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