudia was born deaf and wears cochlear implants, small microphones that simulate sound. Before Claudia views Mister Chase’s videos, she plugs the implants into her computer’s USB port for a louder experience.

“For a deaf girl, she has so much rhythm and loves music, so she just starts dancing around while she’s watching him sign and she’s trying to mimic his signs,” Ms. Chiusano said.

“Obviously she doesn’t understand the meanings of the songs,” she added, referring to songs like “Womanizer” by Britney Spears. “But she’s just getting such joy out of watching him sign and all the graphics in his videos and the way he dances.”

Being able to enjoy music videos in A.S.L. instead of closed-captioning is important because A.S.L. is its own language, said Keith Wann, 43, from Clearwater, Fla., who hears normally but was born to two deaf parents. Mr. Wann learned sign language before he learned English, and makes his living largely as a comedian for deaf audiences — he calls himself a “deaf person who can hear.”

His break came on YouTube, he said, with a video skit that parodied the difficulties of signing rap music, using the Vanilla Ice song “Ice Ice Baby” as his comedic vehicle. HisYouTube channel has had more than 2.4 million views.

“Anything with a video where you can see the sign language, it’s been the best thing for the deaf community,” he said. “It’s a way for us to share our work, whereas before we never could."

A version of this article appeared in print on February 12, 2012, on page ST10 of the New York edition with the headline: ‘Singing’ With Their Hands.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/fashion/singing-with-their-hands.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&smid=fb-share&adxnnlx=1328970200-kZ4ZXjCdqh2eP8bUg/wFpQ

Demystifying Deafness by Amy Sargent (Deaf Girl Amy)

2012-02-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

Short video demystifies deafness, created by Amy Sargent. Be sure to check out her website and her book, "A Survival Guide for New Deafies". It's excellent for anyone who has lost their hearing, or has a loved one who has lost their hearing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fngbAtuKg8Q

Amy Sargent's website: http://deafgirlamy.com/

I highly recommend this book. I have a copy and wish something like this was available when I started going deaf.

Are You Up for the Challenge? Stop Bullying NOW

2012-02-09T20:01:00.003-05:00

My friend Wendie posted on FB tonight that Friday, Feb. 10th she and others will be wearing purple to show the stand against bullying. It is P.S. I Love You Day - Anti-Bullying. This is a good time to post and share this particular video. This video was made by Gallaudet University students. They present us with a challenge we should join together. Now. Today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oh6oj4XTEE

An Excellent Tutorial: Professionalism with Interpreters

2012-02-08T23:02:00.001-05:00

This is a fabulous short presentation demonstrating the professionalism of interpreters. This video was made under the Disability Awareness Project at St. Petersburg College.

This is how a meeting should look when discussing how you are all going to work together, everyone involved in the process is at the meeting together discussing the needs before the class/orientation/meeting/appointment, etc.

Note that the deaf or hearing impaired person should always be placed at the front: we use our eyes to "hear" with. This is the appropriate and standard practice everywhere (to put them at the back of a class, meeting, etc. is the equivalent of putting them "at the back of the bus" = discrimination, and is frowned upon).

Do your interpreters advocate and represent your deaf and hearing impaired clients professionally and appropriately? Be professional. Be open. Be teachable, and communicate.

Don't be too hard on interpreters, it is not easy what they do, but do help them remain professional and share this video. Everyone needs a refresher course now and then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-209DSaW9g

New Iphone App Could Rival Relay Services

2012-02-08T08:01:00.000-05:00

Deaftel could quite possibly revolutionize how the deaf, hard of hearing and the speech impaired make telephone calls in the very near future. The two best things about this app: private without a third party relaying what is being said, and no more disconnects. Finally, you can make calls without people and automated answering services hanging up on you!

Read more here: http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/new-iphone-app-could-rival-telephone-relay-services

I love the advancements technology is making.

Penn-In-Hand from University of Pennsylvania (Sign for Sign)

2012-02-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

These university students are doing something FABULOUS. They are Penn-In-Hand from the University of Pennsylvania. Go, Kids!! Be sure to read the article posted below the video at Under the Button.

READ the full article here:
http://underthebutton.com/2012/02/a-sign-of-the-times-students-demand-asl-minor/

Beautiful ASL interpretation

2012-02-06T07:35:00.000-05:00

I love Mike's beautiful ASL interpretation of "God Speaking", a song sung by Mandisa. The lyrics are below the video for those who can't hear, and for those who are learning ASL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRZolzZntP4

Have you ever heard a love song that
Set your spirit free
Have you ever watched a sunrise and
Felt you could not breathe
What if it's Him
What if it's God speaking

Have you ever cried a tear that
You could not explain
Have you ever met a stranger
Who already knew your name
What if it's Him
What if it's God speaking

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"

Have you ever lost a loved one
Who you thought should still be here
Do you know what it feels like
To be tangled up in fear
What if He's somehow involved
What if He's speaking through it all

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"

His ways are higher
His ways are better
Though sometimes strange
What could be stranger
Than God in a manger

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
Who knows how He'll get a hold of you
Get your attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"

God is speaking
"I love you"

Valentine's Day Signs

2012-02-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

Rachel Coleman from Signing Time demonstrates Valentine signs...just in time to share with your students, family, friends, and your Valentine.

http://www.SigningTime.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX6DKkdJeYo

Don't Hang Up... It's a Relay Call... Wait...

2012-02-02T15:59:00.002-05:00

I got a nice letter in the mail the other day. What is difficult is they want me to call to speak with someone on their staff. I wish it were so simple.

I am able to use my own voice when I make phone calls because I became deaf late in life. The phone system I use when I call people is wonderful, however it isn't always easy to connect to someone with it. A Calling Agent types to me what the person on the other end is saying, and I use my own voice to respond. The trouble is, people hang up on us, not understanding it is a relay call from a deaf or hard of hearing person using a different means of communication. Many people expect a response within seconds of answering the phone, and if they don't get one, they hang up. Most often, if they have not been trained about the different kinds of relay calls they may get from deaf and hard of hearing people, they think they are getting a solicitous call and they hang up before the Calling Agent has time to explain.

The biggest obstacle is getting past the automated phone systems. By the time the system races through which number to key in, the Calling Agent is still typing to me, and all the options have been listed, the automated answering system has disconnected us. We need time for the Calling Agent to type all the information to us, time for us to read the information, and time for us to say what number of the option we need.

I make most of my appointments through email and messaging. I would love to make an appointment and come into the office and speak in person, but when my emails get stuck through the chain of command, I get quite frustrated, especially if it happens over the course of many, many months.

People say, have someone else call. The problem with that, I am left out of the conversation, and many of my questions aren't addressed because the conversation is carried on without me.

I'm looking forward to the day when people manning the telephones allow more time for the callers on the other end to respond, and for businesses to use answering systems that allow pauses between the options so the three of us, the Calling Agent, the business and the deaf or hard of hearing person can connect. Then many of us will be able to connect and make those personal appointments and take care of business in person, face to face.

In the meantime, please, include your personal work email address in your letters so we can connect and make an appointment.

Life in Technicolor (Cold Play) ASL Interpreted

2012-02-02T07:05:00.000-05:00

This is a sweet little video uploaded by dreamnesc. I love the still at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeD2LphJAZA&feature=fvsr

Dine and Sign: A Hearing Son and His Deaf Dad Dining and Signing Together

2012-01-30T23:36:00.006-05:00

This is Alex and his "Dad". Dad is deaf. These two men are positively adorable with their relationship and the intelligent, witty conversations they have over dinner. I love the points the father makes regarding technology. The link to their site is below the video, watch their series and share with your friends. I guarantee you will laugh out loud at some of their episodes, as well as ponder the points they discuss back and forth. This is episode 11 and deals with technology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CtBZJGfrAM
This is epsiode 19, FUNNY!

Ties Equal Success?
: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5JUnLoc3M

Listen to the Deaf - Save A Life (These Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Are Making A Difference In Their Community)

2012-01-30T08:09:00.006-05:00

The story below the video occurred last November, (2011) during Thanksgiving week. There is absolutely no need for this to happen to anyone. Future incidents like this can be avoided simply by educating our police departments as well as all those that serve with public duties. The simple solution is to have training at the academies and regularly on the job.

The officer involved in the incident had been on the job only one month. Had the officer had some kind of training with deaf awareness, Mr. Anthony would not have died at the hands of an agency whose duty is to serve and protect.

Look what the Federick Police Department and the Maryland School for the Deaf are doing TOGETHER. Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing students are making a positive difference in their community with this police department.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVewAHRu6Qc

Deaf, Disabled Senior Citizen on Bicycle Deemed Threat by Police, Tased to Death

If, in the euphemistic police state in which we currently live, pepper-spray is a taco condiment, that would make tasing...what? A joy-buzzing compliance aid? Sure, let's call it that. Now can someone explain to me why Officer John Turner of Scotland Neck, North Carolina's police department felt the need to use a joy-buzzing compliance aid on an 61-year-old, disabled man with a hearing impairment who was riding down the street on a bicycle? Because that man is now dead.

The call came on Monday night, and it made mention of a man who had fallen off his bicycle and injured himself in a parking lot. So Officer Turner pulled up to the scene, and found Roger Anthony — a local fixture who people call "Rabbit" because he had big ears — rolling down the street on his bicycle. Turner followed Anthony in his patrol vehicle, sirens blaring, and ordered him to pull over. Anthony didn't respond.

Williams said Turner then saw Anthony take something out his pocket and put it into his mouth. At that time, Turner got out of the car and yelled for Anthony to stop. When Anthony didn't stop, the officer used a stun gun on him, causing him to fall off of his bike.

Anthony was taken to a hospital, where he was declared brain dead. He was taken off life support on Tuesday. According to Anthony's sister, her brother was disabled, had frequent seizures and trouble hearing. He lived in an independent living community, and "used to smoke cigarettes, drink coffee and ride his bicycle around town." That's what Rabbit liked to do.

This was Turner's first month on the force. He's currently on administrative leave while the incident is investigated. [WRAL, Screengrab via WRAL] http://gawker.com/5862447/deaf-disabled-senior-citizen-on-bicycle-deemed-threat-by-police-tased-to-death

Frog Chat

2012-01-29T14:05:00.000-05:00

Children are sometimes the best teachers. "Boys Frog Chat".

