I Am Deaf Essay - 1177 Words

Otherness Project Exceptional Learners I am deaf. I am at Starbucks. I want to order coffee. I have to do it on paper rather than out loud because I speak so poorly, I don’t like to try. I intend to write it down and show it to the barrista, but I am nervous. I don’t know if I am more nervous because I am not really deaf and I feel guilty or because I am different from the other customers and I will be labeled as disabled. I am not looking forward to placing my order. I order a medium decaf coffee by holding up a notebook with the phrase â€Å"Medium Decaf Coffee, Please.† The young man at the counter does a quick transformation from a confident good looking guy to a bumbling embarrassed guy. He says,† yes sir† three or†¦show more content†¦But, it is definitely not as simple as my cell phone. I go to the bathroom, and while I am sitting in there, (a restroom designed for just one person,) someone knocks on the door loudly a few times. Ordinarily, I would speed up or at least answer to let them know that I am in here and that I am aware of their need. Today though, I do nothing for I can not hear them knocking, and therefore I am not aware that they are even there. Normally, in such a situation, when I exit the individual restroom, I will pan the room with my eyes to see if the person is attending the restroom waiting for me to exit. I want to help them get their rest in the toilet. But today, I have no concern that they will think me incourteous. For, I did not even know that they had need of the facility. A song that I love comes on the radio, and it soothes my soul right at this moment like an angel; I drink it-- in one great big gulp. Then, I tell myself, â€Å"No, you can’t hear that; withdraw the sense of hearing and the consequent joy that comes from that sense.† I wrestle with the need to be true to the otherness in exercise. I cling selfishly to the ability to hear. And music gains a new profundity that usually is only felt in spurts of catharsis; instead catharsis takes over as my baseline of experience with every song that is played on the radio, and my heart is in my ears pining for the sounds that arise in the room to warm me. I turn away from my ears toShow MoreRelatedStatus Quo, From High School Musical925 Words   |  4 Pagesthis assignment, I immediately thought about the song called â€Å"Status Quo† from High School Musical. This was one of my favorite movies when I was a teenager. The song plays in the movie while Gabrielle’s friends are telling her that if she dates Troy, the popular basketball player, it will mess us the â€Å"status quo.† In a cute dance number they break out in song in the cafeteria singing. From watching that movie, I already had an understanding of what I needed to reflect on. I am a very organizedRead MoreI Learned At A Young Age Of What A Stereotype Really Means764 Words   |  4 PagesI learned at a young age of what a stereotype really means. When people look at me or speak with me, they think I am a simple white girl who grew up in the perfect house. I would say I have spent most of my life being sheltered by my mother. My mother is an amazing woman who had high goals in life for my sister and I. My mom was a single mom raising us alone, she never thought she would face a challenge which is having a deaf daughter. People do not realize being deaf is challenging in so many waysRead MoreThe Deaf Community and Its Culture1545 Words   |  7 Pagessemester, when I decided to take this course to see if I wanted to continue onward with ASL as my minor, I was not sure what to expect. Through my brief introduction of Deaf culture during my first sign language courses, I knew some vague details about historical events. Gallaudet had been mentioned several times within not only my workbook, but also by my professor. I could have given you a short synopsis of the oral movement that threatened to wipe ASL out as a language. Though I knew these factsRead MoreThe Is A Simple Term Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesAudism is at face value a simple term. The belief that one is better than another due to their deafness. To many audism is to deaf people what racism is to non caucasian people. That analogy seems to be the most accurate and helpful when teaching someone about audism. Audism is not a new concept. However, the word is. *insert quote*/citation. Just as we all perpetuate, to a degree, racism and sexism. We all perpetuate audism, even on an unconscious level. The society we live in supports audists beliefsRead MoreSummary Of Mother Father Deaf : Living Between Sound And Silence 1030 Words   |  5 PagesCasey White Professor Birdsall Griffiths American Sign Language 20 November 2014 Book Report â€Å"Mother Father Deaf: Living Between Sound and Silence† by Paul Preston, portrays interviews with over 150 individuals, who are all hearing children of deaf parents. Being that Preston is a child of deaf parents, himself, it made it a lot easier for the informants to fully open up to him. He understands where they are coming from and is relatable for them. One of their biggest frustrations is having to explainRead MoreThrough Deaf Eyes Review Essay1523 Words   |  7 PagesIn â€Å"Through Deaf Eyes† you will find a range of perspective on the question what is deafness? This film is a balanced presentation of deaf experience. I believe that the film does a good job of revealing the struggles and triumphs of deaf people in society throughout history. The documentary covers a span of close to 200 years of deaf life in the United States. You will see experiences among deaf people in education, family life, work, and social activities. Sign language is language that usesRead MoreThrough Deaf Eyes Reflection Paper1708 Words   |  7 PagesThrough Deaf Eyes Reflection Paper â€Å"Through Deaf Eyes† was a documentary that really opened my eyes and allowed me to understand just a small fraction of what it may be like for a Deaf person to live in a hearing world. The first thing that really stuck with me was the fact that the film was all silent. The part that made it easy for me to understand was the fact that there was closed captioning. All throughout the film, all participants, both Deaf and hearing, were signing at what seemed like lightningRead MoreWhy I Decided to Enter the Teaching Profession1020 Words   |  4 Pagesenter the Provincial Instructor Diploma Course. I am part-time instructor assistant for Deaf and Hard of Hearing program (DHH) at Vancouver Community College. I have worked with varied students – deaf, hard of hearing, deaf with disabilities. All of those adult students from full diversity of different sector and different religions in existing country. Not only that, some of students are fortunate enough to have alread y attended schools for the deaf in their home countries, and others may have hadRead MoreThe American Heritage Dictionary Of The English Language1591 Words   |  7 PagesWhen I thought of deaf culture, I wanted to first see if I could find any definitions so that I could get a general idea as to what it meant before I started doing all my research on it. So I started with the word culture first. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (online version) states: 1. a. The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. b. These patterns, traits,Read MoreA Study On Cochlear Implants1448 Words   |  6 Pageswithout a cochlear implant and lastly children or adults with cochlear implants may not even develop a good speech. There are many positive and negative articles I have read on cochlear implants. As a parent you are not only putting your child at risk, you are also withdrawing them from the deaf community, the one they were naturally born into. I do not support cochlear implants, children should not be implanted until they are grown to the point where they can make their own choice During