Melissa

Recht
SAA 7630 Action Plan
Direct Participation

I participated in the Wright State University “Deaf World” event on March 10th.

This event was organized by the students in the American Sign Language Club, with the

objective of creating a completely silent world in which participants would need to

interact, accomplish things ranging from simple tasks to complicated life events, and

attempt to communicate though sign language, lip-reading, or (as a last resort) writing

something down.

My objectives were simple—I wanted to understand what life might be like for

someone who cannot hear and may not be able to speak, and, upon educating myself

further, find ways to act as an advocate for the differently-abled. I’ve been lucky enough

to work with instructors in our Human Services department who teach American Sign

Language (ASL), including one instructor who is deaf and communicates solely with

ASL. Because of working with my colleagues in Human Services, I’m much more aware

now of the challenges people face and cognizant of the need for interpreters and

adaptations. But I know there is still much to learn. The Deaf World event seemed like a

powerful opportunity to experience some of what my fellow students and colleagues face,

deepening my understanding and appreciation of what life might be like for someone

who cannot hear.

My 10-year-old son, Max, was with me, which made the activity both more fun

and more meaningful. Max has a good friend with two cochlear implants (Tannor was

born deaf and grew up with sign language, but now can hear most things and rarely uses

sign language to communicate) and he has also spent time around other people who use

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ASL. I was excited to see what he thought about the activity. We’ve had many

conversations in the past about how people are different and how we can learn and be

open to different experiences, cultures, and ideas. I also try to model this on regular basis

for him (give a how or don’t say it). I thought this would be a good opportunity for both

of us to experience a world very different from ours.

We signed in the registration table and were given the instructions for the event—

no talking at all once we walked past the entry table, or we would be given “demerits”

and placed in jail. The event was open to all, though the majority of attendees were

students from local high schools currently taking ASL classes and WSU students in ASL

classes. ASL instructors were on hand at tables set up to represent daily activities,

including banking, buying a car, going to school, traveling, and a variety of other things

hearing people may take for granted. At each table, participants were given a slip of

paper and then needed to convey the activity/action on the paper. For instance, we

stopped at the Big Buck Car Lot table and were given a slip of paper that read, “I want to

buy a sports car, but I have to get free oil changes for a year with it.” My son and I had to

figure out how to relay that to the person on the other side of the table (either an ASL

instructor or a member of the local deaf community assisting with the event). While Max

had a year of ASL language sessions during his afterschool care in first grade, he

remembers very little of it. I know no sign language at all. We struggled mightily! It was

nerve-wracking to try to make ourselves be understood, even though it was a low-

pressure situation. We received some “tutoring” from one of the booths so that we could

have a least some basic ASL to use, but even though the instructor patiently showed us

the signs numerous times, I was unable to get past the first few words. I thought about

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how difficult this was for me, in a created scenario with no lasting negative effects (I

wasn’t actually needing to buy a car)—and reflected about how a deaf person must

navigate these situations every day in a hearing world. Trying to buy a car or a house and

communicating the many needs that go along with that, or telling a doctor or teacher or

even a hearing friend something vitally important—these are hurdles a deaf person faces

in a hearing world daily. And here I was, getting nervous because the person across from

me shook his head when I attempted to write down what kind of car I was looking for a

the Big Buck Car Lot. He wrote down one word, “Tutoring,” and refused to help me

further until Max and I learned enough ASL to convey our message.

Max and I enjoyed the event, even though it was difficulty to stay silent and still

convey what we needed to with each other and the people running the event. I had much

to reflect on and think about during and after the Deaf World Event. It reminded me that

Wright State’s mission is to be a campus that serves all students, and that our WSU

family tries to create pathways for those who might encounter barriers. This event made

clear to me that many of the daily tasks, experiences, and interactions our students who

are differently-abled face can be daunting, take extra time, and create anxiety. It’s

important for me as a student affairs professional to understand that, respect it, and

attempt to expand my own knowledge and abilities to better help students. I could easily

take a few ASL classes over the next few years, or familiarize myself with ways to be

more helpful to students who are differently-abled in a way that is respectful, not

overbearing or condescending. I also need to recognize that students who are differently-

abled, like any other students, need to find social groups, a sense of belonging, and strong

self-advocacy to thrive in college (Vaccaro, Daly-Cano & Newman, 2015). I saw all three

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of these important aspects of student success on display at this event. The warmth and

closeness of the deaf community at Wright State was on display—instructors, deaf and

hearing students, family members—all laughing, interacting with each other in vibrant

ways, working together to pull off this huge (and very well-done) event. Self-advocacy

was clearly evident as well. The students had worked very hard to put on this event, and

brought to hearing community members a strong sense of what life would be like in a

deaf world. Reflecting on the idea of self-advocacy, I thought about how our deaf

students (or any students who are differently-abled) must locate and contract services

through the Office of Disability Services, like interpreters, testing assistance, and note-

takers. Vaccaro, Daly-Cano, and Newman (2015) discuss the importance of not viewing

students with disabilities with what they call a “deficit lens” and instead seeing that these

students have qualities that can truly aid their success, like resiliency and coping skills (p.

684). The Deaf World event really hit that point home for me. Students face challenges

that felt insurmountable for me in the brief time I spent in their world and do so in a far

more graceful way than me. As a student affairs professional, I need to be mindful both

of the challenges they face (and assist them with finding resources when necessary), but

also incredibly appreciative of the gifts they possess. This is important in all aspects of

diversity and multiculturalism. When we recognize both the struggles and the

opportunities in working with a diverse population, we create a community that allows

for simultaneous learning—we learn as much from them as they learn from us.

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 References

Vaccaro, A., Daly-Cano, M., & Newman, B. (2015) A sense of belonging among college

students with disabilities: An emergent theoretical model. Journal of College

Student Development 56(7), 670-685.