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-teZPsmCMXc&feature=share

Keith Wann Interviews Author Amy Sargent, Deaf Girl Amy

2012-01-29T13:03:00.015-05:00

Keith interviewed my friend Amy Sargent. Amy wrote a delightful, informative book, "A Survival Guide For New Deafies". I wish something like this was available at the onset of my own deafness. If you know someone who is experiencing hearing loss or deafness, please get this book for them and for their family. Every audiologist should have a copy of this in their office.
Here's a video trailer of her book, and below that is the transcript of her interview with Keith Wann.

This pic of Keith Wann and I was taken after his comedy show at NTID in Rochester, NY 1/14/2012

Keith Wann Live Interview Transcript from
"That Keith Wann Show -Cultural Bridges"

KEITH ...So speaking of the ASL, the Deaf community, a lot of our friends are late deafened adults. They're new Deafies. They may not know Sign Language. They may be in relationships, and all of a sudden, everything changes. Well, you know what? There's a solution out there for them. There's a new book out called a survival guide for new Deafies. And this book is specifically written for people who suffer from late onset hearing loss and for the people who love them. The author is deaf girl Amy Sargent. How are you doing tonight, Amy?
AMY: I'm doing good. How are you doing?
KEITH: Great. You're up in New York?
AMY: I'm up in Rochester. So you're coming up to my neck of the woods.
KEITH: Are you coming to the show? You better say yes.
AMY: I'm definitely gonna be there. Front row and center, waving my hands.
KEITH: I'm reading your bio. You're married. Your husband, Arthur.
AMY: Yes.
KEITH: Anyway, welcome to our show. Glad to have you on here. I read your book and I love your sense of humor. I loved -- in the beginning of the book, you stated very obviously this is about your experience, and you approach it with a sense of humor, to help those people who are experiencing a late onset hearing loss. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how we got to this book?
AMY: Sure. First of all, thank you for having me and sharing this with everybody. I was born Hearing. I was a Hearing person until I was 27. During that time, I was a broadcast engineer, and then I was struck with bilateral hearing loss at age 27. No one else in my family is a Deafie. It literally turned my world upside down. I spent probably five years just in a really bad place. Trying to figure out how to live as a Deaf person. And actually, I lucked out. You know? Looking back. Because I grew up in Rochester, New York, and as most people know, there's a huge Deaf population in Rochester, and they do have a lot of things that support Deaf people. So... Although I missed the boat the first five years. I finally jumped on the boat. So life is good now. But I had to get retrained. With a new career. I couldn't do television, live television, anymore. As a Deaf person. So I just... It was a tough go back then. But now --
KEITH: And you said -- so, again, what I heard was you had a rough five years. And to me, that is -- the transition. You're Hearing, and all of a sudden now you're deaf. So your world is pretty much turned upside down. Is the main reason you wrote this book to help others like yourself?
AMY: I did. It was actually one of those things where -- going through it, first of all, let me state that the biggest lessons that I have learned, that Hearing people don't understand, and people who were born Deaf don't understand. Is that we have certain life skills that we have as a Hearing person or as a Deaf person, to navigate our life and stay out of harm's way, forms of communicating. But there are two separate sets of skills. And once you're acclimatated to the hearing skills -- I spent five years as a deaf person trying to use Hearing skills, and it really doesn't work. You can think about it, but I can still remember being able to hear a car coming up in a parking lot. I would know I need to slow down or speed up and watch out for that car. But as a deaf person, there's a different set of skills. And that's basically having a head that's on a pivot, that is constantly moving and assessing. And I didn't know that.
So through the course of it all, I'm finally finding my way through. I've had so many people ask me, you know, a coworker. My brother just woke up, and he can't hear a thing. Can you talk to him? And seeing the angst in them, and feeling the turmoil, when trying to talk to someone -- I don't want someone to take five, six years, like I did. That's why I wanted to write the book. To figure out what changes you needed to make within yourself and the people around you to make it easier. Because Deaf people who were born deaf, they don't get it, unless they want to listen to my story. They don't see how this -- what's the big deal? You're Deaf. You're no different from anybody else. But their skill sets were in place, growing up. So yeah. I did write it to help people.
KEITH: And what's interesting -- and knowing that Wink and I are the super CODAs out there, you're right. Our world is different. Our parents are Deaf-Deaf. They were born Deaf. And it's interesting to me -- when the word Deaf is... Like your book says -- it's a survival guide for new Deafies. I think that's the keyword. Is new. And you do use the word Deafies, instead of a hard of hearing, or a person with a hearing loss. Even though that population -- when they say 10% of the American population has a hearing loss, I think it's like maybe 2% are actually Deaf or use ASL. And the bigger population is late deafened adults.
AMY: Exactly.
KEITH: Have you met more people like yourself? Are you very involved in that community now? Are you involved in the signing community now? Are you still full both feet in the Hearing world?
AMY: I tried to go in between both. I have learned ASL, but I find that because I'm oral, I tend to do a version of ASL with English. I'm not great at it. I'm much better at receiving it than signing it myself. I love ASL. I love American Sign Language. I think it's a beautiful language. I really, really try and support other people. I encourage them to learn a new language. Whether you're hearing impaired, deaf, whatever you wanna say or not. But I have been involved with a group -- I don't know if you've ever heard of it. It's called ALDA. And it's an acronym for association for late deafened adults. I just found them last fall. And I've been deaf for 16 years. But it's a wonderful organization for people like me, because it's more open to using whatever you need to use to communicate.
WINDELL: When you lost your hearing, did you take any type of oral classes or anything of that nature to hone in your speech skills? Or did you feel like since you spoke pretty much all your life 'til 27, you didn't necessarily need any speech therapy?
AMY: You probably can hear a deaf accent now, because I am speaking without one of my hearing aids. The way I hear is I have an iPhone that is jacked up as high as it can possibly go. And so when I don't have both my hearing aids on, my speech is obviously -- I have the deaf accent now. I never took therapy for it, but I can tell you that it gets much worse if I've been drinking. A couple of cocktails, I'm gonna start slurring my words. For a lot of reasons.
WINDELL: Why do you think that is? That you have a deaf accent without your hearing aids?
AMY: I can't hear the endings. I can feel what my mouth is doing. Like right now, I'm really trying to enunciate. But it's one of those things. As a Hearing person, you start talking, and you don't think about it, but you can hear yourself. The less I hear myself, the heavier my accent gets. And if I'm tired or have been drinking, there's a level of focus that's missing. What people don't understand -- and I can't -- I don't wanna speak for the Deaf community, because I'm not a part of that. I didn't grow up Deaf. But I can tell you, as a new Deafie, oral communication is exhausting. So... The more tired you are, or the more you've imbibed a couple of glasses of wine, your level of concentration -- focus -- diminishes. So therefore my accent gets heavier and my understanding of verbal communication gets less and less.
KEITH: Hey, Wink, we actually have 30 seconds left 'til break. So let me have -- Amy, before we ask you another question or follow up on this, do you have a website or contact information where people can get your book?
AMY: Absolutely. You can find me at deaf girl Amy.com. At deaf girl Amy on Twitter or deaf girl Amy on Facebook.
KEITH: And we are now going to break. When we come back, we'll talk more with deaf girl Amy Sargent.
>> This is That Keith Wann Show! Opening doors, shining the light, building bridges, educating us all. It's the CODA Man, Keith Wann, and we'll back with more, right after these

....commercials.....

