After delivering a DDA presentation in BSL at RAD’s Welcome Hear workshop today, I was approached by one of the delegates who himself has some degree of hearing loss. The conversation went something like this:
Man: Can you speak?
Me (speaking): Yes I can.
Man: Did you not think that it would be better to speak rather than use BSL (although your interpreter was excellent)?
Me: Well, I do have a right to decide which method of communication I want to use when presenting.
Man: Yes, don’t you think by speaking your presentation would have been more accessible?
Me: Possibly, but I do prefer to present in BSL. Also, my speech isn’t perfect.
Man: I think your speech is very good.
Me: Ok, but I do find it more natural to present in BSL than to speak, particularly as if I’m nervous, my speech patterns aren’t as clear. Besides, what if I couldn’t speak at all?
Man: Well, obviously you wouldn’t be able to speak then.
Discuss.
“don’t you think by speaking your presentation would have been more accessible?”
Try rephrasing: “don’t you think by using BSL your presentation would have been more accessible?”
Why does he assume people use English?
Wot a hearing guy doing at the Deaf Club if he is able to judge the quality of your speech?
Bit cheeky of him, I’d say. You wouldn’t approach a French/Spanish/Japanese speaker to speak in English when an interpreter is provided. So feck him!
It wasn’t a Deaf Club setting, it was a workshop in a business centre for employers, to try and encourage recruitment of Deaf people.
Apologies for my post haste!
Same principle still apply if you decide to use a language of your choice. Although I can understand why the guy have this perspective, but still bit insensitive to ask that question as not respectful of your preference. It smack of audism. Anyway, you could argue that you express yourself better in BSL therefore give a better quality presentation. You are just being yourself so it is not for him to interfere.
The cheeky git. It’s alright for him. He can choose to hear speech or watch sign language. Whether the speech or sign is perfect, isn’t by the deaf person’s choice, they try their best whichever method they choose. The key word is *choice* – which he tried to take away from you. Did you let him get away with this?
Hmmph!! Reminds me of a ToD attitude. He had no right to ask you that, judge you or remove your choices. Naive, probably…?
An experienced presenter would choose the most effective method of communication at his or her disposal. So, would your presentation have been more effective if you had spoken? That is probably what you need to ask yourself?