Deaf Burners 2010

[echo]

I have a small group of Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hearing friends (fluent signers) from the Pacific Northwest who are coming out for BM 2010. This will be our first year coming out together.

We would like to connect with any other Deaf Burners, Camps, and Staff. If you know anyone who fits the description above or have feedback, please help us come together and share.

[theCryptofishist]

I've actually been wondering about the experience of hearing impaired burners, as part of my larger wondering about burners with disabilities. I do know that in the world--or at least in this country--that hearing impaired are much more separate from the larger culture than the visually impaired are. (I know htat makes no intuitive sense.) And so I wonder what the experience of sound camps is--there must be times when they can feel the vibrations.

and so on...

[gyre]

I met someone my first year who is deaf.
I would have never known if he hadn't told me.
I asked about his accent, thinking it was australian, possibly.
He was quite distressed that he had an accent at all.
But I can assure you his speech was better than 99% of hearing people.
So, many of us may have met him or someone like him without knowing.

He said he had a good teacher and was taught to speak with a candle flame.
Maybe we would all benefit from a little of that?

He urged me to try to connect with the deaf community, but I really have no idea how to do that.

If this person reads this, I would like to hear from you again.
I can't remember the name.
I'm afraid I wasn't diligent enough about writing things down my first year.

[Shambala]

Whether you find other deaf burners or not, you will find BRC to be a welcoming and comfortable place for your group. Think of BRC like a regular city---only different!

[theCryptofishist]

Whether you find other deaf burners or not, you will find BRC to be a welcoming and comfortable place for your group.

Um. I'm not so sure. It's odd having walked the playa, and now not walking it. I'm not going to say that as a whole the people of BRC don't mean well, but there is often a huge gap between their friendliness and their grasp of basic issues that cascade from whatever disability is in question. Like the dome thing--all those people build geodesics, very few of them know that there isn't really a good way to have then accessible without adjustments. Not even hard adjustments (or I don't think so, double check that with titwi) but they have to be made. And I can forget about riding art cars. On Friday or so there was a camp at about 3 and Esplanade, some sort of cowboy saloon thing, and there were the usual touts out there trying to get me to come in. Yo, boys, I can't come in--I can't get up on your porch. The Event has a very definite visual component to it's culture--how do you share that with people who don't see, or don't see well? ASL is not English. How do you get passed the language barrier? Burningman is hard sometimes. It's even harder when people don't get the first thing about where you're coming from.

[Isotopia]

There is a Black Rock Ranger who is deaf and has been volunteering for a good number of years.

The fact that she cannot hear has never deterred her from doing a kick-ass job.

She is awesome.

I think part of her awesomeness is that she has never let her deafness be a reason to keep her distant or removed from everyone else who was having a collective yet unique experience.

[gyre]

Now that you mention it, I remember a girl from the commissary that I always thought was dpw, but might be the same person.
She communicates better ordering nonverbally than most people manage.

I wonder if it's the same person?

[winebuff]

Hi Echo
Are you from Oregon? If so, I am also from Oregon and going for my first time. I dont sign and am not deaf but would be happy to hook up with your group here in pdx over coffee and if you have a person who can translate, we could chat about the whole experience coming up. I think it is great you are going. Guess all of us have things we struggle with, some more than others in different ways. I would love to share ideas with you. We are all still human and caring individuals no matter what. It is what is inside what type of person you are that I care about.

[echo]

I think part of her awesomeness is that she has never let her deafness be a reason to keep her distant or removed from everyone else who was having a collective yet unique experience.

Sounds like just my girl and someone I need to meet. Any idea who she is? If not, I'll try to find out from the volunteer organizer.

Thanks!

[theCryptofishist]

I think part of her awesomeness is that she has never let her deafness be a reason to keep her distant or removed from everyone else who was having a collective yet unique experience.

I'm sure she is.