Welcome back to That Keith Wann Show. He's here to help us with a cultural bridge between the Hearing and the Deaf, with guests from the American Sign Language community and others who are here to share, encourage, and to teach. Now let's get back to the show. It's That Keith Wann Show on Toginet. And here again is your host, Keith Wann.
KEITH: Fast machine! Real quick, before we go back to Amy Sargent, I want to announce that StenoKnight, Mirabai, will be the CEU presenter, I believe, in February. She's gonna be talking about CART, realtime, and she also -- most of her work is with the late deafened community. She does a lot of captioning. She's out of New York. And I love her. We just -- her and I had lunch last week. She's been doing the show since day one. She's a big part of the show. She's the silent trio. It's me, Wink, and her. Sometimes I wish Wink and her would switch, and Wink would be quiet. I miss you so much that I'm gonna insult you.
WINDELL: Yeah, and I feel it. I feel it deep down inside. Cradled in my soul.
KEITH: Amy, somebody in the chat room says they can't find your Facebook page. Can you give that address again?
AMY: The address for -- I'm sorry?
KEITH: For your Facebook page.
AMY: It's Facebook.com/deaf girl Amy.
KEITH: Okay. And Wink, I'm gonna get a new tattoo and it's gonna have you all over it. You know I love you.
WINDELL: Thank you!
KEITH: But enough of that. Let's get back to our guest.
WINDELL: Let's never bring that up again.
KEITH: So Amy, let's talk about your book. You have a chapter in there which I thought was great. Great advice. It's called the dos and don'ts for family and friends. Can you give us some examples of them?
AMY: Yes. One of the first things that really struck me, when I was going through that whole horrible period was -- hearing people do not like to have to repeat themselves. And it got to the point where they were always saying -- never mind. It doesn't matter. That will send a deaf person into the stratosphere. Because what hearing people don't understand is when you say that all the time, you are basically letting the deaf person know that you just don't really care that they missed that communication. It's not what they're thinking. I don't think that's what people are thinking. At least, that's what my family told me. But never, ever, ever tell a deaf person -- never mind, it doesn't matter. When they miss a piece of the conversation. It's very hurtful. And I can tell you -- I think I put it in my book. Most of the time it just takes place at a large gathering, at a party, and someone's telling a joke, and the deaf person misses the punchline. I mean, they're totally invested in the joke. And they miss the punchline. There's 15 people laughing, and you ask the person to repeat themselves, and they say never mind. That is just... So infuriating. Because once you say it to that deaf person, it's gonna be the first time they heard it. And as far as the other stuff... It really is important to not use someone's deafness against them. If you're in a relationship. Kind of like with Switched At Birth, where you've got a hearing person and a Deaf person. To use the deafness against that person as a weapon.
KEITH: What do you mean by that?
AMY: I'm sorry?
KEITH: I'm trying to -- what do you mean by that? Give me an example. Because the comedy side of me is like... What do you mean? I grew up having Deaf parents. I tried to take advantage of them. Again, as a kid, though. Later on I realized parents are parents. It doesn't matter if they're Deaf or Hearing.
AMY: One of the biggest things with my husband -- my husband is a Hearing person. He met me as a deaf girl. He wouldn't know what to do with a hearing Amy. But there have been past arguments where I know I heard something, and I know I heard it correctly, but he will, like you said, use it to his advantage, and try and tell me -- how could I really know what I heard? I'm a deaf person. Or try to undermine my belief in what I heard. That's using it as a weapon.
KEITH: I understand. Do you have kids?
AMY: I have two stepdaughters, and I have two grandsons.
KEITH: You might not want them to see my show. Just kidding. You'll see an example this weekend, but again, my whole thing is -- I teach comedy. I teach culture through comedy. It's not what you're talking about. Your husband is evil, and he does not represent all of us husbands in the world.
AMY: He's great! But I'm just saying. That's one of the things. You know, you just don't do that.
KEITH: You just said hearing Amy. So I'm actually curious. What are some differences between -- besides the hearing loss. What are the differences between hearing Amy and deaf Amy? What's changed? If I knew you -- if I went to high school with you and I knew you as hearing Amy and I met you at the reunion, and now you're deaf Amy, besides the hearing loss, what else is different?
AMY: I guess the difference is... What caused my deafness is a syndrome called Waardenburg's syndrome, and some of the symptoms is -- you can have acute hearing, or you can have a hearing loss. In my case, I swung to acute hearing growing up, and then it swung to deafness. So there was... In my 20s and teens, I was someone who could be able to pick up conversations three or four tables away in a restaurant. I could carry on conversations from three other rooms. I was very attuned to what everybody was doing and what they were saying. Whereas... Now I don't have all that knowledge from incidental learning. I was full of gossip. I was full of knowing which way things were going. I'm not that anymore.
KEITH: I'm curious about this. So as a person who is hearing and not deaf, when you watch TV and the captions are on, and you see things like -- soft music -- mystery... I mean, does that frustrate you? To go... Okay. Why are you saying soft music? Or as a hearing person, you can kind of go into your cattle lag... Your cattle lag? Your catalog. Your file cabinet and remember what soft music might sound like. So is that not frustrating, then, for you?
AMY: Is it not frustrating for me?
KEITH: Is it frustrating or not frustrating, when you read captions. And obviously, a stoned deaf person... Not stoned. A Deaf person who is deaf all of their life since birth, they don't have anything to relate to that. They don't know. Soft music? What do you mean? Like my pillow? I don't understand that description. But for you -- do you say -- okay, I understand what they mean by soft music?
AMY: I do understand what they mean by soft music. It really... For me, when I'm watching a movie, I don't know how much really adds... Do I really need to know that? Unless it's like... A romantic scene, and some guy is trying to be a player, and he turns on music, and he's doing a little snicker, and it kind of feeds that information. Whereas if they just say soft music is playing, it doesn't really parlay into the story line -- then I don't really care. It doesn't matter. Does that make sense?
KEITH: Yes. Wink?
WINDELL: Do you utilize Sign Language interpreters?
AMY: I'm sorry?
WINDELL: Do you use Sign Language interpreters ever?
AMY: I really... Rely on them when I go to large conventions or a concert of some sort. I always try and get the Deafie section. Where they have interpreters down there. Because between the large screens and the interpreters, I probably get 95% of what's happening. Whereas if I don't have them, and I just have the large screen, I probably only get about 80%. But if I'm going to the doctor, I don't take an interpreter with me, no. But I have -- my lip reading skills are at 97%.
KEITH: And the average is what? 33%, Windell?
WINDELL: I was about to ask you about that. Is that lip reading supported by residual hearing that you have with your hearing aids?
AMY: No. It is... What they did is the audiologist removed all the sound. And just mouthed different words. And I got marked up at 97%. I didn't realize I was doing that, but the first five years, part of the hellish experience was -- no hearing specialist had said -- you know, you probably could use hearing aids. So I spent the first five years unaided. And apparently, when I found my second specialist, one of my coping mechanisms that came into play was -- I unconsciously taught myself, or subconsciously -- is the word -- taught myself to lip read. I had no idea.
KEITH: Hey, Windell, or Amy -- is there even -- is there a standardized program out there? Besides the residential schools, having an audiologist come in there, slapping people's hands and tying them behind their backs, is there an official program out there? If I wanted to learn lip reading, I wanted to become Sue Thomas, is there a place to learn that?
AMY: NTID offers three labs in lip reading. I wouldn't say there's a major in it, so you could become the male version. But they offer three different labs. They have a speech and language place up there. They have an audiology department where you can go and practice speech reading, lip reading.
KEITH: I'm gonna do that while I'm up there this weekend.
AMY: It's something fun. You know. For me, it's funny, because my husband knows I can do it, so when we're watching football, and the coach is going off, he'll be like -- what did he say? What did he say?
KEITH: That's funny. Hey, Amy, we're coming up to a break. We have 30 seconds 'til break. Windell, I don't know if you have the chatroom open. My internet thing is not letting me read the chat. If there's any questions from the chatroom, please jump in. Amy, there is one question from the Toginet chat room. Do you consider yourself deaf or hearing? You know what? Let's answer that when we come back. Here come the tunes. Wink and I are gonna sit by.
>> This is That Keith Wann Show! Opening doors, shining the light, building bridges, educating us all. It's the CODA Man, Keith Wann, and we'll back with more, right after these!

.......commercial break.........
KEITH: Amy, so as we went into break, one of the questions from the chatroom -- there's two different chat rooms here. There's the everpopular StenoKnight chat room, and there's the Toginet chatroom, where the Hearing people go that don't know about the cool people chat room. So how do you label yourself? Hearing? Deaf, hard of hearing?
AMY: I'm deaf. I'm not Deaf Culture. But I am deaf. If you look at my audio gram, I am deafer than deaf.
KEITH: You're deafer than Sean Forbes!
AMY: He told me that.
KEITH: So then do you have some humorous experiences, stories, about how -- when you say I'm deaf, do people all of a sudden jump into their Deaf Culture mode? Maybe they're in the Deaf community, and they just assume you're in Deaf Culture. Does that happen to you?
AMY: I know that I have made a practice to, when I meet new people, I just come out and say -- I'm a deaf girl. And I always lead that with -- you don't have anything in your teeth. I just need to look at your mouth so I can understand what you're saying. And I really haven't had the prejudice of the Deaf Culture, as far as -- are you part of that or are you afraid of that. But I have just met up with that pure apprehension of -- oh, crap, what do I do now? And so... I mean really, you can see the people's shoulders tighten, and they step back and they get very quiet all of a sudden. And they just don't feel comfortable. And I don't want to associate that with Deaf Culture. It's just -- they don't know what to do. And I have found that it's like leading a little kid to a bathtub. It's okay. You're not gonna get hurt. These are my needs. And if they want to continue talking to me, I'm very open about it. And I have to say 95% of the time, that uncomfortableness disappears within two to three minutes.
KEITH: Have you had somebody like me, then? Because I tend not to run away. I actually tend to gravitate to somebody who says they're deaf. Deaf mind, Deaf heart. So if you say I'm deaf, I would jump the other way -- I would jump into your eye space and I would start whipping out some ASL. Have you had to say -- slow down there, skippy! I don't understand the hand waving you're doing there. I need you to move your mouth.
AMY: Living in Rochester, I do have to tell people that you need to slow down your sign. I have had that. But I love it. Bring it on. I love it.
KEITH: There's a chapter in your book called the pros of being a Deafie. Can you give us some?
AMY: Sure. One of them, the biggest one, because I sleep with a snoring man, is you don't have to listen to that! But unfortunately for me, there are some times where he is so loud, and my good ear is facing him -- that I lose it. So yes. One of them is you don't have to listen to your spouse snore. And one of the biggest pros is, if he's pissing me off and he won't stop, I take off my hearing aids and I walk out of the room. And I don't have to hear him. Major pro.
KEITH: Another chapter. My life as a deaf girl. So now that you've gone through that five year period, now that you're grounded, now that you're able to -- you've taken care of yourself, so you're able to write a book to help other people. You're able to help take care of other people. What is your life now like as deaf girl?
AMY: My life now, 16 years later, is wonderful. If I could twinkle my nose and not be deaf... Absolutely. I would want that. Because I know what I'm missing. I know how hard I work to maintain my communication skills, being able to talk and to listen and to understand. But at the same time, I have met so many wonderful people. And I have a new appreciation for things that, as a Hearing person -- was not even on my radar screen. So in a way, even though it's been hard, living life as a deaf person, once you were hearing before, it's a hard transition. But if you do the work, and you don't isolate yourself, and you don't put so much... Oh, what is the word I'm looking for? So much stock in being able to hear, instead of being able to see, and talk to people, and communicate any way you can -- life is great. Life is wonderful.
KEITH: What I love most about your book -- it's littered with humor. And your number one rule -- you have the top ten rules. The number one rule is always have a sense of humor about your hearing loss. Can you tell us about the Bible on the computer story?
AMY: Oh my lord. Okay. In all fairness to me, I'm a deaf girl. I can't wear hearing aids in a pool. We were all in a pool. And we were swimming, and our wedding was coming up. And my husband said -- I swore he said -- he wanted to get the Bible on the computer. And I was like... what the hell are you talking about? And everybody is laughing at me. And he had said we have to get a book about Bermuda. Because that's where we were going on our honeymoon destination. And stuff like that happens to me all the time. There are a lot of times where my husband will say something to me, and I have to lead in with -- okay, I know you didn't say this. But let me tell you what I just heard. And completely off base. But one time I did that, and I can't repeat what he said, because I'm on the radio. He was very raunchy. I thought I heard it wrong, but I heard it right, which is more frightening.
KEITH: Actually, you can say it on the radio. We had Sean Forbes on here give us 37F bombs. We're not FCC regulated, because we're through the internet. I don't know the rules. I just know every week I get a $30 fine. I have to pay it. Anyway, I would actually love to see a book. Windell and I, we collect stories on how Sign Language students do the wrong signs. You know? They try to sign license or pizza, and they're actually signing vagina. I think, coming from your point of view, it would be hilarious for your next book to be about, you know, what you thought you saw somebody say. What you thought they meant. That would be hilarious.
AMY: Yes, my sister's been writing them down. But I do have to say -- I myself -- you know the sign for special? And then the sign... I did the wrong one for special. And everybody thought that was quite hilarious as well.
KEITH: What did you do? I wanna throw it in my comedy show.
AMY: I think they said it was penis.
KEITH: So what was the sentence? You said I'm a penis?
AMY: Yeah, I did the whole wrong thing. Completely wrong. So... You know, it happens. It happens! But you just roll with it.
KEITH: Absolutely. And rule number eight -- so we go from humor, from humor to rule number eight. Allow for small moments of pity. What do you mean by this?
AMY: There are gonna be times where you're exhausted, trying to understand people. There are gonna be times when you're faced with prejudice and frustration by other people. There are gonna be times where I sat in the car with my grandson, driving him the other day, and he said this one word 14 times. I counted it. And I couldn't understand what he was saying. He's 3 years old. And he was getting very frustrated. So when you have those things happen to you, you have to accept and say -- okay. This is happening. You know, I don't like it. Have your moment. But by god, don't go in your room, close your door, and all hell breaks loose, and your life is miserable because oh my God, I'm deaf, and I'm never gonna be happy. Take your moment, acknowledge it, accept it, but move on.
KEITH: Absolutely. Well, Amy, we're down to the last two minutes of the show. The show always goes by so fast. Before we go, again, I'd love for you to give out your website, Facebook page, and a way for people to order your book, a survival guide for new Deafies. Where do we go to get this book? Besides being me, a CODA, going -- hey, give me a free book -- where can other people buy it so you can earn a living?
AMY: It's available on Barnes and Noble.com and on Amazon.com. It's eformat for the Nook and Kindle, in Rochester, it's carried in a bookstore called (inaudible) in New York.
KEITH: Awesome. I want to thank you for coming on the air tonight. Any last minute shoutouts to family and friends that you want to say hi to?
AMY: I want to say that I have a new foundation called flaunt your bits and pieces, and the mission statement is to eliminate the stigma attached to hearing loss through exposure to people who have a hearing loss. So check out our website and support us if you can.
KEITH: What's the website again?
AMY: Deaf girl Amy.com.
KEITH: Thank you for coming on the show tonight. We'll see you in a couple days.
AMY: Thank you very much from me.
KEITH: I'm gonna bring the book. You're gonna have to sign it for me.
AMY: Absolutely!

