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12:31pm September 5, 2014

Deaf wizards and nonverbal versions of the Speech

I could not figure out how to make this rebloggable, so I’m cutting and pasting it here and adding a link back to the original:

Ms. Duane: First of all, I’d like to say that I love that you’re on tumblr and so engaged with your fans. Thank you! My question is: have you ever thought about Deaf wizards? I assume some exist, and that there’s a sign version of the Speech, but if they’re profoundly deaf, do they understand the spoken version? Do others understand their signs? Have you ever thought about including physically disabled people in your stories? (This is a personal interest, so I’m curious!) Thanks! :)

Hey there! Briefly — yes, physically challenged wizards are a lot on my mind. Yes, there are deaf wizards. Yes, there are non-audible recensions of the Speech (on Earth and absolutely elsewhere, because there are lots of species who don’t work in audible sound): yes, there are human wizards who exclusively sign — there are some of them in the upcoming Games Wizards Play, in fact. In one chapter Nita notes this for the first time and thinks (a) “Wow, have I been sheltered, how has this not come up for consideration before?” and (b) Wow, he looks like he’s dancing, how cool is that?! — because the nonverbal recensions of the Speech really put a human through their paces, physically speaking. One great master of that aspect of the Art who we see in passing is a jazz dancer of tremendous skill, and watching him just gives Nita chills, thinking (in passing) of her mother.

I need to do a post about this later in more detail. But in brief: yeah. :)

http://dduane.tumblr.com/post/42024690171/ms-duane-first-of-all-id-like-to-say-that-i-love