I have a few friends on social media who are Deaf. Most of my understanding of being Deaf comes from them.
During Deaf awareness week, one of them posted a photo of this poster which he'd put in his office, next to a message saying come and talk to him.
(This poster isn't mine - I'm not sure where it originated from. I found it really helpful)
For 2 days he didn't get a single response. No-one came up and said hi.
No-one.
In an office, with lots of colleagues.
As a chatty, hearing person, I would have chatted to lots of people. For him not a single person came and said hi - despite it being deaf awareness week and there being a special invite!
No-one.
If that wasn't bad enough, other Deaf comment-ers were all totally un-surprised. Frustrated, but with a lot of 'well, that sounds normal'.
I knew that being Deaf in a world that relies a lot on sound must be isolating.
What I hadn't realised is that the isolation isn't so much caused by auditory issues, but by us hearing folk feeling too awkward or unsure to say hi, or too 'busy' to make the minor adjustments that would make chatting with them possible (see the poster above).
So I hearby promise, that should a chatting situation arise, and I discover that the other person is Deaf, I won't clam up and leave, but instead see if there are little adaptations I can make which will allow us to chat.
Don't worry, I'm not going to accost every deaf person I see and insist on patronising conversation when you are trying to do your shopping! But I will make the effort to remember the tips on the poster, and learn the skills to be able to chat, should it be a chatting situation.
During Deaf awareness week, one of them posted a photo of this poster which he'd put in his office, next to a message saying come and talk to him.
(This poster isn't mine - I'm not sure where it originated from. I found it really helpful)
For 2 days he didn't get a single response. No-one came up and said hi.
No-one.
In an office, with lots of colleagues.
As a chatty, hearing person, I would have chatted to lots of people. For him not a single person came and said hi - despite it being deaf awareness week and there being a special invite!
No-one.
If that wasn't bad enough, other Deaf comment-ers were all totally un-surprised. Frustrated, but with a lot of 'well, that sounds normal'.
I knew that being Deaf in a world that relies a lot on sound must be isolating.
What I hadn't realised is that the isolation isn't so much caused by auditory issues, but by us hearing folk feeling too awkward or unsure to say hi, or too 'busy' to make the minor adjustments that would make chatting with them possible (see the poster above).
So I hearby promise, that should a chatting situation arise, and I discover that the other person is Deaf, I won't clam up and leave, but instead see if there are little adaptations I can make which will allow us to chat.
Don't worry, I'm not going to accost every deaf person I see and insist on patronising conversation when you are trying to do your shopping! But I will make the effort to remember the tips on the poster, and learn the skills to be able to chat, should it be a chatting situation.
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