http://deafgirlamy.com/keith-wann-live-interview-transcript.html

Be sure to visit Amy's webpage here: http://deafgirlamy.com/
If you work with audiologist, if you know an audiologist, get this book into their hands so they can distribute to New Deafies and those experiencing hearing loss. You will be doing a great service!
Catch more of the Keith Wann show here: http://www.toginet.com/show/thatkeithwannshowculturalbridges

Deaf People Are Cheated ..

2012-01-28T23:30:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly6oPfltUyA&feature=youtu.be

Hot Jumping Beans

2012-01-28T11:40:00.011-05:00

This is FUNNY! I'm so glad this is captioned! These are not the actual lyrics of the original song, however, this just goes to show how difficult it is for a hard of hearing or a deaf person like me to read lips. It also shows how we can misread what is being said, and come up with a wildly inaccurate perception.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gXotGSe_JE&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

The real song is titled "That Should be me" and it is found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Jw-T4dVss&feature=youtu.be Thank you Neil for directing me to clarify that. :-) Here are the original lyrics:

That Should Be Me Lyrics

Ouuuuuuu
ouuuuuuuu

Everybody's laughing in my mind,
Rumors spreading 'bout this other guy,
Do you do what you did when you
did with me?
Does he love you the way I can?
Did you forget all the plans
that you made with me?
'cause baby I didn't!

That should be me,
Holdin' your hand,
That should be me
Makin' you laugh,
That should be me,
This is so sad,
That should be me,
That should be me,
That should be me,
Feelin' your kiss,
That should be me,
Buyin' you gifts,
This is so wrong,
I can't go on,
Till you believe that,
That should be me

Ouuuuuuu
ouuuuuuuu

That should be me,
Yeah,
You said you needed a little time
For my mistakes,
It's funny how you used that time
To have me replaced,
Did you think that I wouldn't see you out at the movies
Whatcha doin' to me,
You're takin' him where we used to go,
Now if you're tryin' to break my
heart,
It's working 'cause you know that,...

Chorus:

That should be me,
Holdin' your hand,
That should be me,
Makin' you laugh,
That should be me,
This is so sad,
That should be me,
That should be me,
That should be me,
Feelin' your kiss,
That should be me ,

Buyin' you gifts,
This is so wrong,
I can't go on,
Till you believe that,
That should be me

I need to know should I fight
For our love for this long
It's getting harder to shield
This pain in my heart!!!

Chorus:
That should be me,
Holdin' your hand,
That should be me,
Makin' you laugh,
That should be me,
This is so sad,
That should be me,
That should be me,
That should be me,
Feelin' your kiss,
That should be me,
Buyin' you gifts,
This is so wrong,
I can't go on,
Till you believe that,
That should be me,
Holding your hand,
That should be me,
Oh i makin you laugh, oh Baby,
That should be me,
(that should be me givin you flowers)
That should be me,
Talking by hours,that should be me, that should be me,
that should be me

Never should've let you go,!
I never should've let you go,!
That should be me!! <3
Never should've let you go
That should be me!!<3

We Found Love

2012-01-27T18:11:00.000-05:00

"We Found Love" interpreted by Phillip Hayes and Caroline Moyer. I absolutely enjoyed watching this and their artistic expression. Lyrics are below the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw613y9W-Kg&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Yellow diamonds in the light
And we're standing side by side
As your shadow crosses mine
What it takes to come alive

It's the way I’m feeling I just can't deny
But I've gotta let it go

We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place

Shine a light through an open door
Love and life I will divide
Turn away cause I need you more
Feel the heartbeat in my mind

It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny

But I’ve gotta let it go

We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place

Yellow diamonds in the light
And we're standing side by side
As your shadow crosses mine...

We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place

We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place

Deaf Eye on Emergency Research is In: #DEMX

2012-01-27T08:12:00.004-05:00

Researcher Stephanie Jo Kent has published the research from the #DEMX online experiment from last November's National FEMA test. (I had a little mention in this article)

Here are the results:

Emergency Warning and Community Response: The Edge of Technology and Culture

It was a tiny pop quiz in the midst of a comprehensive examination.

First Responders reaching to the Deaf community

During last November’s nationwide test of FEMA’s public warning system, an action research study (#DEMX) was conducted to assess the communication potential of social media. The goal was to find a way to bridge the longstanding divide between “people of the eye” who use American Sign Language and emergency responders who rely on their ears. From the Deaf point-of-view, these “hearing people” are dependent on sound.

A dedicated group of social media pioneerskeeps pushing the envelope of public communication within the field of emergency management. Meanwhile, the American Deaf community remains essentially neglecteddespite generations of struggle and decades-old accessibility rights legislation.

in all of the years of researching and taking courses / training in crisis communications – one group has not been mentioned as much as others. This audience group is the deaf community. ~ Karen Freberg

Tweeting against Historical Trends

One popular social media tool for emergency warnings is Twitter. It is unclear how many Deaf people know about this timely and current source of information about emergencies of all kinds. Meteorologists are using Twitter to warn populations in their local media markets about serious weather events, and some emergency responders are using Twitter as part of crisis communication and disaster response. Figures 1 & 2 show a key result from the #DEMX experiment run during the November 2011 national “Emergency Alert System” test. Overall, although information about the Twitter-based #DEMX test spread, there was very little crossover between the two groups: Deaf citizens shared information within the Deaf community, and emergency management planners and responders shared the information within their community. This leads to a conclusion regarding how hard it is to stimulate conversation between communities who have an (apparently entrenched) history of ineffective communication.

However, in the course of a short campaign, the #DEMX Tweetstream garnered 163 unique users, and the Prezi explaining the idea (in English and ASL) got 1,500 hits! The informationspread, but it was decontextualized from the relationships that need to be built among First Responders and members of the signing Deaf community.

Strategy (Action Research Methodology)

Few Deaf Tweeters "cross over" to the First Responder tweetstream

An already existing Twitter community using the hashtag, #SMEM (for social media emergency management), was introduced to a new hashtag, #DEMX (for deaf emergency management of variable “x”). The #DEMX hashtag was invented for this experiment, so it had no pre-existing user base. A late-deafened blogger and tweeter, Joyce Edmiston, spearheaded spreading the #DEMX hashtag among her followers. Using a text analysis software tool, we were able to track the spread of news about this social media experiment in both communities and break down the results.

Findings: A small but dedicated leading edge

In the nine days of monitoring (from November 2-11, 2011, with the test day on November 9), the 163 users in the #DEMX tweetstream gathered 765 tweets, while the #SMEM tweetstream garnered 5,759 tweets, generated by 1,135 unique users. We were interested in the tweets that included both hashtags. Barely 1/2 of 1% of #DEMX tweets included the #SMEM hashtag; and only .01% of #SMEM tweets included the #DEMX hashtag. Research team member Joe Delfino of DiscoverText writes, “Unfortunately, the mass crossover of Tweets that we had envisioned did not occur.” By “drilling down” into the data, however, we were able to generate some findings that, combined with knowledge of the historical basis of the overall challenge, confirms hypotheses worth testing in another round of Twitter-based action research.

4:1 Ratio Hearing to Deaf

In the #DEMX tweetstream, there were 26 unique users who included the #SMEM hashtag. After eliminating tweets from members of the research team there were a total of 28 tweets from 23 unique users. Of these 23 unique users, 20 are not deaf – they are hearing people associated in one way or another with emergency management. Only three deaf tweeters “crossed over” to the emergency management community tweetstream. Some reasons for this terribly low percentage are explored below.

In the #SMEM tweetstream, there were 17 unique users who included the #DEMX hashtag, again, after eliminating tweets by research team members, tweets including both hashtags were sent by 13 unique users: 9 hearing and 4 deaf, repeating the pattern in which more hearing people reached out toward the Deaf community than Deaf people reached back to the “Hearing” world of emergency management.

Concerning? Yes. Disheartening? No!

Obviously these sample sizes are too small for statistical significance. However, they do suggest some generalizations that could be formulated into concrete hypotheses and studied on a more robust scale. One issue involves whether the Deaf American linguistic minority of American Deaf Culture can be convinced that the dominant culture actually cares. In promoting this action research project, I created an online presentation, Deaf Eye on Emergency!, which describes the context of the national emergency alert system test using visual imagery, written English and several videoclips of commentary using American Sign Language. The presentation garnered over 1500 views during the nine-day research window and 1,846 as of this posting. English translations of the ASL clips are available now so that non-signers can know and respond to the explanations and ideas expressed in the video clips.

Creating New Relationships

Although good efforts and success stories do circulate, there is no commonly-recognized and widely-used medium of communication (yet) that satisfactorily mediates the sight-sound perceptual distinction between “People of the Eye” and “Hearing” people. Written English and spreading more information are perceived as “the answer.” While both of these strategies are necessary, without an interaction strategy to cultivate and redefine the inherited perception of neglect, systemic improvements in Deaf preparedness and contribution to emergency response efforts cannot occur.

