hi & welcome ;)

C

courtneyspeedy

New Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
hii...so i have a lot to say and i wasn't sure if this was the right place to post it but here goes...

Well, I’m sixteen and I’m a deaf girl living in New Zealand. I don’t know any other deaf people and it’s really hit me recently because of something that happened today. In class, we were discussing diversity in the workplace and my teacher mentioned that hearing loss/ hearing aid wearers/deaf people etc are ‘’special needs.’’
And that made me so mad! I am normally VERY shy but I interrupted her and got into a bit of a rant at her and it just really annoyed me how she said that and the way she did. I am over people not understanding and I really want to connect with my deaf side more.
I am dyslexic and I have tried learning sign language but I just can’t do it. I just get mad at myself and feel like a fake deaf person…I know that sounds crazy but it’s true :(
because I’m dyslexic, learning any language for me is sooo hard and since my hands/fingers sometimes don’t do what my brain asks them to do…it makes it even more difficult to learn it..
I communicate using my voice since I wasn’t born deaf. fingerspelling and sign language just don’t work for me…too complicated.. and I was also wondering if anybody has other ideas I can use to help me communicate with people? gestures are too complicated for me too….so any suggestions?
I totally respect other deafies who use sign language and I think it’s faboulous and I wish I could ;D but I see no point in dwelling on it because I have tried and it doesn’t work for me..
I am just sick of feeling isolated at school and stuff…I know NO other deaf or hearing impaired people and it is really getting to me…I am very shy and being deaf deaf-inately(PUN!!!!!!) knocks my self esteem a lot :O
is anybody out there a female, between 15-25(at the most) and interested in being my deaf buddy?! :) I am really into pen pals and we could write letters to each other and stuff!
:) or is anybody from New Zealand and from that same age group??? I would really really like to make some deaf friends…and the organisations in NZ aren’t very helpful… ;o

anyway, sorry for the long post and I am looking forward to hopefully making lots of new friends on here!

Courtney xxx
 
I know someone in here around your age who just got divorced, and he is retired from his work. He is on pension, and like to travel. He like to read newspaper, and drink coffee every mornings. He does not like drama. That sounds like he is your new pen pal. :lol:
 
ohhh...right..
umm..anyway... :D i'm only looking for female friends sorry...also...just wondering if anybody could help me out with the other questiosn i posted?
 
"special needs"....please show this video to your teacher

[yt]9vrboKNjpMk[/yt]
 
Anyone can learn ASL. My cats respond to ASL... and if they don't, they respond to yelling... * GET OFF THE COUNTER * :D

Seriously though, anyone can learn a new language including ASL, it just takes the desire and drive to do so...

Except Romanian... I haven't met anyone that has expressed interest in learning Romanian that has succeeded... :laugh2: :ugh:

Seriously though, dedicate yourself and you can do almost anything, you'll surprise yourself. :P
 
are there deaf summer camps at the Deaf School you could take advantage of?Van Asch Deaf Education Centre
They have a residental immersian thing.It's a weeklong thing..and deaf ed in NZ is very strongly oral....Many kids who Sign also speak....going to that would help you SO SO SO MUCH!
 
I've tried to learn it but I find it too hard /: probably sounds like an excuse but I'm dyslexic and I really struggle with like Doing stuff with my hands as my beak won't tell them what to do lol. Also just a questions...since I dot know any other
Deaf people..do all/most deaf people use their hands a lot to communicate? Because I'm deaf(obviously lol) but I don't use my hands as such,, I use my eyes more to read lips or to see what's happening and when I canthear people they just write it down or type it up...I feel like
That kind of makes a 'fake' deafie if that makes sense?? I'd love to know of other people who are oral like me and don't use sign language..
 
Welcome.

Maybe it would be easier for you if you meet someone who knows ASL or BSL to communicate with you then you would pick up faster than yourself to learn on your own. Its too hard.

Just hang out here for a while and you ll figure out what to do with your communication method. :)

I dont know any one whos 16 old on AD but im sure there are...
 
Hi :)

Thanks for replying...

Yeah I know what you mean..I just feel pretty darn excluded and I don't really know if I fit in with the deaf world or the hearing one...
If you don't mind me asking, do you know sign language? And do you think that you, especially if you use sign language, tend to use your hands to express yourself whilst talking? Does that make sense? :)
 
Hey Courtney,

If you never learn ASL, that does not make you a "fake deaf" person.

(I'm a big fan of ASL, I think it's a great idea for people to learn, deaf, hearing, etc. But not knowing it doesn't make you a fake.)
 
courtneyspeedy said:
Hi :)

Thanks for replying...

Yeah I know what you mean..I just feel pretty darn excluded and I don't really know if I fit in with the deaf world or the hearing one...
If you don't mind me asking, do you know sign language? And do you think that you, especially if you use sign language, tend to use your hands to express yourself whilst talking? Does that make sense? :)
Click to expand...

I was born Deaf, so I am an ASL user. Actually I went to the Deaf school all my life, and made friends. So Now I am in the hearing work world. Most of my co workers dont know ASL but know very little. If it is all about work, then we communicate through instant message or write a paper or interpreter. So

If you happen to meet other Deaf people, if they know ASL or BSL then you would more likely get a chance of picking up ASL or BSL better. I hope you will meet Deaf people who you can feel fit in.
 
Back
Top