Deaf Group Outing to Cantigny Park

On Saturday, I went to Cantigny Park with ALDA Chicago. This was an important day for me because it was my last event as Social Chair for the group. I found I still have more to learn about deaf awareness and creating accessible events.

At the Visitors Center we viewed a captioned film. The captions were standard - we did not have to make a special request for this. When we went to the McCormick Museum, we also viewed a captioned film. I learned a great deal about the McCormick family and their influence in Chicago. So far, so good. Unfortunately, when we began our guided tour through the mansion, I discovered that the available lighting was limited. This was in keeping with the practice of the day when the house was occupied. The low lighting may have helped with ambience, but it made lipreading the guide quite difficult. I was dismayed to see several of my friends unable to follow the tour guide's speech. At the start of the tour, we were given a brochure on the home, but it had little of the information covered in the guide's narration. What our group needed was a copy of the script. I don't know whether we would have been given a copy or not (I have had the request denied before), but I wish I had thought to ask.

After that bit, the rest of the day went well even with overcast skies and a little rain. The gardens were beautiful and relaxing to explore. The First Division Museum was very informative on the soldiers' experiences in World War I.

We had lunch at the restaurant on site, appropriately named Le Jardin (the garden in French). This was a wonderful time of socializing. I think we would have liked to stay at the table forever. There were 17 of us speaking, signing, repeating, and writing - whatever was needed to communicate. This part of the day reminded me of the best of my time as ALDA Chicago Social Chair. It was gratifying to be part of making this type of social interaction possible. In future, I will look forward to participating in such events without having the management aspect.

If you would like to see additional photos from my day at Cantigny Park, you can see them on Flickr.

What's It Like When Captioning Isn't Available

Don't Leave Me Out!

Please take a few moments to watch this important film created by CCAC (Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning.) I am proud to say I know two of the women featured in it!

SIGNin' in the Street

Picture credit: Mary Rappazzo

Disneyland is hosting an event called SIGNin' in the Street March 17-18 to celebrate creativity in the deaf community. Sean Berdy from ABCFamily's Switched at Birth will be performing his signed interpretation of Enrique Iglesias' song Hero. Other cast members will be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs. There will be a special theater screening of two Switched at Birth episodes and a sneak peek at the spring finale.

In addition, two deaf films, "The Hammer" and "See What I'm Saying", will be shown. There will also be live performances by T. L. Forsberg, CJ Jones, and Beethoven's Nightmare. To learn more about all of these events, check this schedule posted by Disney.

This sounds like a wonderful event. Wish I could go. I hope there will be video highlights available on the web afterwards.

J88 Driver's License Designation

After I heard about J88 through this news broadcast, I had it put on my drivers license. In the process of getting my new license, I asked about having my Restriction F for hearing aids removed. I was told if I could pass a vision test, I could have it taken off as the restriction requires a motorist to have 2 outside mirrors and can also apply to drivers with visual problems. I had no problem passing the test. Best of all, my new license was given to me free of charge.
Here's more information on the “J88” — Deaf/Hard of Hearing Driver’s License courtesy of the Secretary of State's A Guide to Services: Serving Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities and Veterans.
“J88” is a notation on a driver’s license that alerts law enforcement officers before approaching a vehicle that a motorist is deaf or hard of hearing. Following is how the “J88” notation works:

• Request the “J88” notation be added to your driver’s license at any Secretary of State Driver Services facility. “J88” will appear on both the front and back of your driver’s license.
• Include your driver’s license number on your vehicle registration to link the two together.
• If you are stopped by a law enforcement officer, he/she will run your license plate or driver’s license number, and a “Deaf/Hard of Hearing: Uses Alternative Communication” message will appear. The officer will then know to use alternative communication.
• You must request the “J88” notation. No forms or Secretary of State personnel will ask you to include it on your driver’s license.

What do you think of this program?

Tyler's Journey of Hope

I met Tyler Swob last year when I traveled to Costa Rica with Discovering Deaf Worlds. I am so proud to share with you Tyler's upcoming advocacy effort with Push America. Tyler's video (ASL only) and story are shared with his permission. Please join me in supporting Tyler on his journey!



Did you know that there are over 54 million Americans living with a disability today? People with disabilities face many challenges everyday that you and I cannot imagine. But one of the most tragic barriers is a lack of understanding by our society. A simple message of empathy and acceptance is all it takes to break down this barrier, and I have committed myself to spreading this message this summer.

