Getting a New Start
A new year has brought a new start for the Deaf Cafe, which reopened in February.
The monthly gathering for Butler County's deaf community had been discontinued since last fall when the event organizer moved out of state.
But Steve Leapline, a volunteer at the Center for Community Resources, has revived the Deaf Cafe.
The cafe will be open between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. the last Tuesday of every month in the First Baptist Church's youth center, 221 W. New Castle St.
“I'm attempting to restart it,” Leapline said. “We had one in October at the First Baptist youth center, and then in November and December — the last Tuesday is right 'round the holidays, so they usually don't have them then.”
Leapline, who is also a member of First Baptist Church, had a personal connection to the deaf community and for learning American Sign Language.
“I have 16 deaf nieces and nephews in my family,” he said. “It appears to be a genetic thing. ”
“I had to learn sign language and took a course at the Community College of Allegheny County,” he said.
According Mike Robb, executive director of the Center for Community Resources, there are an estimated 600 deaf people in Butler County.
“It's an estimate because the U.S. government hasn't really tracked the deaf population since 1930. This figure is based on the notion that out of 1,000 people, two or three are deaf. There could be from 200 to 600 deaf people (in the county),” Robb said.
Whatever the number, according to Leapline, there's not a lot of places deaf people can gather.
“The Deaf Cafe is basically a social event for the deaf. It's bring your own lunch. We have a special speaker come in,” Leapline said. “Most of the people are deaf, but we have had hearing speakers and deaf speakers alike.”“There is a big need for the Deaf Cafe. This gives them an outing to go out and see what is around,” said Leapline.He noted it's different — and closer — than the Pittsburgh Association for the Deaf.“It's nice place to socialize (the Pittsburgh association), but if you are not into the drinking scene that's about all you've got.”Deaf interpreter Jen Boak-Owens, who said she was the one who started the Deaf Cafe when she was doing a stint with AmeriCorps in 2007, welcomed its return.Boak-Owens is a longtime interpreter for Linda Finnigan of Butler, who is deaf and blind.“Imagine a circle. In the middle is the deaf and blind; the next ring, the deaf; then the hard of hearing,” she said. “It's more isolated in the middle.”Terri, a Butler woman who preferred to use just her first name, said last month through her interpreter Nancy Hall of Penn Township that a counselor recommended she visit the cafe.“This is my first time here, I feel a little awkward. I haven't met many deaf people,” she said. “Yes, I will come back. I get bored at home. I get curious. I like to meet people.“I do need to get out, but I didn't know where, but I found out about this and here I am.”Interpreter Hall said she learned sign language many years ago when she became interested in communicating with the deaf.
“I'm just recently coming back to it,” Hall said, “I enjoy meeting people, especially the deaf community.”Todd Wentworth, the music pastor at First Baptist Church, who was in attendance said, “This is a restart. We had one in October, but we had to cancel in January because of the weather.“We have folks in the church trying to learn the language,” he said. “This is an outreach as well for us, to connect with the deaf, reach them with our message.”Angela Stinson, who works with the base service unit at the Center for Community Resources, was also at the cafe and said, “I'm going to try to make it a monthly thing.”Stinson, Robb said, will soon take her test to be certified in sign language.Leapline is trying to get the word out that the Deaf Cafe is open for business once again, but it hasn't been easy.In its prior incarnation, he said, the Deaf Cafe could count on 20 to 30 people to attend, but he noted, “They didn't keep any contact lists, so that I could recontact them and tell them the Deaf Cafe has restarted.”“We are kind of starting from scratch trying to get the word out that the Deaf Cafe is a place to socialize,” Leapline said.He is working through the Center for Community Resources and First Baptist Church which sponsors the event.“There is no deaf support group or deaf school,” Leapline said. “I'm getting us put on the Center for Community Resources web page to get the word out.”He said that while he has posted notices about the revived Deaf Cafe on Pittsburgh websites of interest to the deaf, he's also relying on word of mouth to get the news around the deaf community.“Supposedly they have told friends of theirs, and we are hoping for a bigger turnout” for future cafe gatherings, Leapline said.
The cafe serves an important purpose, Leapline said.“I think to get out and be able to talk to people who understand them. They go to a Wal-Mart or something, you have to write everything down. A lot of the deaf won't use their voice because they don't know what it sounds like,” Leapline said. .The monthly meeting of their peers “allows them to get out of the house a little bit, socialize with other deaf folks, learn something about the deaf culture.”Leapline said, “This is definitely for the deaf to get up, get out and get socializing with one another, but if students of American Sign Language want to come, they are welcome to come.”One such student is his wife, Beth Leapline.She and her husband are practicing sign with each other to make themselves more proficient.“On Monday nights, we talk through signs. We don't speak at all,” she said. “It's like any language, if you don't use it, you will lose the ability.”Steve Leapline said come the spring he has plans for more than just keeping up the regular cafe get-togethers, perhaps a picnic or a bowling outing.“There's a March 25th Robinson Mall sign-a-thon, a whole bunch of deaf and hearing folks put on skits and dance bits” said Leapline.Robb said, “We are very appreciative of Steve helping get this kick started. When he approached us about this, we were so grateful.”
