[OSList] OS with Sign Language as a first language

Wed Sep 25 09:49:09 PDT 2013

Hello Lee,

there is another thing I forgot just now: Have a careful look at the room!
Bright light without blinding anyone will help communcating. It is difficult
to see signs properly, e.g. if a window or a very bright lamp is beind the
speaker. And if you have concentric circles make sure that everybody has
eyecontact to the speaker, for example in the closing circle at the end.
Perhaps find out a good 'talking spot' instead of a talking stick? Or
otherwise widen the circle so that everybody can take place in it. In this
case you should try if signs can be well seen from the opposite side of the
circle. 

Best to all of you

Annika 

A n nik a v on W a l te r

Organisations- & Teamentwicklung

Ceciliengärten 35

12159 Berlin

Telefon   030  78 95 87 82

Mobil   01577 97 66 647

 <mailto:info at annikavonwalter.de> info at annikavonwalter.de

 <http://www.annikavonwalter.de> www.annikavonwalter.de

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Von: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] Im Auftrag von Annika von
Walter
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 25. September 2013 17:44
An: 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'
Betreff: Re: [OSList] OS with Sign Language as a first language

Hello all together,

I am rather new on this list, reading it for quite a while with great
interest and learning a lot, but not having written anything yet. Let's
change!

I facilitated only a few OSTs until now, but I worked with deaf children for
quite a while before and I am in good contact with deaf adults. So actually
I never combined both, OST and working with deaf. Nevertheless, there are
several thoughts on my mind.

As Lee suggested, it will be a meeting with participants using sign language
as their mother 'tongue'. I suppose, that walking the circle could be
complicated: The interpreters will hear you and they can translate, but you
would always cross the eye contact between interpreters and participants. So
Diane's idea sounds very good: walk the circle once while making a litte
break and inviting to get in touch with each other. 

Usually deaf people who are used to sign language - different to those, who
got deafened rather late in life - prefer sign language to a written text on
a sceen. Sign language is just as fast and just as complex as spoken
language (at least German Sign language is, maybe ask the interpreters for
this topic!). Therefor I suppose, that it will be not necessary to reduce
your opening or to use a screen and written English. Writing and reading is
hard to learn if you don't hear, as it is connected with the spoken language
- surely a foreign language with not only different words, but also a
different grammar and structure. So relying on sign language surly is the
best choice.

Writing down the topics one after the other and announcing them afterwards
is surely a good idea! In this period the interpreters will have to
translate the other way, from BSL to English. 

If there are only participants knowing sign language, you won't need
interpreters in the meetings. Maybe the documentation might be a challenge,
as writing is not that common to some deaf people and as writing and
communicating with signs at the same time won't work. Just ask the community
in the preparing meeting, if they need help and if they have any ideas.
Maybe it is worth thinking about a video documentation using signs as well?
Anyhow: I suppose there is a deaf community that can answer all the
questions and that will have the best ideas - don't hesitate to ask!

I am really curious how you get on - please share!! And good luck!

Greetings from Berlin 

Annika von Walter

A n nik a v on W a l te r

Organisations- & Teamentwicklung

Ceciliengärten 35

12159 Berlin

Telefon   030  78 95 87 82

Mobil   01577 97 66 647

 <mailto:info at annikavonwalter.de> info at annikavonwalter.de

 <http://www.annikavonwalter.de> www.annikavonwalter.de

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Von: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] Im Auftrag von chris grady
Gesendet: Dienstag, 24. September 2013 13:58
An: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Betreff: Re: [OSList] OS with Sign Language as a first language

This is inspiring. Thank you

Chris

Chris Grady FRSA
Chris Grady.Org

Gothic House, High Road, Great Finborough, Suffolk IP14 3AQ
Tel: +44 1449 771007,  Mob: +44 7713 643971
 <mailto:chris at chrisgrady.org> chris at chrisgrady.org

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<http://www.tomatkins.co.uk/> Tom Atkins,  <http://www.rajnishah.com/> Rajni
Shah, Keum Rolling, Drew Davies and Kate Reed (New York)
CGO - Making Connections

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the A

On Mon, Sep 23, 2013 at 4:10 PM, Lee Simpson <lee.simpson at mac.com> wrote:

Hi Diane,

Thank you for sharing your experience. That is really great to read about,
very useful and very encouraging.

lee

On 23 Sep 2013, at 16:01, Diane Gibeault <diane.gibeault at rogers.com> wrote:

Hi Lee,

I facilitated an Open Space meeting for deafened people, people who once
heard and spoke but have now lost their hearing completely or in good part
and have not necessarily learned sign language or lip reading. The
invitation from a volunteer organization went to the community at large.

