Hello Loggers! It is I, Lillie Brown, a deaf Lincoln Land Community College student here to dedicate a column to deaf awareness and recognition of deaf students attending community college. I’ve decided to join the bandwagon here at The Lamp to educate the faculty and fellow students about deaf and/or hard of hearing people. I look at this as an opportunity to bridge the miscommunication gap often experienced by deaf people.

To start off, I want to share basic tips on how to socialize with deaf people or how to communicate with a deaf person if you ever run into them or know someone that is deaf. I also want to tell you about experiences of discrimination that we receive on a frequent basis with workers at grocery stores or even a police officer. I’m not here to bash anyone, just to expand your knowledge of deaf people. Another thing I’d like to share is just the fact that LLCC needs a deaf voice rooting for their current deaf students. I want to make them feel included as well as the hearing staff and students that attend LLCC in all locations.

With this column, I hope to achieve meaningful connections, to share other deaf people’s stories, and to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing people in our community. Like I mentioned earlier, I look at this as the chance to bring a different perspective to our college. I’ll see you Loggers next time in an article about the current coronavirus pandemic and how deaf people are dealing with it all. Stay tuned!