Visual Information V: Describing People Chapter 4.3.3

Introduction Given the barriers to communication and transportation, DB people are often isolated. While they are isolated from the world of business and things, they are most sorely isolated from people.

Introduction, cont. The bridge that the SSP creates between the DB person and other people is related to, but more important than, the connection to things.

Overview This presentation discusses why it is important to be able to describe and identify other people, and techniques of how to do so.

WHY

Why Describe People? By ‘looking at’ people in a location we are able to: Identify them Have a social sense of place Keep up with styles

Why Describe People?, cont. Recognize the mood, or tone of a place Recognize the feelings or emotions of others Know about the relationships between and among people (including ourselves)

Identification If you shop regularly at a store you come to recognize the regular clerks. You may even develop a mini- relationship with them, whether or not you ever learn their names. As an SSP you will want to make this possible for the DB person as well.

Sense of Place Looking at the customers in a store is one way to get a sense of the store itself. A restaurant is identified by the food it serves, the décor etc., but also the customers. Part of the fun of going to a city festival is seeing the other people who are there. People are an essential part of “place”.

Styles The way one dresses sends a message about one’s identity. If the DB person is ‘behind’ on information about styles they may look like and older person than they are and certainly not someone who is ‘with it’. Keeping up on styles and who wears what is more important to some people than to others, but it is at least somewhat important to us all.

Representation What we wear represents who we are. If a DB person is going to a legislative reception to talk with congressional representatives about access for DB people, they will want to look like a person who has something to say. Dressing the part (knowing what to wear) is a part of representing oneself well.

Representation, cont. If a DB person is looking for work, giving a talk to an ASL class, or even just ‘being themselves’ day to day, they will want to represent themselves accurately. As an SSP, we represent DB people and need to be conscious of our clothes as well. This should be low key (not flamboyant), and at the same time, ‘presentable’ – not sloppy.

Mood, Tone In its broadest sense the mood or tone suggests the purpose at hand. People are serious, business-like, playful, festive, thoughtful and so on. The SSP can help the DB person have information with which to be in synch with others. In the next section we will discuss how.

Emotions Emotions are distinct from mood. The mood may be studious, but an individual stressed; the tone may be festive, but an individual may feel shy in this situation. Emotions are our personal reaction to a situation. Not everyone there will feel the same. Words are not enough to convey emotions. How does the clerk feel? How do you know? Describe what you SEE.

Relationships In describing people we will convey a sense of personality, style and way of being in the World (including values and beliefs we can infer). Describing people is also about relationships: their relationship to one another and our relationships to them. The DB person wants to be able to relate to the others in the setting.

HOW

Overall Impression Start with the overall impression. If there is nothing ‘remarkable’ move on. If the person is exceptionally tall, old, young and so on, this would be interesting.

Salient Details Thus instead of just saying “There is a woman in line ahead of us” you will want to look at details that will give the DB person a sense of who this woman is. Details of age, dress, posture, facial expression and actions will convey this. Details can be over-done and become an undifferentiated mass of data. Choose the important details.

Which Details do You Notice?

Clothes In general: How formal are the clothes, colors, texture, overall shape and fit? Sometimes you can use prototypes. Is she dressed like a suburban housewife with…, or a wealthy matron from the ‘40s? Details: If certain details catch your eye, you can use a combination of labels (e.g. bracelet) and classifiers to describe the details.

Posture and Actions What the person is doing and how they are using their body will tell you more about their personality, feelings and relationships to others. Rather than labeling them as ‘relaxed’ or ‘nervous’, notice what cues you see that make you think so.

Facial Expression What is the tactile parallel of facial expression? If we can describe facial expressions as relaxed, interested, sympathetic, annoyed, and so on, the same can be said of how we use our hands. Practice with one another representing various feelings on your hands

Actions Postures, facial expressions and actions all speak to who we are and how we are feeling. What are the actions you notice in the following slides?

Relationships Look at the previous pictures again. What is the relationship between and among the people in the pictures -- both those in the frame and others outside the frame -- with whom they are presumably interacting? What makes you think so?

Conclusion People are the most important part of the environment. Beginning SSPs must learn guiding skills and how to report the essentials of who, what and where. Advanced SSPs must learn how to add color and nuance (as well as touch) to these descriptions.