Over twenty people met for half a day. The theme was focussed on service and
access needs of deafened people. Communication was assisted by interpreters,
sound enhancing ear plugs and simultaneous captioning services enabling
participants to read spoken words on a large screen. 

We were able to preserve the formation of the full circle of chairs by
having some of the hearing participants (partner accompanying a deafened
participant, sponsor of the organization, sign language interpreter and
facilitator) sit at one end of the circle, their backs to the screen which
other participants needed to see. 

As the facilitator I could not walk in the circle while speaking because it
would have interfered with the view of the screen but I did walk around the
circle once without speaking. I had told the group I would do so and that at
the same time, they were invited to let their eyes go around the circle,
acknowledging the richness of the people present. I made eye contact with
everyone, we all smiled and nodded to welcome each other and they did the
same with other participants. The circle was bound.

Harisson Owen’s “less is more” never was so true. To explain the process, I
had to speak slowly, using few words, choosing key important ones so that
the captioning note takers and interpreters would represent the ideas as
clearly and as completely as possible. Otherwise, they will cut on what was
said or put it in words that may not reflect as well what you wanted to say.
Beth Martin a OS trainee who assisted in the Open Space was asked by the
sponsor to take the role of reading the screen and signalling to me when I
had to slow down. If a message had been really distorted, she would have
caught it and let me know.

Participants wrote their topics and only when all had finished did they take
turns to announce them from their seat. This way, everyone could look at the
screen or interpreter. Otherwise, they would have missed the topic
announcements because they would be looking at their sheet while writing
their own topic. Participants with topics then picked up a Post-it with time
and place and put up their topics on the wall. After this first round, some
came up with more ideas for topics and we proceeded in the same way again. 

Once all the topics were on the wall, further instructions were given and
off they went to sign up. If they needed to negotiate combinations or time
changes, they could communicate with each other by writing on the paper pad
they were given or calling upon an interpreter. Each meeting site had a
large screen computer and a note taker and participants sat around to read
on the screen what was being said. Interpreters went where they were needed.
There was a talking piece at every meeting site to help see who was
speaking. A real break was scheduled between the two discussion rounds to
give everyone a rest from reading. 

Discussion reports were completed after the event, given it was only a half
day meeting. For reporting to the entire group at the end of the event, two
flip charts were placed near the circle in the plenary room and initiators
had been invited to write two or three lines that captured the key idea or
action coming out of their discussion. This encouraged them to organize
their thoughts and it condensed the reporting period. Initiators read their
two line reports that were captured by the interpreters and the larger
screen. Participants exchanged comments, reactions and more stories. 

For the closing, the talking piece worked like it always does and words came
from the heart to bring meaningful closure to this event. 

They were energised by this kind of exchange that brought them out of their
isolation 

They would have wanted to keep on. They talked about having another meeting.
This kind of experience was a first of its kind for these participants and
for this community of people with hearing challenges.

The speed at which  participants took charge of the process, the level of
participation, the energy and the enthusiasm about the results and about
this way of meeting were the same as for all the other open space groups I
have facilitated. Open Space does work with any group as long as there is
passion for the reason that brings people together.

Enjoy,

Diane

  _____  

From: Lee Simpson < <mailto:lee.simpson at mac.com> lee.simpson at mac.com>
To:  <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org 
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2013 10:32:35 AM
Subject: [OSList] OS with Sign Language as a first language

Hi all,

We are planning an OS with BSL (British Sign Language) as a first language.
Anybody done something like this and have any tips about things like sight
lines during opening, announcing of sessions and closing circle?

Thanks.

Lee
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