Gallaudet University:

Season: I have a question ... maybe you could direct me to somewhere? I have a friend his
sister is deaf she is from India and knows No sign language at all. I told him there must be
resources for her she is 50 .

DrVicars: What state are you in? (Besides the state of confusion I mean, heh, heh--sorry.)

Season: :) I am in WA but they live in MD. She does not read either... but she is very bright..
it's not a learning problem. I think the family has their own kind of 'sign language." They live in
Essex MD

DrVicars: Maryland has many resources.

Season: Yes... I have tried to find some on the web... so I could give the family at least some
phone numbers or places to write.

DrVicars: I recommend Gallaudet University. Gallaudet has a huge library and hundreds of resources for you to pick and choose from.

Season: Ok... thanks... Where should I write? Or do they have a site on the web?

DrVicars: Just use a search engine like yahoo, hotbot, or lycos to look up Gallaudet.

Season: oh, ok... I will look for one then :)

DrVicars: If you'll hold I might have it in my dayplanner...

Season: ok..yes I will wait.. thank you

DrVicars: <sound of paper rustling and keys clicking> Ah, I got it. Here is a number that I called not too long ago. I called them to get a copy of my transcript. 1-202-651-5393-(transcripts). I also have these two numbers, they are old, but worth a try: 1-800-627-6720 or try 202-651-5000. Check with "information" (411) to see what their current number is.

Season: :) ok Thank you!

DrVicars: Gallaudet is in the north-east corner of Washington D.C. It is a "Deaf university," but they do have some programs for hearing people who are studying "d/Deaf" topics. A (long) while back I read a press release that indicated they are becoming a bit more flexible regarding admitting hearing students. It is an awesome place. I'll tell you if you haven't experienced a fire-alarm at one of their dorms, you are missing out.  The rooms all have strobe lights.  Can you imagine hundreds of strobe lights at the same time?   It is dazzling to say the least.  I lived in the dorms there during the summer of 1988.  (I was doing an internship). That was the summer right after the Deaf President Now rally (March 1988).  Gallaudet students and later the Deaf Community in general protested the appointment of a hearing person as president of Gallaudet when a qualified deaf canidate could have been chosen.  The protesters managed to stage a major student walkout, barricades, and a protest march.  Eventually the hearing president stepped down and a Deaf president was appointed.  (I. King Jordan).

 

Sometimes hearing people misunderstand the situation.  It wasn't about just this one event.  Rather it was about a legacy of Deaf people being excluded from position of leadership that influence their lives.

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