Yesterday, I suddenly realised something. The user name on my blog, DeafStudent, really is wrong. I’m not a deaf student.

I’m a student who happens to be deaf.

I know that some of you may be thinking, ‘big deal, so what?’, but it’s actually quite important. For me, my primary associative identity is the student part, not the deaf part.

I’m a student, I’m aspiring to be someone in my field, a published author, a respected lecturer, I’m all of that.

I have other identities too, other labels that society likes to slap on people – my gender, my skin colour, my sexuality, my marital status.

In all of that, being deaf is just another label for me. It represents what I struggle with, what I cannot do. It is very much a negative association, never a positive. I do what I do, achieve what I have, despite my deafness. It is a thing to be battled against. A war to be fought.

And by the way, I’m not by any means suggesting it should be this way for everyone. Many people are very proud to be deaf, to champion Deaf culture and language – and more power to them.

This blog post is about my thoughts, about my expression of my identity, and right now, I’m struggling to figure something out – when I get like this, I write. So bear with me.

I watched ‘My Song‘ yesterday, for the first time. It’s a wonderful, well acted and written, short drama from 2011 exploring deaf identity and language, portraying a teenage deaf girl, Ellen, learning BSL, making her first steps into the deaf world and the reactions – both negative and positive – to those steps, from the hearing people around her, to the deaf people she encounters...

Read the complete post at Limping Chicken.

http://limpingchicken.com/2015/06/17/deaf-student-deaf-identity/

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Has an Identity Crisis Immobilized the Field of Sign Language Interpreting?

The Day I Found Out I Was 'Considerably Deaf'

It is not a hearing loss, or hearing impairment, or hard-of-hearing, it is a Variation of Deafness. By reframing the semantics and epistemological approach to the discourse, we can change the hegemony of ruling elite who profit from current taxonomy of our Deaf Ethnicity and Deaf Culture as a medical deficit, or even moral deficit. Deaf is Linguistic Minority. The hair cells on my inner ear are structured differently. I therefore have a diverse perspective of sound. Current pedagogical practice in our education of medical professionals, who deem themselves as authorities over our bodies, is to view Deaf as bad. So they then authorize themselves to commercialize and capitalize by exploiting and oppressing the Deaf with their resulting praxis of audism.

The ontologlies of the Deaf need to be respected and heeded. ASL for all. Bilingualism. Deaf teachers for every school. Deaf politicians. Visual access to all public audio in buildings regulated by ADA. If they are equipped with voice public address systems, they should have LED overhead scrolling text message displays.

The epistemic violence enacted on Deaf community by banning sign language, removing Deaf teachers, mainstreaming into Oralism, hearing aids, lipreading, cochlear implants in babies and denying them access to sign language, genetic engineering, and also the denial of equal human rights through forced sterilization, illegal for deaf to marry deaf, deaf could not own property, and deaf could not get drivers license. This is Deaf history in America.

Deaf students caught signing had their hands tied behind backs, or strapped down overnight while sleeping if caught signing after bedtime in Oral residential schools, and hands were hit with rulers and sticks. Deaf children’s mouths were poked with teachers fingers during useless speech therapy instead of actually learning meaningful content and material such as history or math, subsequently getting pushed further behind. Perpetuating the notion of inferior or disabled. Disability, by the way, is caused by lack of accommodation. Being deaf, in itself, is not a disability. Audism can end when people learn that Deaf is a Diversity, not a Disability...

Read the full article at Brother Yellow 

http://brotheryellow.com/2014/05/15/conspiracy-against-deaf/

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC

Rosie, a deaf pit bull mix, spent three months at the Central Nebraska Humane Society beforeCindy Koch, a woman who is also deaf, adopted her. Rosie has learned a few signs, like thumbs-up for “good girl,” and Cindy plans to keep teaching the pup more.

