Comments on: Can you spot a Deaf person in the mall?

By: Jonathan Lewis

Jonathan Lewis — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:54:32 +0000

Hey, I always get confused everytime I see a person waving or gesturing with their hands and then when they even continue to do so, I start to believe they’re deaf… Until their mouths open. It happens to me almost everyday because I would walk by and then (I’m very visually sensitive) I would suddenly shift my head to those people I see using their hands. Yet, they were just talking while they’re “waving.” It’s weird. Hearing people can be weird sometimes.

I’m not sure if ASL is second most popular language in the world. Maybe third or fourth. I think it’s third most popular foreign language, maybe.

Jon

By: fookemandbug

fookemandbug — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:07:05 +0000

Most of the time, I did not pay attention… hee hee

Fookem

By: natech

natech — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:34:06 +0000

Ha, cool ASL vlog. I think time is changing now and isn’t like the way it was before. In fact, I know one girl who is learning ASL and when she was in Madison, Wisc for her medical school interview, she wanted to meet deaf people so badly that she actually sat outside by coffee shop and waited to spot deaf people using ASL. For like two hours, she didn’t see any deaf people. So, I just wish there are more of us, like only 3 in 100 babies are born deaf. Oh well. Because if there were more of us, we’d be able to spread more awareness about our language, ASL.

By: Alec

Alec — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:49:36 +0000

I can spot deaf if he or she wears hearing aid. Also if they use sign language too.

By: SusanA

SusanA — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:41:22 +0000

if there’s deaf people signing, or if they’re trying to talk to a hearing person, I do notice them… but if they’re by themselves, and not talking, I’m not aware they’re there, unless they’re wearing a hearing aid or CI

By: kira

kira — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:07:42 +0000

yeah, recently i went to walmart with my husband. i saw a woman with sidekick, so.. lol and her behavior is deafy

by the way, i see u have many awards behind u.

By: seekgeo

seekgeo — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 03:56:19 +0000

Oh, about the mall. I think we all can tell for most of time especially when they wear “Gallaudet” on their shirts. It is kinda obvious.

-SG

By: seekgeo

seekgeo — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 03:43:04 +0000

I’m same with Diane, I can tell whether or not if that person is really deaf begger or not.

I remember one day when I was in NY with a friend of mine eating at some pizza restaurant in mid 1990’s. The begger came to us trying to sell “I Love You” in ASL on button or whatever it was I can’t remember. And the second he showed these to us, I knew he wasn’t deaf for real based on my own guts feeling. My friend and I looked at each other as like we both knew.

So I tried to talk to him in ASL asking, “Wow, you are deaf too like us?” He freaked out and ran out of the building.

It was hilarious. I guess he was pretending to be deaf hoping to earn some money from people who feels sorry for him.

-SG

By: Diane

Diane — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 02:21:16 +0000

of course — I follow my guts.

I can tell that the “Deaf” Begger is hearing or not too.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 01:24:48 +0000

I have just started learning ASL, so I use as much as I can when I talk to my friend at the gym. (I doubt anyone would confuse my signing as if I was deaf).

As for the looks, I am sure that foriegners get the same looks when they speak their languages or wear their customary clothes. It’s because it is unfamiliar, and unknown.

There was another cool post about this a couple of weeks ago on deafread, and I think the theory that made the most sense to me is that deaf people are more visually aware of their environment – making more eye contact, heads up, looking around more….but I think another deaf person would be much more likely to notice the difference.