Deaf Awareness Week – City of Riverside and Deaf Community of Riverside
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Entries by Katelyn Cheng
American Sign Language Increases Deaf Awareness and Touches Hearts
More and more people are learning American Sign Language to be able to communicate with their loved ones or friendly strangers to make someone’s day. There are many great stories to tell. Check out how these stories have an impact on the Deaf community and make a difference in people’s lives. Meteorologist Goes Viral After […]
How to Understand and Learn American Sign Language
Have you added learn American Sign Language to your to-do list? It can be fun, but it can also be scary to learn a new language. You may wonder how and where to get started. When you make the decision to learn ASL, your first thought is probably to jump online and find out where […]
DeafNation World Expo in Las Vegas August 2022
Joel Barish hosted the 4th DeafNation World Expo & Conference at the Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 1-4, 2022. About 15,000 Deaf people from around the world, including Deaf celebrities such as Daniel Durant, Troy Kotsur, Renca Dunn, and Wawa attended the event. There were fourteen sponsors and three partners. […]
American Sign Language Name Sign for VP Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris receives an American Sign Language sign name after she got elected as president Joe Biden’s vice president. American Sign Language and Deaf Culture – The Significance of Name Sign Deaf culture consists of many valued traditional aspects that are significant to the Deaf community, and one of them is the “name sign.” A […]
Help Your Baby Learn Sign Language
Learn Sign Language For Babies Learn sign language basics such as eat, sleep, more, play, milk, etc. These basic signs are called baby signs. Many people get confused between Baby Signs and American Sign Language; they are not considered the same thing. According to the Baby Sign article, “As a result, this encourages a number […]
Can AI learn American Sign Language? Just Ask a Student Developer in India
Learn American Sign Language From AI How cool would it be if artificial intelligence (AI) could learn American Sign Language? Is it even possible? Well, a student in India named Priyanjali Gupta developed an AI model that turned sign language into English. Gupta was a third-year engineer from India’s Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT). […]
Learn American Sign Language like Fans of Makkari (Eternals Star)?
Learn American Sign Language From Big Hit Movies More and more people are wanting to learn American sign language. Now, people can learn ASL from big hit movies such as Eternals, Quiet Place Part 1 & 2, Godzilla vs. Kong, CODA, and many more. Have you noticed that American Sign Language and Deaf roles are becoming […]
How to Immerse Yourself in the Deaf Community?
It is exciting to learn American Sign Language and now you are ready to use it in the real-world, but you do not know where to go or how to meet people. Do not worry, this article will help guide you towards the right direction of stepping foot in the Deaf community. Firstly, you can […]
Where do you start when you want to learn American Sign Language (ASL)?
When you make the decision to learn ASL, your first though is probably to jump online and find out where you can learn. Some people use social media, and others look for a course to get them through more than just how to say hello. American Sign Language (ASL) is one of a kind. It […]
Deaf People at the Movies
It is exciting to go to the movies and watch newly released movies; however watching movies in theaters may or may not be a fun experience for D/deaf people. D/deaf people wants to enjoy the movies just like everyone else. The only issue is that D/deaf people cannot hear so D/deaf people are unable […]
Deaflympics 2022
Deaflympics 2022 Deaflympics occurred between May 1 – May 15, 2022. It occurred in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. There were 73 nations who joined Deaflympics and list of medals each countries got. There were a total of 2,408 athletes: 1,644 were men and 764 were women. USA won 20 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and […]
Deaf Communities Across the World
My fiancé Vlad and I are Deaf. We recently took a trip to Italy and Israel. We visited Milan, Dolomites Mountain, and Venice while in Italy. In Israel, we explored Be’er Sheva, Dead Sea, and other cities in Israel. I will share my experiences when traveling as a Deaf traveler with my Deaf fiancé. At […]
Using ASL Online vs In-Person
Technology is becoming more and more popular nowadays. People uses their phones for social media, news, text, check emails, etc. D/deaf people use technology way more than hearing people. There are many different reasons why technology is popularly used in the Deaf community. Deaf people spend a lot of time on social media because the […]
Deaf Travel Part 2
Deaf people can do anything except hear. Anything includes traveling. Did you know that there are a lot of Deaf travelers. Most people wonder, “How do Deaf people travel if they cannot hear their surroundings, or communicate with other people/foreigners?” That is a great question and honestly, Deaf people are visually alert. It is true […]
How to Raise a Deafblind Child?
