Deaf culture

A few Weekends ago I was invited to go to an event hosted at San Diego State University by The Office of Intercultural Relations Collegiate Dialogue on Diversity. The event had various workshops-

I attended many of the workshops during my visit but the last workshop I got to attend stood out. It was “Deaf Culture: Communicating With Your Peers” which was out of my comfort zone because I don’t interact with people who are deaf.

Not by choice, I just don’t find myself in situations where I’m around people who are deaf.
Once the workshop got going there was this gentlemen standing in front of us. He looked to be of African decent, well dressed and was using sign to communicate. Isidore Niyongabo was the presenters name. There was an interpreter there as well. It was kind of magical how she could that put his elegant gestures into spoken words. It was quite a marvel to see as he made each sign with such precision. I knew from prior experience that it is good  etiquette to look at the speaker as he signs and not to focus on the interpreter.

He told us that he was not born here in the US but somewhere on the African continent.  He really opened my eyes to the major challenges that faces American Sign Language. I had no idea of the turbulent history behind a language that has struggled to survive for so long.

He explained things that I would never would have had the courage to ask a deaf person. He told us about the social dynamics within the deaf community. He shared a phrased that is used within his community that I never have heard before. It was the term “Not Deaf Enough” which was the source of a very sensitive topic. Not being deaf enough is associated with a type of discrimination that people who are deaf might use against somebody who might just be hard of hearing or just reads lips and does not sign.

I never gave it any thought before that workshop about how people within the deaf community could take issue with those who want or just merely can heal or fix their particular affliction. It seems absurd to think that a group of people are using their disability to discriminate against people who share the same disability just not as severe or they found a way to cope with the audible society. Bizarre.

After the presenter was finished we got to learn a few signs which happen to be more fun than I had anticipated. I’m really glad I took the chance and exposed myself to something out of my usual comfort zone.