MONDAY, OCT 22ND
PROGRAM MEETING
MONDAY NIGHT WAS OUR PROGRAM MEETING. AFTER DINNER, WE NORMALLY HAVE A GUEST SPEAKER FROM THE AREA. OUR GUEST SPEAKER THIS NIGHT WAS KARA ROY.
KARA IS A SIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTOR AT LAKELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN WILLOUGHBY, OHIO. SHE TEACHES CREDIT AND NON-CREDIT COURSES.
OUR PRESIDENT KAREN HAS HAD THE HONOR OF TAKING ONE OF HER CLASSES. THEY ARE ALSO CO-WORKERS TOGETHER AT GANDER MT. IN MENTOR. KAREN INTRODUCED KARA TO OUR CLUB.
KARA DESCRIBED TO US HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE DEAF COMMUNITY. HOW TO HELP THEM OUT IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. SHE MADE US STOP AND THINK ABOUT ALL THE SMALL THINGS WE MAY TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT ARE DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE THAT IS DEAF. FOR EXAMPLE, ALARM CLOCKS, PHONES, INTERCOMS, AND OVERHEAD ANNOUNCEMENT. THE MOST DIFFICULT IS HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN THE DARK IF THEY CANNOT SEE YOUR HANDS OR READ YOUR LIPS.
SEE KARA WAS BORN DEAF. SHE HAS A BROTHER THAT IS DEAF TOO. THEY WERE DIAGNOSED AS UNEXPLAINABLE, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT SICK AND REALLY DO NOT HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF HEARING ISSUES. KARA HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERY DEAF PERSON READS LIPS OR CAN SPEAK. SOME MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO SIGN DEPENDING ON THEIR SCHOOLING. ALSO DO NOT ASSUME THAT ALL THAT READ LIPS CAN READ EVERYONE'S LIPS. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF TALKING AND ACCENTS. THIS CAN MAKE SOME PEOPLE MORE DIFFICULT TO READ.
ON A MORE HUMOROUS SIDE SHE DID SHARE HER DISLIKE OF AIRPORTS WITH US. SHE CANNOT HEAR THE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND HAS RUN INTO SOME STICKY SITUATIONS
WE THANK KARA FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND TALK WITH US AND HELP US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DEAF WORLD.