This is a touching little story because it shows the wonderful ways in which people with any sort of disability can improve their lives. But for some abortion activists, disabled unborn babies should become abortion victims because they’re not “perfect.”

The staff at a Nebraska humane society says it can be hard for older or disabled dogs to get adopted.

But one three year old pit bull who captured the heart of avolunteer is headed to her forever home with a very special family who can relate.

Both the dog and her new human, are deaf.

Tracie Pfeifle says Rosie the pit bull faces challenges that other shelter dogs don’t.

“You can get most dogs’ attention by saying their name or making a sound, but she can’t respond to that because she is deaf,” Pfeifle said.

So Pfeifle has been teaching Rosie sign language.

“We started using treats and putting the treat up to your face and saying ‘good girl’ with your thumb up and then she figured out how, that we were communicating with her,” she said.

‘Good girl, sit, down, stay, outside, and walk’ are basic commands, but Pfeifle says it brought the three-year old out of her shell.

“It was just amazing to watch her just blossom into a dog, I don’t think she knew how to be a dog,” Pfeifle said.

Watch the video at Life News

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/05/16/a-deaf-woman-adopts-a-deaf-dog-who-knows-sign-language/

Deaf people and signed language interpreters live in an uneasy co-existence. We need access to the hearing world; interpreters need to work for their livelihood. The irony of entering a dependent relationship in order to obtain enough information to be autonomous as a professional has always rankled, but that is the state of play*.

A discussion about signed language interpreter ethics erupted this weekend on Facebook about Gallaudet University economics professor Dr. Khadijat Rashid’s response to the Wall Street Journal article featuring signed language interpreter Travis Painter. [Disclosure -- Dr. Rashid is a friend and colleague.]

In a nutshell, Professor Rashid wrote an open response to the WSJ article, which can be viewed here. There are many seeming violations of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf(RID) Code of Professional Conduct, but I will not take those on in this post. That is for the RID Ethical Practices System (EPS) to take up once they have received the formal complaint. [Second disclosure -- I have served as a paid and volunteer consultant to RID re: EPS].

Read the full article at Deaf Echo 

Friendlyville is a mid-sized city (population 85,000) in a Midwestern state with a Deaf (ASL) population of about 200.  Janice is one of the few RID certified sign language interpreters in Friendlyville. She is the child of Deaf parents, and chose to become an interpreter after graduating from an ITP in Bigtown in a different state.  Janice works with a sign language interpreting agency in Friendlyville, and she tends to be called upon for the most challenging assignments.  She travels in a multi-county area, sometimes going as far away as Metrocenter (population 1.3 million), a distance of 120 miles from Friendlyville.

On July 14, Janice was contacted by the Emergency Department of the Friendlyville Community Hospital and asked to interpret for a deaf man.  Janice asked for specifics regarding the individual for who she would interpret, but the person who called Janice stated that this information was confidential, and she would need to sign a HIPAA Compliance form before they could release any PHI to her.  So Janice arranged for daycare services for her two preschool children and rushed to the hospital.

Stacey Storme | December 3, 2013

During my attendance at the 2012 Region IV RID Conference in Denver and the 2013 National RID Conference in Indianapolis I found myself in tears more than once. While it is not uncommon for me to become emotional when I am with colleagues discussing the very serious, real and important issues that impact our work as interpreters, the tears I felt at these conferences were different. It was not until a moment of clarity during the business meeting in Indianapolis that I realized the difference.

It was not long after the start of the Business meeting in Indianapolis when I experienced a shift in my awareness about my emotional response during both conferences. It occurred as I was witnessing discussion and decisions regarding the use of spoken English via open microphone. As I was sitting there, feeling helpless, looking around the room feeling the heavy and volatile energy – I realized I felt as if I was witnessing a war. A battle waged between two perspectives, the deaf and hearing world, both fighting for recognition.

