"I did everything every other 'normal' kid would do … it's not like I didn't fit in."

Molly Khatami, a graduate student studying at USC's Sacramento School of Public Policy, said her deafness helped her maintain a strong sense of self from an early age.

"Yes, it was hard being the only deaf kid in the class - I couldn't keep up with the gossip mill or understand what a crowd of kids were talking about, but I also learned how to assert myself and how to be heard," Khatami said.

Wilkins, for one, was so insistent upon getting by without the use of hearing aids that he only started wearing them in his sophomore year of high school, when his hearing deteriorated to a level that began to impede his schoolwork.

"I guess I just had a fear of being thought of as different," Wilkins said. "I mean, I was different. But hearing aids would make me visibly different as well. I feared being picked on or being bullied. So I was pleasantly surprised and relieved when no one else really paid attention to my new hearing aids."

Without them, Wilkins would be unable to hear any sound. His hearing loss is approximated at 70 to 80 decibels, which is the sound equivalent of cars on a noisy street. In comparison, a quiet conversation would be measured at 30 db.

Wilkins is one of only seven deaf students on the USC campus registered with the school's Disability Services and Programs office, said DSP Interpreter Coordinator Katherine Hammons.

The DSP offers sign language interpreters, real time captionists, FM microphone systems and priority seating for deaf students on campus.

Hammons, who has been working with the deaf for 25 years, first became involved within the community as a sign language interpreter. When her freelance work brought her to USC, Hammons fell in love with the campus' environment and took a position within the DSP's offices. "I've come to love the field and really have a desire for equal access," Hammons said.

Other students, however, such as graduate student Julia Dameron, use sign language to communicate.

Dameron, a production student in the MFA program at the USC School of Cinema-Television, is fluent not only in American Sign Language, but German and Spanish sign languages as well.

Though her use of sign language might make her deafness apparent, Dameron said she wouldn't inform others she is deaf upon introduction. "The reason for my doing that is not to trick someone, but to show them that I'm human first and that my condition isn't what they thought it would be," she said.

Dameron said that informing someone she is deaf before they become acquainted often leads to misconception. "Others usually have some strange expectation and act all strange around me … yell at me, or become really quiet," she said. In fact, Dameron enjoys offering jokes to loosen up the situation.

Khatami said, "When speaking with a (deaf) person you should attempt to get their attention by tapping them on the shoulder and speaking directly facing the person. If the (deaf) person still does not understand you, do not attempt to repeat yourself in an exaggerated manner, but find a pen and paper to write your message down. Keep in mind some deaf people do not speech read or use their voice, some do."

Hammons believes there is a stigma surrounding the deaf community that the hard of hearing are fighting to overcome.

"It's natural for many deaf and hard of hearing people to develop a mentality that we are less competent or intelligent, because of the main crowd's assumptions of us," Dameron said. "But I often try to tell my deaf community that they're not, and to try to break that with our own assertiveness. We have a responsibility to be patient and to take the time to explain to those who have hearing among us, so we can deal with the world around us."

"I'm worried sometimes that hearing people think my deafness affects me socially," Wilkins said, "They think, 'Oh, this kid can't talk on the phone or go to the movies or participate at a party and he isn't going to enjoy music.'"

"I love music," Khatami said. "This is one of the major misconceptions of hearing people - that deaf people can't enjoy music. I can recognize some tunes on the radio, even though I can't hear the words, and I love watching the closed-captioned music videos on VH1 and the like."

In contrast to the pressures Wilkins faces, his friends sometimes get jealous of him. "Friends of mine will usually say, 'Bryce, you're really lucky you can't hear certain things!' Like if it's really noisy at night, or if there's a huge party going on, I can just sleep. But I'm like, you have no idea what you're talking about! It is not an advantage!"

By Amy Kaufman
http://media.www.dailytrojan.com/media/paper679/news/2006/01/24/Lifestyle/Sound.Off-1502338.shtml