Keith Nolan: Deaf in the military
Keith Nolan doesn't believe his deafness should be a barrier to serving his country -- and is making the case for increasing the role of citizens with disabilities in the military. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
My name is Keith Nolan.
of the military.
you’d ever like to join the military?
ever since I was young.
to join the military.
such as my grandfather and great uncle,
比如我祖父和叔祖父,
to serve my country.
that longing to join the military.
from high school,
with high hopes of joining the navy.
满以为能应招入伍。
stood up and addressed me.
起身向我打招呼。
我没办法读懂他的唇语,
it was impossible for me to read his lips,
and wrote down three words:
spell out "Disqualified,"
of different times, trying to join,
I got the same response:
and decided to become a teacher.
and taught for almost two years,
我教了将近两年的书,
when three things occurred
a high school history class.
and I was seated at my desk,
who is deaf, approached me
to join the military.
You can’t. You're deaf.”
I had been told no, I can’t,
我一直被告知我不能,
that same message
that really resonated with me.
my friend had just moved to Israel.
they accept deaf people into the military?
in the military, right?
to see for myself.
and questions I’ve compiled,
I’ll share with you later.
(加利福尼亚州立大学北山分校)
an Army ROTC program.
Reserve Officer Training Corps,
their college majors
in the ROTC program.
have a military career
commission as a second lieutenant.
program here at CSUN.
and sent an email off to the program,
并且给项目负责人发了封电子邮件,
a teacher of the deaf,
a few classes with them
with my students.
time that I wasn't told,
to grab the opportunity right away
但我还是觉得我应该立刻抓住这次机会
and given everything I’ve read,
called “Deaf in the Military.”
what those 98 pages entail.
deaf soldiers serving in the past.
the Texas War of Independence,
named Deaf Smith,
to that war effort.
a list of deaf soldiers in that war
were even fighting against each other.
there are a few rare examples
into the military at that time
their country as well.
that America has had deaf soldiers,
the deaf Israeli soldiers.
in non-combat roles.
on the front lines engaged in fire,
serving in supportive roles.
non-combat jobs accessible to the deaf:
map drawing, supply,
between deaf Israeli soldiers
deaf people in general use
lip-read, gestures,
sign language and that can be utilized,
magic wand necessary.
for boot camp training.
to have an interpreter by your side.
of small groups.
soldiers have developed
with each other,
is of Prime Minister Begin
disabled soldiers in the US Military.
and involve injury.
a prosthetic leg.
still fighting in Afghanistan.
destroyed his eyesight.
for wounded soldiers.
about another soldier,
a school for the deaf in Iraq.
their disabled soldiers,
disabled citizens as well?
80% are non-combat positions.
百分之八十都是非战斗性的,
in the Deaf community can do.
I’d like to do intelligence work.
of other things we can do,
three premises to support my argument,
openly accepts deaf soldiers.
and skills required, they’ll take you.
他们就会招你入伍。
has accommodations
in the military are non-combat.
serve our country?
Absolutely, without a doubt!
about my experience in the Army ROTC,
and it’s still going on now.
my battalion had ever had a deaf cadet.
wondering, initially,
how would we communicate and such,
had never interacted with a deaf person
it was the real thing, the army.
full of military jargon,
一个充满着军事术语的世界,
getting to know each other
to work together, progressively.
of class, I had no uniform.
were all in uniform.
there was physical training, PT.
field training -- labs -- off-campus,
weekend training at a military base.
each morning at 5:30,
and me in civilian clothes.
you don't need to work out.
to show up every morning to train.
I asked if I could do the field training.
they let me attend the lab,
to sit and watch, not participate.
marching drill commands,
how to properly salute,
in the second line,
were doing in the row ahead of me.
for me to join the ROTC program
“Hey! Uh-uh. I want you in the front.
“嘿,不行,你去站在前面。”
just like the rest of them.
Learn it yourself!”
giving dignity to who I am."
I still didn’t have a uniform.
to get one, but I was told it wasn't.
that I’d be getting a uniform.
Why? What changed?”
you show up every morning, dedicated,
你每天早上都很刻苦地训练,
to get my uniform.
and a pair of boots, nothing more.
chock-full of gear:
sleeping bag -- the whole nine yards.
and put on my uniform,
at the garrison base,
were to get injured during the training,
all those issues and confusion,
and in the end, they let me go.
他们允许我去做越来越多的事情。
I was permitted to do more and more.
during one of the training days,
直直地降落到我们的头顶,
tandem rotors landed right down to us,
exhilaration in the air.
to be getting on board.
to ride the Chinook.
if the pilot shouted out orders,
to follow the instructions?
toward the helicopter.
discussing, mulling it over.
“Come on! Get on the helicopter!”
It was such a thrill.
and supporting one another
in everything they do,
some pictures here.
that’s the name of the group I belong to.
who oversee the ROTC program.
it was a bit of an awkward phase.
and what I’m capable of doing,
当我们一起训练,一起流血流汗时,
well, when you train and sweat together,
of camaraderie right away.
makes them like family.
让我们像一个大家庭。
we learn theories of warfare,
我们学到战争理论知识,
how to do reconnaissance,
your way out in the mountains.
I’ve been provided with interpreters
NCOD, here at CSUN.
at 4:30 in the morning,
a few classes with us.
before class starts.
when we were new to training.
of the entire Bruin Battalion.
it’s rather inspiring.
you can see he’s the epitome of a soldier.
会让你知道什么是军人的典范。
and capabilities instead.
and I respect him for all that.
I almost didn’t get on.
and how to execute them ideally.
a group of us went to Las Vegas
我们当中的一组人前往阿拉斯维加斯,
troops' physical training standards.
marksmanship and numerous fitness events.
and satisfied the requirements
Proficiency Badge right here.
Sergeant Richardson.
from any of us cadets.
with a 40-pound rucksack
that I’ve developed name signs for them.
我甚至发明了他们名字的手势。
because he's always very sarcastic.
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
whose nickname is "Refrigerator,"
intellectually in class.
He's a top athlete.
because of the scar he has here.
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
to President Obama
“It’s a great pleasure to meet you.”
and said, “It’s nice to meet you,”
who refrained to clarify.
and just quickly moved on
with the rest of the soldiers.
that I'm deaf or not.
gung-ho, full speed ahead,
which finishes up this May.
you need to pass a medical exam.
so I’d fail a hearing test.
to continue to the third level,
of the PT workouts in the morning,
nor the army base trainings.
give back as well.
audit them, and that’s all.
and cadets have empathized
why this has to be the case.
to speak with the higher-ups
that I’m one of the top cadets,
and receiving high marks on my exams.
you’re disqualified.
to find various ways.
there's a deaf cadet at The Citadel,
his fourth year there
predicament that I'm in --
and the officers have told me
to Henry Waxman,
with his advocacy for my cause.
and support to lobby.
African-Americans were told
but now they've been allowed.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Keith Nolan - TeacherKeith Nolan doesn't believe his deafness should be a barrier to serving his country -- and is making the case for increasing the role of citizens with disabilities in the military.
Why you should listen
Keith Nolan was told that he couldn’t enlist in the army because he was deaf -- but he didn’t take no for an answer. After he finally convinced a commander to let him audit ROTC classes, he proved himself a top student and earned his uniform. Although a standard military hearing test prevents him from enlisting, his continued fight has inspired many would-be soldiers with disabilities -- and a vigorous online campaign on his behalf.
Keith Nolan | Speaker | TED.com