For many parents, it is hard enough to hear from the doctor’s that their child is deaf or to find out your child becomes deaf later in his or her life. Imagine if the doctor tells you the news that your child is Deafblind or your child looses his or her hearing later in life. […]
Cued Speech
Cued speech is not American Sign Language. Cued speech and ASL are two totally different forms of communication. People who communicate in ASL usually turn off the voice. Also, ASL has its own grammar, sentence structure, idioms, phrases and jokes. ASL is more widely used in the Deaf Community. There are often ASL/Deaf events where […]
Deaf Students in Mainstream Education
D/deaf students need accommodations that will help them be successful in their education. Normal hearing students can easily listen and multitask by taking notes during lectures; however, this is not the case for D/deaf people. There are a several accommodations such as ASL interpreter, CART, notetaker, copy of video/transcript, and many more, which I will […]
Different Types of Interpreters: Education Interpreters
There are different types of interpreters. In the article, “Certified Deaf Interpreter Interprets at Coachella Festival” I talked about ASL interpreters for concerts and festivals; however, in this particular article, I emphasized on CDI. CDI stands for Certified Deaf Interpreter. You are probably wondering how can a Deaf person interpret if he or she cannot […]
Certified Deaf Interpreter Interprets at Coachella Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is one of the biggest events where people go to enjoy music and good vibes. It is from Friday, April 15 and ends on Sunday, April 24. There are hearing interpreters, but there are also Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDI). A CDI named Branton Stewart attends Coachella to perform and […]
Do You Speak American Sign Language?
Have you ever been fascinated when people say, “Do you speak sign language?” Sign language isn’t a spoken language, so it does not really make sense to say “speak” as oppose to “know”. American Sign Language is a developed language that is made of hand movements, body language, gestures, and facial expressions. Many foreign languages […]
Associations by, for and of the Deaf
Deaf Associations are businesses and Deaf organizations that provide services for Deaf people so they can be independent and successful, and there are so many. Have you heard that term before “by, for, of”? These are organizations that are established by the Deaf, For the Deaf, such as resources, and consist of mostly Deaf people. […]
April 15th is ASL Day!
There are a lot of holidays we celebrate in the United States. Some of them are national holidays while others are religious holidays. Other countries have their holidays which also are celebrated in the US if the family is from that country. There are also important dates such as awareness days, weeks, or months; for […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Learning American Sign Language
It can be fun, but it can also be scary to learn a new language. You have always wanted to learn American Sign Language (ASL) but have always wondered how and where to get started. The article below will have tons of tips and tricks on what you need to know to get you started […]
Deaf People’s Experiences at the Doctors
D/deaf people have struggled to get ASL interpreters to attend doctor’s appointments and this has caused a lot of frustration for D/deaf people. Every time a D/deaf person request an interpreter, either the interpreter does not show up at the appointments on time or at all. It is improving now, but sometimes D/deaf people still […]
Deaf People’s Experiences at the Airport
With COVID under control, airports are re-opening and especially with spring break and summer is right around the corner, people are booking their vacations and getaways. With that being said, there are pros and cons Deaf people experience at the airport. The pros include the ability to cut to the front of the line or […]
Masks Cause Misinterpretations for Deaf People
Masks protect people from COVID; however, masks became a nightmare for D/deaf people because they had to deal with communicating when people’s faces were half covered. Deaf people rely on reading facial expressions including eye contact and lip reading to be able to understand, but the masks cover and hide the facial expressions. I’ve heard […]
More Facts about Deaf Culture
I have mentioned several key aspects of the Deaf culture in the articles, “Did You Know the Facts About American Sign Language, Deaf Culture, and Deaf Community?” and “Deaf Culture vs. Hearing Culture“. In the first article, “Did You Know the Facts About American Sign Language, Deaf Culture, and Deaf Community?“, the key points I […]
Irish Sign Language and St. Patrick’s Day in American Sign Language
St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish holiday that occurs on March 17th. During this holiday, people tend to wear green so leprechauns will not see and pinch them. The real reason why people get pinched when they do not wear green is because it is sign of dishonor and disrespect to St. Patrick. The history […]
Similarities and Differences Between CODA vs Deaf Child with Hearing Parents
Life for the hearing child with Deaf adults and deaf child with hearing parents are similar, but there are a lot of cultural differences. CODA stands for Child of Deaf Adults, which means the child is hearing with Deaf parents. There are no terms to describe a deaf child with hearing parents. Below I will […]
CODA Wins An Award for Best Cast
This movie CODA made history with its win for the 2022 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards’ top prize of Best Cast and the actor, Troy Kotsur wins an award for Actor® for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. This is Marlee Matlin’s 2nd award since she won the Best Actress Motion […]
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Athletes
Deaf people can do anything except hear. There are famous Deaf entertainment such as acting, signing music, comedians, inspirational speakers, but there are also many famous Deaf or Hard of Hearing athletes of various sports including bodybuilding, football, wrestling, motocross racing, etc. Below are a few examples of many Deaf athletes who they did […]
Famous Deafblind: Julia Brace, Laura Bridgman, and Helen Keller
Julia Brace was the first Deafblind person before Laura Bridgman and Helen Keller. Julia Brace was born, in that part of Hartford County, Connecticut, that is now Newington on June 13, 1807. Julia had a normal childhood. She was sent to school where she learned to read and spell two word syllables, or when she […]
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University was co-founded by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc. How did it begin? Gallaudet was visiting his family in Connecticut where he met Alice Cogswell who became deaf from a type of meningitis known as “spotted fever”. Gallaudet saw noticed that Alice was very bright and he wanted to educate her in reading […]
The Origins of American Sign Language in the United States
There are many Deaf actors and movies that have American Sign Language. Not only are Deaf people have a successful career in acting. Deaf people are successful in other ways not just in the media industry. There are several Deaf people and hearing people who have supported the Deaf community that have made Deaf history. […]
Did You Know the Facts About American Sign Language, Deaf Culture, and Deaf Community?
