Somewhat Silent

Today I had a meeting with a lady named Geraldine in NAD ( National association of the Deaf) I was referred to her by my access officer in college when I was inquiring about a note taker or even an interpreter or lipspeaker, so in I went and met her so she could assess my needs.

She was lovely, and we talked about my histor in my deafness, college and everything that is affecting me, then she asked about my hearing aids, ofwhich im getting my new Bilateral ones next month. She apparently has an inductive loop system on reserve for me, which im thrilled about because they are not cheap! so as soon as I get my aids, its mine to use and keep while im in college! YEAY!

She asked my permission to get on to my audiologist to find out more on the technical side of things and I said go right ahead! She said if needed they will refer me to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for futher tests as to why my hearing is deteoriating as Im so young, which is good as I was just willing to accept fate!! but she told me thats never an option and that there are far more things to be done before we just give up!! Fair enough!

So then she brought out a few systems for me to try, plug in headphones and up the sound goes!! its a mic mini system and its not bad!! not excellent either but thats what she had to offer for now! So I took it, at least its somewhat discrete it just looks like a walkman I leave on my desk and it acts using a Micraphone and I hear things louder! but tons of bacground noise too!! But I tried a load of them and took the best one for me!!

If I still need an assistant I was told to get back on to my Acess officer so we will see how I get on, and when I get my aids.

The only thing that worries me is, my audiologist tells me one thing and my specialist tells me another!! and im afraid they will thing, oh she is grand!! nothing to worry about, and I really am Dying when it comes to college!! But at least now the wheels are turning and questions are being asked and that can only be a good thing……right??!!

Week 2 of the course and we were straight into it with such words as, he, she, her, his, have, where, am, do, busy, practice, exercise, work, deaf, hearing, there, from, after, live, in, school and wait! after the hard work of learning these words, we were on to even harder things like learning to count!! which believe it or not, is a lot harder than it sounds! there is a correct method to counting other than just pointing fingers! see here how its done! http://www.iol.ie/~johnpmon/numbers.html

Last night was a lot of fun, once the learning was out of the way, it was our turn to pin point a victim from across the room and ask them a question from the words we learnt this week and last, and then thy had to answer and then pick another person! I had to laugh when it was my turn to pick some one I? looked up allong the line of people to my right and everyone at once leaned backwards out of the way and almost fell out of their chairs!! Its funny when people are put on the spot they will do anything to weasle out of it!!

I was telling my lecturer who arrived allong again last night and who seems to be practicing very hard and showing me up on signs I didnt know!! I told her that I was putting up the notes on my blog for people who may be learning and might want them, and she sugested we do it for the college!! There is an internal Internet network within the college, and she said we should put the notes up there and get other students to check them out!! GREAT idea! Problem is, if you dont do the class you wont have a bulls notion of what im going on about in the notes as you will see here!!
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Sign Language Class 2: ( LHPD=left hand palm down etc.)

HE: Letter ‘L’ from opposite shoulder to closest shoulder palm down

SHE: Letter ‘S’ opposite shoulder to closest shoulder palm down

HER: Letter ‘H’ on opposite shoulder bringing it to letter ‘R’ on closest shoulder

HIS: Letter’H’ on opposite shoulder bringing it to letter ‘S’ on closest shoulder

Have: LHPU with right hand pinch left hand palm ( as if taking something out of it)

WHERE: LHPD make a circle with right hand, over the left hand and tap

AM: 2 Letter ‘M’ jab down towards floor

DO: 2 letter ‘D’ alternativly back and forth, palms facing each other

BUSY: 2 letter ‘B’ alternativly back and forth, palms facing each other

PRACTICE: 2 letter’P’ alternativly back and forth, palms facing each other

EXERCISE: 2 letter ‘E’ alternativly back and forth, palms facing each other

WORK: 2 letter ‘W’ alternativly back and forth, palms facing each other

DEAF: Letter ‘D’ to your ear then flip hand to point at mouth

HEARING: Make a hook with index finger and place on chin

THERE: Make a gun shape with right hand (make sure thumb is down) then rest gun on LHPD

FROM: Letter ‘F’ (palm toward floor) move hand from middle of body away from you to the right

AFTER: Same as ‘from’ but with 2 letter ‘F’ using both hands move in same direction

LIVE: Letter ‘L’ moving hand from heart to neck (fingers facing chest)

IN: Letter ‘U’ with left hand ( back of hand facing away from you)? then with right hand push letter ‘I’ out over left hand

SCHOOL: Letter U’ with left hand ( back of hand facing away from you)? then with right hand? tap letter ‘I’ on left hand twice

WAIT: Letter ‘U’ with left hand ( back of hand facing away from you)? then with right hand Make a sawing action on left hand using letter ‘I’
:)

well im truely stuck on this one!! and I know there are a few other artists ammong us, so may a shyly ask you for some sugestions and help.
I am on a 2 week sculpture project in art college, simi based on myself. the title is ‘The Physical self’
I started with using my deafness as a sourse of inspiration, and im rolling with it, but its turned to the idea of me moving from an audio world to a visiual world,and heightened visiual awarness in (D)deaf people, which is exactly is whats happening to me!, now where i, stuck is, how do I incorporate it into a sculptural art project. It doesnt have to be traditional in clay or anything, I can use media and photography which is what Im at home with.
I have researched deaf artists, but nearly all of them dont put their deafness into their work, and this IS what I wanna do. I came across a photographer, Adam Fuss,he not deaf, who does beautifull shots of rain drops and this gave me an idea, of basing my photos on things that produce sound, but that you can also SEE their action!! like rain drops. but rain drops is all i can think of, as well as some other little ones, like leaves being carried on the wind,also I would like to create something 3D something people can see and touch, but I dont know what! I have till friday this morning and I was wondering if you creative people could help me?? and you will be credited for your contribution
thank you for your time

When I’m inebriated, my hearing is the first thing to go fuzzy- does this happen to anyone else? Discuss.

*WHO is Linda Richman!?

Despite the fact that deafness is a state into which I was born, I still struggle with addressing my needs to people I’ve just met. When I was little, my mom was my advocate- she made sure that all my teachers and friends knew about my hearing loss, and that, for example, talking to my back would not be a terribly productive way to communicate.

Now that I’m out of school, out of the house… I have to learn how to speak up.

Once in awhile, the topic of my hearing loss is introduced with ease. Somehow the pieces just fall into place. The conversation steers itself there, or I manage to bring it up at just the right moment- whatever. I’m able to articulate my needs- without making the other person uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, I usually only say, “hey, I’m deaf- please look at me” as a last resort (for when bluffing fails miserably) or when the person insists on whispering. In these situations, the speaker is caught off-guard, embarrassed… and then I’m embarrassed, and then both parties are flustered and tense. Not a great feeling.

Have any of you mastered the art of conversational self-advocacy? Fine-tuned the skill of saying “hey dude, I need you to do this” without coming off as an anal-retentive control freak or scary loud-mouthed twat?