LaRonda shares a memory of how she challenged the system as a Deaf individual and put Deaf first!

Transcript:

Hello. I’m looking back, remembering a time during my college years, when I took a class called Wilderness Experience. That class was for different disability groups. At that time, in that class, there were people with CP, people with cognitive impairments, plus myself, as a Deaf person. Back then, I was accepting of the term “disabled.” However, now, I protest that label. I don’t feel “disabled.” Anyway, there were other people with bone cancer, limps, and a variety of other challenges. At that time, I was the only Deaf person. Our challenge was to be out in the wilderness and try to navigate our way through different challenges in the outdoors, with our disabilities.

One of my specific challenges was to try to understand the constellations (star gazing) and recognize the pictures in the night sky. This was in the dark, with no sign language and no really strong light. I only had a flashlight. My instructor would let me point the flashlight on his mouth so I could try to lipread. It was a struggle to catch what he was saying. Then, we would turn the light toward the sky and I would follow it as he traced out the constellation. Actually, before we went on that trip, we had studied the constellations in class before hand so we could memorize them. Then, we could go out and have the real experience finding them. My challenge was doing this in the dark.

There were other challenges as well. For example, with river rafting. Back then, I was really excited to river raft on the rapids. I had never done that. I especially wanted to sit in the front of the boat so I could SEE the rapids as we approached them! Other people could hear the thundering rapids building up as we came nearer, which contributed to growing anticipation and excitement! I couldn’t hear this, so I wanted to sit in the front so I could SEE the water build and become excited too! But this would be a challenge.

The person in back, who at that time, was my teacher, was the driver who used the rudder to steer the boat. We would all paddle and he helped navigate our way down the river. What I had learned earlier was that we all had to follow the driver’s call. He would call out instructions for what we were to do. This was frustrating for me because I couldn’t turn around to lipread the caller and I couldn’t hear him, so what was I to do? My teacher said I must sit in back of someone so I could follow their oars to know what to do. But I was disappointed! I wanted to sit in front! I wanted to put the Deaf person first! I was put off by having to be 2nd or 3rd. Phfft! I didn’t like it, but I accepted it at the start. There I sat, behind someone else. The person in front of me would paddle forward or backward and I would simply follow. Sigh.

Yet, this was disappointing, so much so, that I raised a complaint! I let my teacher know I REALLY wanted to sit in the front! So, we all took a moment to discuss how we would meet this challenge.

“How can she hear?”
“How can she follow the calls?”

Sometimes, we wanted to do what’s called “360′s.” That’s when you spin the boat around in a complete circle as you fly over a rapid! It’s a blast! In order to do this, one side of the boat has to paddle forward, while the other side paddles backward. That’s what makes the boat spin around. But, how could I hear the calls if I were sitting in the front. What would I do?

We continued to discuss this in the boat as a group until we came to a decision. I would sit in the front and watch the person to my side. The person would listen to the calls and then call them out to me. I would try to lipread them as he told me what to do.

Well, one time, the group wanted to do a 360. Now, the person sitting next to me was a very big, intimidating guy. He had translated a call from the instructor to paddle forward. But as I did, I noticed my oar kept hitting the one behind me. Something wasn’t right. I was stuck and frustrated! Well, apparently, the guy next to me got the call wrong. He had heard the call, but told me what his side was supposed to do. I was like, “What’s the deal?!” Grrrrrr! I was frustrated.

Then the instructor called out to the guy again and said, “Tell her to back paddle!” This caught the big dude off guard, and now agitated, he roared out, “BACK PADDLE!!!” It scared me to death!! The adrenaline kicked in and I back paddled my butt off until we actually started to move backward up stream! Ha! It was so much fun!

The point is, I challenged the system! I wanted to see them put Deaf first, by putting me in the front, so I could prove we could lead, rather than shoving us in back where we would have to depend on, or follow others! It was a fun time and a big challenge, but in the end, it worked out wonderfully!

Anyway, I was just recalling that experience. Deaf people can be in front and in the lead. We can be put first!

Just that!

Bye (ILY wave)

Posted by LaRonda on Saturday, December 26th, 2009 at 5:12 pm.