I do not recall seeing a button with a letter “p” on it after a Washington Capitals playoff game against the Winnipeg Jets on April 6, 2018. I thought it sounded like a normal error-checking line, so I inadvertently pressed it myself — but hit the wrong button, which sounded like an alarm beeping. As it turned out, I had hit “shoes,” not “b”: my first choice on a hearing-impaired icon; something I’d never heard about, a “dumb button.”
On social media, a person suggested I might have been distracted by cheerleaders, a coach, or some kind of pep team, which would’ve necessitated a button that didn’t sound like a commotion. I guess the problem was the unhelpful pause.
But I am glad to learn that I was not the only one who got muddled up during this game.
On Monday, the Washington Post published a story about a brave media member (a former professional wrestler, who has long dealt with hearing loss) who decided to expose a sensitivity test he took years ago. He said he had passed it, but it wouldn’t stop going off whenever he intended to hit a button or touch a door. His solution: “simplify the press-line sequence by taking a few extra steps before reaching for a button.”
The article, which focused on deaf society and the issue of speech cues, drove me crazy because I want to protect other reporters. I bet many of them would use just that kind of strategic tip: do not take a few more steps, hold the left-hand side of your desk, or take a closer look.
If you are still thinking that maybe your instructor instructed you to “simplify the press-line sequence,” it is probably best to check out this Facebook post, which delves into the far more humorous stories from this past week.
