To celebrate Deaf Awareness Month, the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing held a panel discussion on September 29 with State Representative Matt Koleszar, DODDBHH Advisory Council members Hannah Johnson and Matthew Stephens, and Michigan Department of Education Low-Incidence Outreach specialist, John Kirsh. Rights Representative Alayna Lail moderated the panel. Executive Director Johnson thanked everyone for attending and stated he was looking forward to learning about the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities.
Alayna began by asking the panelists what would they say to someone who did not know anything about people who are Deaf, DeafBlind or Hard of Hearing. Rep. Koleszar kicked off the discussion saying that it is inappropriate to use the term 'hearing impaired' and instead we should use the words 'Deaf', 'DeafBlind', or 'Hard of Hearing'. It wasn't until he met and married his wife, who has Deaf parents, that he learned that "hearing impaired" is offensive. Rep. Koleszar credits his wife and in-laws for greatly expanding his understanding of deafness and Deaf culture.
Advisory Council member Johnson explained that as a hard of hearing person, it is vitally important to face each other when speaking so she can lipread. Unlike Deaf individuals who speak American Sign Language, Johnson communicates by speaking English and lipreading. She wears hearing aids to help her hear more clearly, but they can only do so much for her. Johnson emphasized that speaking clearly and at a normal pace is essential for understanding. Shouting distorts the sound and makes it difficult to lipread, so a normal volume and pace is best.
When asked about barriers in employment, Advisory Council member Stephens, who is DeafBlind, spoke poignantly about his experiences working at Meijer. Management assigned him to stock shelves because they didn't believe he could do more. When Stephens injured his back, he requested to work as a cashier. Management initially resisted because of perceived communication barriers, telling Stephens that customers would not feel comfortable communicating with someone like him. Another manager suggested they post a sign explaining that to communicate with Stephens, writing back and forth was essential. Stephens agreed to the plan and finally became a cashier.
Kirsh and Stephens stated that each Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing individual communicates differently, and they should be asked what works best for them. Everyone has varying degrees of hearing and vision which impacts the communication tools and methods they use. Kirsh emphasized that just because he speaks well does not mean he can hear well. In his experience, hearing people often assume that because he is able to be understood, he can understand them when they speak when that is not the case.
The panelists expressed frustration with masks that have added an extra barrier to communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advisory Council member Johnson cannot lipread through masks, and for Kirsh and Stephens, it is difficult to fully comprehend facial expressions when someone is wearing a mask, which is crucial in American Sign Language. Kirsh was deeply thankful for his colleagues who wear clear masks to reduce communication barriers.
DODDBHH Director Annie Urasky ended the panel by thanking participants for their incredible insights and remarks. Panelists closed out the discussion with a Q and A session, with the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing promising to send answers to any questions the panel didn't get to via email soon.