I will be raising awareness on behalf of people with disabilities by cycling from San Francisco to Washington, DC on the Journey of Hope from June 4 to August 13. Journey of Hope is hosted by Push America, the philanthropic arm of my fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi. We will also be reaching out to thousands of people with disabilities along the way, and striving to spread our message of acceptance and understanding to more than 40 million people! My expected goal is to raise $5,500 as a part of my team's goal of raising over $550,000. It is my hope that you will help me to make my journey possible by making a tax-deductible donation to Push America.

I am profoundly deaf and rely only on American Sign Language for communication. For this reason, I am in a unique position to support disabled Americans since I myself am considered "disabled." I can relate to Americans who have disabilities from my own experience as a deaf person. I want and can inspire them in a special way that no one else can. My goal is also to make a significant impact on how people view disabled people from my participation as a deaf person. Of the 54 million Americans with disability, 28 millions are deaf and I can be that voice for the 28 million deaf Americans. My experience as a deaf person fuels me with the passion to partake Journey of Hope.

What will make my participation even more unique is that two interpreting student volunteers will accompany me for the whole summer as my translation support - Noelle Corrado, a 3rd year interpreting student from Rochester Institute of Technology, and Emily Balzano, a 4th year American Sign Language student from University of Rochester. I am blessed to already have two interpreting volunteers who share my dreams for Journey of Hope. These interpreters will demonstrate the importance of providing interpretation support for the deaf like me.

I need financial support in order to embark on this journey of a lifetime. Your donation would mean so much to me in raising awareness for the disabled community. Please contact me at TylerSwob@gmail.com if you have any questions. Together we can make a difference!

CLICK THIS LINK TO DONATE.

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude."

Switched at Birth is Back!

Vasquez and Kennish families of Switched at Birth

Tonight I had a chance to watch last night's episode on Hulu. I was glad the storylines took up right where they left off so it was a smooth transition after the show's being off the air for several months. Bay and Emmett are decidedly together and although it's not easy they are committed to each other. In this interview with the creator of Switched at Birth, I read that their relationship will be a major focus of the next twelve episodes. Much as I like Daphne's character, I have to admit that seeing the young couple work through the challenges of a deaf/hearing relationship will be more interesting. As you may have expected, in this episode Wilke pursues his interest in Daphne, but his timing isn't the best because she's upset over Emmett and Bay being together as well as Angelo moving to town. I think he's going to have to be patient if he wants her for his girl.

 I was surprised by Regina's reaction to Angelo when he met her and Bay for dinner. At the end of last season, Angelo expressed a desire for the three of them to be a family. But within minutes of their first dinner, the two were driving each other crazy much to Bay's dismay. I haven't made up my mind about Angelo. I wonder what the writers have in mind for his character this season. Do you think he and Regina will get together or will he drive her to drink?

As always, I enjoyed seeing ASL used and was pleased that the hearing characters are improving their skills and using more signs. I found this article where Marlee Matlin weighs in on why Switched at Birth is breakthrough TV. I hope the popularity of Switched at Birth will bring more deaf characters to TV and raise more awareness of deaf culture and identity. I'm glad the show is back. Thank you, ABC Family.

Switched at Birth Returns January 3

During my holiday break, I'm watching the previously aired episodes of Switched at Birth in preparation for their winter premier. Did you know they are now available on Netflix?

Beginning January 3 the series begins anew on ABC Family channel. It will air Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central. An all day marathon of the first ten Switched at Birth episodes will precede the premier. If you are like me and do not have the ABC Family channel, episodes are available later on the show's website and on Hulu.

What do you think will happen next on the show? Will Bay and Emmett stay together?

A Deaf Writer and His Deaf Character: A Review of Deaf Sentence by David Lodge

Deaf Sentence by David Lodge isn't a new book. It was published in 2008. It was new to me, however, and I have reader Joe from Washington State to thank for bringing it to my attention. Joe wrote to tell me he enjoyed my blog and tell me about this book.

While I was reading the novel, I couldn't believe how similar the narrator's experiences with misunderstanding loved ones and coping with wearing hearing aids were to my own. I wondered how David Lodge got it so right. Well, the answer should have been obvious. David Lodge has a hearing loss himself. The British author discusses his hearing loss journey which began in his late forties and continues on into his seventies in this article from the Daily Mail.

