First Impressions of the Deaf Community in Thailand

Within a few hours of arriving in Bangkok, we met a deaf womyn selling cell phone “I love you” ornaments for 30 baht each ($1.00 USD) on the Khao San market. Moments later, we turned the corner and bumped into another deaf womyn selling bathing suits to make her living. We quickly found out that on Silcom and Nai Lert Roads in downtown Bangkok, it is required by law for vendor permits to be reserved for those who are deaf, blind or physically handicapped. Deaf vendors up and down these streets sell their merchandise by day and end their evenings socializing on the sidewalks with family style Pad Thai, curry and Singha. These are the faces of Bangkok.

On day two, we met up with Gallaudet Alumni and native to Thailand, Jay Bunnag, who is striving to bring the deaf community together by hosting academic bowls and other gatherings. The challenges Jay faces in bringing people together are often financial. In this environment where everyone, deaf or hearing, is trying to make a living to get by, can they afford the 250 baht for a social event? Also, there are very few deaf of deaf families here, perhaps less than 1%. While many deaf people have smaller circles of friends, the culture of deaf clubs/events or larger community socials, which can be common in other countries, are not so much a part of the deaf culture in Thailand.

Jay currently works at Suan Dusit University to educate deaf students. He was inspired to first earn his MA, knowing that he would be teaching up and coming deaf leaders earning their BA. Many of these deaf students will later give back by becoming teachers themselves, raising the bar for deaf education in Thailand.

There are many similar signs between Thai and American Sign Language, which has been a relief for these initial, get-to-know-you conversations we have had our first few days. But we now have our five pocket Thai Sign Language books in hand and are connected to the local deaf community. Each day we stroll through the markets of Khao San en route to our hostel to say hello to the deaf vendors. So before we leave Thailand two months from now, we hope to learn and document more of their stories…in their native sign language.

For more information on Discovering Deaf Worlds, visit www.discoveringdeafworlds.com

"We Share the Same Sky"- Wuhan Deaf Community

With only a 30-day visa in China, we were blessed to have visited so many cities. This meant several long, sun-up to sun-down days and overnight train rides, but worth every second to arrive and see how thrilled our hosts were to greet us. Our final chance to emerge in the deaf community was a three-day stop in Wuhan. With amazing hospitality, they showed us what China is really about…friendship, support, and encouragement. They succeeded in changing many negative perceptions of China often portrayed in the news.

At the No.1 and No.2 Deaf Schools of Wuhan, we witnessed brilliant art work and dance performances from students. Many of these students will move on to ChangChun University and become well known artists and dancers in the country, as well as throughout the world (the famous Dream Team Deaf Dance Group is from Beijing). These schools are where leaders start to grow their roots.

We were also welcomed by organization leaders to the Association for the Deaf of Wuhan and Hubei Province Disabled Persons Federation. They shared their visions for helping deaf people find jobs, recover from their hearing loss (getting hearing aides adjusted to your hearing loss and speech therapy), and advocate for deaf rights. Through these associations we were able to visit several worksites that hire hundreds of deaf employees, including the Titanium Dioxide Co., LTD and Wuhan Spaceflight Corrugated Pipe Co., LTD. Deaf employees are treated equal to hearing employees and encouraged to move up in the ladder through experience and training programs offered in sign language by the company. They also have a yearly disabled day where employees take the day off (with pay) to travel to another city.

We met a famous deaf 84-year-old artist, Mi Wen Mo, whose paintings are sold for up to 3,000 RMB. He welcomed us to his home for tea and shared stories of his lifetime, including how he became the first President of the Association for the Deaf of Wuhan.

We can’t thank this community enough for their warm welcome, guidance and hospitality. We were treated like royalty as visitors to their hometown. A special thank you to Zhang Peng and Jun Peng Li, who taught us that we do in fact, “share the same sky.”

Yang Cui, raising the bar in Changchun

In a country where people with any kind of disability (deaf, blind, physical, etc) are grouped together, often left out, and provided with minimal opportunities, there stands a proud deaf woman out to make change.

In China, deaf people are not allowed to drive. There are no interpreting services or interpreting schools, only translators who are often friends or family. Job and education opportunities are limited. For example, deaf university students can only choose their major from four options: painting, scroll calligraphy, animation/comics, or graphic design. (Blind students only have the option of massage and acupuncture).

This is not the wish of many deaf students, but this is what they are offered. The perception from the education system is that deaf people are visual and therefore should be limited to study visual arts. Yang Cui, a 23 year old student at Changchun University Special Education College, has a dream to make change. Her university is the first of it’s kind in China, beginning in 1987. Her dream is to help expand more options for deaf students, because when given the opportunities, deaf people can do anything.

Yang Cui recently received a community award as an up and coming deaf leader. She is a “go-to” person among her peers, and a communication facilitator within her university. We had the opportunity to spend five days with Yang Cui and witness the impact she is making as a leader of her school, her community, and her country. Next month Yang Cui will make her way to England for the PEN-International leadership conference with several other deaf leaders to come together and talk about current issues.

Keep doing what you do best Yang Cui. We are honored to have met you!

A Bump In The Road

On day two of our arrival to China, our video camera went kerplunk. After 4 ½ months of over use and abuse, bouncing around in a backpack through 5 different countries, it has gone to video heaven. Cannon HV10, you've been good to us until now....R.I.P.

So now we are in a jam. dam. The formatting system in China is different from U.S., so buying a new camera here is no easy option. And having one sent to us from home isn’t easy either...We have heard story after story of mail never arriving, or being tampered with, or just sitting in the post office for weeks because the postal workers were unable to read mailing addresses written in English, only Chinese characters.

DO-DO!? We have spent our first 3 days in China, talking with sketchy local electronics dealers, trying to find a solution. We've spent loads of time on SKYPE with with friends, family, and our sponsor Rowe Photo at midnight (b/c of the time difference) to get a new video camera. We are now trying our luck to find someone traveling from the US to China in the next 30 days before our visas expire to deliver a new video camera. Any volunteers?! (smiles)

In the next few weeks, we will be visiting deaf schools/organizations, connecting with the deaf community in Beijing, Changchun, Xi’an, Wuhan, etc. Unfortunately, filming may not be an option for this leg of our trip. But we will continue to document what we learn through our newsletter, pictures, blogs, etc.

Keep us in mind and send some wishful thinking that our tech problems will be solved soon.