Do you really know what it's like to be deaf? Not just covering your ears and losing the ability to hear. I mean, do you know what it's like to be deaf in a world where most of the people can hear? Don't get us wrong, deaf folks and the hearing-impaired are just as capable and have just as full lives as the hearing. But when it comes to communicating with others who can hear, most of whom don't know sign language, it can be troubling. Consider this: you might see it as a deaf person "missing out" on the rest of the world. Have you considered that so many of us are missing out on all the wonderful people in the deaf community because we don't take the time? I am not soapboxing here, because I am guilty of this, too.
David Terry Fine of Little Moving Pictures produced this immersive short film called Can You Read My Lips? The video makes you the deaf person struggling to read lips in conditions that aren't really practical. It begins with people talking in a studio where they are speaking slowly and clearly. Then it moves into real-world scenarios like at a bar, dock, or street corner. What deaf folks are up against is a lot of chaos. People cover their mouths, they turn away, they don't make it very easy to read lips.
After you watch this film, maybe you'll take a little more time to learn a few words in sign language or be more thoughtful when communicating with the deaf. I know I will.
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