The Mythical *Pass* for Differently-Abled People

[SuperFemme]

DamonK,

Thank you for your examples of how you get treated as a victim. I can empathize with you, for sure. Not for exactly the same things of course, but for the same types of things.

Two of my four kids decided to pursue ASL throughout high school, yet couldn't get a "language" credit for the classes. It was considered an elective.

Which made me go round and round with the schools.

I learn from the kids, because well, I want to know. I think it is perfectly reasonable for you to want people to learn a few things in sign. If we can learn "su casa es mi casa" "parlez vous francais" (don't judge my spelling) then we can learn some sign.

Do you use a tty service for phone?

Do people REALLY think you want to make out with them because you are reading lips? Seriously? I don't think I'd react well to that.

Is there a reason your parents didn't learn much ASL?

[DamonK]

Originally Posted by SuperFemme

DamonK,

Thank you for your examples of how you get treated as a victim. I can empathize with you, for sure. Not for exactly the same things of course, but for the same types of things.

Two of my four kids decided to pursue ASL throughout high school, yet couldn't get a "language" credit for the classes. It was considered an elective.

Which made me go round and round with the schools.

I learn from the kids, because well, I want to know. I think it is perfectly reasonable for you to want people to learn a few things in sign. If we can learn "su casa es mi casa" "parlez vous francais" (don't judge my spelling) then we can learn some sign.

Do you use a tty service for phone?

Do people REALLY think you want to make out with them because you are reading lips? Seriously? I don't think I'd react well to that.

Is there a reason your parents didn't learn much ASL?

No tty.

My new hearing aid (3 yrs old by now) is digital rather than analog. I have mastered the art of holding phone just right to my microphone.

I don't think I'd know how to use a tty.

Yeah, quite often people think I wanna make out with them. For me, being deaf, it takes me a second longer to process whatever's being said. So I may be staring at lips a bit longer.... Not intentional. Just processing.

I never knew why my parents didn't learn ASL.

The only things I have that make it obvious is my hearing aid...batteries...dogs that bark if someone knocks or doorbell rings and closed captioning on my tv.

I do good with my cell phone.

I can't hear on house phone.

My parents are insistent I'm normal. They raised me to believe I could do anything I wanted. I'm not saying they did wrong. Not by any means. However, it was a slap in the face to discover I COULDN'T do anything I wanted. I had limitations. I had to adapt to them.

Example: I wanted to be a criminal profiler for FBI. Can't get in FBI.
Example: I wanted to be in the armed forces. Can't do that either.
Example: I wanted to be a surgical technologist. I can't do that either! (I can't read lips through surgical masks!)
Example: I wanted to be a teacher. Um, if I need an interpreter to be a student, how am I gonna be a teacher?
Example: I was a music major. Yes, I know how to play an instrument. I played quite well. I can't hear the difference between flat and sharp without other instruments or a metrodome.

Limitations. They suck.

[SuperFemme]

Originally Posted by DamonK

No tty.

My new hearing aid (3 yrs old by now) is digital rather than analog. I have mastered the art of holding phone just right to my microphone.

I don't think I'd know how to use a tty.

Yeah, quite often people think I wanna make out with them. For me, being deaf, it takes me a second longer to process whatever's being said. So I may be staring at lips a bit longer.... Not intentional. Just processing.

I never knew why my parents didn't learn ASL.

The only things I have that make it obvious is my hearing aid...batteries...dogs that bark if someone knocks or doorbell rings and closed captioning on my tv.

I do good with my cell phone.

I can't hear on house phone.

My parents are insistent I'm normal. They raised me to believe I could do anything I wanted. I'm not saying they did wrong. Not by any means. However, it was a slap in the face to discover I COULDN'T do anything I wanted. I had limitations. I had to adapt to them.

Example: I wanted to be a criminal profiler for FBI. Can't get in FBI.
Example: I wanted to be in the armed forces. Can't do that either.
Example: I wanted to be a surgical technologist. I can't do that either! (I can't read lips through surgical masks!)
Example: I wanted to be a teacher. Um, if I need an interpreter to be a student, how am I gonna be a teacher?
Example: I was a music major. Yes, I know how to play an instrument. I played quite well. I can't hear the difference between flat and sharp without other instruments or a metrodome.

Limitations. They suck.

I hear you about limitations. I am ever hopeful that we are going to keep pushing new legislation that opens more doors for people with different abilities.

Except for the surgical tech/mask thing I don't think it's right that you cannot do anything else on that list. Even the surgical tech job could be possible with some kind of compensation maybe? I don't know.

What instrument do you play?

Oh, an the tty thing. They give you a phone that looks like this:



and people call you through a tty operator, who types what they are saying onto a screen for you. you either type or speak your responses.

not too awful, and i'm pretty sure you can pick up a phone just about anywhere here in the states and get a tty operator.

[Plato]

Originally Posted by DamonK

I had limitations. I had to adapt to them.

Example: I wanted to be a teacher. Um, if I need an interpreter to be a student, how am I gonna be a teacher?

Limitations. They suck.

I think that after completing your school-work, you would be a awesome teacher, because you would know how to motivate those who think they are "unabled".

Your life experience is unique and priceless.