An Interaction Strategy for Emergency Preparedness

Individual Deaf people often experience being told to wait while someone tries to figure out how to communicate with them, and then (usually) delivered sub-par and minimal information rather than being fully engaged as intelligent and competent human beings who can help resolve aspects of the situation, whatever it is. Historically, the legacies of discrimination and prejudice have convinced many members of Deaf culture that Hearing people really do not care about them. Serious effort needs to be strategically planned and exercised in order to overcome this unfortunate dynamic. It can be done, and if done well, crucial skills, knowledge, and benefits of resilience will flow from the Deaf community into the larger fabric of American society.

Be sure to check out this site: https://bitly.com/bundles/o_3jh80j4g49/1
Read more from Stephanie's website here: http://www.reflexivity.us/wp/2012/01/emergency-warning-and-community-response-the-edge-of-technology-and-culture/

What is the sign for...

2012-01-27T00:55:00.001-05:00

At the end of Kindergarten class today, one of students had her hand raised with a question. I couldn't catch what she was saying, so I turned to the teacher and told her I needed help. She told me the student wanted to know the sign for next week.

I showed them how to sign "next week".

The teacher said, "No, she wants to know the sign for next week".

I showed them how to sign it once again.

By now I'm suspecting something's not quite right. I think about it a moment and just started laughing. Of course! They wanted to know the signs for next week, not how to sign "next week".

Repeat and repeat, my days are full of repeats. I like funny ones like these.

"Don't Taser us... we're deaf" by Charlie Swinbourne

2012-01-25T19:29:00.005-05:00

This was written and published by Mr. Swinbourne in November, but as he mentioned, since the Olympics are in the UK this year, it's worth spreading the word in the upcoming months to remind others that there will be deaf people in attendance, and to be mindful, especially those who work in security and crowd control. It is well worth your time to check out the stories that are linked in his post.

Don't Taser us... we're deaf

A story has broken today about an elderly deaf man in America who died after a police officer (it is alleged) presumed he was ignoring him, and Tasered him while he was riding his bicycle. It’s in the Mail Online http://t.co/rxpfti0f and Gawker here: http://gawker.com/5862447/deaf-disabled-senior-citizen-on-bicycle-deemed-threat-by-police-tased-to-death

This comes on the back of a horrific incident last year outside a US shopping mall, where a deaf ASL user was held in a ‘choke hold’ by a security guard despite the protestations of his deaf friend in an incident that went viral on YouTube:http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2010/08/hollywood_security_choke.phpWhat occurred to someone simply going about their daily business is enough to bring most deaf people out in a cold sweat.

Closer to home, just last month, we found out how a deaf man was arrested when the sign for “I’m deaf” was mistaken for the V sign by a police officer. The police officer was later criticised in court:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-131518/Police-arresting-deaf-man-signing.html

Far milder than the cases above, I’ve had many times (in shops or on buses for example) when people have walked past me looking intensely annoyed and I’ve realised that they’ve been asking to get by, possibly more than once, not realising I can’t hear them. Presumably they think I’m ignoring them.

The Olympics arrive in London next year, and so it might be a good time to remind police and security staff in the UK and everywhere else, that people who do not respond to what you say at first, or respond with gestures instead of words, may not be trying to annoy you. They may simply be deaf. Apparently one in six of us are.

http://charlieswinbourne.com/2011/11/24/dont-taser-us-were-deaf/

Be sure to visit Mr. Swinbourne's webpage. You will find other informative articles, as well as an interesting program he writes for, "The Fingerspellers".

This One Is All About YOU

2012-01-25T07:42:00.015-05:00

It's quite a curious thing of late. I've had a lot of visitors coming and going. I have some that come almost daily, and others once a week, and still others, every other week. The visits occur at all hours of the day and night, a steady trickle of comings and goings. I just wish I knew a little more about you, Dear Visitors.

Some of us are already familiar with one another, but there are so many of you I've yet to learn about. You have visited from over 40 countries. I tracked your countries these past 2 weeks. Wherever you are from, whoever you are, I would love it if you left a little comment telling me a little something of yourself.  Feel free to post your blog address or other interesting site you like to visit. Please keep this family friendly because I have a young son who often sits with me and likes to see what I'm viewing.
Check the list below and see what other countries besides yours stop in for a visit:

United States Canada Russia France

United Kingdom Belgium Germany Thailand

Australia Taiwan Ireland Columbia

Honduras Malaysia Netherlands   Italy

Switzerland Cambodia Mexico Bulgaria

Latvia Philippines Portugal India

China Romania Spain Bahrain

Croatia Indonesia   Ukraine Ghana

Poland Serbia Japan South Korea

Kenya Lithuania Austria   Bosnia and

Herzegovina Qatar South Africa Brazil Israel

Turkey Argentina Finland

Thank you, each of you who drop by, for reading and leaving a comment now and then.. By the way, if you wish your comment to be just between us, simply say "please don't publish" and I will respect your wish and keep it private. All comments are moderated before being published.

I'm Deaf

2012-01-23T23:14:00.002-05:00

Are you Deaf? I'm deaf. Many of you have probably seen this before, but it is still one of my favorites by Sean Forbes, a Deaf signer, writer, singer.

My "Hearing" Husband's Thoughts On Deafness in Our Society Today

2012-01-23T11:06:00.030-05:00

My Fabulous Husband just posted this on his FB page. This is his heart today:

Question is being deaf a disability? I know from being happily married to a deaf spouse that there still are many barriers. But in mainstream U.S.A., we have almost if not all places with handicap/disability parking, ramps or accessible areas ie. elevators/escalators. Most if not all have braille to guide the blind or sight impaired. They allow service dogs in areas where normally no pets are allowed. Now just take a minute and think about this.

Most business, churches, supermarkets, have no help for the deaf. Phone systems are just about useless if you use a relay system. Automated answering systems don't allow enough time for the response after a Calling Agent or Relay Operator reads the prompts, they get disconnected. Now we really have just about all answering systems in Spanish or a Spanish prompt, but ASL/Sign language is another language, thus the title.

I am trying hard to understand this. Some deaf people tell me it is Deaf culture. But some want more equality, like my family. We have challenges with activities like attending church, lack of interpreters or being denied them. Recently there are movies now with open captions. Most doctor offices now if they are told will provide an interpreter for visits.

Our child’s school once aware of our need provides front row seating near the front for assemblies, whereas some places chose to seat the deaf in the back of the activity. Or complain there are not enough deaf people to provide interpreters. Others that have interpreters chose not to advertise there is a deaf service with interpreters, or even when they can have classes with interpreters.

I can only imagine with parents of children with autism, or related traits must have to deal with daily issue out there.

My heart and prayers go out to all who face these issues.

Sorry about this it was heavy on my mind and heart and just wanted to post it for others.

Inspiring Story

2012-01-23T08:43:00.001-05:00

This is a post from our local newspaper.There is a Deaf ministry hosted by the Catholic Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They invited this inspiring Deaf Priest (only one of 6 in our country currently) to come hold one of his retreats and share with the Deaf and the Hearing.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/06/deaf_priest_leads_sign_languag.html

I hope to read more stories like this in the future.

"Hearing the Unheard"

2012-01-21T15:14:00.004-05:00

Dr. Joseph Valente, who became deaf from the high fever that resulted from pneumonia when he was a child, shares some interesting stories, statistics and advice. We need to follow his advice. This was an excellent speech, Closed Captioned. It's worth your time to view: http://www.deaftv.com/film/TEDxPSU-Hearing-the-Unheard/
These are fascinating statistics if you are a parent or you work with children.
Here is a little tidbit from the speech: "Well, the Maryland School for the Deaf, they hold the distinction of passing state exams at higher rates than their hearing peers in hearing schools." Watch the video and learn more.

A Deaf Advocate's Story of a Very Special Deaf Man

2012-01-20T07:43:00.002-05:00

This is one of Annie's stories. Annie used to be my advocate/case worker for many years before I moved away, and I am privileged to call her my friend, too. I think you will find her story as she struggled to communicate with a very special Deaf man to be educational and inspiring. The link to her blog is at the bottom of the page.

Saturday 14 January 2012: Another Chapter, Same Story

Thirty years ago, a young me sat on this bench with a 72 year old man who had been Deaf from birth. He was born during at time when Sign Language was not used in the schools for the Deaf, the signs he used were home signs. The day came when his mother, age 91 and very confused, lived in this very facility (where Mother Comfort now looks forward to leaving) and he rode his bike up and down the hills three times a day to come have meals with her. "My little partner" she called him.

His name was Harold, and hers Ethel, and they both loved the King's Table buffet...especially the fried chicken. I had been commissioned to figure out how to communicate with him so that it would be possible to help him understand what was going on when his mother passed. It became clear that the first best thing was to learn their home signs, so I came every day to this place and spent time with them, building trust and observing.

When first I tried to teach him a few signs, he shut down, completely uninterested, as it was common back in the days he was educated to punish deaf people for using their hands to communicate, he looked down at the floor, almost ashamed when I used my hands to try to connect with him. So I waited. I came every day, took them to lunch or ate with them at the facility.

The ice breaker came when he climbed in to the back seat of a 2-door vehicle and she transferred from her wheelchair into the front seat. He couldn't get out to help me when he saw me struggling to figure out how her wheelchair folded up. This was usually his job, but he was trapped and out of pure desperation to help, he began to wave his hands wildly at me, then using classifiers, he described perfectly how I should approach folding the particular chair. With two 'B' hand shapes, palms down, beginning in the center and moving away from each other, he defined the seat, then showed me how to lift from each side and the chair would collapse as I lifted. I watched closely, followed his instruction and...success!! He was thrilled (I was too) and we began a journey of teaching each other.

On this bench, I so clearly remember sitting and looking at the bush behind the bench. I showed him the sign I understood as 'wood' and he showed me what his mother and he used. After that, a plane flew over and we exchanged the sign for airplane. On and on it went, 'mother', 'money', 'mailman', etc., the joy of sharing a window in to each others worlds, big smiles and satisfied nods, but we never got to the concept of death, not once.

The shocker came when he himself died later that same year and it was Ethel who needed help to understand what this process of losing a son was all about. If only I knew myself.

Hanging around this place for the last month or so, has been bitter sweet. I always feel close to Harold and Ethel when I'm here. She was 102 when she passed away and was so done with this earth by then, but I will always love and miss them. Mother Comfort doesn't want to come anywhere near 102 and I can't say I really blame her. She's ready to leave here and will miss only the lovely people who have cared for her. I do hold out hope that she will still learn new things and find a bit more joy in the process.

We bought a new toilet today. That has nothing to do with anything, except that the old one stunk and the new one doesn't. That makes me happy. It doesn't take much...

http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/1666752
Be sure to click on the different days of Annie's calendar to see other stories and photos.

