This vintage biography by Etta Degering, entitled GALLAUDET, Friend of the Deaf, may quite rightfully be judged by its cover. The obviously outdated design and condition of this book, first published in 1964, is unlikely to interest the modern reader. We are featuring it in our blog post today as an analogy for those who […]
What is it like to “hear” a hand? You have to be deaf to understand! What is it like to be a small child, In a school, in a room void of sound — With a teacher who talks and talks and talks; And then when she does come around to you, She expects you […]
American Sign Language (ASL) would not exist if there were no need. Perhaps those of you outside the Deaf Community have sometimes wondered how people become deaf? Certainly there are a variety of conditions and situations that can lead to such things, but there are a few worth mentioning when answering that question. As you […]
10. You can have a conversation across a room during a meeting or some other boring event and no one will know. 9. You can gossip about people right in front of them and they won’t be the wiser. 8. You can sign underwater with a fellow (signing) scuba diver. 7. How else will you […]
Some of you may be wondering what sorts of interesting technologies are used in daily life by members of the deaf community. There are some very creative technology tools for the deaf that coincide with the use of American Sign Language. For example, video phones! Deaf individuals used this type of technology long before it […]
Earlier we spoke about general myths that many have about the deaf, and one area that people tend to have misunderstandings about is lipreading. As one might imagine, it is a very difficult skill to master. For starters, 60% of the English language is simply not visible on the lips, which places one attempting to […]
It is easy when you are not a part of a particular subculture to innocently come to believe certain myths about that group. In the case of the deaf, there are some glaring misunderstandings that people may not realize they believe until giving it more thought. One significant myth is that ASL is universal. If […]
Happy New Year to all of you, and with that wish, may each of the 365 days in 2012 hold some special meaning for each of you; a phone call from a friend, or family member, or a word of good cheer while you are waiting in a long line of cranky people. May each […]
Today, we want to talk about some common myths about American Sign Language, and the Deaf community. We hope you will ask your friends and family about some of these myths to see what their reactions are. You may be at some of their responses. Myth#1: American Sign Language is universal. This myth is false. […]
American Sign Language (ASL) has many unique attributes that helps signers with the understanding of expressed thoughts and ideas, such as the usage of facial expressions. Now, not everyone will have their “face” (facial expressions) on all of the time. However, the more expressions you exhibit, the greater the chance your message will be understood. […]