As a person who has grown up in both worlds, I have struggled with my own identity and place in each world since I can remember. Sitting there, I found myself relating with perspectives from both “sides.” As I type this, it strikes me that it may not seem such a powerful realization. After all, this struggle between the two worlds has been going on for years.

By framing this struggle through the lens of war and making the connection between my internal struggle and the mirror reflecting around me I found clarity that I have not yet experienced.

(http://www.streetleverage.com/2013/12/has-an-identity-crisis-immobilized-the-field-of-sign-language-interpreting/)

by Lacey Seidman 

We all lost our minds for Lydia Callis last year when she delivered animated sign language interpretations for New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg during super-storm Sandy. When it comes to actual entertainment, however, it makes sense that concert sign language interpreters would really give it their all too.

A hearing impaired concert-goer is of course present to see their favorite artists perform, but they’re also spending a good portion of their time watching and being entertained by the person signing. They may not be able to listen to music in the same way that other folks can, but between the vibrations from the bass and a good sign language interpreter, concerts can still be highly enjoyable. Here’s a look at the people who really COMMIT when they interpret an artist’s lyrics, and in some cases, even provide some funky dance moves.

CONCERT: Kendrick Lamar
Confidently evoking Kendrick’s swag during “F—in’ Problems,” the enthusiasm from this interpreter is top notch!

Following a debate this morning at the Liberal Democrat party conference, the Liberal Democrats today passed the policy Recognising a Legal Status for British Sign Language,which calls for better access to information and services for Deaf people.

The Liberal Democrats say they are committed to the principle that Deaf people are entitled to identify with their own language and to have this respected, regardless of minority or majority language status.

The key proposals include:

· The recognition of British Sign Language (BSL) as one of the UK’s official languages

· Achieving better awareness of information needs and services for BSL users, particularly in health, education and employment

· The protection of the linguistic integrity of British Sign Language

Read full article via Limping Chicken 

http://limpingchicken.com/2013/09/17/deaf-news-motion-calling-for-recognition-of-bsl-as-an-official-uk-language-passed-at-liberal-democrat-party-conference/

A University of Melbourne researcher has helped develop the first online dictionary of sign languages used by Indigenous communities across central Australia.

via Phys.org

http://phys.org/news/2013-09-indigenous-languages-online-dictionary.html#jCp

In another gallery, a tour in American Sign Language was followed by a reception for deaf visitors. And on select Fridays, new “multisensory stations” invite all guests — including those with a range of disabilities — to experience exhibits though scent, touch, music and verbal imaging, or describing things for people with vision impairment.

“The Met has a long history of accessibility for people with disabilities,” said Rebecca McGinnis, who oversees access and community programs. As early as 1908, the museum provided a “rolling chair” for people with mobility issues, and in 1913 held talks for blind public school children, she said. Today, there are programs for people with disabilities nearly every day...

Read more at NY Times

Stephanie presented, Authenticity: The Impact of a Sign Language Interpreter’s Choices, at StreetLeverage – Live 2013 | Atlanta, GA. Her talk explored how the choices made by sign language interpreters affects the perception of Deaf people and how interpreters can present a more “authentic” representation of someone’s message.

You can find the PPT deck for her presentation here.

(The examples in this article are of female interpreters and male Deaf individuals in order to accommodate the gendered demands of English pronouns. This may or may not reflect the actual identities of the people involved.)

In this presentation I will be discussing the concept of “authenticity” during interpretation – what it means and why I use this term.

We interpreters know we are responsible for the transmission of the content of speakers’ messages. An additional responsibility is to express the manner in which one person speaks, which allows the other participant to get a glimpse of who the person is.

Last month a Deaf teacher was presenting in front of a group of hearing children. I was interpreting for him. He told them to copy his notes from the board. I interpreted that in the first person, “copy what I wrote…”

A first grade girl spun her head towards me in disbelief. “You didn’t write anything!” she exclaimed. I agreed with her, that I hadn’t, but I then explained that our job as interpreters is to say what the Deaf person said. She thought about this for a second and replied, “Oh, you’re pretending to be him.”
That struck me as a profound statement. And, of course, she was absolutely correct! That’s exactly what we interpreters do – we take on the identity of the Deaf person as we represent their message so that the hearing person knows who they are.

