“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and blind can see” – Mark Twain

I remember when I blindfolded myself to see if I could survive or that time when I put my head in the bath tub to see if I could hear anything. These were small things I did to see how it would be if I were blind or deaf. They are silly experiments but I saw how much I wanted to take the blind fold off and get out of the water. It’s sad to think that some people can’t do that.

How does someone become blind or deaf? Someone people are born with blind or deaf. People can get cataracts or clouding lenses that causes their blindness. Meningitis has a side effect that can cause deafness. How do disabilities affect someone? I think one immense way someone can be affected is by getting bullied. If you are blind or deaf you have learn to use your other senses, for example if you’re in loud place you can feel the vibration verses hearing or seeing it.

You probably didn’t know that half the people you know who are historic or famous were blind and or deaf. For example I didn’t know that Thomas Edison was deaf. Edison also liked being deaf; he said that being deaf is a way that he could concentrate, I suppose he’s right because I know that I can’t even concentrate reading a book. “Walking in the dark with a friend is better than walking in the light alone” can you guess who wrote this quote? It was Helen Keller; you probably know that she the first disabled person to get a bachelors of Arts degree. Keller was deaf and blind. Harriet Tubman was also blind. Can you imagine helping people escaping while having partial sight? Some current and former musicians also had impaired senses as well, like Stevie Wonder and Beethoven. One disabled person who was bullied is Molly Burke. She is 18 years old girl who is blind. Molly burke got a life changing disease at age 3 which made her blind. She was bullied because she was blind; even at blind schools, the more you see the more popular you were at school. Molly wanted to prove that you can do whatever want even if you’re blind so she raised eight thousand dollars to a water crisis going on in Kenya. Originally she would have raised six thousand dollars but since she was blind she raised more. Now Molly is a “Me to We” speaker for Free the Children. She accomplished so much for an 18 year old.

One of my passions is to learn how to sign using American Sign Language. Sign language arose 200 hundred years ago. I think it’s so amazing to sign because your communicating in another language with your hands plus nobody knows what you’re saying unless if they know American Sign Language too. I also want to fully learn braille. It is dots that when one touches it feels like bumps which help blind people read. I can only read the numbers in braille. Braille was created in 1821 by a blind French man named Louis Braille. Braille opened doors to opportunities for blind people. Some deaf people can also talk because they can read lips. Can you try that? I tried reading my dad’s lips by covering my ear and I failed miserably.

I remember wondering about what I could do to help people who are blind or deaf or even just disabled. One thing is to not bully. Something that I plan on doing is to volunteer. I don’t have to be on just helping disablilied people but can be to plant a tree or go and volunteer for kids in Ecuador or Kenya or just raise some money with your friends. Remember when I said I want to you learn sign language; I want you to learn your name in sign language. It’s the easiest thing you can do. Just remember to be grateful for everything you have no matter what your ability or disability!

Citations:
www.start-amerianguage.com/famous-deaf-people.htmlcan-sign-