Jessica Carter Dr.

High SLIN 320 December 3, 2012 Deaf Event Journal Fall 2012 Deaf-Blind Workshop - September 8, 2012 This workshop was held on campus at Gardner-Webb University from 8:30am until 5:00pm. Marilyn Trader and Lynn Dey taught the workshop about Deaf-Blindness. I attended the full day at the workshop, and my time was well spent. The things that stick out in my mind the most after the workshop were the activities. The first activity that we did was to get into groups of three. Each group was given a sock full of miscellaneous items, such as a clothespin, mini sharpie, penny, etc. We all had to feel around the contents of the sock and write down what we thought was in each sock. This was much more difficult, and frustrating, than we all anticipated. From this Marilyn went on to talk about what it feels like to be deaf-blind, and how our senses affect our learning. I was shocked to learn that sight is 83% of how we learn; hearing comes in second at 11%. Next Marilyn explained the causes of deaf-blindness in great detail. I had no prior knowledge about blindness or deaf-blindness. I was shocked to learn that there were so many causes to this sensory loss. I still dont know much about the different types of Ushers Syndrome, or CHARGE. Following this she went into great detail about the different modes of communication for the deaf-blind. One that stuck out to me the most was Haptcis. I am still amazed by tactile signing alone, so the idea of taking in information by touch with both methods was impressive.

Carter Lynn took over the workshop after and explained how to work as an interpreter for a

deaf-blind client. We also did some activities with this, we watched videos and pointed out all of the many things wrong that the SSP and interpreter were doing. This was great training for me as a future interpreter. The last bit of the workshop was more activities. We went from station to station completing a task while either blindfolded, or wearing special goggles to simulate certain types of visual impairments. Overall, the workshop was great, and I learned quite a bit about the Dos and Donts of being an SSP. Deaf Coffee Night October 4, 2012 The coffee shop was packed with students from many different schools, and faculty from the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. There was a great show of people at this event. I spent most of my time catching up with a couple of friends, and then played a game of UNO. As the night went on, many people started to leave, but a group of about eight of us stayed and played UNO for the rest of the night. This was the first night I had ever used tactile signing. I sat to the right of Patrick while we played UNO and not only was it my first time using tactile, but my first time interpreting, and it was left-handed. This more than anything was a comical experience. I was very lucky to have Patrick to laugh along with me through this and help me learn. Once the coffee shop closed, I gave Patrick a ride back to his dorm. Patrick was starting conversation and I was now tactiling and driving. Needless to say this event was a night of many firsts and learning. ASL Table October 25, 2012 Tonight at ASL table I met Patrick for the first time. Although, I didnt sign with him personally, Kayla was sitting between us and interpreting for him. Believe it or not, this was my first time ever working with an interpreter. I noticed myself having a big of an adjustment period to having a conversation with someone using an interpreter. This was a really good experience

Carter for me, which took some getting used to. I spent most of ASL table chatting with Patrick, even discussing what we learned about Haptics in the workshop earlier in the month. I usually dont get too much into deep conversations at ASL table due to the short time, but this ASL table was much different. I had a lot of new experiences during this dinner, and the opportunity to become better acquainted with Patrick. Deaf Coffee Night November 1, 2012 Deaf coffee night is always my favorite event at school. I like this event because it is in such a big, open space. I also like it because you get a change to chat with all of the ASL students at different levels. It took some time for people to start showing up to the event, but I

came prepared with UNO cards. We had all started playing Uno last year, and it is always a way to get people chatting and signing, even those who are new to ASL or a bit shy. I am typically a shy person and wouldnt just walk up and start a conversation with a stranger, so I understand the students who arent participating at deaf events, but UNO always gets them going.