American Sign Language is its own language that is used by the Deaf community. American Sign Language has its own history of where it derived from and the Deaf community has it own culture. Here are some facts that make American Sign Language (ASL) unique as its own language: ASL is not universal as it […]
American Sign Language vs Israeli Sign Language
Did you know American Sign Language is not universal? In the article, “Is American Sign Language Universal”, it talked about whether or not American Sign Language is universal, in other words, ASL is used in all countries all over the world. The answer is no. American Sign Language is only unique to the US whereas […]
How to Become a Certified American Sign Language Interpreter
Many people are inspired by American Sign Language (ASL) from signing in movies, in public, or by a d/Deaf/Hoh friend or d/Deaf/Hoh family member. This inspiration pushes them to want to learn ASL and for some people to choose ASL interpreter as their career choice. Becoming an American Sign Language Interpreter is a popular career […]
Marvel Studios Eternals Movie
American Sign Language and Deaf roles are becoming more and more a popular in the media industry. Whether it is a major role or supporting role, Deaf actors are getting more opportunities to raise to fame and start their acting career. Other movies that have American Sign Language and Deaf actors are Quiet Place Part […]
How to Converse with Deaf People During the Holidays
Holidays are times of the year where families and friends gather to celebrate a warm and cheerful time together. Family members who live in other states will fly to meet, or friends will come together to celebrate the Holiday. Some parties are small and intimate, which usually consist of family, relatives, and partners whereas other […]
Language Deprivation in Deaf Children
A person shared that she heard so many stories of parents being told that their baby or child has failed their hearing tests and how sorry the doctor is to inform them. Imagine being told a newborn baby has hearing loss, or that they aren’t “perfect”. It is devastating for some parents to receive news […]
How Do Deaf Athletes Play Sports and Keep Their Cochlear Implants On?
There are a lot of D/HH athletes out there, whether it is recreational or professional. The most common thing people wonder about is how do D/HH athletes participate in their sport if they cannot hear. Sports usually require communicating with each other, with the coaches, with the umpires/referees, and with other players on the field. […]
How to be an Ally for the Deaf Community
What does it mean to be an Ally? An Ally, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as to join (yourself) with another person or group to get or give support. So, what does it mean to be a Deaf Ally? A Deaf ally is a person usually who is hearing, joins the Deaf community […]
How Do Cochlear Implant Users Deal with Noisy Environment and Keep Them On When Riding Roller Coasters
Cochlear implants are a hearing device that allows a deaf person to hear. The sound is transmitted through using a processor, an external coil (magnet), and an internal receiver (magnet) that is connected to electrods in the cochlear that sends sound signals to the brain. Although cochlear implants are “connected” through using magnets- read more […]
Deaf Friends or Deaf Dating | Social ASL
In general, have you noticed it is hard to find the love of your life, or you just moved to a new area and are craving to make new friends? Especially if you just started learning American Sign Language and there are not a lot of Deaf people to find as a practice partner in […]
Top 10 & 25 American Sign Language Signs for Beginners – The Most Know Top 10 & 25 ASL Signs to Learn First
Have you been wanting or thinking about learning a new language? You’ve come to right place! American Sign Language (ASL) is a beautiful visual language to learn and it is a form of communication that bridges the gap between the Deaf and hearing communities. There are many questions such as if ASL is hard […]
Deaf Travel
There are a lot of Deaf people who love to travel. People may wonder how Deaf people communicate with other people in different states/countries, are able to get around, and go through checking in/TSA without any problems. Well, D/deaf people find ways they can be successful in traveling – it is all about experience and […]
Hit of COVID – Communication Barriers For the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and How to Handle It
Ever since the pandemic hit in February 2019, people began masking up to protect themselves from catching and spreading the deadly virus. The mask and a few additional protections such as double masks, plastic face coverings, or plastic walls between the speaker and receiver have created huge communication barriers between the hearing and the Deaf […]
Deaf Schools Versus Mainstream Schools
There are two different major types of schooling for Deaf people. Deaf schools also known as Deaf institutes are specially for Deaf students only. This means the communication and teaching are in American Sign Language (ASL) and all the students are Deaf. Mainstream schools means that deaf kids are put in classrooms with other hearing […]
CODA starring Emilia Jones, Daniel Durant, Marlee Matlin, and Troy Kotsur
The movie CODA will release on August 13, 2021 on Apple TV+; in addition this will be the first film that the closed captions will be burned in the film. Watch the trailer here. “Gifted with a voice that her parents can’t hear, seventeen-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones), is the sole hearing member of a deaf […]
Deaf People Can Do Anything Except Hear
Deaf people are able to function just like normal hearing people. Hearing people graduate from universities with a Bachelor’s degree and some further their education to getting a Masters or pHD. Well, Deaf people can do the same. In fact, there are a lot of well-known Deaf people who obtain successful careers such as doctors, […]
Cochlear Implant Part 2: Cochlear Implant Users in the Real-World
** Note: Cochlear implants can be viewed as both positive and negative perspectives depending on the people. Hearing people view cochlear implants as to help deaf people hear and to be able to interact in the hearing world whereas Deaf people feel their identity as being Deaf is taken away and they need to be […]
Cochlear Implant Part 1: What are Cochlear Implants and How Do They Work?