However, once someone achieves a certain level of functioning on-playa, that should be enough. One of the horrors of having a disability is the default level of persons interacting with you is either you are Captain Pike plus an Epsilon Minus Semi Moron or you are Saintly Helen Keller with a Superman Aura. Most of us fall somewhere in between. My guess is that persons bringing disabilities to the playa fall in the high percentiles of radical self-reliance and being able to cope with people "on the outside" and wanting to push themselves into novel situations that will take extra strength to deal with. But even those people may feel tired or over stimulated and need some down time, and maybe they'll even get cranky with other participants. If someone turns out not to be such a good burner, that doesn't translate to being a bad person.

Not that I want in the least to be coming across as correcting Iso.

[echo]

I've actually been wondering about the experience of hearing impaired burners

Just a little FYI... to many, the term "hearing impaired" can be very offensive. Since Deaf individuals have their own language, culture and way of life, many see themselves as part of a thriving culture and not "impaired". Some how the term "Deaf" became a bad word, and hearing individuals began using the phrase "hearing impaired" as they thought it to be more Politicall Correct. That said, I doubt anyone who uses the term "hearing impaired" means harm, including Crypto. There is just still a lot of education and awareness to spread about Deafness and the culture surrounding it. Also, keep in mind that due to varying levels of hearing loss, the term "Deaf" does not always work for everyone. A safer way to say the term "hearing impaired" is to say "Deaf or Hard of Hearing" and unless someone specially asks you to call them "hearing impaired", I would refrain from using that term.

No offense taken here and I hope this has helped shed some light.

[echo]

My guess is that persons bringing disabilities to the playa fall in the high percentiles of radical self-reliance and being able to cope with people "on the outside" and wanting to push themselves into novel situations that will take extra strength to deal with. But even those people may feel tired or over stimulated and need some down time, and maybe they'll even get cranky with other participants. If someone turns out not to be such a good burner, that doesn't translate to being a bad person.

I completely hear you Crypto...this goes for every day life as well and not just large events like BM. As a Deaf person who socializes with both Deaf and hearing non-signers every day, I get tired and cranky and down-right fusterated with day to day interactions. I've had to learn over the years just how much I am capable of and how much energy to invest in these interactions. I've had to to be proactive in speaking up and educating friends on my needs and abilities in order to keep a healthy balance. Luckily, I've found a core group of people who encourage and respect this.

Hopefully, I can find the same on the Playa.

[Shambala]

I completely hear you Crypto...

Oh for crying out loud echo, make up your mind. Can you completely hear or are you deaf?


If you want politically incorrect, I am the king!

[theCryptofishist]

*kicks Shambala, hard*

[theCryptofishist]

And for the record, I prefer Deaf and Blind and I hate the eternal cheeziness of that bland, non-offensive language, although last I heard it was person before disability...

Pah!

[Shambala]

*kicks Shambala, hard*

Are you setting me up for another one?

[oneeyeddick]

BTW, Gyre, that deaf girl in the comissary is DPW, and her name is Eli(red/dirty blonde, short hair?).

She has never been a ranger, that would be someone else entirely, ISO.

[gyre]

Rangers come in there too, so I don't know.

If anyone would be willing to tackle the communication issues of being a ranger, could be her.
Always a pleasure to see her.

I said it a bit awkwardly, but she is very good at ordering with gestures.
When I didn't get something, she was creative enough to come up with another way of getting it across.
She's faster ordering in detail than most of the people speaking (mumbling).


And no "What!!! You don't have a vegan meal that is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetable and rice free, ..."
I know I'm forgetting something.

[Isotopia]

If you want politically incorrect, I am the king!

You are a pretender to the throne.

I am the un-PC Alpha and Omega. Your King and your Queen.

Now BOW before me you little bitch.

[Isotopia]

...and get me another cocktail.

[jessandjayinID]

I will be a first time Burner this year. I am hearing but sign fluently. Would love to meet up and just atleast chat for a few! Also, would be a willing to facilitate communication if the need arises. I am not a certified interpreter so would only be comfortable with casual situations. Maybe see you on the playa!

