Samantha Charwat ’18
10% of the students of MLHS are in the Lake Drive Program; however, many hearing students don’t know a lot about Deaf etiquette, Deaf culture, or sign language. After taking American Sign Language (ASL) 1 and ASL 2 with Mrs. Alese, I learned about common courtesies in regards to the Deaf and hard of hearing. This inspired me to focus my Girl Scout Gold Award Project on educating others on how to be able to communicate without offending people.
My project aims to correct common misconceptions about Deaf culture and communication etiquette. To educate incoming MLHS freshmen, I created a Kahoot game on Deaf etiquette and culture, which was played during freshman peer groups this Fall. In addition, I introduced basic signs including the alphabet, days of the week, and conversational phrases with either a Lake Drive student or an ASL student teaching the peer groups. The plan is to continue this program annually for future incoming MLHS freshman.
I hope this education on Deaf etiquette leads to a better understanding of communication needs and an increased interest in Deaf culture and ASL. I encourage you to take ASL because it is a fun, interesting class, and you can learn more about the language and culture of this large minority of our students.
Click here to check out my Kahoot game!
Not interested in playing Kahoot? Here is a summary of Deaf Etiquette:
What you should do when talking to a Deaf person:
-Keep eye contact and use facial expressions
-Speak normally
-Use gestures
-Ask how they prefer to communicate
-Ask if they prefer to be called Deaf or hard of hearing
-Write or type messages if you would like to
What not to do when talking to a Deaf person:
-Don’t shout or exaggerate your lips
-Don’t chew gum
-Don’t cover your mouth with your hands
-Don’t talk very fast
-Don’t say never mind if they ask for what you said again
-Don’t use the phrase “hearing impaired”
-Don’t look at the interpreter when speaking to the Deaf or hard of hearing
-Don’t interpret for a Deaf person unless asked to
0
0
Average Rating