'Deaf Santa' program unites children statewide

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

In a silent world, the significance of the annual "Deaf Santa" program is recorded not by words, but on the faces of hundreds of Hawai'i's deaf children, their parents and friends.

Children with hearing impairments come from all over the Islands to tell the "Deaf Santa," via sign language, what they want for Christmas. Photo courtesy of Hawai'i Center for the Deaf and the Blind

"I've actually seen parents cry when they're asked how special this is for their kids," who range from 3 to 16 years old, said speech therapist Doreen Higa of Hawai'i Center for the Deaf and the Blind. The participation of Neighbor Island students the past six years has turned it into a statewide event, she added.

Three Big Island classes from Keau, Kona and Hilo, and one each from Maui and Kaua'i will be here for the event, which will be staged on the second floor at Pearlridge "Uptown" next to Macy's, from 10 a.m. to noon. Entertainment will include mimes and a visitor from Texas, who calls herself the "deaf fairy tale princess." McDonald's is providing lunch for the students.

Jan Fried, assistant professor and coordinator of Kapi'olani Community College's American sign language/interpreter education program, said the Neighbor Island participation makes it a special event.

"This is the one time every year that deaf kids statewide can get together," Fried noted. "They all know this Santa is just for them, the event is just for them and the adults involved are doing this just for them."

"Yes Virginia, There is a Deaf Santa Claus," is the official name of the event, which has been coordinated by Fried and Higa since its inception. Pearlridge became a participating partner through its marketing director, Scott Creel, who had staged a similar program in Texas.

"Words can't describe what I feel when I look at the children's reaction, when they are able to communicate with Santa in their own way," Creel said. "It's very touching, and you realize this is something that is making a difference in a child's life. The reaction of the parents doubles our pleasure and the reaction of our other customers triples it."

The idea for the "Deaf Santa" event came out of an October 1991 meeting at Kapi'olani Community College between sign language interpreters and community service agencies. "It just came out," Fried recalled. "Someone said, 'What about a signing Santa?'"

Fried connected with Higa, and the two self-described "chief elves" put the initial event together in two months. "We had about 100 people for the first one, but it was the first time anything like this had been done in Hawai'i," Fried said.

For the past five years, Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church has been donating gifts to the program. Instead of toys, which sometimes are hard to match up with the boys and girls, the outreach program this year will be donating school supplies.

Each student will also receive a special train whistle from Pearlridge management and goodie bags from center merchants.

Higa sees the evolving growth of the "Deaf Santa" event as a giant step in what she refers to as "communication accessibility."

"The nightly television news has closed captioning, but go to the movies and try lip-reading something like 'The Muppets Christmas,'" Higa said. "Open captioning for movies is spreading on the Mainland. Some places have special performances for the deaf."

While less than 1 percent of the general population in Hawai'i is deaf, even fewer know sign language, Higa added. "Of about 76,000 people who are deaf or hard of hearing, only 9,000 are sign language users," she said. She believes sign language is key for people who are deaf, allowing them more options for communicating.

The key is for the deaf to share in entertainment and not be excluded, said Fried.

I. King Jordan, president of Galludet University in Washington, D.C., the only liberal arts college for the deaf and hard of hearing, said, "The deaf can doing everything except hear. It's a wonderful motto that capsulates the issue."

"Interpreting elves" will be present at the event to let those who are "signing impaired" know what is being said.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.