defbug wrote:Very funny, elmo... Seriously... I take my deafness seriously....
No doubt you do, but the Internet is a great equalizer. Here, you will find people in wheelchairs, amputees, the legally blind, people with bad credit and fat hairy guys who pretend to be leggy young blonds. You may be surprised to learn that I am not really a furry puppet.
Everybody's the same and nobody is really bothered by it. I was more surprised by your means of introduction than the fact that you are deaf. In all the time I've been in these groups, I have never seen anybody pop in and announce, "Hi! I'm in a wheelchair!" It is just unusual enough to be worthy of light commentary.
Sooo... Have you always been deaf? Do you use Standard American Sign Language? Can you read lips? (Always wanted to learn!) Are you mute as well, or do you speak? Do you wear hearing aids, or is your deafness total? I'd like to know.