Slow Motion ASL Tragedy

2012-01-20T00:48:00.000-05:00

I love this unique ASL tragedy and the unique way it is told. This is posted at Slow Motion Portraits, and I believe the signer's name is Tony Bloem. http://www.veysi.eu/Portraits/DEEP-LOOK-1/11073680_qjnmmr#!i=1244283506&k=ujLQa&lb=1&s=A

The Research is IN: Twitter Played a Vital Role in the Queensland Floods

2012-01-19T07:20:00.003-05:00

As a deaf person, I found Twitter to help me in Pennsylvania during our floods here several months ago. My community tweeted which roads were open, which ones were flooding, and because of Twitter, my husband was able to come in from the Pennsylvania captitol city of Harrisburg just in time before the secondary roads closed.

Twitter was also helpful in the Queensland, Australia area. Though the floods happened a year ago this month, the research is now rolling in about the vital role Twitter played through their disaster. See the research here, posted by Kim Stephens: http://idisaster.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/new-report-on-twitter-use-in-queensland-floods/

We're Doing It Wrong...

2012-01-18T11:47:00.001-05:00

In regards to SOPA, according to the last paragraph, "Instead of taking a sledgehammer to our internet, we should use a scalpel to specifically remove these rogue, foreign sources of piracy, while avoiding placing a burden on our American web companies." Joe Sestak. Read the complete article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-joe-sestak/sopa-corporat-lobbyists_b_1212417.html

"I'm Elmo and I Know It"... KIDS, LOOK AT THIS VIDEO....

2012-01-18T09:58:00.000-05:00

HA! Captioned when the song starts ! "Kids, look at these crayons" .. KIDS, LOOK AT THIS VIDEO. :-)

Dead Man's Party

2012-01-18T08:09:00.000-05:00

Here's something a little different put together by some creative kids for an ASL project at school. It's visually... interesting. :-) I think some of my Zombie loving friends will enjoy this bit. I did. Lyrics are below the video.

Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go
Walkin' with a dead man over my shoulder x2

It’s only me

Waiting for an invitation to arrive
Goin' to a party where no one's still alive x2

*CHORUS
I was struck by lighting
Walkin' down the street
I was hit by something last night in my sleep
It's a dead man's party
Who could ask for more?
Everybody's comin', leave your body at the door
Leave your body and soul at the door…
(Don't run away it's only me)
Only me…
Only me…

All dressed up with nowhere to go
Walkin' (with a dead man)x2
Waitin' for an invitation to arrive
Walking with a dead man…Dead Man…Dead Man…

Got my best suit and my tie
Shiny silver dollar on either eye
I hear the chauffeur comin' to my door
Says there's room for maybe just one more…

*CHORUS

Don't run away it's only me
Don't be afraid of what you can't see
Don't run away it's only me…
It’s only me…It’s only me…

*CHORUS

Don't run away it's only me
Don't be afraid of what you can't see
Don't run away it's only me…

Don't be afraid of what you can't see

It’s only me… (Repeat 9 times)

ASLTUNES Mobile App

2012-01-17T07:29:00.000-05:00

I am a HUGE fan of ASL music videos, especially ones that are closed captioned so everyone can enjoy them. Now, the Deaf and Hearing Impaired community can have their own version of Itunes in the form of ASLTUNES. Check out this page and the genius behind this idea, Jade at the link below, and if you can, spread the word and help her and her team out as they work on the app to get this great idea up and running. Follow the link and see what's happening right now with their project:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zhaneazele/you-got-itunes-we-got-asltunestm

Perhaps you remember Ann Marie Bryan (Jade) from another important piece of work, her documentary "9/11 10 Years Later - Are They Ready for Deaf People".

"CODA" A short film by Melissa Mostyn-Thomas

2012-01-16T07:36:00.000-05:00

"CODA" Child of Deaf Adult is written and directed by Melissa Mostyn-Thomas, a writer and journalist. This is worth 10 minutes of your time to watch. You may also want to check out Melissa's blog. Her link is below the video.
http://www.bslbt.co.uk/zoom/films/zoom_2011/coda/

Melissa's blog: http://www.themostynjournal.blogspot.com/

You may have to let the video load fully onto your computer before watching if you are in the U.S. I had a bit of difficulty with the player working on my computer. It is well worth the wait and your time.

Free Online Resource

2012-01-15T18:07:00.001-05:00

Amy Strassner Sargent left this link for me to share with my readers who would like to learn ASL. This is a FREE online university full of resources for teachers, educators and those of us who just want to learn more. Thank you, Amy, for sharing this information with us! http://www.lifeprint.com/

"We Are Deaf"

2012-01-15T11:40:00.002-05:00

I have watched a few of these videos now and again. I'm happy to see there are some captions on here. I was always disappointed that there were no captions available on the actual series for hard of hearing just learning signs, or the "newly deaf" learning to sign. Some of us don't know anyone around us who use Sign Language, some are home bound, have no transportation, or not able to afford costly classes, so the next best thing is to find educational ASL videos online. These were interesting because you see other deaf people around the world, a bit of their culture, signs which are variously different from ASL.

Joel Barrish is a GREAT host to watch as he travels and interviews people.

The video: http://deafnation.com/joelbarish/people/we-are-deaf/

The back story of the video: http://deafnation.com/we-are-deaf-behind-the-scenes/

Free Your Mind

2012-01-14T13:38:00.000-05:00

I love the message of this music video. This is interpreted by June Ann LeFors.

"Say Hey" Interpreted by Dano Kaufman

2012-01-12T07:20:00.000-05:00

Here's a "feel good" ASL video for the day. :-)

Say Hey lyrics

Songwriters: Dunbar, S; Franti, Michael; Shakespear, R; Young, Carl Rogers;

This one goes out to you and yours, worldwide

I say, hey, I be gone today
But I be back around the way
Seems like everywhere I go
The more I see, the less I know
But I know one thing that I love you, baby girl
I love you, I love you, I love you

I've been a lot of places all around the way
I've seen a lot of joy, and I've seen a lot of pain
But I don't want to write a love song for the world
I just want to write a song about a boy and a girl

Junkies on the corner, always calling my name
And the kids on the corner playing ghetto games
When I saw you getting down, girl, I hoped it was you
And when I looked into your eyes, I knew it was true

I say, hey, I be gone today
But I be back around the way
Seems like everywhere I go
The more I see, the less I know
But I know one thing that I love you, baby girl
I love you, I love you, I love you

Now I'm not a highly metaphysical man
But I know when the stars are aligned you can
Bump into a person in the middle of the road
Look into their eyes, and you suddenly know

Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you
Dancing in the night in the middle of June
My momma told me don't lose you
'Cause the best luck I had was you

I say, hey, I be gone today
But I be back around the way
[ From : http://www.elyrics.net/read/m/michael-franti-lyrics/say-hey-lyrics.html ]
It seems like everywhere I go
The more I see, the less I know
But I know one thing that I love you, baby girl
I love you, I love you, I love you

And I say, rocking in the dance, hall moving with you
I say, hey momma, hey momma, close to you
Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you
I say, hey, trippa, trippa, got to shoot

Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you
I say, hey momma, close to you
Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you
I say, hey momma, hey momma, hey momma, hey momma
Hey momma, hey momma, hey momma, hey momma

My momma told me don't lose you
'Cause the best luck I had was you
And I know one thing that I love you

I say, hey, I be gone today
But I'll be back around the way
It seems like everywhere I go
The more I see, the less I know

I say, hey, I be gone today
But I'll be back around the way
It seems like everywhere I go
The more I see, the less I know
But I know one thing that I love you, baby girl
I love you, I love you, I love you

I love you, I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you, I love you

Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you
I say, hey papa, hey papa, hey momma, hey momma
Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you
Come on, hey papa, hey papa, come to shoot
(Hey mama, hey mama)

The Controversy....

2012-01-11T09:15:00.001-05:00

Amy Cohen Efron wrote this excellent piece. This is very controversial, and it's about time someone shed light on this issue. Just this winter, an innocent Deaf man was tased to death by Law Enforcement here in Pennsylvania, and if you follow the links in this article, you will be appalled how we treat our Deaf and Hard of Hearing citizens.

So, what's the deal with this? Well, watch the clip she included from Switched at Birth and you will experience this from the view of a Deaf person. Also, when you handcuff a Deaf person, you take away their voice...their voice is the language they speak with their hands. Be informed. Be aware, be compassionate and sensitive to your fellow citizens. xpressive handz.

http://www.deafeyeseeit.com/2012/01/10/switched-at-birth-emmett-arrested-and-handcuffed/
An excellent comment was left below the article suggested that Law Enforcement and First Responders have Deaf awareness training yearly.

30 things to stop doing to yourself

2012-01-11T08:07:00.000-05:00

These are excellent. If you're not familiar with Marc and Angel's inspiring website, this is a great time to check them out, maybe even incorporate of few of these items into your new year: http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/11/30-things-to-stop-doing-to-yourself/

Signing Flash Mob

2012-01-10T07:40:00.001-05:00

This is a FUN group of signers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=i8cw_nxTSGA#!

Deaf Awareness Presentation for Helen Keller Week

2012-01-09T07:47:00.000-05:00

I had an amazing week last week visiting eight classrooms of adorable kids and their fabulous teachers. My son's Second Grade teacher invited me to come to school and give presentations on deafness and Sign Language during Helen Keller week. I visited just one class on Wednesday, then three classes on Thursday and four on Friday.

The Second Grade students and teachers at my son's school ROCK. They were an excellent audience, asked smart questions and taught me a sign or two as well as corrected me when I discussed the hairs in the ears: they are not just hairs, "They are hair cells" according to one very smart scientific young man.

I was terribly nervous for the first class, in part because it was with the teacher who invited me and also because my son was in this class. I still don't know how to switch from the role of "Mommy" to "teacher" and he doesn't, either. It rather made me tense each time his hand went up to ask a question.

I began the presentation by explaining that I am deaf, how I lost my hearing from many, many ear infections through the years, the sounds just faded away slowly year after year. It was others who noticed my deafness before I did. We discussed the different ways a person can lose their hearing, the importance of taking care of our ears, wearing helmets when riding bikes and skate boarding, because a blow to the head can cause deafness. We discussed how high fevers and illness can cause deafness, as in the case of Helen Keller. The one point I did drive home was how important it is to not turn things up louder than they need when they use ear buds and head phones. One student spoke up and told us that was how her Grandfather lost his hearing, listening to really loud music.

We talked about being born deaf, being culturally Deaf, and how many Deaf people do not consider themselves to be disabled, and that it is perfectly ok to ask someone if they are Deaf. We discussed and demonstrated how Closed Captions work for tv and DVD's as well shared a demonstration of how the Cap Tel Relay system works for telephone calls. I hope in the near future to check out a Video Relay phone and the app for that as well.

They were fascinated to learn how our manual alphabet is dated back at least to the 11th century, about a thousand years ago from Chunny, France where it is documented that Monks used the signs during their vows of silence when they had to perform funerals or other public services. After the first class, I had to preface I did not know why the Monks made vows of Silence, because that was the first thing a student asked about, "Why do they do vows of Silence?"

We discussed how someone born deaf who has never heard before would not know how to speak unless they had classes in speech therapy, and how many Deaf learn to read lips and facial expression and how American Sign Language is their First Language. I myself had speech therapy and I also took speech reading classes where I learned to read lips, facial expressions and to use guess work and intuition while following conversations.

We discussed how to properly speak to a Deaf or hard of hearing person, to be sure that their lips and face are visible, that it is ok to touch a person to get their attention or wave, and it is perfectly acceptable to speak up if a person says, "Please speak up" as long as it is with a respectful tone.

I showed the students my hearing aids, explained they are not perfect, they are just aids and even though many of us wear them, we still can't hear many things clearly. They help us to be aware of sounds near us and ambient noise, though sounds can be difficult to distinguish, or to know what we are hearing. When I explained how my first pair of hearing aids allowed me to hear birds for the first time in many years (when my hearing was then just moderate) some of their faces looked so surprised. It was a great example of how a gradual loss can occur without a person even being aware, and that this may be the case for many of their Grandparents one day. It's ok to let Grandma and Grandpa know they are losing some sounds and to encourage them to use Closed Captions, a Cap Tel phone and to get their hearing tested, perhaps a pair of hearing aids may help.

The most important point I wanted to drive home was that Deaf people can do anything a hearing person can...except hear. We can read tv, make phone calls and there are some great advances in technology that allows this to be possible for us. The question of driving came up, which was a great example of how we can do the same things as "hearing people".

The highlight of their presentation was learning the manual alphabet and how to use the first letter of their name over their heart for the basic "sign name". I also make a clear point of how they should never make up their own sign name, only a Deaf person fluent in ASL should do this. They would not want to end up calling themselves something like "Nose Picker". They laughed at that and shook their heads, some teachers cringed, but it brought home the point of the importance of not making up their own signs. I showed them the Signing Dictionary I use and told them they could ask their librarian if there is one at the library they can check out.

The children now know how to make friends with a Deaf child at the park. They learned to sign, "Hi, Friend, play?" I think that is the most important phrase a child can learn, besides, "I love you".

At the end of the class, for the tv and Closed Caption demonstration, I showed a video clip of Rachel Coleman from Signing Time teaching how to count from one to ten and the "counting song". Many were familiar with the Closed Caption, for others it was the first time "reading tv". They were very interested in the Signing Time DVD. I told them they could check the DVD's out for free from our own local library and watch them at home.

I explained the two most common Sign Languages we use in our country, Signing Exact English (to teach Deaf children how to read) and ASL, conversational Sign Language. I shared how ASL is like reading a book of just pictures, no words were needed, just concepts of the pictures to tell the story.

As I write this, I can't help but wonder if perhaps one of these students today will grow up and become an interpreter or a counselor or teacher working with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community? Wouldn't it be lovely to know not only did we bring Deaf awareness to the future generation, but also helped someone discover a future career path?

"Just the Way You Are" Interpreted by lankylistman

2012-01-09T00:18:00.002-05:00

This young man does an AMAZING interpretation.

LYRICS:

Oh her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day

Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment her
She wont believe me
And its so, its so
Sad to think she don't see what I see

But every time she asks me do I look okay
I say

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

Her nails, her nails
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh
She hates but I think its so sexy

She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day

Oh you know, you know, you know
Id never ask you to change
If perfect is what you're searching for
Then just stay the same

So don't even bother asking
If you look okay
You know I say

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

The way you are
The way you are
Girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

"The Way You Make Me Feel" posted by Sean Berdy of Switched At Birth

2012-01-08T21:54:00.007-05:00

Apparently, another great ASL video has been booted off of YouTube. I was pleased to have found this Vimeo post by Sean Berdy Himself.

http://vimeo.com/12299277

I wish I knew who the young woman performing with him is. I don't see her name.

"Ice Cream Sandwich" Updated Post from Ryan at ClosedCapp.com

2012-01-08T20:48:00.002-05:00

Ryan stopped by the blog and announced there is an upgrade on the Android App "Ice Cream Sandwich". I'm an Iphone user, and this isn't available on my phone, however, for Android users, this post is for you! :-) Thank you Ryan for keeping us in the loop. His comment and link are below:

Ryan said...

Hi Xpressive Hands, thanks for posting about Closed Capp, I'm really happy you are excited about it. This has great potential to help a lot of people as the voice recognition gets better and better. The newest version of Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" already has a major upgrade to the service, and it's working great. I assure you all that Google has the highest security possible involving their services, so don't be afraid to test it out. I hope you try it and post about your experiences with Closed Capp, I'd love to read about it. Thanks! - Ryan from ClosedCapp.com http://closedcapp.com/

"When You Say Nothing At All" Interpreted by Love4Sign

2012-01-07T19:29:00.001-05:00

This is beautiful and sweet. Lyrics are below the video.

"When You Say Nothing At All"

It's amazing
How you can speak
Right to my heart
Without saying a word,
You can light up the dark
Try as I may
I could never explain
What I hear when
You don't say a thing

[CHORUS:]
The smile on your face
Lets me know
That you need me
There's a truth
In your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says
You'll catch me
Whenever I fall
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all

All day long
I can hear people
Talking out loud
But when you hold me near
You drown out the crowd
(The crowd)
Try as they may
They could never define
What's been said
Between your
Heart and mine

[Repeat chorus twice]

(You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all)

The smile on your face
The truth in your eyes
The touch of your hand
Let's me know
That you need me

[Repeat chorus]

(You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all)

The smile on your face
The truth in your eyes
The touch of your hand
Let's me know
That you need me

(You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all)

"Loquacious That"

2012-01-06T11:20:00.002-05:00

I am going to have to free up some time and take this course. It looks absolutely FABULOUS and FUN !! Now, if I can just find that website to sign up.....Captions come up shortly after the teaser starts.

Keith Wann Thinks Like Dr. Seuss

2012-01-06T07:51:00.000-05:00

This one is for the kids. I hope you enjoy this as much as I.

"Leave Out All the Rest" Interpreted by Michael Scott

2012-01-05T23:16:00.003-05:00

Such concise interpreting, and the background is creative. I like watching this man's interpretation. The lyrics are below the video.

"Leave Out All The Rest"

I dreamed I was missing
You were so scared
But no one would listen
'Cause no one else cared

After my dreaming
I woke with this fear
What am I leaving
When I'm done here?

So if you're asking me
I want you to know

[Chorus]
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest

Don't be afraid
I've taken my beating
I've shared what I've made
I'm strong on the surface
Not all the way through
I've never been perfect
But neither have you

So if you're asking me
I want you to know

[Chorus]
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest

Forgetting all the hurt inside
You've learned to hide so well
Pretending someone else can come
And save me from myself
I can't be who you are

[Chorus]
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest

Forgetting all the hurt inside
You've learned to hide so well
Pretending someone else can come
And save me from myself
I can't be who you are
I can't be who you are

Technology assures deaf student learns surgery at UC Davis School of Medicine

2012-01-05T07:59:00.000-05:00

FANTASTIC and clever! I like how the TEAM works together to come up with solutions to help and are eager to try something new and innovative for one of their team members.

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Helen Keller

Signing Time Is Making a Difference for Deaf Children in Ghana

2012-01-04T11:52:00.003-05:00

Rachel and Leah are going to Ghana. Take a few moments to hear what Leah has to say about her experience in Ghana. It will make you realize just how privileged we as Deaf and hard of hearing in America truly are. They share information of their previous experience and what they are going to do while they are there this year. It is captioned.
http://www.signingtimefoundation.org/2012/01/03/rachel-and-leah-why-we-are-going-to-ghana-video/

A New Year, A New Opportunity

2012-01-03T12:04:00.000-05:00

A new year has arrived as well as a new opportunity. I have been asked to come to a public school this week for 3 days to speak about Deafness, hearing loss and Sign Language to all the second grade classes. There are eight classes in all. This week is Helen Keller week, and I have the privilege of sharing a little about the history of Sign Language, and show them how I "phone" people via the Cap Tel Relay (if there is time). I will also give a short segment on etiquette when speaking with a Deaf or hard of hearing person.

With children, I find that by first giving a basic short overview, their questions will drive the direction of the presentation. I have found each class is different, and by following the direction they are interested in, they are focused if I follow their lead. My motto with presentations lately has been to just "go with the flow". One class may be more interested in the technological gadgets available, where another group may be interested strictly in Sign Language, or they want to know why don't ALL Deaf people know how to sign, or what causes a person to lose their hearing.

Though each class may learn something a little different, when they do get together with the students from other classes on the play ground or on the bus, they each have something to share with one another that they may not have heard during their class.

I will be visiting each class for thirty minutes. Tomorrow I am visiting my son's class. It was his teacher who asked if I would come do the presentation and who set it up that I may visit with the other classes. I'm so glad we were able to have a good talk during the parent/teacher conference. By sharing why my son is different with communicating, being up close and personal and loud, it opened the door to share important information they may not learn of otherwise. It also will help teachers to know a little more about children with the challenge of hearing loss who may be in their class someday.

I sent a folder to the teacher a few weeks ago with the manual alphabet to run copies off so the children have something tangible from the presentation to take home with them and to learn on their own further, if they are interested. I can't wait to share with them that there is a document from the 11th century with pictures of the very same alphabet that was used by monks in Chuny France during their times of silence. So many people think Sign Language is a "new language".

Thursday I will visit three classes and on Friday, four classes. Such busyness after a delightful and relaxing vacation! I'll blog about where we went and what we did another time. Right now it's back to business.

Happy New Year, All.

"Social Media Levels the Playing Field" by Anne

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is Anne. I love what she has to say about Twitter and Social Media.

"I'm Getting Nuttin' For Christmas" ASL Interpretation

2011-12-22T16:57:00.003-05:00

Here's a song I've never heard or seen before! This was uploaded by lama7578 on YouTube. I'm sure Santa will leave something for the kid. :-) Coal? nahhh.......... Lyrics are below the video.

