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Deaf Children Get a Chance to Talk with Santa

Deaf Children Get a Chance to Talk with Santa - Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 5:37PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Thursday, Dec 17, 2009 @ 05:37pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - Believe it or not, there are now just eight days until Christmas. Many deaf children are getting to experience the holiday in a new way this year. They're actually getting to talk with Santa Claus.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus have been making special trips to Scranton all this week. They've been stopping by the Northeast PA Center for Independent Living to talk with deaf kids in their own language by using a videophone.

Many of the children have never been able to tell Santa directly what they've wanted for Christmas before.

"For many years now, its been a big struggle for the deaf to use the normal regular phone," Santa said.

Santa and Mrs. Claus both know American Sign Language. This week they're talking to kids all over the country.

"Some of them right away will answer back and say hello and then there are those that are so shocked and flaborgasted. They're staring like a deer in headlights because they're so surprised," Mrs. Claus said.

"They're not only excited but their jaws drop when they see -- wow -- Santa's signing. He's using my language. I can communicate with Santa Claus being deaf myself," Santa Claus said.

In the past, Santa was really only able to communicate live with deaf children by using a tele-typewriter device. Now that technology is changing, the holiday season is getting more merry.

"You can see their different facial expressions and the emotions of the person on the other end of the conversation as opposed to the TTYL, all you would see was words going across a screen," Santa Claus said.

The videophone uses a high-speed internet connection. On Friday, Santa plans to have conversations with students at the Scranton School for the Deaf and a school in Mississippi.
 


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