Chances are most people have no idea this week is National Deaf Awareness Week.
For the deaf community, that's a problem.
Picture this: A deaf person makes a phone call, using a Video Relay Service - commonly abbreviated VRS - and when the hearing person answers, they hear that abbreviation, have no idea what it means and hangs up.
As part of Deaf Awareness Week, Relay New Mexico is hosting a dinner and a show at the UNM Continuing Education building. It costs $5.
The highlight of the show is Pinky Aiello's "Pinky: A Satire," which is a satire of the interactions between the deaf and the hearing.
"It's a big thing. It will have a big impact," said Christian DeNight, Relay New Mexico's outreach coordinator. DeNight said that increasing public awareness of Video Relay among the hearing will make life easier for deaf people.
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Many hearing people assume that American Sign Language is a signed form of English, when in fact, it is a completely independent language.
"ASL is a native language. It's very vital - a part of our culture," DeNight said.
Aiello puts on a show in which she plays all the characters herself, using only sign language. The hearing people are the ones who will need an interpreter.
Aiello got her start as a performer at a young age.
"As a young girl, I went to the circus, and I saw a performer riding a unicycle," she said on her Web site. "Right then andˇthere, I knew I wanted to learn how to do that."
Now, her skills as a juggler are complemented by her ability to ride a five-foot-tall unicycle.
Aiello's VRS satire is a national show and is well-known in circles of deaf entertainment. DeNight said it's a big deal that Aiello is performing at UNM.
The dinner show is a new effort by Relay New Mexico.
"Every year we do something for the community. The deaf population is a minority group, (and) we're bringing people together," said Romy Pierce, Relay New Mexico's executive director. "It's not to make money. All we're trying to do is have the food paid for. It's really about bringing people together."
In previous years, they had smaller social events for deaf people, traditionally a barbecue at Relay New Mexico's office building. Relay New Mexico has been the sole relay service for hearing-impaired people in New Mexico since 1989 and is supported by state taxes. The community outreach is "part of our responsibility to the state," Pierce said.
Pinky: A Satire
Friday at 6 p.m.
UNM Continuing Education
1634 University Blvd
$5
