So, I finally got a visit from a friendly Montgomery County, MD Department of Traffic and Operations worker this week. I requested several DEAF CHILD signs to be placed around the neighborhood MONTHS AGO. They finally got their act together, and marked our street for placement. We should have them next week.
We live in a lovely, friendly, and all around great neighborhood just outside of DC. My neighbors have been so incredibly supportive with our whole journey with Christian. Yet, I always worry about his safety outside. Now that he's running all over the place, like any other Mommy of a toddler, my heart just sinks. If anything, I just want these signs to make the folks who use our street as a cut through more aware.
8 comments:
Good for you! I'm glad you are getting some signs! We have people that drive too fast in our neighborhood and I always have to be on the alert. . .
Have a great weekend!
Check out
http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/?p=86
about signs for Deaf people
Jean
Another link you want to add to Alternative Solutions Center is Barb DiGi's.
http://deafprogressivism.blogspot.com/2007/04/is-deaf-child-area-sign-effective.html
No signs for our Deaf children please for they are not animals.
Susan
Laurie-Thanks so much for your comment---I'm always yelling at people to slow down from my front porch.
Jean-I'm not sure if that blog link you sent me was meant to accuse me of being a lazy parent who lacks sufficient parenting skills to manage my kid. If nothing else, I hope these signs will help my neighbors in a very busy neighborhood be aware that there is a little boy on a trike that can't hear as well as the rest of their kids. We live in an area where people honk their horn as they back out. My son can't hear that. I do believe that my child has a disability, and I do everything in my power to make his life easier. His safety is always first on my mind. While he is NOT a wild animal, he is a toddler. A deaf toddler, who needs all the help he can get right now.
I put the signs up too. Safety first, when I would see those signs, before I had my kids, I always slowed down, paid more attention, aware that there may a child nearby that can't hear my quiet car.
We're looking into getting a sign, too. I have a feeling some of the *ahem* "judgmental" commenters have never had a small toddler boy. That also happens to be deaf. Safety is important, and small toddlers can get away from you in the blink of an eye. My hearing two year old does it all the time- but can hear me yell at him to stop before he hits the end of the driveway on his tricycle.
These signs have indeed helped tremendously when I was growing up. I was lucky that it was my father who was in charge of making signs. I had them up on the street and replaced every time it faded. I can't believe it has taken them THIS long to get that done...
You have got to be KIDDING me people. My four year old HOH/deaf child w/ an implant ran behind a car the other day. Was I sitting there doing nothing??? I can tell you NO. Would it have helped if there was a sign and people were extra aware??? YES. I yelled, I screamed, I was heard by both my child, and the driver. What if his battery died? Is it wrong to heighten awareness? No, unless you are crazy. I am always hyper vigilant, but I have four kids w/ hearing issues. Am I a lazy parent to want a sign, just as a heads-up. NO.
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