Deaf activities

Illustration: Ana Benaroya

Date: August 14, 2008 12:13:58 PM EDT
To: inyc@timeoutny.com
Subject: question?

Kelly
Staten Island

On stage
The Met Opera has created a custom-designed captioning system called Met Titles; the individual viewer-controlled screens on seat backs, stanchions and standing-room rails (along with wireless sound-amplification headseats) are available during all opera performances, including the current run of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor (Columbus Ave at 65th St; 212-362-6000, metoperafamily.org). For a little song and dance, Hands On (handson.org) provides sign-language interpretation to theaters in NYC. The organization’s website lists events, such as three performances of the upcoming Radio City Music Hall's A Christmas Extravaganza (1260 Sixth Ave at 50th St; 212-247-4777, radiocity.com). The group’s website also offers a full monthly calendar of interpreted events around the city, including the Theatre Development Fund’s open-captioned performance of The Lion King on Thu 4 (1515 Broadway between 44th and 45th Sts; 212-307-4100, disney.go.com). For a more intimate experience, the League for the Hard of Hearing puts on a comedy night featuring sign interpretation each spring (lhh.org), while the ASL Poetry Slam at the Bowery Poetry Club encourages participation from signing wordsmiths; the next event is November 29 (308 Bowery between Bleecker and Houston Sts; 212-614-0505, bowerypoetry.com).

On screen
The movie-finding site Fomdi (fomdi.com) is getting mixed reviews from the deaf community, but it is still a good resource for zoning in on theaters with closed and rear-window captioning. Local Regal, AMC and UA theaters offer the service at various screenings, but it’s always recommended to call ahead for confirmation.

On display
The New York Botanical Garden offers sign-language-interpreted tours every third Saturday of the month (Bronx River Pkwy at Fordham Rd, Bronx; 718-817-8700, nybg.org). Indoors at the Museum of Modern Art, Brown Bag Lunch Lectures encourages attendees to bring their own munchables to eat during talks that occasionally feature sound amplification or sign language; alternately, the Interpreting MoMA program, which supplements a private gallery sign-language-interpreted talk with wine and cheese, will be about the “New Photography 2008” exhibit on November 13 (11 W 53rd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-708-9400, moma.org.

On the mat
Did you know there are only a handful of deaf certified yoga teachers in the United States? This fact has been noted by the DeafYoga Foundation, which launched a fund-raiser this past summer to train five deaf yogis. On November 7, an introductory class for deaf and signing community members will cover the history, benefits and basics of the practice (900 Easton Ave between Foxwood Ave and John F Kennedy Blvd, Somerset, NJ; deafyoga.org).

Illustration: Ana Benaroya

On tap
Sure, you may slur some signs, but since when did that become a crime? The monthly Deaf Professional Happy Hour meets at a different bar every month, which is announced on the group’s blog (nycdphh.blogspot.com); the NYC ASL Meetup Group, a great venue for sign-language newbies to practice, is scheduled three times each month (asl.meetup.com/13). For more social activities, try the Brooklyn Society for the Deaf, where monthly poker nights are supplemented by special events, such as a Thanksgiving soiree featuring door prizes on November 8 (13th St between Aves O and P, Midwood, Brooklyn; brooklyndeaf.com).

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