We speak not “FOR” the Deaf party but “AS” the Deaf party. Our utterances are expressed in the first person:  ”I don’t understand my homework”, “I want to work for your company”, “My daughter is sick.”

Earlier this year, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra was searching for an American Sign Language interpreter to translate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The orchestra was planning a concert commemorating the speech’s 50th anniversary and approached Christopher Robinson, a staff interpreter at BU’s Disability Services, about the job. But Robinson had a better idea: why not place native ASL users on stage and base their interpretations on an official ASL translation of the speech?

The BLO liked the idea—the only problem was that no official translation existed. Robinson had a solution for that as well: he suggested Richard Bailey, for whom he regularly interpreted African American studies courses.

Bailey (GRS’13), a native ASL user who is biracial, was studying the writings and speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59) as part of his master’s level research on identity and representation. He was willing to create an official translation, but there was a catch: it would have to be recorded, and Bailey was camera-shy.

Chris Kenning, The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal11:39 a.m. EDT August 28, 2013

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — With a hot sun drying a monsoon rain last month, Catholic priest Charles Dittmeier jumped into a motorcycle-pulled "tuk-tuk" taxi and zipped through loud, diesel-choked streets — toward a cause this country has largely ignored.

Passing a sprawling market, tin-roofed food stalls and a cockfighting lot, Dittmeier entered a center behind high walls where deaf Cambodians communicate using the country's first sign language, which Dittmeier is helping to develop and teach.

It's been more than 12 years since the soft-spoken priest from Louisville, Ky., arrived to aid the deaf in a nation still emerging from years of war, genocide, poverty and corruption — and one that before 1997 had no sign language, no deaf schools and no deaf organizations offering services.

Read the full article at USA Today 

Brandon Arthur | July 10, 2013

What makes up a successful career as a sign language Interpreter? Logically, it depends on who is asked. Regardless of what is ultimately determined to be the magic ingredients, those interpreters who are the most successful and satisfied in their work are those who consistently seek out opportunities to grow as a professional.

While this growth may seem like it is only possible over time, and time being an important part, I believe there are steps one can take to establish a foundation for success.

Below you will find 5 simple steps that will add an important level of polish to your career.

Commit to accepting pro bono assignments. Notice I didn’t say volunteer? This commitment consciously moves us past the concerns for payment and terms and reconnects us with the fundamental reason we signed up to do this work—supporting people.

There is a tremendous satisfaction in knowing your work as a sign language interpreter has made a difference. Probono work will rewarm the goo inside, which will do wonders for your perspective on the work and your role in it.

Pro bono grants perspective.

Consultant Ruthy Fletcher, who is deaf herself, says: "For many deaf or hard of hearing people, communication with hearing people can be frustrating and stressful. This is because of the huge communication barrier between speaking and signing. Some deaf people may feel unsettled to ask for help, or ask for some paper and a pen. As a deaf awareness tutor, I know that there are problems with communication barriers between hearing and deaf people within the workplace. I urge all hoteliers and accommodation providers to undertake deaf awareness training and basic sign language (BSL) classes to help to make deaf and hearing people have equally enjoyable experiences. "

Fletcher says that most hotels and tourism facilities have insuffcient facilities for deaf travellers. She says: "I have noticed that all the UK brochures and Tourism For All Open Britain 2011 Guide Book show very little information about facilities for deaf/hard of hearing people and we have to go through page after page to find a suitable hotel or accommodation provider that provides facilities and/or equipment for deaf and hard of hearing people. I have been going through thousands of brochures, and I continually find that there is very little support provided, which I felt was a bit unfair."

Read more at Boutique Hotel News