{"id":2485,"date":"2019-09-16T10:24:40","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T14:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blinkyabooks.com\/?p=2485"},"modified":"2026-01-02T08:18:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T08:18:35","slug":"international-deaf-awareness-month-september-2019-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.harpercollinsfocus.hcusweb.com\/blinkyabooks\/international-deaf-awareness-month-september-2019-2\/","title":{"rendered":"International Deaf Awareness Month \u2013 September 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

A special post from Alison Gervais, author of The Silence Between Us <\/em>and In 27 Days.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The month of September is one that brings a lot of opportunities for us to celebrate, with holidays such as Labor Day, and also causes for us to bring awareness to, like National Suicide Prevention Month. Another cause \u2013 most likely not as well known \u2013 that comes about in the month of September is International Deaf Awareness Month.<\/p>\n

Oftentimes it might be easy for some to overlook deafness <\/em>or being deaf\u00a0<\/em>as merely a medical condition or just a lack of hearing, rather than a diverse group with a rich culture and history, their own language. And it wasn\u2019t too long ago where a large portion of the Deaf community were taught that their only option was to conform to the oralist<\/em>approach and using sign language was not to be tolerated. Now into the 21st century we\u2019re seeing attitudes changing as more awareness is brought to light about the Deaf community and their history, and this is something I can\u2019t wait to see more of.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s thanks to causes like International Deaf Awareness Month and Deaf activists such as Marlee Matlin and Nyle DiMarco, that more information about this amazing culture and ASL is becoming widespread. Some of this knowledge has been here all along and we didn\u2019t even know it; like, we have football players from Gallaudet University \u2013 a school built in the 1860s that eventually became a university specifically for the Deaf \u2013 for the \u201cfootball huddle\u201d. This was to prevent the opposing team from witnessing their signing to figure out what their next move was going to be.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to think I played my own part in helping the cause by writing The Silence Between Us<\/em>, but it wasn\u2019t my intention to write a trailblazing novel about a Deaf character solely for the purpose of informing the public. I had a story to tell featuring a Deaf main character that also drew on my own experiences growing up Hard of Hearing. But even then, I still hope readers enjoy experiencing the point of view of someone else who\u2019s different than they are. Not everyone experiences the world the same way, and to be able to see that through different lenses \u2013 and in a good book! \u2013 can be a great way to learn.<\/p>\n

If you are interested in learning more\u2014and I sure hope so!\u2014check out some of these resources:<\/p>\n