Recently a Deaf person contacted me via the Lifeprint-ASLU Facebook group.
The person was polite, respectful, and seemed grateful for any help that I might
be able to provide.
His main statement was:
"Looking for your support after many doors closed on my face."
[name removed to protect this person's privacy]
Dear █████.
I am an ASL instructor. This is an ASL learning and teaching-related group.
If you feel that you simply must have my specific input regarding your
situation, you are welcome to email me.
My contact information is available at
https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/contact.htm Please understand
though that I already have over 5,000 emails in my in-box from others seeking
help, attention, or support of some kind ahead of you. I love all people and
wish the absolute best for all people but my current project queue is already
full. I occasionally directly respond to various ASL-related questions here in
this group as a form of win/win mental diversion but any new projects come at
the expense of existing projects and existing requests for help.
What you are seeking is a community support advocate and ally.
A resource for finding support is the National Association of the Deaf at:
https://www.nad.org/
If you do not live in the United States a resource to help you locate your
country's Deaf organizations is The World Federation of the Deaf.
The WFD is an international non-governmental organization that acts as a central
support organization for national associations of Deaf people, with a focus on
Deaf people who use sign language and their family and friends.
You can find more information regarding the WFD at their website: http://wfdeaf.org/
I encourage you to become a member of the WFD and become familiar with the type
of support they provide.
If you have a question about American Sign Language, this is a good group in
which to ask your question.
If you have a question about how to prevent doors from being slammed in your
face then the group to contact is the WFD.
Warm regards,
Notes:
Having "doors shut in one's face" or in other words: a lack of opportunity for
advancement -- is a common and life-long experience for many of us Deaf people.
As an ASL educator I'm extremely grateful for the various Deaf-related
organizations that have been set up to provide support and allyship.
Notes: