Co-workers team up to communicate better

  • Published
  • By Bill Orndorff
  • 309th Maintenance Wing
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  When a co-worker has a special need, employees often team together to help them out. In the case of the 524th Electronics Maintenance Squadron, more than a dozen workers are willingly taking an early-morning class to help improve one co-worker's quality of life.
The 524th employees meet weekdays at 6 a.m. in a Bldg. 5 conference room to study American Sign Language along with Dave Collins, an electronics mechanic who became deaf at age 3. The class is taught by Jean Thomas, the sign language interpreter for the base from the Civilian Personnel Directorate.

"This is the first sign class I've taught since I came to work for Civilian Personnel last July," Ms. Thomas said. "After taking just four, half-hour classes, this class is doing really well. The boiler area has also asked for sign classes. We have about 15 deaf employees base-wide who use sign language."

Ms. Thomas conducts the class by using two languages at once -- spelling or symbolizing words with her hands and talking at the same time, a difficult feat for those uninitiated with the practice. Her face also matches the emotion of the words, such as a frown to indicate "sick" or puzzlement when asking "who is this."

The lively 30-minute session includes a review of what was taught before, as well as teaching the students new signs. A recent class featured signs for numbers one through 20, and common signs for emergency situations, such as "dangerous," "sick" and "ambulance."

"I've always been intimidated by not being able to communicate with Dave -- for me to finally be able to communicate with him will be a very good thing," said Mike Cederquist, 524 EMXS flight chief, who worked with Ms. Thomas to set up the class. "I have a new supervisor in Dave's area, and I wanted that supervisor to be able to easily communicate with him."

Mr. Collins learned sign language while attending school in Maine. He has worked for the 309th Maintenance Wing for five years, and while some co-workers knew sign language, most were limited to writing down their questions.

Class members include supervisors, co-workers and Quality Assurance inspectors who needed help asking Mr. Collins about his work. At times, class members are asked to lead the group in a review of the lesson.

"It's wonderful -- they are learning deaf communication for conversation between us," Mr. Collins said. "They are working hard to learn. They are motivated -- the motivation is excellent."

Watching his co-workers valiantly try, but innocently make the wrong sign in conversation makes Mr. Collins smile.

"It is funny, they are learning. It makes me laugh," he said. "Everyone that's learning sign makes a few errors. They are doing a lot better than before."

The classes are helping, because Mr. Collins is now able to quickly pick up on what his co-workers need, thanks to the sign language.

"Dave was helping me this morning, and before I got through a lot of finger spelling, he already knew where I was going," said Dick Tracy, ACMI/Anti-Skid Shop supervisor. "There is a lot to learn with this, but it's worth the effort."

Ms. Thomas uses illustrated handouts to supplement the class lessons. One handout explains the importance of eye contact, facial expressions, hand shape and emphasis when communicating.

The handout also notes that precision is important when using sign language. In one case, it shows that the same sign, if placed in a slightly different location near the face, could mean either "summer," "dry" or "ugly."

"Many of the signs we've learned are almost natural," Mr. Cederquist said. "We practice them with each other. We're getting there, but Dave still goes too fast for me. When I'm in my office, I practice my alphabet while I'm on the phone so I can increase my speed."

Sign language classes for areas with deaf employees can be arranged by calling Ms. Thomas at 777-5920 or jean.thomas@hill.af.mil.