February 2008 Newsletter: vol.1, iss.7

Volume 1 Issue 7 February 2008 www.discoveringdeafworlds.com

Thank You For the Challenges because I met you in this infinite UniFor the first 33 years of his life, verse,” are the essence of who Take has Takeaki Kawamura was a dedicated musician in a well-known band become today.

Take says that giving thanks again called “Take & Kame,” and passionand again for each inconvenience and ate about playing guitar and singfor each beautiful thing he sees makes ing. But in October 2001, Take’s him happy. Before his stroke, he took life changed forever, overnight. He little time to show his gratitude. Now survived a stroke, and was left with he has become an inspiration to anyone apashia (an impairment of the abilwho meets him, and glows with hapity to use or comprehend words), piness knowing he is making a differa speech impediment, moderate ence. Last year he sold over 10 million deafness, and paralysis of his right Take expressing post cards and has become known as arm. his gratitude for the “best selling silent sidewalk artist After months of grieving, hopeDDW's recent visit. in Japan.” When asked what his dream lessness and feeling “better off for the future was, he responded on his dead,” Take had a moment of ennotepad, “Right now!” lightenment when he started exOne of the many people Take has touched is a pressing himself through Japanese calligraphy. He began painting pictures overlapped with poetry, 19-year-old man, Shunsuke Hiura. At age five, Shun sending a strong message to his audience... Arigato. could run and play like any other kid. Then he was “Thank you for the challenges,” and “I’m so happy TAKE, continued on page 5

What is DDW? Dave Justice and Christy Smith are traveling the world to learn and share stories of empowerment, inspiration, and connection between international Deaf communities.

Discovering Deaf Worlds (DDW) is an opportunity to give deaf people worldwide a voice. For more information, photos, video logs, and newsletter stories, visit www.discoveringdeafworlds.com.

Did You Know...

• Japan has the ninth largest population in the world with 127 million people.

• To greet one another in Japan, bow with arms on your sides. (No hugging or handshakes except between family and close friends.)

• Japan consists of approximately 3,900 islands.

• Many Japanese people wear ventilation masks to prevent spreading common colds.

• Tsukuba University of Technology in Tokyo is developing a Remote Sign Language Interpreting System to make more university level classes available to deaf and hard of hearing students.

February 2008 1

Mecca for World Peace

The A-bomb Dome and Peace Flame at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

On August 6, 1945 at 8:15 a.m., during World War II, one of the worst catastrophes in world history took place. Hiroshima, Japan, was the first city in the world to be hit with an atomic bomb. 170,000 people died instantly and another 100,000 since from the radiation; 70,000 people in Nagasaki also died when hit with an atomic bomb three days later.

Since the bombs were dropped, Japan has responded with love and peace to bring awareness to the devastation nuclear weapons can cause in the world. Hiroshima is striving to end nuclear war. Mayors write letters to countries that test bombs, asking them to disarm and work for peace. Their goal is to have every nuclear weapon disarmed by 2020.

The A-bomb Dome, formerly the Industrial Promotion Hall, was one of the few buildings left standing within a two-kilometer radius of the explosion. The building has been preserved with steel girders to prevent it from collapsing. It remains in the same state it was left after the bombing as a reminder of nuclear destruction. The Peace Flame is a monument to the victims and has burned continuously since it was lit in 1964. It will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed.

Japanese Sign Language In each issue, DDW will print the fingerspelled alphabet of a visited country.

The dictionary we’ve used for our visit in Japan is at: www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/?wb_url=http:// syuwajuku.net/page0003.HTM&wb_lp=JAEN. JSL fingerspelling is a signary of 45 signs and 4 diacritics representing the phonetic syllables of the Japanese language. To view a sample of Japanese manual syllabary (currently under construction), visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Japanese_Sign_Language_syllabary.

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Discovering Deaf Worlds

The Power of Sign Language

By Koko Yasumitsu-Lovell, Guest Writer At a glance, sign language looks complicated, especially after learning there are different sign languages in every country. However, right in front of me, I saw how easily sign language can cross language barriers. Unlike spoken languages, which are difficult if you are not a native speaker, the body movements required for sign languages are pretty much the same worldwide. After being in Japan for less than two weeks, Christy and Dave could communicate very little “speaking” Japanese. Yet they seemed to learn Japanese Sign Language (JSL) very quickly, and sometimes I, as their spoken language interpreter, needed to ask for interpretations when they spoke directly to their interviewees in American Sign Language (ASL), JSL, and gesturing. The sign languages I observed were very expressive and easy to learn for a beginner like me.

When interviewing at the Rehabilitation Department of Nangoku Chuo Hospital, we asked a deaf staff member’s boss, “Were you concerned when you first heard a deaf staff member had been hired?”

