At a recent function I became engaged in an enlightening conversation concerning the hearing impaired, sign-language, and this demographic's method for clapping (involves holding both hands aloft and rotating them rapidly side to side). I found the image of an auditorium full of people applauding in this way to be a fascinating mental image. Consider how a conventional clapping motion is a minimal movement kept too close to the body to add anything visually spectacular to the situation, aside from the resulting noise; yet a sea of hands waving beyond both the breadth and height of each person would be a pretty magnificent sight.
Suddenly, however, I came to dwell on what sort of situation would find a very large group of hearing impaired people together in an auditorium. A concert would seem fairly redundant, theater troupes rarely provide subtitles, and comedian would have a tough time conveying his act to such a large group. I suppose the use of a large screen would be plausible in a convention setting, but here's what caught me up on that thought:
Usually, during a question & answer session after large seminars, a microphone is passed around so that the inquiring audience member may be heard. At a deaf-convention, would they hold up a giant magnifying glass?
Actually, Deaf musicians exist. Where as one hearing person listens to the music, the Deaf will feel it (not unlike bass in da club). If you work at it, you might find that you can discover the difference between hearing (feeling the vibrations with the tympanic membrane, incus, malleus, and cochlea as well as other bits) and feeling the music with the more tactile senses. But, you are totally correct. Clapping in sign is much more visually pleasing.
ReplyDeleteSpecial Olympics?
ReplyDeletePerhaps, but possibly too varied in handicap. The effect would be less magnetizing without the unanimity.
ReplyDelete