“I learn learn ASL” (I am learning ASL)

 

I am hard of hearing. I've been learning American Sign Language lately from a certified ASL teacher on Youtube. His name is Dr. Bill Vicars from Lifeprint.com (ASLU), and I've been learning from his videos for about two weeks now. There are a few reasons why I decided to learn sign language. I wanted to still be able to communicate if my hearing gets worse or if I could not wear my hearing aids for some reason.

Let me give you a little of my family history. My Uncle is deaf, so my Mom and her side of the family learned SEE to communicate with him. SEE is Signed Exact English, and most D/deaf people do not use SEE, they use ASL.

I was born hard of hearing. Growing up, my mom did not teach me sign language. I did learn a few signs here and there as I was growing up, but other than that, I never really learned the language. A few years ago, I had mentioned I was interested in learning ASL. I was given the family SEE book. I thought it was the same thing at first, boy was I wrong. I needed more interactive learning than just learning from a book, so I did my research and found Dr. Bill Vicars' website and youtube channel:

Here is the website:

https://lifeprint.com/

Here is the youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/billvicars/featured

Like I said, I started about a month ago. I breezed through the first few lessons. I am on Lesson 16 as of publishing this, This is the playlist I am watching:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6akqFwEeSpiLwRFA3ZvuOWMwPXwI7NqA

It is the official ASLU master playlist that is updated often with lessons. This is the playlist I am going off of because he seems to have updated some of the lessons and it's easier to find the other videos because they are already in this playlist.

I asked Dr. Vicars what the best way to “study” his videos was, and his recommendation was to view the lessons on his website, Lifeprint.com, as well as watching the lessons on Youtube. It will help you review the lessons.

Here is the page with the lessons:

https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/lessons/lessons.htm

There are other ways to learn ASL of course, this is just the only way that is accessible to me. I'm sure there are online courses you can take. But, I challenge you, if you're not already doing so, to learn a new skill. It doesn't have to be sign language, although it would be helpful for D/deaf and hard of hearing people. It could be learning how to craft something, learning an instrument, learning a new language, etc. But, I do challenge you, before the year is over, to start learning a new skill, if you haven't already.

Until next time, God Bless

- Chloe

Schools are re-opening way too soon

 

Schools are starting soon, if they haven't started back already. There are teachers and staff who are afraid to go back to work. It's because this virus, COVID-19, is NOT under control. I saw on CNN that there was this one student who took a picture of her school's crowded hallway. There was no social distancing and hardly anyone was wearing a mask. There are reports that students and staff are testing positive for the virus.

There are some places that are offering virtual learning as well as in-person learning, but in-person learning should not be available at this time. Not until the cases are much lower than they are. These are kids and teens, we should not be taking risks with their lives. There are also children and teenagers who may have health issues and have greater risks of getting the coronavirus.

All schools should move back to virtual learning for the time being. I know, it may be tough for some people, but this is a tough time for everyone, in several ways. We can get through this together if we follow the CDC guidelines.

I know I've said this before on my blog, but this pandemic is not over, and if we continue to open up this country, it's only gonna get worse. We're in this together, and if we work together, we can beat this virus. I think we need to lock this country down again for a little while in order to get this virus under control. 

Anyways, that is all I have to say.

Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and God Bless.

- Chloe

There's a new TikTok trend that needs to stop

 

I do not know much about TikTok. All I know is that there is a trend that I found out about that needs to stop. It is disturbing and it is teaching kids to be scared of people who look different. I found the article on Twitter from someone I follow, Lizzie Velasquez, she is a disability activist and motivational speaker who is talking about it. I'm not linking that specific article because it is behind a paywall, so I did a little research and found another article which I will link below, as always.

In this trend, parents are pranking their children by pretending to facetime with someone with a disability then showing their child. I saw a video of one such prank and the parent was pretending to facetime with none other than the disability activist I mentioned. The parent then shows their son, telling him that she's his teacher for the year and the son looks scared. Sometimes, the picture would be of a baby who was born different. It's disturbing! It's cruel!

I remember as a kid, I was taught early on by my mother to be accepting for two main reasons. One reason was that I had a disabled uncle. The other reason was that I'm disabled myself. I went to two schools for people with disabilities and my best friends have disabilities. So, believe me when I say, disability is not a thing to joke about.

Stop joking about disabled people or disability in general. Stop teaching children to fear disabilities. Children are naturally curious. Fear is only taught. So, teach your child, not fear, but acceptance.

- Chloe

Sources:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/disability-activist-condemns-facetime-tiktok-trend-211905157.html

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/lizzie-velasquez-tiktok-trend-facetime_ca_5f32b80fc5b6960c066cdd7a

https://www.unilad.co.uk/viral/anti-bullying-activist-lizzie-velasquez-asks-parents-to-stop-using-her-face-for-cruel-tiktok-prank/

Netflix is adding two documentaries about deaf communities

 Yeah, you read that right, and I, for one, am so happy about that. It's about deaf communities in America. The documentaries are gonna be called Deaf U and Audible.