Her answer was, “Each person has a communication method which suits that person best. For instance, in our department, there are many patients whom we must think of alternative ways to communicate due to their health problems. We need to think of the best communication method for every single patient. It is the same when a deaf staff member joined us. We tried something, if it did not work, then simply thought of something else. Gradually and naturally, it became possible to develop the best way to communicate.”

In Japan, we study English in order to speak with Americans. We learn sign language because we want to communicate with deaf colleagues. Shun (see front page) uses the brush to express himself. All these are the result of “choosing the best communication way,” which I have become more aware of.

I also have learned that there are many possibilities for communication when the willingness to get to know each other exists. Most of the time, we had

Koko (center) interprets from spoken English to spoken Japanese. three interpreters between Christy and the interviewees. Christy signed in ASL, Dave interpreted her words into spoken English, which I then interpreted to spoken Japanese, and another interpreter finally translated to JSL, and vice versa... It was one of the best communication methods for us, and it was a wonderful opportunity to be able to understand each other in a short time with so many people involved.

I will take the week I spent with Christy and Dave, visiting many different people, with me for the rest of my life. In English, physical and mental disability can be said as “physically/mentally CHALLENGED,” which means you have something which is challenging you. Not “disable,” but “challenge.” Shun called it an “ultimate personality.” I would like to build many bridges while learning about other people’s “challenges” and “ultimate personalities.” I hope one day there will be so many bridges, where people can go between worlds freely, and the borders between different worlds become blurred eventually.

The small world I am currently in, I now think…

Does it have an atmosphere where people from different worlds can talk about themselves easily? Am I making efforts to create an environment in which people from different worlds can easily and honestly speak about themselves with each other? I am now asking myself…

Koko Yasumitsu-Lovell is from Japan and about to migrate to Australia. One of the things she loves is meeting people from all over the world.

From February 26 to March 26, Dave and Christy are traveling through China.

February 2008 3

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Discovering Deaf Worlds

Shout -Outs!

Shout Shout-Outs!

-Outs!

Thank you, Aspen Camp for Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Board Member Lisa Wyly, for your generous contribution. You are fueling our fire to continue this journey!

Thank you, Sugimoto-san of Kochi Rotary Club International for your incredible hospitality and hosting our visit! Kokoro ga hiroi!

We had the warmest possible welcome and felt like home on our first day in Japan thanks to Miro, Ito, Nagamune, and Natsuku. We hope to return the favor some day when you visit America!

Brett Casey of Deaf Services QLD, Australia…your generous donation and belief in our project is what keeps us going!

Overview of Japanese Deaf Schools Approximately 1,500–1,900 deaf and hard of hearing babies are born in Japan each year. We had the privilege of visiting four of the 135 deaf schools in Japan.

The main philosophy of Japanese schools for the deaf is to use whatever sound ability the child has to understand spoken language. They also integrate sign language to help fill in the gaps for what was missed by auditory. Classes often have a maximum of six students and are categorized depending on hearing loss. For example, those with moderate hearing loss depend more on auditory means to learn, while those with profound hearing loss depend more on signing and visual means to learn.

One of the most fascinating concepts of these schools is that mothers of children under five years old come to school once or twice a week to sit in on classes. They learn how to best communicate with their children and better understand techniques such as speech, lipreading and sign language that they can use at home.

Ikuno Deaf School, located in Osaka, was the 35th deaf school established in Japan. This school has approx-

Shun creating inspiration through art TAKE, continued from front page diagnosed with a rare disease that is slowly taking his life. The disease has taken away his physical mobility and his speech, but not his happy spirit. Inspired by Take, one day Shun asked his mother to tape a paintbrush to his one mobile finger. As Shun’s mother held a canvas, Shun wrote in calligraphy the character for “family.” Communication doors had opened. Since that day one year ago, Shun has published two books

Christy and Dave with Ikuno president Mieko Sakai (left) and interpreter Natsuko Shimotami. imately 210 students from birth to junior high school.

There are about 80 teachers, only 8 of whom are deaf teachers. However, school president Mieko Sakai`s vision is that the schools will be run by Deaf people within the next 20 years. She states, “Through quality education, where Deaf people study to become teachers and return to the schools to educate the next generation of students, then Deaf education will be complete.” and a CD. His dream is to travel and spread his messages: “Don’t let your challenges keep you from smiling,” and “There must be something only YOU can do.”

Neither Take nor Shun rely on speech or sign language to communicate. Yet both have found a creative and unique expressive outlet through art and visual communication. Take uses his mobile hand to write messages on erasable note pads; Shun uses his eye movements and simple sounds. Both are full of life, have the largest, most genuine smiles, and are beaming with gratitude that is envious to anyone they meet.

For more about Take, visit http://hyougensya-take.com.

Publication services provided by: T.S. Writing Services | www.tswriting.com February 2008 5