There have been lots of useful suggestions. I have never called contra dances for deaf people, but I have danced contra with blind people (they are amazing) and I have called barn dances for deaf people. Based on this I would suggest:
  1. Do not single the person out in any way
  2. Have a really heavy electric bass in your band(s). The vibrations will transmit through the floor and the deaf person should be able to "hear" them. This will give them the most consistent guide to where they are in a sequence.
  3. Consider having a large screen on stage where the dance card is projected

Michael Barraclough, Manchester (UK)
On 29/09/2023 13:43, Allison Jonjak via Contra Callers wrote:
I've been part of dance communities where blind dancers are easily accommodated (with claps during heys etc). Deafness seems like it will take extra brainstorming to make useful accommodation. (Not only because some deaf people lip read preferentially over sign language.) 

Is it possible to let a deaf dancer take a look at the caller's card before a dance is taught, to help orient a bit? 

Pardon brevity; sent by smartphone.


On Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 7:22 AM Mary Collins via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
We have not encountered this but I have friends who sign, having been teachers who worked with the deaf. Both dancers. I am going to talk with them about how this could work. 

I think signing during the dance would be problematic as the dancer would need to see the signer and that would take their attention away from the dance floor.

The caller surely would find it difficult as well. I used to sign well but lost some over the years; once had a group of deaf tourists ride in my tour carriage,  even signing, holding reins and being aware of traffic, tour sites and passengers was hugely difficult.

Having a trained -for- dance interpreter might just work for the walk through and occasional prompting.

Definitely looking into this.

Mary Collins
Near Buffalo NY

On Fri, Sep 29, 2023, 7:40 AM Allison and Hunt Smith via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I recently had a conversation with a dear friend in NH, a long-time contra dancer, who has an adult daughter who is deaf (who lives in SF, CA if that helps). Daughter doesn't dance, because she can't hear the calls and gets confused on the dance floor. She wishes that, during walk-throughs, the calls could be signed as well as spoken. I'm writing to ask if any of you have encountered this request? AFAIK there are no deaf dancers in my community in the Maine highlands, but I'd be willing to learn some basic signs to go along with my teaching. I think it would be challenging to sign as I call once the dance gets started, though. 
Thoughts?

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