Who's Impaired?

I glanced at a directory column on campus today. It had a campus map, legends, and more text than I could possibly want to read. At the foot of the column, underneath all that text, said in a font that was not particularly large, "If you are visually impaired, call 408-92X-XXXX for assistance."

If I couldn't see well, I would have to crouch and really cock my head to read that.

That's a little pointless. Not to mention humiliating and inconsiderate. That's like making an announcement on the PA, "If you are deaf, dial XXXX on any courtesy phone near you for assistance."

I took an ASL (American Sign Language) class when I was still living in SoCal. Fascinating stuff. Just being exposed to the deaf culture for the first time was eye-opening and humbling. The deaf prefer to be referred to as Deaf. Not hearing-impaired. They are not incomplete in any way. And definitely not deaf-mute. I actually intuitively made that distinction early on. I was about 7 when my Mom, expressing sympathy, informed me that most deaf people were mute. I was like, "Being deaf does not necessarily entail non-functioning vocal cords, right?" OK, not in those exact words. But that was the gist.

This also reminds me: Last week I saw a commercial/preview of Conviction (I believe,) which I've never watched. The only witness to a crime is deaf. The voiceover asked in a grave tone, "What do you do... when your only witness... cannot speak?" My God! Just because they don't speak your language doesn't mean they can't communicate!! How dumb was that!

Sign language is amazing also because it's a completely different platform, it's got its own grammatical rules and such, but it is indubitably a language in every sense. For example, instead of spelling out names all the time, users will develop unique gestures that symbolize different names of those close to them. A hearing person cannot just make up a gesture for him/herself just by virtue of hanging out with a deaf person. It has to come from the community in time. Sort of like when you are adopted by a Native American clan, you can't just go calling yourself "Sits with Cayotes", or whatever your heart desires. Can't force it, or rush it. And when you are named, can't negotiate, can't make suggestions. Can't shake it. It is yours. Forever.