Ten Deaf Children, One Powerful Message

Watch video sends powerful message about equal rights "10 Deaf Children, 1 Powerful Message" has become an internet hit.

Sheena McFeely also known as ASL Nook channel share a powerful message on YouTube -- Every day, Deaf people "fail" the hearing test immediately after being born, face "language delays" with their hearing family that don’t learn their natural language, and attempt "perfect speech" in order to fit into the Hearing world. They fight to use interpreters that benefit both the hearing and the Deaf, and deal with job discrimination -- all simply because they cannot hear.

Ironically, the practice of teaching signs to hearing babies is booming due to practical, emotional, and cognitive benefits validated by research. Hundreds of thousands of hearing people are taking American Sign Language (ASL) classes in high school as well as college -- making ASL the third most-studied language, according to Modern Language Association. Many come out of the experience proclaiming how beautiful ASL is.

Even while ASL is beautified, Deafness is still perceived as something that needs to be fixed. This makes Deaf people seem unequal, abnormal, and even defective. Deaf people are perplexed by this, as they see themselves as equal, diverse, and an attribute to this world.

"TODAY WE ASK, WHEN CAN YOU SEE US THE SAME WAY DEAF SEE THEMSELVES?"

It is our hope that this message will raise awareness, and at the same time, encourage Americans to join the Deaf community in the ongoing fight for equality.

SOURCE

Follow @ASLNook:
Blog - https://aslnook.com
Facebook - https://facebook.com/aslnook
Twitter - https://twitter.com/aslnook
YouTube - https://youtube.com/channel/aslnook

Related #ASLNook:
ASL Nook - McFeely Family's Introduction
The Internet Opens A Window To The Deaf World

Related:
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Educate For Hearing Parents With Deaf Children/Toddlers
ASLized: Through the Hands
Creating Deaf Counternarratives With Commentary
Educate For Hearing Parents With Deaf Childrens/Toddlers
Importance of Educating Hearing Parents
Interview With Hearing Parents Of A Deaf Son
ASL Rose: Two Deaf Babies

Related Hearing Parents With Deaf Children:
Interview With Hearing Parents Of A Deaf Son
Educate Hearing Parents of Deaf Children
Early Language Acquisition of Deaf Babies
Deaf Awareness: One Deaf Child
American Sign Language For Babies & Toddlers
Cochlear Implants Is NOT A Cure !
Why Is It Important To Learn Sign At Birth For Deaf Child ?
Educating Hearing People About The Deaf World

Treatment of Deaf Couple at Wendy’s Drive Thru

Treatment of Deaf couple at Wendy's sparks outrage in Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas -- A local Deaf couple recently visited the Wendy's at 305 West Slaughter Lane in South Austin for food. They handed a note to the employee with their order at the window. But instead of immediately getting the fries and burgers they requested, they got a handwritten message.

They say an employee handed it to them after the fast food restaurant didn't get their order right.

The couple feels they were mistreated while trying to use the drive-thru.

Elisa Vita said the message left a bad taste in her mouth.

"They gave me the note and I felt very upset about that. I felt like they looked at me as less than other people, as inferior to other people and it was really not a good feeling,” said Vita.

Vita posted an image of the message on Facebook.

"It really hit a nerve with people," said Vita.

Thousands have weighed in online sharing similar experiences at fast food restaurants nationwide. Vita said she spoke with the manager of the South Austin Wendy's who gave her some free meal coupons and was incredibly apologetic about the situation.

She doesn't feel like enough was done to make it right.

"I deserve the right to the same service and obviously Wendy's needs to provide more in-depth training that explicitly says everyone deserves to access the drive-thru," said Vita.

A University of Texas professor said fast food worker or not, it's best to just follow a Deaf person's lead when they're trying to communicate with you.

"They [Deaf People] are skilled at working with and interacting with people with whom they don't share a common language. Try not to become frustrated if you're the clerk," said Richard Meier, the Department of Linguistics chair at UT.

Accessibility issues for the Deaf expand far beyond the drive-thru. Faculty within UT's ASL Program are beginning to research them further.

"One problem is there may not be interpreters readily available or the interpreter may be available through a video link," said Meier. "So our question is, how well is this working?"

Meier and his colleagues plan on specifically looking at healthcare first. With such a large Deaf community based in Austin, many believe it's the perfect place to conduct such research. Many say there can never be too much emphasis placed on improving accessibility as it benefits everyone, not just the Deaf.

SOURCE - TWC News

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