Noah's Blog

Helen Keller's quotation was influenced by her helpers. She had no memory of seeing people and could not understand the concept of sign language seen over a distance.

Her knowledge of signs was very limited, possibly only to the extent of fingerspelling.

Communication, to her, was an audistic concept: it had to be spoken, if not written. Signs? Totally unknown, because she did not experience visual communication.

We Deaf who have vision know what it is like to be deaf and left out of the communication stream, but we are not separated from people.

Visually we are in touch and can read people to an extent without language. With modern aids like captioning and TTYs and videophones, we have greater contact with other people than ever before.

Helen's comment is as outdated as the rotary dial telephone.

I HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT STATES THRU MY DAD WAS IN NAVY AND THERE IS LOTS OF DIFFERENT DEAF CULTURE DIFFERENT SIGN LANGAUGE YEAH I NOTICE THERE IS LOTS OF DIFFERENT GROUP WHO BEEN FREINDS LONG TIME TOGETHER RAISE ALL THE LIFE I DONT BLAME ONLY WE CAN DO FOCUS OUR LIFE BEING FAMILY OR SINGLE LIFETIME AND DEAF SOCAIL THRU DEAF CLUB THERE IS LOTS OF DIFFERENT REASON GOSSIP OR STAB BACK NAME REALLY MY THOUGHT IS GOSSIP AND AGANIST EACH OTHER GO TO TRASH GET OVER THEIR OR OUR LIFE AHEAD FORWARD I ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THEN WRITE DOWN PIECE OF PAPER AND WOULD YOU KEEP IT PROBLEMS PAPER ??? IF THEY DONT WANT IT PROBLEMS THEN THROW PAPER TRASH AND FORGET IT THEN IT WOULD BE HELPFUL GET LIFE

I would think it largely depends on people who have good expressive/receptive ASL skills (especially hearing people), if they have both of those skills, then deaf people feel more connected and can communicate more freely with them. But with people who have limited ASL skills, then this is where problems begin. Like at Gallaudet, some protestors were extremely frustrated with certain professors who could not communicate freely in ASL because of their poor reception/expressive ASL skills. I think Helen Keller felt the same way when people could not understand her, she felt alone at times, we have felt this way many times when we are not being understood and then there is a common separation between us and the people who have very limited expressive/receptive ASL skills.

An example would be:

Supposedly if you bumped into a hearing person, the hearing person signed to you, of course, you feel connected to that person because they know sign language. As they go along, you start to notice that they don't seem to be understanding you enough, you feel that you have to sign simple to them, you then start to feel a little bit agigated yourself because you now realize that this hearing person does not really understand you, thus the separation line begins to grow between you and the hearing person. I am experiencing this situation right now and it is extremely frustrating.

Good vlog and welcome back. (You should do an update vlog, am wondering what u're up to). HK, like you, shrugs. Somebody that goes to bed with AGB really. Like dianrez sezs, not enuff visual experiences to truly enjoy ASL. Her experiences are only based thru others. Nowadays, I think it's "people that seperates us from deafness."

Thrilled to see you back in the Vlogland!! It must be your dorm room at the Wheaton college.. you sleep on the top?

You made an excellent point ~ I do agree and disagree depending on the situations. Family gathering for me is truly awkward time. Everyone chatting, laughing and whispering -I have no idea what they're talking about. I'm totally left out.. One to one situation is better for me, and yet it depends on the person's ability to gesture, sign and using facial expressions.

Praying for your awesome new chapter as college student for the next few years! Hugs from Kansas!

I don't know, Noah.

in hearing organisations, for example, religious services, it's a nightmare because they include singing... with hearing people of different languages, they can enjoy the melody and know that people are praising our Creator, whereas for us deaf we just look on and see moving jaws. It's one of the places where the separation is quite profound (at least in my experience).

It reminded me of a poem that I wrote in 1995, I'll share it here. Thought it might add some food for thought. Of course it's just my view, which may differ to others. Sorry for the length! :)


"Deaf in a Hearing World"


When I say I want to be Hearing
They stare at me in disbelief
Traitor! Their minds screamed inside
Rejected! By our own!
Anger and disappointment boil inside
I look on sadly
They don't understand
To them, Hearing is an enemy
Through Hearing's ignorance
We are treated as strange and odd
Our culture is dismissed, laughed at
We are a bunch of weirdoes
That's why we don't trust Hearing
They hurt us with their attitude
So when I say to my own
That I want to be Hearing
They couldn't believe it!
How can I explain?

How can I explain that I want to be Hearing?
There is nothing wrong with being Deaf
Deaf have their language
I am born into a Deaf family
All of us use Sign Language
I am happy being Deaf
I love my Deaf culture
So why do I want to be Hearing?

I want to be Hearing
Because I live in a Hearing World
It is lonely being Deaf in a Hearing World
There are only a few Deaf
And so many, many, many Hearing
That's why I want to be Hearing
So I can make friends with Hearing people
Join in their laughter
Join in their jokes
Join in their world
So I can forget my loneliness
Being Deaf in a Hearing World

But this is only a wish
Because this is a Hearing World
If this is a Silent World
If this is a Deaf World
Where everyone use Sign Language
Then I will never want to be Hearing
Because I am happy
In my own Deaf World

But this is a Hearing World
I am born into a wrong world
So that is why I want to be Hearing
So I can be part of the world I live in
So I will feel at home
In a Hearing World

There is nothing different
Between a Deaf and Hearing person
But the Hearing person is lucky
Because Hearing is a majority
Making our world into a Hearing World
Hearing people don't think they have a culture
Because this is a Hearing World
Hearing is taken for granted

Because what is different, what is unique
Is formed a culture
Deaf, Hawaiians, Jews, Europeans, Australians
Are different, are unique
So they are a culture
But not Hearing
Hearing is not different, not unique
Because this is a Hearing World

As a born-again believer
What happened at Tower babel is because they decide to be so rebel. The people are so dominant in one language.They are so self-centered,arrogance,hardened people. what is that called? That is SIN. They are lost and completely forget God . God is pre-destined and post-destined so the language would be barrier to make us to refocus our dependence on God.

Is it apply to us as of now? YES it is about each of you and your attitude.God show his Love,Grace and Mercy to reach us.

It is not about the language barrier.
It is about the SIN that separates
us.
It also separates us from God.

We are going nowhere.

That is exact why Jesus Christ is the bridge connects to God.
It is a fact, not an opinion!

Well explained, Noah!

This quotation has bothered me for a long time because it makes no absolute sense. Instead of repeating, Dianrez has commented her reasoning in which I am in full support of. In addition, Helen Keller's close friendship with Alexander Graham Bell may have influenced her attitude and thinking about deaf people.

Yes, I agree. One problem I notice is in the Church. In our church, we have hearing services with an interpreter (me). Every week, for greeting time, the Deaf stay in their area and almost all the hearing people stay apart. Deaf hug each other, hearing hug each other. A FEW hearing people know that God's love does not depend on language, and they go shake hands or hug everybody. I am always standing there ready to interpret any interaction they want, but most of the time no one does.

I believe that both hearing and Deaf choose to be seperate. I understand that in many situations Deaf get left out, but I am witness to "accessible" situations that are not taken advantage of. Both Deaf and Hearing must work harder to connect the 2 cultures.