[Captain Goddammit]

Ya know, my sister is wheelchair-bound, but wasn't always... she met her husband on her old soccer team. I've NEVER heard her complain or hardly even bring up her condition. Sometimes she'll say "Hey can you pass me that thing" same as anyone who wasn't standing next to whatever the thing was might say. She doesn't do the "superman" act, she's just herself, and the chair biz is what it is and she just lives her life. If she went to Burning Man I know she wouldn't expect people to go through a bunch of expense and technical difficulty to "accommodate" her.
The thing is, Burning Man installations, whether art or domes or bars or mutant vehicles are volunteer-built, free to the public, and mostly very budget-limited things, and no one OWES anyone anything. If the conditions are too harsh, the distance too great, the expense too high, the heat too hot, the music too loud, or too many ladders, don't go.
Anyone who goes to BM should enjoy what they can and forget about telling anyone else they need to do anything extra just to accommodate their particular situation.
Who contributes to my ability to even be there at all when circumstances beyond my control prevent it unless I got assistance? Many years that's what happens, so I just don't get to go at all. How's THAT for inaccessibility to art installations? Burning Man is a luxury, not a necessity or a right.

If this were a library or a school or a public bus or public bathroom or maybe even grocery store, I'd have a different set of standards. That ain't what this is.

I hope I even get to be there at all this year.

[theCryptofishist]

If you have experience with deaf communities and their needs, please stop by my Twoards a more accessible burn thread and add what knowledge you have.

[akj94403@yahoo.com]

Hi!

I'm Deaf. I'd love to meet up with other Deaf/HOH and signing folks while I am there.

My name is Allen and I'm staying with Camp Stella (a sober, queer-friendly camp). We're at 7:30 and D. You can often find me chilling out there. If you show up at my camp and are signing my campmates will generally assume you're looking for me and will point me out. Feel free to stop by and say hi.

See you on the playa!!
-Allen



PS-
Also, I am working with ESD as one of the volunteer mental health professionals. I will be working on-call by radio Monday 12pm- Tuesday 12pm, Wednesday 12pm- Thursday 12pm, and Friday 12pm- Saturday 12pm. My ESD radio call sign is CIT-72 during those times. If you or a someone you know is having a mental health emergency and needs services in ASL, you might need to request me specifically by name or call sign. (The folks at ESD do not know I am deaf.)

[junglesmacks]

(The folks at ESD do not know I am deaf.)

Wouldn't it seem responsible to let them know? Also, how does a radio call sign work if you can't hear the radio?


(not trying to lay snark.. totally curious about that one..)

[Sanddog42]

I didn't know you were deaf.

[akj94403@yahoo.com]

@junglesmacks- I'd rather not and it is not nesscessary... As my campmate Sanddog said "I didn't know you were deaf." I have a better ear. I can just put the handset part right next to my left ear and turn it up on loud. I'll also be carrying headphones that go up to 140db and cancel out a limited amount of noise, just in case. I am late-deafended so I speechread very well. I used to work as a security gaurd and often worked on a loading dock, so I already have a whole bunch of tricks to deal with radios in extremely loud situations.

[junglesmacks]

@junglesmacks- I'd rather not and it is not nesscessary... As my campmate Sanddog said "I didn't know you were deaf." I have a better ear. I can just put the handset part right next to my left ear and turn it up on loud. I'll also be carrying headphones that go up to 140db and cancel out a limited amount of noise, just in case. I am late-deafended so I speechread very well. I used to work as a security gaurd and often worked on a loading dock, so I already have a whole bunch of tricks to deal with radios in extremely loud situations.

Ahh.. so not totally deaf.. makes much more sense now

I was thinking that you were 100% completely deaf.

[Sanddog42]

What?

[junglesmacks]

What?

As in both ears nada nothing zilch zero