After spending a week at a conference for the Deaf, I was reminded of all the things that hearing people notice at Deaf events. I have been an American Sign Language (ASL) student for two years and have been going to Deaf events for even longer. Whether this is your first Deaf event or you have been going to them for years, these six things describe being a hearing person at a Deaf event.
1. It can be really quiet.
You walk into a room of hearing people and you'll hear chatter. However, a room full of Deaf people will be much quieter. If you spoke to another hearing person, you wouldn’t need to shout to be heard. It can become awkward with so much silence, but once you go to several events, you start to get used to it.
2. It can be really loud.
Although they can’t hear, they love their music loud. The bass is cranked up so you can feel the vibrations. It’s really cool to feel the music, but as a hearing person, you may want to bring some earplugs. They may also make a loud noise. This may be as simple as clapping one’s hands very loud, or popping a balloon at a party. Either way, going from complete silence to a sudden noise can be quite scary.
3. You’ll be asked a lot of questions.
What’s your name? Are you hearing? How did you learn ASL? Who is your teacher? You may be asked all of these questions and more at the event. They are watching how and what you sign. This gives them a way to see what is your skill level. Many Deaf people will be considerate of your language limitations and won’t leave you in the dust.
4. They love to joke around.
I have met several Deaf people who love to joke around, and young ASL students are unfortunately easy to pick on. I’ve seen people spell their name backwards, to confuse students. They end up having to ask their name again and again which causes a big laugh for the Deaf people. I have a professor who pulled a prank on one of his ASL classes by switching to a different sign language while he was teaching. The students all panicked thinking they had all forgotten ASL. This may be hard the first few events, but you start to expect it and can start joining in on the fun.
5. You will be tired afterwards.
You leave the event, and all you want to do is close your eyes. Hearing people don’t depend on your eyes as much as Deaf people. So after a while, they start to feel strained. Your hand might be tired as well after talking with them for so long.
6. You can’t wait to go to your next one.
No matter how tired or how confused you might be, you are motivated. You go home and practice, developing more skills. You will be waiting to show how much you improved at your next event!
