Hi Diane, Thank you for sharing your experience. That is really great to read about, very useful and very encouraging.
lee On 23 Sep 2013, at 16:01, Diane Gibeault <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Lee, > > I facilitated an Open Space meeting for deafened people, people who once > heard and spoke but have now lost their hearing completely or in good part > and have not necessarily learned sign language or lip reading. The invitation > from a volunteer organization went to the community at large. > > Over twenty people met for half a day. The theme was focussed on service and > access needs of deafened people. Communication was assisted by interpreters, > sound enhancing ear plugs and simultaneous captioning services enabling > participants to read spoken words on a large screen. > > We were able to preserve the formation of the full circle of chairs by having > some of the hearing participants (partner accompanying a deafened > participant, sponsor of the organization, sign language interpreter and > facilitator) sit at one end of the circle, their backs to the screen which > other participants needed to see. > > As the facilitator I could not walk in the circle while speaking because it > would have interfered with the view of the screen but I did walk around the > circle once without speaking. I had told the group I would do so and that at > the same time, they were invited to let their eyes go around the circle, > acknowledging the richness of the people present. I made eye contact with > everyone, we all smiled and nodded to welcome each other and they did the > same with other participants. The circle was bound. > > Harisson Owen’s “less is more” never was so true. To explain the process, I > had to speak slowly, using few words, choosing key important ones so that the > captioning note takers and interpreters would represent the ideas as clearly > and as completely as possible. Otherwise, they will cut on what was said or > put it in words that may not reflect as well what you wanted to say. Beth > Martin a OS trainee who assisted in the Open Space was asked by the sponsor > to take the role of reading the screen and signalling to me when I had to > slow down. If a message had been really distorted, she would have caught it > and let me know. > > Participants wrote their topics and only when all had finished did they take > turns to announce them from their seat. This way, everyone could look at the > screen or interpreter. Otherwise, they would have missed the topic > announcements because they would be looking at their sheet while writing > their own topic. Participants with topics then picked up a Post-it with time > and place and put up their topics on the wall. After this first round, some > came up with more ideas for topics and we proceeded in the same way again. > > Once all the topics were on the wall, further instructions were given and off > they went to sign up. If they needed to negotiate combinations or time > changes, they could communicate with each other by writing on the paper pad > they were given or calling upon an interpreter. Each meeting site had a large > screen computer and a note taker and participants sat around to read on the > screen what was being said. Interpreters went where they were needed. There > was a talking piece at every meeting site to help see who was speaking. A > real break was scheduled between the two discussion rounds to give everyone a > rest from reading. > > Discussion reports were completed after the event, given it was only a half > day meeting. For reporting to the entire group at the end of the event, two > flip charts were placed near the circle in the plenary room and initiators > had been invited to write two or three lines that captured the key idea or > action coming out of their discussion. This encouraged them to organize their > thoughts and it condensed the reporting period. Initiators read their two > line reports that were captured by the interpreters and the larger screen. > Participants exchanged comments, reactions and more stories. > > For the closing, the talking piece worked like it always does and words came > from the heart to bring meaningful closure to this event. > > They were energised by this kind of exchange that brought them out of their > isolation > They would have wanted to keep on. They talked about having another meeting. > This kind of experience was a first of its kind for these participants and > for this community of people with hearing challenges. > > The speed at which participants took charge of the process, the level of > participation, the energy and the enthusiasm about the results and about this > way of meeting were the same as for all the other open space groups I have > facilitated. Open Space does work with any group as long as there is passion > for the reason that brings people together. > > Enjoy, > > Diane > > From: Lee Simpson <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Monday, September 23, 2013 10:32:35 AM > Subject: [OSList] OS with Sign Language as a first language > > Hi all, > > We are planning an OS with BSL (British Sign Language) as a first language. > Anybody done something like this and have any tips about things like sight > lines during opening, announcing of sessions and closing circle? > > Thanks. > > Lee > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
_______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