I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
Mommy and Daddy are mad.
I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
'Cause I ain't been nuttin' but bad.

I broke my bat on Johnny's head;
Somebody snitched on me.
I hid a frog in sister's bed;
Somebody snitched on me.

I spilled some ink on Mommy's rug;
I made Tommy eat a bug;
Bought some gum with a penny slug;
Somebody snitched on me.

CHORUS
Oh, I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
Mommy and Daddy are mad.
I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
'Cause I ain't been nuttin' but bad.

I put a tack on teacher's chair;
Somebody snitched on me.
I tied a knot in Suzy's hair;
Somebody snitched on me.
I did a dance on Mommy's plant.
Climbed a tree and tore my pants.
Filled that sugar bowl with ants;
Somebody snitched on me.

CHORUS
Oh, I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
Mommy and Daddy are mad.
I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas
'Cause I ain't been nuttin' but bad.

So you better be good whatever you do
'Cause if you're bad, I'm warning you,
You'll get nuttin' for Christmas.

Vacation

2011-12-18T23:35:00.001-05:00

Here we go. Happy Holidays, Everyone.

Winterfest 2011 - Ocean City, Maryland from Ocean City Events on Vimeo.

"God Speaking" Interpreted by Michael Scott

2011-12-16T07:55:00.002-05:00

I thought this was beautifully interpreted by Michael Scott. It thrills me when I see churches, musicians and others include interpreters in their services and performances. When you allow them to be visual, you are showing that you respect the Deaf in your community, and you welcome them .

Have you ever had a love that

Set your spirit free
Have you ever watched a sunrise and
Felt you could not breathe
What if it's Him
What if it's God speaking

Have you ever cried a tear that
You could not explain
Have you ever met a stranger
Who already knew your name
What if it's Him
What if it's God speaking

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/mandisa/god_speaking.html ]
Have you ever lost a loved one
Who you thought should still be here
Do you know what it feels like
To be tangled up in fear
What if He's somehow involved
What if He's speaking through it all

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"

His ways are higher
His ways are better
Though sometimes strange
What could be stranger
Than God in a manger

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
Who knows how He'll get a hold of you
Get your attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"

God is speaking
"I love you"

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/mandisa/#share

"The Night Before Christmas" Told by Keith Wann

2011-12-15T11:12:00.003-05:00

The children LOVED this version of "The Night Before Christmas". We hooked the computer up to a projector today and watched it with the lights off, just like a movie. They laughed about Mr. Wann calling the police on Santa.

"JOY"

2011-12-15T00:16:00.001-05:00

This is Angela interpreting "JOY" by the Newsboys.
Lyrics are below the video.

You give me joy that's unspeakable
And I like it, And I like it
Your love for me is irresistible
I can't fight it, I can't fight it

If life is water, I was dry as Tuscon dirt
If it's a gamble, I'd already lost my shirt
If it's a journey, I was dazed without a clue
I flipped a 'U' back to the first love I ever knew

CHORUS
You give me joy that's unspeakable
And I like it, And I like it
Your love for me is irresistible
I can't fight it, I can't fight it
You carried the cross and took my shame
I believe it, I believe it
You shine Your light of amazing grace
I recieve it, I receive it

If life's a battle, the invasion is complete
If it's a rhythm, I have found the perfect beat
If it's a renaissance, I've got a new birthday
The world don't give it
And the world can't take it away

CHORUS

I'm bowed and broken, everything's new
All that I need, You're like water to seed
And how Your love, rights everything wrong
And in my weakness
You're ever stronger, You're pulling me back
Where I belong

CHORUS

The Hallelujah Chorus Creatively Performed in Quinhagak, Alaska

2011-12-14T07:40:00.000-05:00

Hallelujah Chorus creatively put together by the 5th grade students of Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat in Quinhagak, Alaska. Love this!!

A Wonderful Opportunity for the New Year

2011-12-13T08:04:00.000-05:00

I have been kindly asked by my son's Second Grade teacher if I would be interested in coming to the school during Helen Keller week in January to do a presentation about Deafness, Hearing Loss and Sign Language. I will not only be visiting her class, but seven others as well.

This is such a wonderful opportunity to educate young hearing children about etiquette when speaking to a Deaf person, or with a grandparent who may be losing their hearing. It is also an opportunity to teach them how sign the phrase, "Hi, Friend, play?" on the occasion they might meet a Deaf child at the park.

I'm very excited with the interest so many teachers have shown when it comes to deafness and Sign Language lately. It is thrilling to see hearing schools wanting to learn more and welcoming us to come and share with the children.

What a great way to start the new year!

"White Christmas" Signed by LaRonda

2011-12-12T01:37:00.003-05:00

I love the beautiful expression of this Deaf woman. This is delightful! The video was uploaded by Lzupp on YouTube. Of the 4 seasons, snow is her favorite. She doesn't see much snow where she lives now and she misses it. This is what she is telling us at the beginning of the video before she begins signing "White Christmas".

"Amazing Grace" Interpreted by Mercedes Waldman

2011-12-12T01:17:00.002-05:00

This is a gorgeous interpretation and performance. Mercedes Waldman is deaf.

The Numbers

2011-12-10T07:39:00.000-05:00

Here is the link to test your numbers. This is what I struggle with the most - anything mathematical. This is a wonderful tool to practice with.

http://asl.bz/

The number, fifteen always makes me think someone is beckoning me to come closer. :-)

Bruno Mars' "Grenade" interpreted by kmklined

2011-12-09T12:32:00.003-05:00

This interpretation by kmklined is FANTASTIC. There are no captions, but I could follow well enough with her expressive performance to catch the meaning well enough. The lyrics can be found below the video.

Bruno Mars - Grenade Lyrics

Artist: Bruno Mars

Album: Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Songwriters: (undetermined) Brown, (undetermined) Kelly, Philip Lawrence Ii, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars, (undetermined) Wyatt

Easy come, easy go, that's just how you live
Oh take, take, take it all but you never give
Should've known you was trouble from the first kiss
Had your eyes wide open, why were they open?

Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
'Cause what you don't understand is

I'd catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on the blade for ya
I'd jump in front of a train for ya
You know I'd do anything for ya

I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same

No, no, no, no
Black, black, black and blue, beat me till I'm numb
Tell the devil I said, hey, when you get back to where you're from
Bad women, bad women, that's just what you are, yeah
You smile in my face then rip the breaks out my car

Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, yes, you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
'Cause what you don't understand is

I'd catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on the blade for ya
I'd jump in front of a train for ya
You know I'd do anything for ya

I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya, baby
But you won't do the same

If my body was on fire
Ooh, you'd watch me burn down in flames
You said you loved me, you're a liar
'Cause you never ever, ever did, baby

But darling, I'd still catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on the blade for ya
I'd jump in front of a train for ya
You know I'd do anything for ya

I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same

No, you won't do the same
You wouldn't do the same
Ooh, you never do the same
Oh no, no, no

Test Your Finger Spelling

2011-12-08T23:58:00.003-05:00

I found this surfing one day. I can't wait to share this with my students. You can replay the word, or you can slow it down. This is great for those of us who need to practice our receptive skills in reading finger spelling. This will help children improve their own reading skills, as well.

://asl.ms/

Good luck and have fun!

"Christmas Shoes" interpreted by Dustin Smith

2011-12-07T20:45:00.002-05:00

I enjoy the interpreted videos that this young man uploads on YouTube as skydiversmith. It's time for Christmas music, don't you agree?

http://www.youtube.com/user/skydiversmith

The Christmas Shoes lyrics

It was almost Christmas time, there I stood in another line
Tryin' to buy that last gift or two, not really in the Christmas mood
Standing right in front of me was a little boy waiting anxiously
Pacing 'round like little boys do
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes

His clothes were worn and old, he was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say

Chorus:
Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

He counted pennies for what seemed like years
Then the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"
He searched his pockets frantically
[- From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/n/newsong-lyrics/the-christmas-shoes-lyrics.html -]
Then he turned and he looked at me
He said Mama made Christmas good at our house
Though most years she just did without
Tell me Sir, what am I going to do,
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes

So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said
Mama's gonna look so great

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

Bridge:
I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me just what Christmas is all about
http://www.elyrics.net/read/n/newsong-lyrics/the-christmas-shoes-lyrics.html

"All These Things That I've Done" interpreted by Jooshbro

2011-12-06T22:25:00.001-05:00

This young man is has unbelievable creative ideas. I loved this. He goes by Jooshbro on YouTube. I wonder what he will come up with in the future? Lyrics are below the video.

Writer: BRANDON FLOWERS

When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on
I want to stand up, I want to let go
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
I want to shine on in the hearts of men
I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand

Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no

Help me out
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you got to help me out

And when there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you got to help me out
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier
I got soul, but I'm not a soldier

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you got to help me out
You're gonna bring yourself down
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down

Over and again, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
If you can hold on
If you can hold on

Give the Gift of Communication this Christmas

2011-12-05T17:56:00.016-05:00

This is a VERY good deal for a very good phone. Give the gift of communication to a loved one this Christmas. If you've lost year hearing, but not your voice, this is a wonderful phone for you. Your family would love to hear your voice, and you would love seeing what your family has to say. I loved my Cap Tel landline, before my IPhone came along. Now I use the Cap Tel Iphone App. There's an app for Android and Blackberry as well. There is also the Hamilton Web Cap Tel you can access via computer. That was my favorite app when my eyes were giving me a hard time. This option would be GREAT for folks with vision difficulties.
No, I do not get paid to tell you how much I love this company and their gadgets. :-) The Cap Tel Relay services and apps are FREE.

CapTel 800i Captioned TelephoneRequires phone service and high-speed Internet

		Hamilton Mobile CapTelAndroid™, BlackBerry® and iPhone®.

Hamilton Web CapTelPC & Mac® Compatible

My Dad's hearing loss used to be a family
frustration – especially during the Holidays.
He just wouldn't answer the phone. Then we
discovered Hamilton CapTel. Now our
frustration is gone and my Dad answers
every call with holiday cheer.

The holidays have always been a
special time for my dad and thanks
to Hamilton CapTel, they still are.

Click here to order on-line
or call: 888-514-7933
**Order by December 15th and receive free shipping and delivery in time for the Holidays! Offer ends January 30, 2012.* Expedited shipping is available, additional fees may apply.

Copyright © 2011 Hamilton Relay. All rights reserved. • CapTel is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. • Android is a trademark of Google, Inc. • BlackBerry is a trademark of Research In Motion Limited • iPhone and Mac are trademarks of Apple, Inc.