[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_style=”outline” style=”round” message_box_color=”turquoise”]This is about the Samsung deaf ad, “Hearing Hands.”
It is an opinion piece by a deaf person.[/vc_message][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Samsung deaf ad is an advertisement for Samsung that is about signed language, communication.
Here it is:
The product itself looks cool and I want to know more about it.
But I was left feeling so sad.
The video is touted as “heartwarming”, mostly I think because so many people gathered to learn sign language for the purpose of creating the ad.
But to me it emphasized how lonely it really is to be deaf in a hearing world, to be deaf in an aural/oral community. For every one of the interactions that the guy in the video had with the people who learned sign for Samsung, he has 10 interactions in real life, where he is left out. Where he has to bend over backwards to figure things out.
Where he is struggling.
Where he is isolated.
The thing is, being deaf is largely a non-visible disability.
If you are hearing and actually do know sign language and wanted to talk with a deaf person, how would you know we are deaf? How would you know to sign?
You just don’t know, do you.
I feel like that’s one thing that I wish people would understand about being deaf.
How isolating it can be. How videos like this aren’t really touching in the aspect of people coming together to learn some sign for an ad, but how touching it is that this man doesn’t have access to communication and inclusion in the same way that most hearing people take for granted.
Hopefully that product will actually help.
Anyone know more about it?
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Read More About Samsung Deaf Ad:
“Sorry Samsung, But You Missed the Mark” by the Deaf Pagan[/vc_message][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
More Posts on Things Deaf-Related
Meriah Nichols is a counselor. Solo mom to 3 (one with Down syndrome, one on the spectrum). Deaf, and neurodiverse herself, she’s a gardening nerd who loves cats, Star Trek, and takes her coffee hot and black.
Exactly. Well I have hearing loss and wear a hearing aid but its still not highly visible unless you are right near my right ear. Plus I think it reinforces the stereotype that all deaf people sign. From my knowledge they all don’t. I have hearing loss and know a few random signs and how to fingerspell my name but not much. I hate when people assume I do. But it does seem like a useful product.
I’ve given that ad a lot of thought. On one hand it feels like “oh, look at the poor Deaf man, how nice his neighbors (who were probably paid for the ad…) came out and learned a few words in Turkish Sign Language. Also, I’m jaded enough to think of how Samsung is trying to use this to make people think they’re a fabulous company and want to buy their phones.
What I *did* like about it, is that it described giving him one day when he can communicate easily and without barriers — and I think most hearing folks don’t get how isolating having limited hearing can be.
Michelle, check out this post – I just read it and it says it so much better than I did – http://deafpagancrossroads.com/2015/03/11/sorry-samsung-but-you-missed-the-mark/
I know a few signs, but I’m not fluent in ASL. I’m learning it (self-teaching) mainly out of interest. I think it does some reinforcement of the all deaf people signing stereotype, kind of like how people think anyone Asian-(insert other nationality here) can speak their mother tongue. (I know a few words in Japanese, but I think my pronunciation is bad.) However, I’ll give these people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they couldn’t find a willing lip-reader or they wanted to draw emphasis to the ideas of linguistic barriers in general and not just deafness/limited hearing. I know two other students, both of whom play the flute like me, and they speak English as a second language. (Chinese is their first language.) English is the hardest language to learn if it’s not your native language. (Japanese or Korean is the hardest if you already speak English). I think most English speakers fail to realize how hard it would be for an English language learner in the same way the hearing might not realize barriers faced by the deaf or hard of hearing. The video points this out well, but it may come across as stereotypical, pitiful, and/or tryhard-ish as I think it has to some viewers.
I know this is a little late, and you may not even read comments on this post anymore. But, I found this today as I was looking up this video to share in a storytelling class and I felt moved by what you wrote. I have watched this video (and shared it) many times. It is an incredibly effective ad, for good reason–it connects us to the humanity of both the deaf man as well as the people in his community who came together to set up this extravagant event. I want you to know that I found it both inspirational (“touching”) and also poignant in the ways you pointed out. This video opened my eyes to the loneliness and isolation of being deaf, and it made me more empathetic. I hope that other people in the hearing community (I hope I am using sensitive language, if not, please let me know) also gained empathy through this video.
Thank you for your excellent post!
-Jillian