by Lori Steed

IMPACT Newsletter Spring '99

Whatever happened to wanting to be unique? Dar­ing to be different? I had a license plate frame on my first car that read "Why be Normal!" Forget disabilities. I had so many abilities that were different from the majority of my peers that I felt like I was different from most other people By nature I think we seek out those that are like us.

Why? Comfort. Someone who understands us. We want to do the same things. We have the same values. My "why be normal" motto was an advertisement that really said "Is there anybody else out there like me?... Anyone?" And oh what a joy it is to find someone else like me.

This carried over into becoming the parent of a deaf child. The fun part about learning sign language was the gift of being unique that came with it. Signing with my son in the grocery store and feeling people watch and point and whisper. The focus was not on the disability, but on the ability. Signing was also an obvious visual invitation for other signers to come up and say hello; "I see you have one of the same abilities that I do!"

I've been struggling with the question "Why do people with hearing losses split into two groups; those who sign, and those who don't"? Perhaps this is an oversimplification. Obviously it is a communication method choice (regardless of whether that choice is made by the person with the hearing loss or by their parents). Some people's decisions are based on the abilities to speak and understand speech, but no matter how good a person's hearing is (I have normal hearing) another ability such as the ability to communicate in sign language only enhances one's overall ability to com­municate and understand one another.

Again, I have normal hearing, but I don't communicate perfectly; nor do I understand what others say perfectly. This has nothing to do with my ability to hear (process sound and give it meaning), but more to do with my brain's ability to incorporate all the other clues as well as its ability to put ideas and thoughts into words. Speech is the pronunciation of sounds. The ability to hear those sounds to the degree of differentiation needed for the brain to attach a meaning gives an individual more clues, but not necessarily the ability to use them in the overall comprehension of what is being said. The art of communication takes a combination of abilities such as lip reading, reading facial expression and body language, understanding the context and content of what is being said (a series of common ex­periences, or cultural compatibility), and then knowing the person speaking (their communication style, i.e. dry, witty, or satirical).

I am enriched by my signing experiences. The ability to sign has broadened my ability to communicate, and the more I practice it, the better I can become. I am different because of this ability, but more important, I have become more like others who sign and broadened the group of people who are like me. Bottom line, the more abilities we have the better we can communicate, and communication is the beginning to so much more.

We all have to make choices. I encourage all of you to make choices that enrich and increase your abilities rather than ones that perpetuate the disabilities. And for your children's sake, rather than making choices for them, please give them the opportunity to explore their own abilities in communication and allow them to make their own choices. They will be happier for it and so will you.

Lori Steed is the mother of an 8 year old boy who has the
ability to sign and is improving his ability to speak every
day. 

From the East to the West

by Joshua Allmann

IMPACT Newsletter Spring '99

The Orange County Deaf and Hard of Hearing program had a special treat this year hosting 8 students from Ichinoseki Deaf School in Hagisho Japan.

The following article was written by Josh Allmann, a 7th grade student from Venado Middle School in Irvine. Josh's family hosted two of the boys from the school.

The Japanese kids came from Japan. Their school is located somewhere near the Tokyo area, and I am not sure of the exact location. Eight kids came. There were three boys and five girls. They came to observe the American school system and the American culture. The kids ages ranged from 14 to 16. All of them were at the middle school level to the high-school level.

Before they arrived, I was kind of nervous as to how we would communicate and trying to show them all the important aspects of the American culture. However, those fears weren't going to be a problem. Our first meeting used some body language. It didn't really have anything in the way of spoken or written communication (the Japanese kids already knew some English). There was one important event, however. Somebody had asked the Japanese kids to write something in English and then write the Japanese translation. Some kids, including me, attempted to copy the Japanese writing, and with some measure of success, I would assume. If it wasn't, it was a good shot then. During the drive back to my house, I learned some Japanese sign language. My very first word was "Coke". It is signed like a thumbs-up would be signed here. At our first meeting at the pizza place, the Japanese kids seemed to enjoy the pizza. And of course, they were also hungry after a long flight from Japan (on airline food) but I think they really enjoy their first taste of American cuisine. On our second day, my family and I took our two kids to the beach and a pier. We went to a resturant on the pier and ordered hamburgers. The Japanese students were surprised at the

The students from Ichinoseki School in Japan meet their host families over "American cuisine" Pizza .'.'

size of the hamburgers. They said it was a big hamburger, but seemed like the size of your average Whopper.

When the Japanese students arrived at my house, we showed them around the house. As we were helping them settle in, they gave us some gifts. Those included some home videos of Japan, a wood top with a string, Japanese candy and all sorts of stuff. Gift giving is a staple of Japanese culture.

The kids at Venado were very open and welcoming to the Japanese students. I never noticed any resistance from any of the kids at the school towards the Japanese students. As a matter of fact, immediately after the first lunch, some kids invited them to play basketball. The Japanese students mostly observed our school. They also went over to Uni­versity High and looked at the program there. On their last day at our school, we all flocked to Los Angeles and went to the Science Center for some hands on fun! Both Japanese and American students enjoyed the trip to L.A. The Japanese students also taught us several things. The boys taught some kids how to make kites. One group of girls showed us how to do a Japanese tea ceremony. Some of us also learned how to do calligraphy, the Japanese language. One thing I noticed about the students was that they hardly ever talked with a sign language. Sometimes they would, but they seem to talk to each other sometimes and sign other times. When it was time for them to leave, it was a sad occasion for many of us. We all had Donuts and juice and the Japanese students all came up front and said how much it meant to them being able to come here to America and experience our culture.

Someday, if I have the opportunity, I would like to go to Japan. It looks like an exciting place, from what I've heard and seen from the Japanese students. I would also like to see how American culture compares to Japanese culture, just like the Japanese students did here. I think the most memorable experience was when we all first met. I think that was the part where we all learned the most about each other.