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Do You Say "What?"
Are you a person dealing with hearing loss? If you are hard of hearing, deaf or late-deafened, or have a friend or family member struggling with hearing loss, SayWhatClub (SWC) might be just what you are looking for.
SayWhatClub is an on-line group of circa 400 late-deafened, hard of hearing and Deaf adults and other interested folks who provide support and encouragement to each other through E-mail. Our goal is to provide a friendly, good-humored place to exchange conversation, information, advice, deep thoughts, humor, tall tales, and chit chat. Members get to know each other and develop an on-line "community feeling."
Currently SayWhatClub is running nine mailing lists, five "general" mailing lists, two permanent "focused topic" lists, "DeafHearingCouples" for couples in which one has a hearing loss and the other doesn't, "CI" for people having or considering a Cochlear Implant" and two topic discussion lists that focus on a topic for a couple of months and then switch to another topic (Commons and Explore)
We are scattered worldwide and depend on electronic mail and the Internet to communicate with one another. At various times we've had members living in Switzerland, Sweden, South Africa, Israel, Denmark, England, New Zealand, Finland, India, Canada, Italy, Japan, United States and other countries.
We ask members to keep in mind that our backgrounds, skills, religious convictions, outlooks on life, hearing, signing, lip-reading (nowadays often called "speech reading"), and typing abilities vary greatly, and, therefore, to please be tolerant, and patient.
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| One member describes her feelings about SayWhatClub.....: “I sat in silent isolation all alone, wishing for an understanding friend; then I found the SayWhatClub and now I have friends without end!”
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| Another member posted:
“I just want you to know that I have had one real benefit from losing most of my hearing: meeting a bunch of people like you who don't mind telling it like it is.”
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| Another member said this:
“A year ago I lost my job. I had been with the SWC for nearly a year at that time, and knew I could turn to them in the coming months to vent my anger, frustrations and everything else I went through while learning to cope with this new situation. It is the only place I had where I could express my feelings freely. This Club is unique."
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| Yet another member said:
“I have decided this is a permanent community in my life. SWC offers a place for me to be human. I don't have to be perfect here, nor does anyone else. We come here with deep pain and many struggles. I think SWC is a good place to learn to trust again when we've been kicked by others because of hearing loss or deafness. That takes time and I figure it's up to me and every other person to make that choice.”
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In addition to the E-mail groups, SayWhatClub members also enjoy a web-based newsletter and can participate in real time chats.
As a bonus to online communication, many SWCers periodically meet in small conventions and other social gatherings. Through the year 2007, our members will have had the opportunities to meet in Monterey, California, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Cape May in the state of New Jersey, San Diego, Chicago, Seattle, Minnesota, Virginia, Florida, St. Louis, and Las Vegas. See our convention web pages for current information.
SayWhatClub is a nonprofit, tax exempt organization supported primarily by donations from its subscribers. The group began forming in the early 1990's and in December of 1998 incorporated as a Washington State nonprofit corporation. Seven members currently sit on the Board of Directors and oversee with the help of various committees, the running of the SWC.
To join:
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