[0:02] [music]
>> I know that working in West Hartford
[0:05] public schools has made a strong
inclusive community. I know the school
[0:10] system works hard to make sure that
people feel connected, they feel safe,
[0:15] and particularly in my team, the deaf
services team, we really [music]
[0:19] advocate for our students, make sure
that they have the accessibility,
[0:22] whether it's an interpreter, a language
facilitator, whatever audiological
[0:28] technology they might need to help them
hear better or understand cuz everyone
[0:32] has [music] a right to their education.
>> I feel like I get supported here because
[0:37] there are interpreters grade K through
four that are always there to help me.
[0:43] » My teacher of [music] the deaf provides
a lot of support and also my interpreter
[0:46] always supports me all day long and I
have the best interpreters. They've
[0:51] helped me to grow with my own sign
language
[0:55] and I've grown with them and they know
how to work with people like me with
[0:59] deaf people or people with hearing aids
and having those interpreters and me
[1:04] being from a family with
>> [music]
[1:06] » with deaf parents and with deaf family
members is really important to have that
[1:10] access and it's important for that
support for everyone.
[1:14] » I think more people should understand
about being deaf is more of the
[1:19] emotional and social impact it has
[music] on us just not physically. It's
[1:24] really important that we be seen as not
like a problem to fix, but more of
[1:30] [music]
something that we can all come together
[1:33] and help and support by using
communication [music] skills, devices,
[1:38] everything like that. I just think it's
really really important for us to be
[1:41] [music]
seen.
[1:46] » [music]
[1:50] [music]
>> The main goal of this project was to you
[1:55] know, was to show access for
communication and to highlight that and
[1:59] that's something that um within the
deaf, deaf-blind, [music] and hard of
[2:02] hearing community here in in West
Hartford in particular, um I know
[2:05] they're very proud [music] of is that
they're that that that it's that they
[2:09] provide access to that communication.
Just learning and getting an
[2:13] understanding and an appreciation for um
>> [music]
[2:16] » some of the challenges and adversity
that that, you know, watching these kids
[2:20] what they have to overcome um and and
how they
[2:24] » [music]
>> kind of navigate the world. It's been
[2:27] incredibly inspiring.
>> And having this mural that has
[2:31] so many different facets of deafness,
deaf-blind, and hard of hearing
[2:36] individuals that truly promotes
self-awareness, self-identity, and
[2:40] self-concept. And so when we have that
being promoted out in the world in
[2:45] media, [music] the children then can
translate it into our classrooms and
[2:50] then feel truly empowered to just
[music] be themselves.
[2:57] » [music]
[3:10] [music]
[3:14] » When people see the mural, I hope that
everyone, not just the deaf community,
[3:18] feels empowered and seen by um a really
huge piece of artwork. I think it's
[3:25] important we all put our input into it,
so it'll be nice to see all of our how
[3:31] our words turned into designs. And I
think it's really really cool, and I
[3:35] think it's going to be very exciting.
>> I hope the message that [music] people
[3:38] take away from this mural is that when
they look up, they realize that there is
[3:43] a group of people represented here.
>> I hope people will feel like they will
[3:47] understand [music] like what hard being
hard of hearing and deaf means.
[3:52] Um and for the people who are hard of
hearing and deaf, they will like I hope
[3:56] they feel like happy.
>> So, I hope that if people are walking by
[4:00] and they see the mural, [music] that
they feel inspired. And
[4:04] I hope that they feel like
we live [music] in a great place and
[4:09] that being deaf is important and that
it's an important piece.
[4:17] » [music]