When interviewed by The Book Depository, he was asked directly if Deaf Sentence was based on his own experiences. Here is his reply:

"The portrayal of the central character's deafness is closely based on my own experience, and it is exceedingly unlikely that I would have thought of writing a novel about this condition if I hadn't suffered from it myself. From my late forties I was afflicted with gradually worsening high-frequency deafness, the most common form of hearing impairment, which makes it difficult to distinguish consonants, especially when there is a lot of background noise. The character of Desmond's father is also closely based on my own father who died in 1999. He was also deaf, as a result of old age, but wouldn't wear a hearing aid, so communication between us was often difficult."

Deaf Sentence has lots of funny bits which will make you laugh, particularly if you or a loved one has a hearing loss. Some tender family moments are also included. To add some drama and suspense, there is a subplot about a young female graduate student who is writing a dissertation on suicide notes. For reasons of her own, she puts Desmond, the main character who is a retired linguistics professor, in compromising positions. For reasons of my own, I skipped over some of those parts to allow me to enjoy the book. Do you ever do that?

If you've read the book yourself, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. As always, keep those book recommendations coming.

Oticon Focus on People Award Winners Announced

Don Sims, Hearing Care Practitioner winner

Jennifer Alberstadt, Adult winner

Peer Lauritsen, President of Oticon

Sarah Wegley, Advocacy winner

Dylan Dunlap, Student winner

This photo was taken last Friday afternoon following the Oticon Focus on People awards luncheon in Los Angeles, California.

I want to thank all of my readers who voted for me and took the time to read the inspiring stories of the nominees on the Oticon website. This was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. I'm so grateful to have had this opportunity and will tell you all about my trip to LA in my next post.

Support for the Needs of Mainstreamed Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students

This is a guest post by school librarian Nadene Eisner. Reprinted with her permission, this article was originally posted on Deaf Politics.

It takes a village: teachers and librarians can help students achieve academic success

In 2009, twenty schools for the deaf were targeted for closings or budget cuts. Throughout 2011 the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has fought to protect schools for the deaf from closing. The NAD’s position statement on schools for the deaf recognizes their value both educationally and culturally but when we look at enrollment numbers more deaf and hard of hearing students continue to attend their local public schools, private schools, or public schools with deaf and hard of hearing programs than schools for the deaf.

While the NAD is fighting for schools for the deaf to remain open, who is looking out for the educational welfare of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students in public schools? We know the current learning situation is not working successfully for all DHH students. Research continues to show the average DHH student graduates high school with a fourth grade reading level. To combat this decades-old struggle to improve literacy and learning, research out of RIT supported recognizing and teaching to the unique learning styles of DHH students. With appropriate support, DHH students made academic gains relative to their learning level. Recommendations from this research included educating DHH students in an environment with teachers experienced in working with DHH students and supporting independent learning by providing opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge of what they read and learned. Being encouraged to think independently helped students transfer knowledge from one area to another.

Who is responsible for teaching these independent thinking skills? Many articles about educating DHH students point to classroom teachers as the responsible parties in educating students. Those of us who subscribe to the theory of teachers as guides recognize “it takes a village” to educate our students. In a true collaborative team schools might look to the music, art, and physical education teachers to provide lessons that tie in to classroom learning. The special education staff supports specific learning needs while the school librarian ideally works with everyone to ensure students have the literacy and information skills to help them become life-long thinkers and learners.

School librarians can play a tremendous role in improving learning in students who are DHH. Teachers are under a lot of pressure in the classroom to help students pass tests due to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Within the library, school librarians may have the freedom to do original teaching that can only improve the critical thinking skills students need to pass these standardized tests.

As with all teachers, school librarians need to be alert to the individual learning differences in their students, especially those who are DHH. This can be challenging when a school librarian teaches over 600 students each week, but by recognizing specific learning differences in students, lessons can be tailored to meet many needs at once.

What are the learning styles that define DHH learners? While many of us may learn best with a combination of learning styles, DHH learners may rely more on learning visually. Visual learners learn best with pictures, written instructions, sign language, and visual demonstrations. By contrast, auditory learners process information more effectively by listening, and kinesthetic learners do best in environments that encourage movement and tactile activities.

