The ad was shown during a commercial break at the Superbowl, and what I love about it is that it not only is it an excellent example of a company utilising the skills of it’s workforce, but I love the way that it’s about the deaf world and deaf culture, but that the hearing world’s included too, reversing the roles. It’s not making any big political statements, it’s not an infommercial on equality, just two deaf guys trying to figure out where Bob lives.Deaf culture has a long history, and has traditions, conventions, and jokes all of it’s own. I’ve worked with a fair few deaf signers in voluntary groups, and invariably I’ve found if I’ve been in a meeting with deaf signers, or on a training course, it’s the signers who are the funniest people in the room, and they don’t mind having a laugh at themselves.Another video I love is the video for Faithless’s “God is a DJ”, which features Maxi Jazz signing, and in the middle of the video, a group of signers talking heatedly, for no other reason that I can figure out than because he can.

Is it a message that the music goes beyond a dance theme, and that the lyrics go beyond just some catchy little tune? I don’t know. Faithless and Maxi Jazz are masters at writing lyrics though about things that really matter to them, and don’t shy away from difficult subject – their lyrics cover themes like racism, poverty, war, to name but a few. I’d love to know the thinking behind Maxi signing his way through “God is a DJ” though.

A couple of years ago though I was running a training course for deaf people on the internet; mainly looking at how the internet can be used for networking and exchanging information about equality and disability, and how to research information on the internet, but at the request of the participants, covering a bit about anti-virus software, how to spot dodgy sites and scams online, and such like too. Many of the deaf people attending courses run by the group I was working, we’d found were nervous about using the internet, and afraid of “doing something wrong”, and it was because of this my course was slotted into the end of the training schedule, to try and give them a little more confidence in exploring the web and discovering some of the wonders the web has to offer.

At the end of my presentation I showed that Faithless vid, partly as an example of one of the many things, and many types of media you can find online (and yeah, okay then – it was an excellent excuse to play a bit of Faithless ).

As it started some of the participants looked puzzled. One, who had a little hearing and was near the speakers said she could feel the vibrations from the speakers and pick up the beat of the music. “Music” they all started signing, and again they looked puzzled, no doubt thinking, why’s the crazy lady playing us music? We’re deaf! But as Maxi walked into the shot and began signing, one by one their faces lit up, and all eyes were trained on the screen, and on Maxi’s signs.

“I’ve never felt included in music before,” said one guy as we were packing up. “That was nice. I think I’m going to like finding out what’s on the internet!”

And by the way, if you didn’t “get” the joke in the PepsiCo ad, look again – the punchline’s right at the end.