(♪♪♪) (no talking audio)
What did you say?
What are you talking? Jill: I'll tell you later. (laughs)
(no talking audio)
He's just telling a joke. I'll tell you later.
Jill: Hi everbody. Jenna: Hello Jill: Welcome back,
so today I thought we'd go ahead and discuss something about someone who left a comment
talking about Deaf people and being left out the conversation.
So how does that make you feel? What's the experience?
Obviously myself not being Deaf, I will comment on that a little bit later.
I thought I'd go ahead and let Jenna today talk about
how it feels being a Deaf person, being left out of the conversation.
If it's all with hearing people and maybe nobody knows
sign language or just one person knows sign language and that's it.
So talk about her experience growing up and even now.
How she feels. So go ahead. Jenna: Hi,
so of course being the only Deaf person in my family,
everybody is hearing which is fine. I grew up experiencing
you know quite a lot of the time being left out. You know that's pretty common
for most Deaf people who grew up in hearing families.
Of course it sucks because you know you feel kind of bad or you feel
lonely or you feel like you're missing out on a lot of information. You know alot
of hearing people learn a lot of things just from hearing you know through
conversation at the dinner table. So it's hard to kind of catch all of that. You might catch
maybe 30% or if you're lucky you try and read lips
and it's a lot of effort while you're eating at the same time.
It's a lot of work, a lot of stress. I don't know it kind of gets to the point
where sometimes you're just like, "just focus on eating, get it over with and be done."
It's like you don't want to put so much effort at the same time.
What else?
Jill: Maybe if you've had any problems with your family, relationship wise because
of that? Jenna: Ummm I think sometimes if you
get left out a lot it can lead to some bitterness.
Especially when you're younger, you don't really understand
you know, or you don't understand how to deal with the emotions or whatever.
Sometimes it gets really frustrating, but later it gets to the point where you kind of just
get used to it and you just find another way to entertain
yourself or you find another way to get around
the issue. You know, sometimes you're lucky
and family member might put in some effort to talk to you too and like
my mom knows sign. So sometimes she'll try to interpret a little bit,
but you can't really expect 100% of the time because it's a lot of work for them
as well. So you know it's kind of a complicated
situation and sometimes you kind of have to force, make an effort and be clear
but it's just sometimes it's not appropriate and it's really a balance situation.
Jill: Right and talking about being with your family, it's unfortunate
I hear about that happening. Think about it, I mean maybe not as much today,
I don't know the modern family but you tend to sit around the dinner table with your family
and talk about how's your day and what are doing. Talking about issues, I don't know, politics
or what you're doing. At the same time, as you're talking, you're bonding with your family, and if
you don't know what they're saying, you can't really have a good deep conversation
you lose out on that feeling. I've experienced that working at a Deaf school where
some of the students I mean really hate hearing people, just in general.
They're family, they really hate them because they don't sign with them and they feel left out.
You know it's a similar idea. You know I've experienced that,
I'm not Deaf but I hang out with a lot of Deaf people and sometimes I'm the
only hearing person there. Feels a little bit sometimes awkward but more
like if there's a lot of Deaf people that I'm not used to, maybe
I don't understand everything they're saying. I have to ask her to interpret it for mean, and
I'm an interpreter. But I kind of feel like, "ok", and just kind of nod my head.
You know I don't really know what's going on but I just go with it. Then I feel awkward
and they ask a question and I'm like ehhhhh, like a deer in the headlights. You know what I mean
and obviously it's not the same experience as being a Deaf person growing
up that way with all those frustrations, but it's kind of a glimpse. I mean if you can
imagine walking into a room and everybody is speaking... I don't know
Russian. You have no idea how to speak Russian, but
they're laughing and having fun and you kind of just feel like
you want to leave. You know that's kind of how it'd feel. So,
you know if you're Deaf try your best to
get yourself involved. I don't know if you maybe have any tips for that?
Jenna: Um just find another way to communicate. Like read lips
if you can. If you can't then use paper and pen
or use your cell phone. You know go back and forth that way or whatever.
Just find a way to make an effort. But at the same time
it has to go both ways. It can't just be you putting in all of the effort.
You know make sure you're communicating with your family and letting them know how you feel.
You know try and do that challenge and make sure that they understand that
you're frustrated and trying to make them see an effort too.
You know like luckily my family is always willing to make an effort and always willing to
speak clearly or ask questions and make sure that I'm invovled.
You know every once and while. I don't really have any complaints
against my family or anything. Just, it's not perfect but of course, no body is
perfect. I mean they just make the best out of it.
Jill: Yeah and if you happen to be hearing and you know sign language with a Deaf person, obviously
ask them first if they want you to interpret. But if you can interpret for them, go ahead.
You know if somebody is telling a joke go ahead and let them know. They should laugh too!
Laughter is the best medicine. Especially if that person is sick,
you have to interpret the joke for them! Jenna: Like you
Jill: I do! Jenna: I'm the comedian in this relationship.
Jill: We'll see... look at the Mrs and Mrs Challenge right here.
Yeah mmhhh we'll talk about all of that.
Jenna: Oh and the train dance!
Jill: No, no train dance. Jenna: People love it!
Jill: Whatever, ok guys hopefully
this has helped you understand a little bit better about trying to make sure all of the people are
invovled like Deaf people or even if you're Deaf yourself, how to kind of interact with people
so you are invovled. That way nobody is left out. Ok?
We'll see you in the next video. Bye!!
The third sign is cookie.
That's signed COOKIE.