Don’t Honk; I’m Deaf: RTA Launches ‘Deaf Driver’ Initiative

Emirates 24/7 ^ | Wednesday, January 16, 2013

[nickcarraway]

Campaign aims to educate motorists about hearing- impaired drivers

The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has launched the ‘Deaf Driver’ initiative to sensitise road users to deaf drivers and alert motorists to vehicles driven by people with hearing disabilities.

“The objective of the ‘Deaf Driver’ initiative is to educate drivers on how to deal with hearing-impaired persons and alert them that the driver in front is deaf,” said Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency.

“We are therefore compiling a brochure on how to deal with personnel suffering hearing loss. We are also designing a poster to be fixed to vehicles driven by individuals with hearing disability. Readers of this poster will be aware that the driver is deaf and will not respond to alarm sounds made by other motorists,” she said.

Maitha recollected the initiative launched by the Traffic & Roads Agency about hearing-impaired personnel two years ago in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education encompassing an educative bulletin written in Braille distributed to blind students who were integrated in schools.

It also included lectures in sign language for the deaf community members in addition to several visits by traffic awareness teams to autism centres and schools dedicated to children with special needs.

“The aim of the initiative is to educate the public that deaf drivers can drive vehicles like other motorists, but their focus on the road hinges on visual and kinetic perception rather than the sense of hearing. Therefore, dealing with deaf drivers on roads has to be through optical signs,” she said.

“Deaf drivers can’t hear horns by other vehicles or sirens of ambulance, police and civil defence vehicles. They also have difficulty in communicating with others as the hearing impaired person depends on lip movements and hand signs, hence it is important to communicate with deaf drivers through the body language coupled with hand movements,” said Maitha.

[freedumb2003]

>>I think you’ve found your calling. What’s stopping you from doing something about it? <<

Look at the recent cell phone use studies that make a direct correlation between cell phone use and impaired driving.

People who didn’t like the results (very objective) just yelled louder and buried the studies. Even here I have had people who stared the PROVEN science down and said (basically) “No one can tell me I can’t use a cell phone and drive — I am smarter than everyone” which is the same as saying “No one can tell me I can’t drink and drive — I am smarter than every one.”

While we have deaf people who think it is necessary for other people to compensate for their inability to drive (again, read the article that says exactly that) then it is a lost cause.

Still waiting on answers to the pointed questions.

[freedumb2003]

>>If I’d known how devisive this would be, I never would have posted it. Can’t we all just get along?<<

Aw, we all secretly miss the old Ron Paul thread days, don’t we?

And I haven’t called anyone anything (except maybe my favorite sister).

But I would like to know what streets and routes to avoid anyway :)

[freedumb2003]

My father is dead so don't you sons of bitches EVER make a comment of any kind about fathers.

He said DEAF not DEAD!! And RESOURCES not RACEHOURSES! *mumbles* do we have to tell Eaker again we are playing Gin not Crazy 8s?

[freedumb2003]

Trust me, NONE of you want to be playing Eucre with Eaker. It is like pissing in a mirror fun house corner...

:))))

[Eaker]

do we have to tell Eaker again we are playing Gin not Crazy 8s?

Well?

I'll ask you again, "Got any threes?"

[nickcarraway]

Rodney King was obviously a troubled man, but he was not without his wisdom.

[Owl558]

“...there have been no studies AT ALL!”

Speaking for myself only, I will generally see the lights and pull over for the emergency vehicle before the other drivers around me, whom I assume are hearing. I believe that I am a better driver now (less tickets anyway) than I was before I went deaf because I know I am impaired. I drive slower, pay far better attention, and don’t have cell phone or radio distractions.

“It has to do with the blindness about deafness.”

Great line and completely correct in my experience. Advocates in the deaf community have a vested interest in keeping the deaf that way. Your sister is misguided.

[Eaker]

I figure I am going to get all us short white guys to change the NBA rules

It's kind of funny. When I was in school is was okay to make fun of us short people but you weren't allowed to make fun of the fat kids because to quote...........

They can't help it that they are fat.

Most ridiculous thing I ever saw is the adults, usually over weight themselves molly coddling the fat asses because they can't put their spoon down and we short people merely needed to change our DNA.

[freedumb2003]

>>I’ll ask you again, “Got any threes?”<<

GIN!

(why did someone ALWAYS have Gin after one card on TV????)

[freedumb2003]

>>It’s kind of funny. When I was in school is was okay to make fun of us short people but you weren’t allowed to make fun of the fat kids because to quote...........<<

That used to drive me NUTS! “If I am A I can become B. But if I am (race/fat/etc) I am that no matter what I do.”

And me — shortest in the class by far until High School when I shot up 2 whole inches to become ONE of the shortest — saying “I am short — what the HECK am I supposed to do to get taller?” And that was even when we had them Ohio Players Platforms!

[BipolarBob]

Oh yeah, play Mr. Innocent now. What a devious low down diabolical polarizing scheme you laid to ruin my night. And this was supposed to be Shower Night to boot. I may run down to the pasture, break the ice on the pond and just pray that the snapping turtles are all asleep while I wash up.

[freedumb2003]

>>And this was supposed to be Shower Night to boot<<

Dude... If I had known it was Shower Night I would have been much kinder.

My Shower Night is next Wednesday. Please mark you calendars accordingly.

[MinorityRepublican]

So, my 20 year old daughter is Deaf and I’m teaching her how to drive. She is a good driver, very careful and meticulous. I know, intellectually, she is doing everything her sisters did, and often better, but it makes me very nervous. She’s a whiz at the parallel parking. I found an Army vet in Harrisburg, PA who gave her lessons as he likes to work with people who use different languages. He had confidence in her and taught her just by pointing (she is an ASL user). She had a good foundation with me, and he helped further that along. She should be getting her license this summer after she returns home from NTID. She is definitely ready.

That's great to hear about your 20 year old daughter. Time flies by so quickly. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that she chose NTID. Especially with a co-op requirement which will prepare her well once she graduates from college. A lot of my friends went to NTID and loved it there.

[merry10]

My daughter has an implant. DO you have a problem with a deaf kid with an implant in the infantry?

Whether they choose to use it or not, I have no problem. The percentage of the deaf that bilk the system is probably quite low to the other percentages of minority populations that bilk the system. She is in school for the sole purpose of furthering her education so she will be employable, but I too have issues with deaf people (and there are SOME, as there are alwasy freeloaders) who stay home, live off SSI and play call of duty all day. I don’t have a problem with the deaf community; it is becoming more integrated (deaf/deaf oral/Deaf/deaf CI/Deaf CI) yearly.