Spring 2006
Nationally Renowned Linguist Carol Padden Presents at Deaf-Blind Community Class
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Carol Padden (left) presents while Ellie Savidge looks on
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Acclaimed linguist and Deaf scholar Carol Padden paid a visit to Seattle in January to share information about a new sign language discovered in a remote Bedouin community. After making a general presentation at Seattle’s Town Hall the evening prior, Carol made a special presentation to Deaf-Blind community class.
“She is an internationally known Deaf woman who is considered an expert in her field,” says Tami Berk, Deaf-Blind program manager. “There aren’t a lot of people who have the depth of experience and cultural understanding Carol has who are great storytellers.”
“It helped us learn a little about the culture,” says John Romish, punch press operator. “I didn’t know much about it prior to her coming. They have a different sign language there, so we learned a little bit about that.”
In February 2005, Carol and her colleagues published their study of Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (ABSL). ABSL is a new language, passed down through three generations over approximately seventy years. It is spoken among a Bedouin community living in the Negev region of Israel. Because deafness is so common in the community, both deaf* and hearing members of the community are fluent in ABSL.
“I think the ratio is about 10:1 for hearing and deaf people,” says Mark Landreneau, government affairs specialist. “Here in America, we have Deaf schools and Deaf culture. In the Bedouin community, there’s more of a family-oriented basis for culture.”
Carol’s presentation to Deaf-Blind community class was more story-oriented and relaxed than the formal presentation at Town Hall. “The two nights were very different,” says Jeremy Sasser, e-commerce coordinator. “One focused on linguistics, one focused on stories.”
“The second night, she didn’t have overheads because we have limited vision,” says Caryn Tenin, order entry specialist. “The first night was more business, more serious. The second night was stories. She was sharing her experiences with us.”
“She changed her style to match Deaf-Blind needs,” explains Mark. “She had great stories about her experience there. She really talked more about culture than the language. It was interesting because this community is a bilingual culture. It’s difficult to know who is deaf and who is hearing right away.”
“The community was very unique and quite challenging because it was so different from what she had come across in her travels,” says Caryn. She says was struck by the difference between the Bedouin community and Deaf culture in the U.S. “Typically, Deaf people in America just socialize with each other. They stick together. There are Deaf chats, Deaf residential schools, colleges, clubs, and so on. In the Bedouin community, there are deaf people who don’t know each other.”
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Polly Mansfield (left) is intrigued by Carol’s stories while Michelle Hunt interprets tactilely
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“There was a lot of talk about cultural differences. One man can have four wives. People wanted to know ‘how does that work?’” says Tami. “She just elaborated on what it looks like there -- who talks, who signs. That was a jumping off point. They have one rule there that deaf people can’t marry other deaf people. People in class wondered why. Carol said that she asked individuals in the community and they said ‘if I marry a deaf person, who would talk for me?’ It was natural for the two groups to mix and support each other.”She continues, “People asked if there was the struggle between the hearing and the deaf communities. Carol said it’s not so much that as a separation between men and women. Men and women generally don’t mix, but Carol was allowed to. Women don’t leave parts of their body uncovered, but she was able to because she is a Westerner. She was able to meet with men.”
Participants in Deaf-Blind community class were interested to learn more about ABSL, a much younger language than American Sign Language (ASL). “There’s a lot of gesturing, a lot of use of their body,” says Caryn. “I thought to myself, this is a language that Deaf-Blind people could understand easily. It’s very smooth.”
Carol spoke about her predictions for the way ABSL will change as the Bedouin community has more contact with the larger Israeli community and people who use Israeli Sign Language (ISL). “People don’t read and write there,” says Caryn. “Now they are requiring younger people to get an education.”
“Carol talked about the language changing,” says Mark. “Children going to school now, that’s going to affect the language in the future. She predicted a big change.”
Many participants valued hearing from a member of the Deaf community. “This is important to the community because it’s about pride in Deaf culture,” says Mark.
“She’s a Deaf woman who is doing something unique,” says Jeremy. “She’s gone out and faced challenging situations. She just went for it. She has traveled the world and experienced different cultures.”
“For Deaf-Blind community class, it was great to have someone come and share like that. It was great to have a presenter at community class with a connection to her audience. I enjoyed having a presenter who was Deaf and related to her audience,” adds Caryn.
“Her ASL was so easy to read and her pacing was so good,” says Tami. “So it really created a lot of discussion around people. We have to get more ASL speakers in there -- people who can really use the language. It inspired creativity among people.”
“The stories were fascinating! Learning about different cultures really sparks my curiosity,” says Debbie Sommer, production worker. “We’re familiar with American culture. Let’s get some more lectures in there about Deaf families in other countries, their language and culture. I have a constant curiosity about what’s going on in the world and about Deaf culture and history too.”
Carol Padden’s lecture exemplifies the opportunities for information sharing and learning about different cultures offered by Deaf-Blind community class. “Deaf-Blind community class is great,” says John. “I think if I didn’t go to class, I wouldn’t learn very much. It helps me to learn about a lot of different topics. It’s really helped me a lot in my life. It’s almost like a sort of supplemental class you would take at school. I hope it continues for a very long time -- it’s social and educational.”
Interpreters note: The comments by Mark Landreneau, John Romish, Jeremy Sasser, Debbie Sommer, and Caryn Tenin were translated from ASL to English by RID certified interpreters proficient in working with Deaf-Blind people.
* In Bedouin culture, deafness does not indicate a separate cultural identity and so it is not capitalized. In the United States, the Deaf community has a separate culture with its own language therefore Deaf is capitalized to indicate cultural identity.
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