hearing...difficult to learn to converse in sign, but I also understand that it is frustrating and tiring for a deaf person to be required to speech read day and night. It is only fair that you both try to meet in the middle...In my opinion, if a hearing partner refuses to learn sign for their deaf partner, then they have a problem that is bigger than differing languages."
-About Visitor
"...hearing...I had made a comment about wondering what it was like to hear using a cochlear implant...went to get the body processor for the older model CI that she rarely ever used anymore and she plugged what looked like a regular pair of earphones in and handed them to me...taken back by what I heard from the different programs. I had never understood why she hated it when I whistled until I had the head phones on and she told me to whistle and I thought my ears would explode...
I don't know about people in the deaf community frowning upon deaf/hearing dating, and I don't really worry about it either. If you enjoy the company of, or love the other person, then all of that shouldn't factor in...
I am hearing, the love of my life is deaf, but our hearts can't tell so we're doing just great!"
-About Visitor
"..dating deaf man...many would be suprised how well we are doing...It was hard at first. I was used to talking to all my boyfriends on the phone, now I am online most of the time...
Maybe we are working so well because I can sign very well. I learned a long time ago since my aunt and uncle are Deaf. And I took classes at a local college. When I am out of high school I plan to become an Interpreter. So, not all Deaf/hearing relationships are doomed..."
-About Visitor
"selfish for a hearing individual, who is in a serious relationship or married to a deaf person, to refuse to learn SL...Communication is a part of everything we do...
...relationship with a hearing man...even though I never have and do not currently require ASL to communicate...(I am learning ASL in college, solely out of interest, not for my major) I do lipread and often the words are mixed up or I don't hear something quite right. He is often my extra ears for certain situations and such, the same as my family and hearing friends have always been. It is tough sometimes and funny at other times."
-About Visitor
"hearing and i was dating a deaf guy. towards the end of our relationship i found out that he did not trust simply becasue i was hearing...communication is the key and i often felt i was the only one trying in the relationship to really communicate.
-About Visitor
"hearing one...dont' understand why you would be in a relationship you cant comunicate in. I wouldn't date someone that spoke another languages other than english or SL because I wouldn't be able to comunicate. I am not fluent in ASL by any means but I most the time can comunicate without having to fingerspell everything out...I can't change my boyfriend and I in no way want to change him. We struggled at first when we started dating because I couldn't understand the deaf culture and he had problems in with hearing culture. But we have worked on things and always have to explain things to each other. But we have made dang sure to work all this out before we are involved in a marriage..."
-About Visitor
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