It’s important to understand that our brains are often expecting us to learn in a certain way regardless of how we are taught in the classroom. For example: as a deaf person I’m a visual learner; however, I became deaf at the age of three in the years before computers and captioned television. My brain was probably wired to learn by hearing but I could no longer comprehend everything I struggled to hear with hearing aids. When I looked for visual supports—pictures to demonstrate routines, written instructions, gestures, sign language, anything to fill this immense gap I was experiencing—here was nothing because I was educated in environments that didn’t differentiate for different learning styles. This didn’t change the fact that I was still an auditory learner who was now forced to learn visually without visual supports. The result for me was learning became tedious and boring.

Some DHH students in mainstreamed and self-contained classrooms today are having challenges similar to when I was a student. They may be in mainstreamed classrooms without efficient visual support. They may have teachers who don’t understand completely their very unique culture and learning needs. Students are moving from music, to art, to physical education, to the library to be taught by teachers who may be unfamiliar with their specific needs.

DHH students are not the only visual learners. We are seeing more and more visual learners in hearing students, which is terrific news for our DHH students who are educated in mainstreamed programs. Some point to technology as one reason for more visual learners. From an early age, children are surrounded by visual stimulation through television, computers, video games, and texting. As a result students also have become accustomed to receiving short bursts of information rather than long lectures.

Regardless of the reason, we are more aware of learning differences now than in the past, and we are better equipped to teach to these unique learning styles. Teachers and school librarians need to collaborate with each other to meet these unique learning needs. Students in kindergarten through high school need our guidance as they learn and we need to support students by recognizing their unique needs as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.

As a teacher-librarian I’ve looked to my own needs as an auditory/visual learner to create and present lessons that incorporate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning while also encouraging the use of technology as it relates to specific learning goals. I was thrilled to see how successful these strategies were with my hearing students and because they incorporate so much visual learning they can be adapted in a DHH classroom, or a classroom with DHH mainstreamed students.

Evidence from RIT shows that many DHH students are not where they should be academically, not because they are unable to learn but because we are not teaching to their learning styles. The more we can differentiate to encourage our students to read and communicate the better they can strive for academic success.

To further meet the needs of DHH students and provide support they may not be receiving in the classroom, I have created a tutoring service, Signs of Success Tutoring, to work not only with DHH students but also with parents, teachers, and late-deafened adults to implement strategies tailored to the needs of DHH learners as illustrated in this article. My tutoring service includes support beyond homework help that encourages students to communicate with me through my website and engage in discussions. I provide links to websites that support student learning and instruct students in how to navigate the Internet. I collaborate with teachers virtually and face-to-face to create engaging curriculum-based lessons and exercises for DHH students.

While the NAD continues to focus on keeping schools for the deaf open my tutoring service provides educational support for DHH students at home who are learning in public schools and hearing colleges. With enough teachers and parents looking out for our students we can challenge the “fourth grade reading level” research and push our students to succeed.

Works cited:
Eisner, Nadene (2011). http://www.signsofsuccesstutoring.com

Gallaudet Research Institute (2011). Annual survey of deaf and hard of hearing children and youth, 2007-08 Regional and National Summary. Gallaudet Research Institute / Gallaudet University

Marschark, M., Spencer, P., Adams, J., & Sapere, P. (2011). Teaching to the strengths and needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 26(1), 17-23. doi:10.1080/08856257.2011.543542

ABOUT NADENE EISNER
Nadene Eisner earned her MS from Drexel University and her School Library Media Specialist certificate from the Universtiy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She's worked in several libraries throughout the years, most recently serving as the school library director and teacher in a hearing elementary school. She is completing her Certificate of Advanced Studies at UIUC. She lives in Illinois with her four children—and lots of books.<

Chicago Deaf Awareness Day is Coming Up

Click on flyer to enlarge

Consider yourself invited. There will be entertainment provided by ASL-English interpretation students from Columbia College and displays on the services and products available for the deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened and deaf-blind in Chicago.

If you live in the area, I hope you'll stop by.

Don't Miss: Karen Putz and Katie LeClerc in Ability Magazine

The latest edition of Ability Magazine features Katie Leclerc on the cover and Deaf Mom blogger Karen Putz inside. You can download the magazine for free on Facebook.

In her cover story interview, Katie discusses a variety of topics including Switched at Birth, Ménière’s disease, bullying, cochlear implants, and more.

