Page 48 - TheGoldBug1972-73

• Silent growing • the nitty gritty • John Van Hart sat forward and leaned his elbows reason the show had the impact it did. "I think this Griswold and Van Hart, who have been working the on the table. "This was the first call we received was the first show of this type, dealing with this previous year preparing the films used within the after the show began -- and I mean right after the problem," said Dr. Griswold. "There were hun- show. The movies are part of a grant funded by the show began. As soon as we went on the air, and dreds of people who needed this kind of information Bureau of Education of the Handicapped, Dept. of gave the number to call, the phone rang, that in- and who just didn't know where to get it.' Health, Education and Welfare. The four films used stant. It was a woman in Silver Spring. She has a in the show all comprised different lengths, formats kid going to the Woodvale School. It's an oralist The information was supplied by a battery of and styles. The first, "Listen," was a general in- school. The kid's seven years old and he knows experts in deafness, hearing surgery, deaf com- troduction to the process of human hearing, how twenty words. She was at the end of her rope. She munication and vocational help, who manned damage can occur to the ear, and the resulting didn't know where to go for help -- she said she'd the phones at the 67 switchboard for the length of problems of hearing loss and deafness. Included tried everywhere. We tried to get her name and the show. If information could not be given im- were interviews with people are ex- address so we could send someone out to her." He mediately, the people were referred to groups or periencing/ have had a hearing loss, such as a made an evading gesture with his hand. "She individuals, in their immediate area if possible, music teacher and a girl rock musician. , talked a11 around it, wouldn't give it to us. We had who could supply the information. John Van Hart , her on the phone talking for twenty minutes before was supervising the link between the switchboard Panel discussion followed each film. On the panel she finally broke down and told us where she was. and the panel on camera: "We'd have to weed out were such familiar figures as Dr. McCay Vernon, She was afraid -- afraid -- that the school was going all the questions that were too specialized or and Dr. David Denton of the Maryland School for to find out and kick her kid out. And if there's one outright controversial, then pick the ones that were' the Deaf. Also included were Fred Schreiber and good reason that show had to be put on, that's it." fairly representative. Sometimes we'd have to Donald Pettingill of the National Association of the combine several questions into one.... During the Deaf, both deaf themselves; Mrs. Lee Katz, There were three of us last Wednesday sitting in show we got about 150 calls. They started to wind President of the International Association of the Soc. department -- Dr. Griswold, John Van Hart down after the show ended, but they were still Parents of Deaf Children; and Glenn Anderson, and myself. The show we were talking about was coming in by the time they had to cut off the switch- Center of Research and Training in Deafness. the three-hour special "They Grow in Silence: An board at 11:30." The telephone calls and letters The interchange really started after the second Evening on Deafness," broadcast Monday, Dec. 4. have kept coming in since then. When I talked with The show originated from the Channel 67 (Public Dr. Griswold this weekend, he remarked that since film, "We Tiptoed Around Whispering," that Broadcasting System) studio in Owings Mills, but the show, the station has received over 350additional showed, through a mixture of dramatized episodes reached far beyond that station's usual radius. inquiries. and interviews with parents, what parents go through when they realize their childis deaf. It was "The show was simulcast (relayed live) to In the Soc. office Wednesday, I found how the also after this film that Tom Gillette, the show's Channel 28 in Salisbury," John explained. "Also to Channel 67 staff had been amazed at the viewer host, hefted a folder filled with papers and an- Channel 26 in Washington -- that covers Silver response. John: :"Paul Rhetts «the 67 producer nounced: "We're being deluged with phone calls." Spring and the DC area -- and another station in who worked with Griswold and Van Hart in northern Virginia (72)." preparing the showl told me that only one other 3- The third film, "Total Communication," was a But sheer number of viewers was not the real hour show they've ever done had a response short illustration of children learning just that at - anything like this one." Dr. Griswold: "Usually they MSD; while the fourth, "Conversations with Deaf Teenagers," focused on the thoughts of deaf young Benn's was a terrific shot in the arm for everybody." people brought up in hearing America. get about four or five calls during the show. This Dr. Griswold was in the control room of the studio The response was especially gratifying to both during airtime. "Paul Rhetts and I were there - MEN'S AND BOYS' WEAR they've got a terrific COntrol room and you can do all kinds of things with the picture. So we ex- also perimenteda little at first -- we had to --on what was the Village Cue Lounge the best way to show the panel. At first we had voice-overs for all the deaf people, but stopped that 140 Village 'Shopping Center after a while for Schreiber and Pettingill because Westminster Shopping Center BILLIARDS AND PINBALLS they were totally understandable without it. We also tried a few different ways of showing the signing." The heavy response to the show naturally suggested a sequel, which will be shown Monday, December 15 (see Newsbriefs page.) Rugs. and Rug Remnants ' Canoll PIaza.shoP.PinI Center Westminster, Mary~ .211S7