Is it Offensive to Talk while among a Deaf crowd?

kokonut

kokonut

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A question and a little twist from a previous thread about whether it's offensive to sign in public ( http://www.alldeaf.com/sign-language-oralism/67941-offensive-sign-public.html ).

Let's say a couple that obviously wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant walk into an eatery section inside a mall, say Mall of Georgia, and come across a huge group (say 80 people) of Deaf people signing away during their monthly get-together. The couple continues to talk and order food and then proceed to the nearest table amongst the crowd. They sit down and begin their conversations with each using their voice. Would this be considered offensive by Deaf people for them to talk verbally in a public place such as I have described in the above? What about using the cell phone to talk while there?

Secondly, would it be offensive to talk into a cell phone (the person is alone), say, on a Deaf campus when it is plainly obvious the person wears a hearing aid or cochlear implant?

Have at it.
 
Why would it be offensive? Wouldn't everyone there just assume they are hard of hearing?
 
kokonut said:
A question and a little twist from a previous thread about whether it's offensive to sign in public ( http://www.alldeaf.com/sign-language-oralism/67941-offensive-sign-public.html ).

Let's say a couple that obviously wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant walk into an eatery section inside a mall, say Mall of Georgia, and come across a huge group (say 80 people) of Deaf people signing away during their monthly get-together. The couple continues to talk and order food and then proceed to the nearest table amongst the crowd. They sit down and begin their conversations with each using their voice. Would this be considered offensive by Deaf people for them to talk verbally in a public place such as I have described in the above? What about using the cell phone to talk while there?

Secondly, would it be offensive to talk into a cell phone (the person is alone), say, on a Deaf campus when it is plainly obvious the person wears a hearing aid or cochlear implant?

Have at it.
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Well, yes it would be. If they speak and sign at the same time, it should be OK. If they are going to speak and not sign, perhaps they should move to another spot where deaf individuals are not present.
 
Brian said:
Well, yes it would be. If they speak and sign at the same time, it should be OK. If they are going to speak and not sign, perhaps they should move to another spot where deaf individuals are not present.
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I agree...but if they dont know sign language, what then?
 
Brian said:
Well, yes it would be. If they speak and sign at the same time, it should be OK. If they are going to speak and not sign, perhaps they should move to another spot where deaf individuals are not present.
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Why should they move? Remember, this eatery section is a public space. They find a table, they sit down and eat and talk while there.
 
kokonut said:
Why should they move? Remember, this eatery section is a public space. They find a table, they sit down and eat and talk while there.
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Then I guess not if they are not going there for the Deaf social. If they go to a Deaf social and dont sign even if they do know it, then different story.
 
Ok. Let's say they use Cued speech then along with the talking?
 
*gasps*

Yes! It's offensive. It's also offensive for a deaf person to sign in the middle of a crowd of hearing people talking!









Just kidding... seriously, why should anyone be offended.

Let's look at Deaf Chat Coffee and Deaf Happy Hour as examples. Both events take place in public locations that are also filled with hearing people. Do we see any deafies getting all upset because a hearing person there talked? Nah!
 
Not about hearing people. I'm talking about hard of hearing or those who are deaf who wear cochlear implant, for example. Deaf people shouldn't get upset over a deaf/hh person communication preference with another deaf/hh person. When it comes to using a particular mode communication (whether they know sign language or not) to talk and converse it is their right to do so. Even if it means at Deaf chat places, too. After all, who says that Deaf people have the right to regulate "proper mode of communication" in a public setting? They don't. We don't know the circumstances and the reason for talking instead of signing. And really, it's nobody's business since it's in a public setting.
 
I haven't read the other thread too much past the first page, but I guess I'm not really getting what the big deal is. People have to communicate, no matter where they are. If deaf/hoh happen to be in a spot with tons of hearing people and the only way they can communicate is by signing, then they should be able to do that. Just as if hearing people happen to be around deaf people - they should be able to talk. It's like if you're in a restaurant - tons of different conversations going on, no matter the language.
 
kokonut said:
A question and a little twist from a previous thread about whether it's offensive to sign in public ( http://www.alldeaf.com/sign-language-oralism/67941-offensive-sign-public.html ).

Let's say a couple that obviously wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant walk into an eatery section inside a mall, say Mall of Georgia, and come across a huge group (say 80 people) of Deaf people signing away during their monthly get-together. The couple continues to talk and order food and then proceed to the nearest table amongst the crowd. They sit down and begin their conversations with each using their voice. Would this be considered offensive by Deaf people for them to talk verbally in a public place such as I have described in the above? What about using the cell phone to talk while there?

Secondly, would it be offensive to talk into a cell phone (the person is alone), say, on a Deaf campus when it is plainly obvious the person wears a hearing aid or cochlear implant?

Have at it.
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It would be wrong for anyone amongst the 80 deaf people (or anyone for that matter) to assume the folks with the HA and CI know how to sign. That said, I can't imagine why anyone would be offended. Just my :2c:
 
kokonut said:
Not about hearing people. I'm talking about hard of hearing or those who are deaf who wear cochlear implant, for example. Deaf people shouldn't get upset over a deaf/hh person communication preference with another deaf/hh person. When it comes to using a particular mode communication (whether they know sign language or not) to talk and converse it is their right to do so. Even if it means at Deaf chat places, too. After all, who says that Deaf people have the right to regulate "proper mode of communication" in a public setting? They don't. We don't know the circumstances and the reason for talking instead of signing. And really, it's nobody's business since it's in a public setting.
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If it is at a Deaf chat and they go to socialize but don't sign even knowing it, it is rude. They have access to what everyone is saying but others don't have access to what they r saying.

