Interacting with the deaf

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My husband thought that our cleaning lady was strange and would ignore us until she explained that she was deaf. She communicates very well. Now that she's explained that we need to visually grab her attention before we start talking, we don't have misunderstandings that she may be ignoring us.

I should reiterate that I think my problems with interacting with the deaf are because of me -- specifically, the problems result from the way AS manifests itself in my behavior.

I had the EXACT same experience once in starbucks a big groip of peoplk,e came in and i thought they would be noisy byut they sat down and i realized i wasnty hearing anything from them and i looked over and they were all signing to each other! it was beautiful, i wished i anbd evewryone coyuld communicate in such a peaceful noiseless way

sorry for typos bad ketybioard

Kate

I sign ASL, and the language is easier for me than talking. I like the mature Deaf people I know, but, I've met some mean kids, too. I just walk away from them and won't answer, which is what the older Deaf people told me to do. I like ASL because they don't waste time and energy with extra words.

only once i met deaf people (they had also some mental issues), it was a student's job, cleaning a day taking care centre, the deaf people were the only one that stayed when the others went on a journey, cause they had to 'ask' for it, the deaf didn't understand and the staff didn't do a real effort in explaining either. so they were seated and watched me cleaning, they laughed with me, so i danced with the vacuumcleaner as a kind of performance, and i got an applause. i felt like we had a very good time.

i am very visual and i appreciate people that can't speak, but never came across any deaf people.
(a lot of people in my family don't hear very well, so i do know how to speak very loud and recognise it when people haven't heard what you say, like they'll say yes without having heard the question, this makes it a little akward if you haven't noticed what it 's the matter, but from the moment you realise it, it's ok)