Deaf U is about a group of students at Galludet University in Washington DC. Galludet is a well known private college for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. The show follows the students' lives as they navigate college life while giving us a good look at what the deaf community is like. This documentary will be on Netflix October 8th or 9th, 2020. That information was conflicting, the article said the 8th while the video description (if you click the video title) says the 9th.

Audible is about a high-school athlete, Amaree McKenstry-Hall, who went to the Maryland School for the Deaf high school. This show follows him and his friends as he goes through his senior year while grappling with going into the hearing world. The article did not say when this documentary was coming out, unless I missed it.

Of course, I have included the article I found this information in. It is linked below. I am excited for Deaf U. I am hard of hearing, but I have never known the deaf community. I am just learning about it now. Well, I first learned about it a few years ago. I want to learn more. I'm also glad that the deaf are getting more representation in media, proper representation.

Well, I'm gonna leave this here...

Until next time, God Bless

- Chloe

Source:

https://deadline.com/2020/07/netflix-two-documentaries-about-deaf-community-america-1202994593/

Let's talk about COVID-19

I don't think I could explain the coronavirus very well, so I will just link the CDC website here:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

This year has been a bad year for all of us because of this. We have all been affected by this. Cases are spiking again in the United States. This pandemic is not over. I feel like Florida is one of the worse states to be in right now, and that is the state I live in, just because the cases are so high. We live in crazy times, I know. But I'm begging you, from someone who just had a Covid scare, please wear a mask and please follow social distancing guidelines.

I get it, there are some exceptions. I will not list them here because I do not want to give someone any ideas. There are too many people not wearing masks though and there are too many people pretending they cannot for one reason or another. I wore one just before I got sick but there were other factors in play in why I probably got sick and I only went to Walmart to get groceries.  The mask that I have was too big. I have decided to remedy this by finally purchasing a smaller mask from Amazon. I figure, the better they fit, the more protection they give. That's just an assumption though. Two other reasons are that there were hardly anyone wearing masks and there were no social distancing. I am one of those people that are glad that stores are mandating masks now.

So... to recap:

The pandemic is not over. Please wear a face mask and please follow the social distancing guidelines. And if you do get sick, please follow the CDC guidelines... it's all in the link provided in this post!

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

I hope you stay safe and healthy.

Until next time, God Bless.

- Chloe

I usually never post something like this, but...

I am trying to share something that is important to a good friend of mine, therefore, it is important to me. First, let me tell you a little about her. Her name is Alysia. She is like a sister to me. I met her over 10 years ago online. She one of the kindest souls I have ever encountered. She has a youtube channel and a blog which I will link you to.

Blog:

http://avp60685.blogspot.com/

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVuHMMhku7NhEiGSyRkAieA

She is trying to move her and her mother out of the state she's in to be closer to her family. It is for their safety. It is a NEED, and she needs help. She's the only one who is taking care of her mother while doing everything. I don't remember her asking her for help in such a big way before, but she is now, because this is a NEED. Her mother is older and unable to help her, Alysia is having to be Superwoman and she can't. She's doing everything she can, but she still needs help by people like you. She has a gofundme set up to help her get funds to move. Her goal is $7,500 and she has raised $695 as of writing this post. She understands if people cannot donate, I can't. This is why I am writing this post. If you can't donate, share the gofundme, which I will link below. Even if you do donate, sharing helps.

Alysia's gofundme:

https://gf.me/u/x9ph53

Please, every little bit helps and share the gofundme.

Until next time,

Chloe

'Grey's Anatomy' introduces first deaf doctor

Yep, you're seeing this correctly. First off, if you don't watch this show, it's a medical show that also has a lot of drama. I remember my former roommates in college trying to get me into it back then, but I only got into it about a few years ago. And as someone who is hard of hearing, I am excited about this news. I am always excited about deaf and disability representation in the media. For instance, and this will be another post soon, there is a show I saw a couple of years ago on Netflix that had wonderful deaf representation. Anyways, like I said, that will be a post for another time. Let's get back to the topic at hand.

This deaf doctor is actually deaf... The actress's name is Shoshannah Stern and she is deaf. Although that usually wouldn't be the first thing I post about someone, but, I have included a wikipedia page and an article to confirm and checked her twitter. She is authentic. I do my research. About Shoshannah, I first saw her in Supernatural, but I didn't even know it was her, I do remember her signing though. That's all I will say. I have included her imdb page in this post as well.

Okay, please forgive me, I'm typing like this hasn't even aired yet, but apparently it has and I'm late... again. I'm still gonna write about it because this news makes me happy and excited. Please also note that I have not seen this episode or these episodes, I have too many shows to watch when the TV shows are on that most of them I watch on Netflix or Hulu when the shows are on break and the seasons come on those streaming services during the summer. I will watch 'Grey's Anatomy' this summer. So please, if you read this and want to comment... no spoilers, please.