Have you ever wondered how cochlear implants function and how they help people hear? There are two parts to wearing a cochlear implant. The first part is the internal implant known as the receiver and the second part is the external implant known as the sound processor and transmitter. The internal implant is inserted right […]
Deaf-Owned Businesses
Deaf-owned businesses and American Sign Language (ASL) are spreading and becoming widely popular. There are many Deaf-owned business all over the country. Here are some Deaf business that you maybe probably heard of, but if not, you should definitely check them out! Apparel By Mara – An iconic ILU designs on soft t-shirts, magnets, […]
American Sign Language Syntax
The definition of homonyms in spoken English mean two or more words having the same spelling or pronunciation meanings or origins, but they all have completely different meanings. Instead of “homonyms” in American Sign Language (ASL) there is a concept where a single sign has multiple meanings. In order to understand the actual meaning of […]
Famous Deaf People | A Quiet Place Part II Movie Review
When the pandemic broke out in February 2020, everything was put on hold including the suspenseful thriller A Quiet Place Part II that was supposed to release on March 8, 2020. Once it was safe for businesses to reopen, there was a big rave when this movie finally was released on May 31st, 2021. The […]
Deaf Community Entertainment, What’s it like?
One of the most popular entertaining activities in the Deaf community is storytelling and expressive poetry. Since American Sign Language (ASL) is very visual, storytelling contains a lot of exaggerated expressions, gestures, and body movement which are the most commonly used to tell a story or a poem. There are many benefits when it comes […]
Is American Sign Language Universal?
Many people ask, “Is American Sign Language (ASL) universal?” Well, the answer is no, it is not universal. American Sign Language is unique and is commonly used within the United States and Canada. Canada actually has two official sign languages known as American Sign Language and Quebec Sign Language (LSQ). However, people from outside […]
Accessibility for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing: How Do They Function in the Real World?
There are a lot of accessibility that Deaf or hard-of-hearing people take advantage of to help them function and be successful in the real world. In addition, there are a few routines or interactions that are different from hearing people. For instance, have you ever wondered how Deaf people know when the doorbell has […]
Deaf Culture vs. Hearing Culture
There are major differences between the Deaf culture and hearing culture that people may not realize and it is crucial to keep in mind when interacting with Deaf people. One of the biggest differences is Deaf people are very direct with each other and “beating around the bush” does not exist in the Deaf community. […]
Deaf Culture | Sign Language “Accents” or “Styles”
People have different accents depending on where they’re from. Even within the same country, people’s accents differ based on the region. For example, in the US, people from New York will have a New York accent versus people from the South will have a Southern accent. Similarly to accents in spoken languages, there are accents, […]
Deaf Culture | Name Signs
Deaf culture consists of many valued traditional aspects that are significant to the Deaf community, and one of them is name sign. Name sign is a sign that is exclusively given to the person and it is usually created based on the person’s characteristics, personality, hobbies, etc, which uniquely and distinctively identify a person. When […]
Deaf Culture | What does “D”, “d”, and “d/Deaf” mean in the Deaf community?
One needs to understand why it is important when it comes to identification of deaf people. In Deaf culture, “D”, “d”, and “d/Deaf” are extremely significant. “Deaf” with a capital ‘D’, “deaf” with a small ‘d’, and “d/Deaf” with both capital and small ‘d’ all have their unique meanings and how they are applied to […]
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