The article about Karen chronicles her return to barefoot water skiing after an accident on the water twenty-five years before caused her to go suddenly deaf. Although she was previously hard of hearing, she had difficulties in accepting her increased hearing loss. Looking back today, she says, "Going deaf was the best thing that ever happened to me. It didn't seem that way at the time but ... I learned to embrace being deaf. I learned to embrace being myself." You can find Karen's blog at deafmomworld.com.

John Nikolakopoulos on Quiet Signs of Love

Have you seen the wonderful videos for Quiet Signs of Love yet? They tell the story of a love that blossoms between two college students Daniel and Hannah. Their romance is complicated by the fact that Daniel is hearing and Hannah is deaf. Can they overcome their differences and find a way to communicate their true selves to each other? Can they find a place in each other's world? I was fascinated to see how this would play out for them since deaf/hearing relationships have a reputation for being difficult to maintain. Would Daniel and Hannah be one of the successful couples or would they become another statistic? You can see for yourself by watching the videos below, but first I'd like to tell you a bit more about the films and why I'm pleased to post them on my blog.

I was recently contacted by John Nikolakopoulos, director of ikonfilm, and asked to help spread the word about Quiet Signs of Love. Because of my passion for increasing deaf awareness through quality media productions, I am happy to assist John by recommending the videos to all of you. Especially when he told me that if these videos receive enough hits, he will be able to create a third episode or possibly create a feature film from the story.

I asked him to tell me more about how he came to make Quiet Signs of Love and this was his reply:

The film is a response to a callout from the National Relay Service for a viral video to promote their service.

When I looked deep into Deaf culture online, I found a community for whom the internet had a very deep impact. It not only brought together a global Deaf community, it also bridged the hearing and deaf worlds, making the barriers between the two less formidable.

A viral video has the connotation of being a quick shallow laugh that is easily spread, but I immediately wanted to provide something that would have more substance and relevance to the deaf experience. The internet provided deaf specific video channels through a variety of blogs and youtube channels, and providing rich and meaningful content for this forum would be much more valuable and have a longer life than a quick cheap funny short video.

Every line and every scene in the film was carefully written to have a relevance to the experience of deaf people. For example, the dinner scene is a reversal of the kind of experience deaf people have in social gatherings, where everyone is speaking and they are left out. By having a hearing person in this situation, its a little bit of Schaudenfreude (pleasure obtained from the troubles of others). In the following scene where the couple have a fight, its the male protagonist Daniel's attitude towards her deafness that is the obstacle. Not the actual deafness itself.

This film is designed to build an awareness of the National Relay Service, but ultimately, it is designed to service the Deaf community by making the NRS part of something bigger - building bridges between deaf and hearing worlds. But instead of an annoying ad to remind us of this, an engaging movie that serves the community is a nicer way to do it.

Quiet Signs of Love, Part One



Quiet Signs of Love, Part Two

Switched at Birth: What the Actors Are Saying

Update 8/3/11: I stand corrected. There are 2 more episodes following Pandora's Box: Paradise Lost which aired 8/1/11 and the season finale which will air 8/8/11. I regret the error. The good news is that Switched at Birth will not be over on the 8th. Additional episodes to complete a full season will be filmed. They will air in early 2012.

In this week's penultimate episode, Pandora's Box or rather guitar case, is opened and a devastating secret is revealed. I'm not going to spoil the suspense for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, so I thought I would share instead some cool quotes I found by the actresses who play Regina and Daphne.

When asked "What do you think is the single most important thing that you want everybody to get from the show?", Constance Marie who plays Regina, said:

I would have to say that the most important thing about this show is, the most number one thing, is that it literally teaches America and merges the hearing world with the deaf community. Since the deaf community is fifteen million strong, the fact that it merges those two seamlessly, I think it's a huge gift to America.

She followed up with this response to the question, "What do you hope people learn from the show?":

Well, I hope they learn, number one, that deaf people are just like everybody else except they speak fabulously with their hands.

You can read her entire question and answer interview here at BuddyTV.

In a separate interview, Katie LeClerc who plays Daphne, was asked, "What do you want viewers to take away from the show?" She replied:

I want people to see that the deaf worlds and the hearing worlds really are not that different. I want people to really feel like family is where you belong, and I hope that this show helps people connect back with their families. I hope that it exposes them to new cultures, and I hope people are less afraid of differences.

You can read Katie's full interview here.

