-About Visitor
"dated...hearing girls but it did not work out because of her parents and grand parents who can not sign langauge with me. Unless if I am really special to them, they could learn it ASL ? One time My hearing lady and I were argued big time because she thinks she knew everything about Deaf People...so I DUMPED my lady!...I will never date with hearing lady again."
-About Visitor
"hearing my fiance is deaf...He signs ASL...So sometimes it is hard for us to understand each other due to the difference in sign ability. Other times, I have my hands full and can't sign making him to lip-read. Or the other way around-- he can't sign making me have to try and understand his speech (which is not easy may I add). But we make it and try our best to balance out the communication barriers with each other in a compromise."
-About Visitor
"He uses signs little and fingerspell little too.His spelling is bad..I speak well and lipreading well,not 100%..My husband and I misunderstand each other almost daily. How can we live like that? No fun in heat battle. When I get tired of lipreading in hearing groups, I just walk away or sit down to reading books and so on..I signs to deaf people, I never tire of signs..will stay in deaf groups. I want my husband use signs more often.. Sometime he don't and do..I can hear some in my left hearing..Can't hear the words.. Just noises..."
-About Visitor
"HOH. I have difficulty hearing certain voice ranges as well as in group settings, and anyone behind me. My hubby is very supportive. He knew when he met me, that I did not hear well...
...tough when one party hears extremely well (my hubby) and one does not. I still have to remind hubby that he can't say stuff to my back, walk away from me, call from another room or have the tv or music up loud. I have him repeat himself when necessary. I have also let his family know of my hearing needs. They too are supportive. I have found that as long as you are up front about the needs you have, most people are willing to help..."
-About Visitor
"hearing woman...dating a Deaf man. I am a fluent signer because my sister was born deaf, and I grew up signing. Even though my boyfriend has fairly good speech and can speechread when he needs to, I would never ask him to rely on that as our sole means of communication. Why should the burden of communication be on one person in a relationship? If he is more comfortable and is better able to express himself through SL, then that is what he should do. Even though my signing is not perfect, I am more than willing to improve my skills in order to have the level of communication that any two people need to have a successful relationship."
-About Visitor
"married to hearing man for 2 years. I am happily divorced now. There are so many conflict.
I was too lonely, isolated and left out with a hearing ex-husband. I got so fed up with his lies about telling me that he will take ASL 1 class...he told me that he is attending ASL 1 Class at the community college, so I was so thrilled until I was on a surprise trip to surprise him in the ASL 1 class. He was not in the classroom...told the teacher that I am looking for my husband...teacher told me that he withdraw the class just after the first day of ASL 1. I was sooo upset and very hurt that he lied to me.
So I didn't tell my ex husband that I found out that he withdraw the ASL 1 class...I just played questioning him whenever he comes home from school "how's ASL 1 class?" He kept telling me that "it was too hard but I will keep trying so hard." I said nothing for awhile until he asked me for paying him on the next course. I told him that I will pay for that and went to the lawyer. I had him sign his name for "ASL 2 Class" but it was a divorce paper...My parents were so upset that I have new Deaf husband now!"
-B.D.
"relationship with a deaf man...started learning to sign a year before we met...We were very clear with each other at the beginning that our relationship may be difficult at times because of communication, but that we could work through it together with patience and understanding. I am able to communicate fine using only SL. But it is still not easy...boyfriend speech reads very well, and most of our hearing friends and family do not sign....cannot imagine our relationship without SL...