So, who is this deaf doctor? Her name is Dr. Lauren Riley and she is a Diagnostics Expert, hired by Dr. Andrew DeLuca, a regular at Grey's Sloan. The way she is described, I love her already and I haven't seen the first episode yet. Stern made her debut on February 13^th and will play in multiple episodes. She is best known for her role on 'Supernatural' and 'This Close', which she co-created. According to the article, I think Grey's did a good thing, I'm not sure they do everything right, but I think this time they did. They not only worked with her, but with other deaf doctors to make sure what they were doing was accurate. She is the first deaf doctor on 'Grey's Anatomy' and one of the few deaf doctors in TV history.

We need more disability representation in TV and movies, authentic ones. There have been some good ones, including this one, but there are very few, I think. Or maybe they're finally coming out with more and more and I'm just missing the news about them.

I am gonna close out with some words from Shoshannah Stern:

“If it’s not authentic, then it’s not disability representation,” Stern previously told The Mighty, adding: “You lose an opportunity there to educate. You lose opportunities for people to learn how it is to communicate with a person, how it is to make the set accessible, etc. So all of that is lost. The person is just playing the role that they could take off — it’s almost like a costume that they could take off at the end of the day — and disability is not a costume.” - Quoted from The Mighty

“It was important to me that rather than Dr. Riley overcoming this insurmountable obstacle of deafness in order to be great at her job, her being deaf actually made her better at what she did,” Stern told ET. She continued: “Deaf people have already been deaf for a very long time, so they’ve got this. In reality, it’s the other people around them who struggle because they’re like, ‘Oh, OK, I have no experience communicating with this person in this particular way.’ That’s what the new experience actually is, and I think we got to show that in a very organic way.” - Quoted from ET (from The Mighty article)

Until next time, God Bless

- Chloe

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshannah_Stern

https://popculture.com/tv-shows/2020/02/13/greys-anatomy-actress-shoshannah-stern-talks-playing-history-making-deaf-character/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0998074/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

https://themighty.com/2020/02/shoshannah-stern-first-deaf-doctor-greys-anatomy/

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/greys-anatomy-break-barriers-featuring-1st-deaf-doctor/story?id=68961632

Let's talk about Self-Care

It's a new year, and this year, I am gonna try to do some self-care strategies. You know, just take care of myself when my mental health is suffering. It's kinda like how you would take care of yourself when you are physically sick, you should take care of yourself when you are mentally unwell. It's important to do something for yourself often.

I will be honest, my mood has not been the greatest. I take medications for my moods and I recently had a change. I'm not as mentally well as I should be, so right now, I am doing a little something that makes me feel better. I am watching an old show that is still my favorite. It happens to be on Hulu, so I am watching all the seasons for a second time.

I have included a list of self-care activities, but they are not all of them, I don't think. For instance, one of my coping strategies for when I am really down is to keep my mind distracted, and sometimes, playing videogames help. You never see that option on any of the lists.

Here's the things I do whenever I need to distract myself or practice self-care:

(not necessarily in this order)

Pray

Journal

Watch TV/Youtube

Play a videogame

Take a nap

Call a friend

Note: Playing a videogame may not be relaxing to you, but it may be relaxing to some people. There are some relaxing videogames out there. For me, the most relaxing videogame is the one I play the most, and it is one of the Sims Games.

And like I said, I have included a list of self-care activities for you to try if you ever need to, or if you already do some of these things and they work for you, then that is great! If you found something else that helps that is not on this list, then that is great too! Self-care is important. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

Until next time, God Bless

- Chloe

Source:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shyness-is-nice/201403/seven-types-self-care-activities-coping-stress

Happy New Year (and Decade) 2020!!!

It's a new year and not only that, it's a new decade! 💗

I got this image off of google images, this image is Image by Annalise Batista at Pixabay.com... because I don't want to be subject to copyright, I am sharing her profile.

https://pixabay.com/users/annaliseart-7089643/

I am sorry I did not update after February of last year. I had this family emergency and it lasted longer than I thought. Then, things around the house kept going wrong and I had to help take care of that. I also could not use my laptop for 1-2 months because of a battery issue. So, after all that, I kinda lost all motivation, and then I got busy over the holidays, like I usually am.

Speaking of the holidays, I hope everyone had a great one, whichever holiday you celebrate. Maybe you don't celebrate at all, I don't know. Regardless, I hope you had a great holiday season.

Anyways, with all that said. I don't make many resolutions or goals, and I don't have many wants, but I do have a goal, and it's to volunteer. I went halfway towards that goal last year. Now, I have to go all the way. Also, I want to get closer with God by praying and reading the bible. I didn't do that very well last year. I also want to update this blog more often. The reason I didn't last year is because of the reasons I stated above. I will try to do better.

Until next time, God Bless

~ Chloe