Animate, Elaborate…

Class last night was dreadfully hot - no air conditioning or fan, and the windows did not even open. Being stuck on the 4th floor of an old building with poor ventilation made it really hard to concentrate on the 3 hours of material presented.

We are working on classifiers in story telling. Mr. G's parting words were that we all needed practice. We need to be more animated when we describe situations and tell stories. We need to elaborate more and paint a colorful picture for our deaf viewers. Since they cannot hear the tone of voice or oral emphasis, we need to show this with our movements. This makes perfect sense, in theory. It is the execution that I struggle with.

I am generally an introverted person. You will never catch me as the center of attention in any situation. I hate it when people sing to me at restaurants on my birthday and I never speak in front of crowds. I have always tried to "blend in" and work better "behind the scenes" in situations. I clam up if more than 3 people are listening to me. It makes me very incomfortable to have all those eyes on me. I feel exposed and analyzed. I hate it.

Therefore, the thought of over-exaggerating my movements and facial expressions is something I struggle with. I am getting better with facial expressions. It is the body animation that I will struggle with. It is natural for deafies, but for a shy hearie it is all new. All part of personal growth I guess…

ASL103, Class 2

As I predicted, Ohlone takes their ASL really seriously! This class structure is much more focused and challenging than any of the other ASL classes I have completed. Aside from a strict attendance policy and twice as many Deaf Event requirements, we also have to log 20+ hours of lab time.

The instructor seems to be genuinely interested in the success of his students. I foresee him being rather strict, yet fair and personable at the same time. He came out of the gate with hands flying, but I have come to expect that. Every instructor I have had has started off their class at 110%. It was explained to me once that this tends to "weed out" the students who are not genuinely interested in the class. While I do not know if this is an intentional approach by my current instructor, it had that effect. There were quite a few students in the room with a "deer in the headlights" look. I will be curious to see how many people stick it out after tonight.

If I survive this class, I know I will learn a lot from him.

I think my lenghty and varied ASL experience should show I am serious about learning this language. I have always gone way above and beyond the requirements in my previous classes. I have read books not required and gone to classes and workshops on my own time and expense. I have invested a great many years into ASL. Funny thing is, I still don't have a reason WHY...

Read Any Good Books...?

For those of you who have asked me which books on ASL and Deaf Culture I own, here is a visual listing:

I have a few more not pictured. Somebody once called me a big "ASL Dork" - not sure if I should be insulted or complimented. One of my prior teachers told me I had more books on ASL and Deaf Culture than any hearie she knew. That one I will consider a compliment...

New Class Starts - ASL 103

Tonight starts my next level of ASL instruction. I will be at Ohlone every Tuesday AND Thursday night for class.

Last week I went to the campus to pick up my parking pass. Now understand it has been quite a few years since I have been on campus. I remember it was a bit of a hike up from the parking lot. OMG - it took me longer to climb the 157 steps than it did to drive to Fremont from Pleasanton! The 157 steps up was also from the closest empty parking lot. I think it is fair to assume I will not always get the first parking spot closest to the stairs in the closest lot. Perhaps if I don't have a heart attack, I may actually lose some weight this semester. Once is gets dark and rainy, it is really going to suck.

It was an odd reality to be up higher than the palm trees.

Tonight there are 5 of us who are supposed to be taking the class together. We were all classmates, and now friends, from our previous classes at Las Positas. It is comforting to be going into a new school already knowing a few people. We plan to carpool as much as possible. Plus I think there is safety in numbers as we leave the campus at night.

I have been told that the cirriculum at Ohlone is much more structured and challenging than that at LasPo or DVC. Hopefully I can keep up.

Deaf Coffee

Last Friday I went to my local Starbucks for the monthly Deaf Coffee Chat. There were only 8 people this time, and I am happy to report that I was the only hearie there. It was nice to have the smaller group and actually be able to visit and keep up with these native users.

The prior month, there were 33 people at Deaf Coffee! Over half of them were ASL 1 students who had to cram in a "deaf event" for their summer class. This is fine, as long as the visitors actually participate. Unfortunately, most of the visitors just sat there motionless. Worse yet, there were a couple who not only did NOT participate, but they started and gawked or chatted verbally with their friends.

Folks, Deaf Coffee is not the Zoo. Staring at or making fun of the deafies is so rude. It is the few people like this who ruin the fun for everyone. I now have seen for myself and understand why my Deaf friends tell me they do not enjoy it when the Baby Signers show up.

Lesson for today: If you show up to a Deaf event, remember you are a guest in their space. Be respectful and participate, with your hands. Talking to your friends can be accomplished some other time and place...

Deaf storyline on All My Children…

I originally read the below article and was thrilled to hear they would be featuring a deaf-focused storyline on AMC. Employing Deaf actors is a huge plus. Then I read on further to learn it was going to be centered around Cochlear Implants. Sigh...

Well, I guess any exposure is good exposure. At least they are going to hire Deaf actors...


All My Children will cast deaf actors and actresses surrounding a storyline about a toddler who becomes deaf as a result of a car accident, it was announced by Brian Frons, president Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group. As the parents cope with their son's condition, they will explore a variety of medical options, including Cochlear implants. In the episode to air on August 15, the show will introduce Walter Novak, its first deaf character for this story arc, who will be played by Bob Hiltermann, a deaf actor.

"This storyline gives us the opportunity to explore the emotional challenges and real-life decisions facing the parents of a child who has been permanently injured. We will go on a heart wrenching journey with our characters as they learn about the current medical options and obstacles facing their child who has become deaf. In the tradition of All My Children's hallmark storytelling, this is a story of strength, love and hope," says executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers.