If like me, you can hardly wait to see the show's final episode (airing Monday, August 1 on ABC Family and available online the day after in the U.S.), then maybe this will tide you over. Click here to take a look at ten photos taken from Paradise Lost, the last episode of Switched at Birth and read people's guesses as to what will happen next.

If you've been following the show, what has been your overall impression of Switched at Birth? Do you think there will be a second season?

Finally! Says This Switched at Birth Fan

Last night I watched Switched at Birth and finally got the payoff that I'd been waiting for since the beginning of this new television series. In episode 6, Regina points out to Kathryn that her biological daughter who is deaf has had to make ALL the efforts communication wise since meeting her hearing family. I wanted to cheer when I watched that scene. I realized in that moment how much the inequity had bothered me about the Kennish family. You may remember in a previous post that I speculated on who in Daphne's new family would be the first to learn and use ASL.

In this episode titled "The Persistence of Memory" Regina encourages Kathryn to learn Daphne's language and get to know her in a whole new way. A little while later Kathryn knocks on the door and signs to Regina that she wants to learn. Endearingly, she is nervous that she has signed wrong as she explains that she learned how to sign that much off the internet. Regina responds graciously telling her she could understand her and that it will mean a great deal to Daphne.

That was probably my favorite moment of the whole season so far.

If you're watching the show, what do you think of how the story lines have developed?

Why Hearing Loss is Lonely

I'm posting a video today that is worth a thousand blog posts. If you know someone with hearing loss, I urge you to watch it. It will open your eyes to the isolation that hearing loss can bring.

I found this gem while reading the Xpressive Handz blog today. Many of you with hearing loss have probably already seen this on the internet, but for those who haven't it is well worth watching. Please note that it's 24 minutes long.

Here's a brief description: My Song is a coming of age story which follows Ellen, a young deaf girl stuck in the middle of the deaf and hearing worlds. Feeling as if she doesn't fit in, Ellen learns sign language, attempting to enter the deaf world by taking part in a sign song competition in London. However Ellen is about to find her journey far more difficult than she first thought.

Thoughts on Switched at Birth, Episode Two

Switched at Birth, a new television show on ABC Family continues to raise deaf awareness. Here are my thoughts on the latest episode.

I was really pleased to see the question of "Can people who are deaf drive safely?" addressed in the second episode. I think that's one of the most common misconceptions hearing people have about the deaf. In this episode Daphne's biological parents were very concerned about her riding to school on the back of a motorcycle driven by her deaf friend. I liked that Daphne's mom was compassionate about their concern but stood her ground in explaining that people who are deaf can be safe drivers.

Another scene I liked took place in a music store when Liam who is hearing tried to converse with Daphne and she misunderstood what he said. She then took him over to a pair of headphones, played music for him, and then asked him to lipread what she said. When he was completely unable to do it, he began to understand how difficult lipreading is. Here again, a common misconception hearing people have about the super lipreading powers of the deaf was examined.

My other favorite moment from the show was the scene where Daphne ate breakfast alone with her biological parents, brother, and Bay. Without her Mom there to remind them by her translating, the family quickly forgot that Daphne can't hear them. They talked all at once, back and forth, and the camera spun around to show Daphne's view as she tried to make sense of the conversation. When her lack of understanding was revealed by her delighted comment after taking a bite of toast that the jam was rhubarb which her biological mother had just been explaining at length, the family was shocked. Then her brother made a quip about her being similar to his grandpa. In my experience when someone with hearing loss is not elderly, people forget. I have to constantly remind people how to communicate with me and I bet that's your experience too.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the show covers next. Stay tuned.

Reflections on Switched at Birth

Last night I watched the premier episode of Switched at Birth on Hulu as I don't have access to ABCFamily television station. I found out later that it's also available for viewing through the ABCFamily website. There's an excellent recap and review of this episode on Elizabeth's Eh?What?Huh? blog so I'm going to skip retelling the story and get straight to my reflections.

I was surprised by my intensely personal response to the show. I found myself identifying strongly with Daphne the main character even though I wasn't deaf as a teenager myself. I pondered this afterwards and realized that this program's theme is about coping with a change in your identity, in the way you view yourself, and that's been my internal experience of the past few years since I abruptly learned I have a hearing loss. Until then I had assumed my hearing was normal. Once that rug was pulled out from under me, I had to regain my footing and see myself in a new way.

