Beau hit the pause button when I signed, STOP, to him. I brushed aside Kathleen when she prepared to interpret, and I addressed Jackson myself.

“As you can see, there are more Deaf people around the world than you think. More hearing people involved with this than you think.”

“Yeah, but . . .” Jackson said, going palms up.

“But what?” I said. “What, just because my world looks a little different from yours suddenly that means it’s not as important? I know what it’s like to be a part of the hearing world because I used to be hearing. But I also understand what it’s like to be a part of the Deaf world because I am Deaf now. Not everyone gets that chance though, and that hearing president sure didn’t. No matter how hard you try to understand something, sometimes there’s this personal connection to the cause that you’re missing, something you may not ever reach, and that can make all the difference. That’s why this is important to the real world.”

I’d never been one to give many Deaf pride speeches like this one, but in this case, I felt it was warranted. Just because you didn’t understand something didn’t make it any less significant.

Jackson took so long with his response I foolishly thought he was going to drop the subject, but he turned awkwardly in his seat to speak to Kathleen, leaving me unable to lip read what he was saying.

FINE, BUT THAT 3-0 YEARS PAST, Kathleen interpreted, keeping her eyes on me instead of Jackson. NOW TECHNOLOGY HELP DEAF HEAR AND PEOPLE WALK AND MORE. PAST DOESN’T M-A-T-T-E-R NOW.

“I’m pretty sure Mr. Wells would disagree with you on that one,” I said, trying and failing to keep from rolling my eyes. “The past does matter. Deaf President Now showed the world Deaf people don’t need to be coddled, but this is just a tiny part of the Disability Rights movement, you know.”

I was on a roll here, ready to keep going and say what was really on my mind for once, and I wasn’t even going to think of what all my classmates would say about this.

“Some people would even say the Disability Rights movement started over in Denver, where people in wheelchairs chained themselves to buses to protest lack of accessible transportation. But even then, it would be years before the ADA was passed. History really does involve everyone.”

I stood there in front of the class waiting for a response from Jackson or anybody else, but it didn’t come. I kept my lips pressed together to keep from letting any funny breaths escape, and my heart was still pounding uncomfortably against my chest.