One Life to Live star Kassie DePaiva has been consulting with All My Children, sharing her real life experiences raising her son, James Quentin ("JQ"), who was born profoundly deaf. At the age of 18 months, JQ received his first Cochlear implant, and received a second implant at the age of eight.

JQ is now 10 years old and attends mainstream schooling. As a part of All My Children ongoing commitment to this topic, JQ will guest star in episodes featuring Erica Kane's (Susan Lucci) talk show, New Beginnings, which will be dedicated to the theme of deaf children.

These episodes are set to air on September 20, 21 and 24. The show will also produce episodes featuring support groups for parents with deaf children. Deaf actors and actors who have received Cochlear implants will be cast in all applicable roles. The show will be consulting with the League for the Hard of Hearing and will air PSAs is support of the organization.

All My Children has established itself as a leader in daytime dramas as one that educates through entertaining. Over the past three decades, viewers have watched the characters deal with both social and personal issues, including abortion, HIV and AIDS, substance abuse, eating disorders and many more. In 2000, television history was made when All My Children became the first daytime drama to incorporate a lesbian character as a contract role. In 2003 another historic moment was made when the show aired daytime television's first same-sex kiss between two women in a loving relationship. In 2007 the show became the first to chronicle the coming out story of a transgender character.

All My Children celebrated its 37th Anniversary on January 5, 2007. The program has successfully maintained its popularity and continues to be one of daytime's most compelling dramas. All My Children took home the 1998 Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, the third time the show received this top honor, having also garnered the award in 1994 and 1992. In 2004 the show also received its third consecutive Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Writing, its third Writers Guild Award and its fourth GLAAD Media Award in March 2007

Shortage of Interpreters (NY Times Article)

Saw this article in the NY Times about terps in the Court system. Seems like becoming an interpreter could be financially rewarding. Still, I don't know if I have the emotional detachment to robotically bridge the two languages.

The article shares information about the shortage of terps, a situation that is not specific to NY alone...



Judge Spotlights Shortage of Interpreters for the Deaf
New York Times
Published: August 10, 2007

The prevailing custom in the New York courts is for sign language interpreters to work in tandem: one translates the rapid-fire arguments of courtroom life, while the other gets to rest weary hands.

There is, however, a shortage in the courts of sign language interpreters, so this buddy system does not always work, according to court officials. Yesterday, a judge in Queens took note of the shortage, writing a memorandum that explained why he had awarded an interpreter who was forced to work alone twice his daily rate of pay.

The judge, Justice Charles J. Markey of State Supreme Court, gave the higher rate to Gabriel Grayson, a certified American Sign Language interpreter. It was after Mr. Grayson had translated for a deaf plaintiff at a six-day civil trial in June involving a personal injury case. Mr. Grayson had told the judge and other court officials in Queens of the normal two-interpreter setup, but agreed to work alone, for a bit more money, after officials could not find another interpreter to relieve him.

The judge’s memo was entirely self-motivated. No one at the trial — not the plaintiffs, Farrah and Bibi Wahid, nor the defendant, the Long Island Rail Road — disputed that Mr. Grayson should receive the higher rate.

In fact, in his 13-page decision quoting experts on the deaf (and a former lord chief justice of England and Wales), Justice Markey explicitly said that he was trying to call attention to what he considers a worthy cause.

The memorandum, the judge wrote, is intended to explain the court’s decision in signing the order for the increased pay “and to throw a spotlight on the disturbing lack of skilled ASL interpreters in the courts.”

That lack, according to research laid out in the judge’s memo, has a number of causes. First, he wrote, the court interpreters must often wait months to schedule an examination with their certifying body, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. The exams are expensive, the judge wrote, as are the dues that interpreters must pay or else risk losing certification.

The court’s rate of $250 a day is not competitive compared with pay rates for similar duties in the private sector, he explained. Justice Markey also pointed out that interpreters are rarely given cancellation fees when they work in the courts, where hearings can be called off without notice at any given time.

Justice Markey noted the “explosion of employment opportunities” for the certified interpreters at video conferencing events — a much gentler form of work than the nonstop world of the courts. While there are no official studies of sign language interpreters in the New York legal system, Justice Markey quoted a study from Nebraska that said 65 percent of all assignments for American Sign Language interpreters in that state’s courts went unfilled.

Back in New York, he said, even in Rochester, which has the largest per capita deaf population in the country (the National Technical Institute for the Deaf is there), only a limited number of certified court interpreters are available.

Justice Markey made specific mention of Kathleen Rozanski, a deaf woman in Rochester who filed a federal complaint in 2002 related to the handling of her divorce.

Justice Markey wrote that Ms. Rozanski’s lawyer did not hire a certified interpreter, but instead relied on notes, telecommunications devices for the deaf and family members familiar with sign language to communicate with her in court. In her complaint to the Justice Department, Ms. Rozanski said these alternate methods of communication had led to higher legal fees. Federal officials agreed, finding in a settlement with the lawyer that attorneys must provide interpreters to communicate with the deaf.

Gordon Hewart, the lord chief justice of England and Wales from 1922 to 1940, once wrote, “A long line of cases shows that it is not merely of some importance, but it is of fundamental importance, that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.”

Justice Markey wrote, “With increasing societal awareness and sensitivity to the plight of deaf persons in the courts, we can add to Hewart’s famous dictum that justice, in the form of courtroom proceedings, must also be clearly heard and, for the hearing-deprived, must be unmistakably interpreted so as to be undeniably understood.”