On April 26, more than 130 ASU students and faculty participated in an experiential education called “Different, Different World”. The event was sponsored by the NC Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in conjunction with the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the Beaver College of Health Sciences. Participants had an opportunity to experience what it is like to be Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, and Deaf-Blind.
The simulation required participants to use earplugs and/or blindfolds and included 8 stations: walking while blindfolded while using a cane and trusting a guide; understanding fingerspelling in American Sign Language (ASL); lip reading; writing in ASL gloss; performing activities like writing and doing puzzles while blindfolded; listening to a story at various volumes and answering questions about the story; interacting with Deaf volunteers in ASL; and a final debriefing activity.
The student response was extremely positive. One student from the ASL II course shared, “It really gave me an insight into what people with communication barriers deal with daily. I really respect and admire their courage and trust.” ASL Instructor Alicia Toomey said, “Giving our students real-life experiences that they can carry over to their future careers is so important. We hope to make this an annual event.”
Blind Experiment
Blind Experiment