The Håck ma’s Castle aims to offer nerds of all kinds a pleasant and enriching stay where they can exchange ideas, learn, network, celebrate, and relax among “normal people, finally”. To ensure that deaf and blind guests can also enjoy this experience we’ve put together this guide for hearing and/or sighted guests:

How do I interact with deaf people?

  • Don’t assume that everyone can hear. If you speak to someone and they don’t respond, they might be deaf. Trying to speak to them again (louder) won’t help.
  • If you want to say something: Write it down on a piece of paper or on your phone. Even if you don’t know sign language (yet), you can still communicate using facial expressions and gestures or by pointing at things (using your hands and feet literally)! Pay attention that the room is well lit. Dark or dimly lit rooms make communication difficult.
  • Deaf nerds also want to enjoy their time here without constantly having to educate or teach. Before asking questions, check to see if they’ve already been answered on the infoposter. If you’re looking for a sign, check to see if it’s in the Gebärden-Archiv (sign archive). Also try to estimate whether people are open to questions right now. If in doubt, ask if it’s okay to ask questions or write them down for one of the scheduled workshops.
  • Feel free to grab a pen and a sheet of paper or open your note-taking app and ask the deaf people: What their current projects are, what topics they’re here to discuss, or what their highlights have been so far.
  • Have you seen sign language interpreters or had them assist with your presentation, and would you like to thank them? Please mail kontakt@hack-mas.at; we’ll be happy to pass your feedback on to them. Thanking them directly in front of deaf people often leads to frustration. First, hearing people are often unable to assess the quality of the interpretation. Second, Deaf people then see interpreters being thanked, but their own presence is often overlooked.
  • You can ask an interpreter to translate for you. During the conversation, please look at the person you are speaking with, not at the interpreter. Even though the deaf person will naturally need to look at the interpreter in order to understand you.
  • For general questions about Deaf culture and sign language, check out the wonderful Infoposter from Gebärdenverse!

How should I interact with blind people?

  • Are you curious about what a blind person is doing right now? Go ahead and talk to them! Blind people often seem busy because they can’t see you and don’t know that you’re open to interacting and chatting. So go ahead, strike up a conversation, and ask them about their interests and projects. After all, like most people, they’re here to meet wonderful people.
  • Feel free to introduce yourself while you’re at it. The person you’re talking to can’t see you, and knowing your name will make it easier for them to recognize you if you speak to them again or they read something you’ve written in a chat. It might look something like this: “Hi, I’m Blob, and I’m standing to your left.”
  • Guiding strips of carpets have been laid out throughout the castle. Please make sure to keep these clear so that blind people can move around the entire castle and courtyard. If you are standing there yourself, simply step aside when necessary - this is not a problem. However, please do not place boxes or other obstacles in the way.
  • There are also blind people at the event who want to enjoy themselves. If they wish, they can raise awareness, but they are under no obligation to do so. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at these 10 Tip from the support group.