I adored the loving relationship between Daphne and her mother who signs. I was delighted when she and her mom flicked quick oks to each other as that's something I do now on a regular basis with my son and occasionally with uncomprehending hearing people as it's become such a habit of mine. I'm looking forward to seeing on future episodes which of Daphne's new family first makes the effort to sign to her. My bet is on her new brother. He seems the most open to Deaf culture. Of course he messed up when he wouldn't talk directly to Daphne's best friend who is deaf and doesn't speak, but he did ask the right questions during the conversation. I'm hopeful there will be an episode at some point where her new mother learns some sign. That would be very satisfying to watch and a major turnaround from her completely clueless attitude currently.

The parts of the program dealing with the cause of Daphne's deafness were very poignant for me. As part of my own hearing loss journey I've examined why my hearing loss happened. Was it something I did wrong? Was it something I could have avoided doing? Perhaps most agonizing for me - How could I not realize that I didn't hear the way others do?

When the biological parents of Daphne instinctively seek to fix what they see as a "problem", I could relate to that as well. Unfortunately, I've had someone tell me to go to the doctor and get it taken care of when I began using an assistive listening device in addition to my hearing aid. She didn't understand that my hearing aid doesn't restore my hearing. I've also had a well-meaning family member compare getting a cochlear implant to having cataract surgery. When I replied that it would be okay if my hearing decreased further (I am nowhere near the point of qualifying for a cochlear implant), that I have confidence in my ability to cope and enjoy life without hearing, my relative was completely baffled.

The scene where Daphne's biological father calls out to her when her back is turned and realizes she can't hear him was very moving. In the next moments, he listens to everyday sounds he has taken for granted and comprehends that they are missing from her world. That's the paradox of my own hearing loss experience. Once I understood there were sounds I am unable to perceive, I became tuned into and grateful for the sounds I can hear aided and unaided. When someone asks me now, "Can you hear that?" and I can't, I simply shake my head no. But when I can hear a bird singing or some other lovely sound, I revel in it. I can no longer take it for granted.

One of the best parts of the show was seeing how poised Daphne was when dealing with her emotional parents. Teenagers everywhere take notes! It will be interesting to see if Daphne's self confidence falters any when she moves from a deaf school to a mainstream high school environment.

These are my thoughts. I'd be interested in reading your reaction to the show or what I've written, if you care to share.

Switched At Birth, ABC Family's new TV show features deaf role

When I was at the captioned movie in April, I was delighted to see this trailer for Switched at Birth, a new television series. It looks interesting.

The following information comes from an official ABC Family press release about the show's premier on Monday, June 6 at 9 pm Eastern/8 p.m. Central.

Switched at Birth, a one-hour scripted drama, tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls.

John and Kathryn Kennish have led the “perfect” life – he a retired professional athlete and she a stay-at-home mom, having together raised their two children, Bay and Toby, in an idyllic neighborhood. But their world is turned upside down when they learn there was a mistake at the hospital and Bay is not their birth child. Bay discovers in her high school chemistry class that her blood type does not appear to match either of her parents’, and official tests confirm the life-altering news. The family meets Regina Vasquez and her daughter, Daphne. A single mom, Regina has worked hard to take care of Daphne, a member of her school’s basketball team, and a typical teenager in every way except that she is deaf. Daphne lives with her mother and grandmother, and attends her deaf and hard of hearing school with her best friend, Emmett.

The girls struggle to keep their footing in the world they know and the new one into which they have both been thrown. Both questioning their identities -- Bay, a rebellious and talented street artist, is fascinated to learn that her birth mother, Regina, is also an artistic type; Daphne’s love of sports is shared with her birth father, John, once a professional baseball player. When financial difficulties arise for Regina, she accepts the Kennishes’ offer that she, Daphne and Daphne’s grandmother all live in the Kennishes’ guest house, giving everyone a chance to get to know each another.

Academy Award®-winner Marlee Matlin will guest star in several episodes this season as Melody, a school counselor who is Regina’s best friend and mother to Emmett.

Switched at Birth stars newcomer Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Vanessa Marano (Gilmore Girls) as Bay Kennish; Constance Marie (George Lopez) as Regina Vasquez; D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights) as John Kennish; Lea Thompson (Back to the Future, Caroline in the City) as Kathryn Kennish; and Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical) as Toby Kennish.