Deaf Issues

Issues that affect Deaf people are particularly close to my heart.

Having grown up in a family with Deaf relatives, and being unable to communicate with them effectively, I decided

that enough was enough and if no-one else was going to make an effort then

"I would"

Michael was born in the 1940's and the family were told that he had

learning difficulties

*banging his head on the concrete floor in frustration when he couldn't make people understand what he wanted*

If it wasnt for my grandad insisting that his son had a hearing problem I am sure things would have been overlooked

~Grandad died October 2001 and I miss him so much~

Having had much contact with Deaf relations, being unable to communicate, and feeling "very embarassed at times", I decided that it was time that someone in my family made the effort to learn sign language.

Mom and her siblings had their own way of communicating with their Deaf brother that mainly consisted of lip reading, and very strange forms of sign that had managed to get them through the last 40 odd years.

In 1996 i enrolled on a "British Sign Language" course hereafter known as BSL

The BSL courses are run by Deaf people and take in things like the language itself, environmental issues, and encourage the hearing community to interact with Deaf people.

BSL is not the same as the English spoken word, and may be an enigma until you enroll on a course and give it a try yourselves.

I can guarantee that anyone that enrolls on a course, and learns this form of communication will have fun learning, and get a sense of achievement.

I did 3 years study altogether and still have a long way to go

*****

~We should not have expectations of others regarding things that we are not prepared to carry out ourselves~