But if they happened to go someplace where there happens to be a Deaf social going on, then, no since they didn't go there to meet and socialize with other Deaf people.
 
If the couple doesn't know anybody in the group and aren't trying to talk with anybody in the group then what does it matter what form of communication they use? It's nobody's business but their own what they're saying unless they choose to share that information with others. Same with the reverse situation with Deaf folks signing around hearing strangers.

Now if they're participants at a social gathering with Deaf signers then of course it would be rude to use voice exclusively.
 
I thought about a time in college when some black people I met in the cafeteria and often had lunch with invited me to a party at a skating rink. I got there, I was the only white person there. It was the first time I had ever felt like such a minority. At one point I talked to one of my friends and she asked me if I was having a good time. I said yes but it's a little strange being the only white person there. She said "oh well, I've been in that situation lots of times!"

Deaf people find themselves in this situation all the time; my feeling is that if hearing people have problems with them signing they ought to...get a life? Of course we're not talking about signing to deliberately shut out people who don't sign. And deaf folks are prefectly aware that more people hear than don't, and it's not like seeing someone talk is going to make them all sad that they don't hear as well. :) If you're in a group of deaf people and you talk, then signing along with your speech obviously keeps you from excluding folks. But we also live in our larger worlds too. I used to be worried about people getting upset if I spoke English on my cell phone in public when another American called me, now I say to hell with it, we all have our different ways of communicating and they don't really need to know that I'm meeting so-and-so at 7:00 by the Şişli metro stop now, do they? :)
 
Mountain Man said:
If the couple doesn't know anybody in the group and aren't trying to talk with anybody in the group then what does it matter what form of communication they use? It's nobody's business but their own what they're saying unless they choose to share that information with others. Same with the reverse situation with Deaf folks signing around hearing strangers.

Now if they're participants at a social gathering with Deaf signers then of course it would be rude to use voice exclusively.
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Well, I set up a scenario already. The two deaf/hh sits at a table and talk to *each other*...not about whether if they are part of the Deaf social scene or not. The thing is, we don't know the situation. All we see is two apparently deaf/hh people (wears hh or ci) who are talking to each other, verbally. They just happened to be in a situation where they're surrounded by a bunch of Deaf people.

Why would it be the Deaf people business on how those two prefer to communicate?

It is not their business to begin with.
 
kipourgos said:
I thought about a time in college when some black people I met in the cafeteria and often had lunch with invited me to a party at a skating rink. I got there, I was the only white person there. It was the first time I had ever felt like such a minority. At one point I talked to one of my friends and she asked me if I was having a good time. I said yes but it's a little strange being the only white person there. She said "oh well, I've been in that situation lots of times!"

Deaf people find themselves in this situation all the time; my feeling is that if hearing people have problems with them signing they ought to...get a life? Of course we're not talking about signing to deliberately shut out people who don't sign. And deaf folks are prefectly aware that more people hear than don't, and it's not like seeing someone talk is going to make them all sad that they don't hear as well. :) If you're in a group of deaf people and you talk, then signing along with your speech obviously keeps you from excluding folks. But we also live in our larger worlds too. I used to be worried about people getting upset if I spoke English on my cell phone in public when another American called me, now I say to hell with it, we all have our different ways of communicating and they don't really need to know that I'm meeting so-and-so at 7:00 by the Şişli metro stop now, do they? :)
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You're quite right. It's really none of their business how you conduct your calls on your cell phone in an open, public setting by yourself. Just as I receive or make calls on my cell phone when I was on the campus of Gallaudet Univ inside a bldg near the eatery place. What am I gonna do? Run into some dark corner out of fear that I might offend a few people? Nah.
 
kokonut said:
Well, I set up a scenario already. The two deaf/hh sits at a table and talk to *each other*...not about whether if they are part of the Deaf social scene or not. The thing is, we don't know the situation. All we see is two apparently deaf/hh people (wears hh or ci) who are talking to each other, verbally. They just happened to be in a situation where they're surrounded by a bunch of Deaf people.

Why would it be the Deaf people business on how those two prefer to communicate?

It is not their business to begin with.
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If I was there and saw that, I wouldnt pay attention. I wont make a mountain out of a molehill.
 
I find it offensive for people to spend time on their cell phones, at any social meetings. What is the point of going to a social gathering if you are constantly on the phone.
 
Well, from what kokonut described about a two hard of hearing people who happened to come to the eatery place to get food and just sit and chat among all 80 Deaf people who are there to eat and social. I think it was an accident on purpose to just eat and talk with each other without being socializing with Deaf people at all. As for cellphones, I think it is probably disrespectful to be talking on the phone in front of his/her friend. If the person had been alone, then the person can talk on the cellphone without any interruptions or interferring. That is my opinion. :roll:

Bye the way, if Hard of Hearing might indicate that they have mild hearing loss and can understand what is being said on the phone whether they have hearing aids or CIs. :twocents:
 
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