American Sign Language is a very expressive language. Songs in sign language are therefore equally expressive and many times are more expressive than their purely vocal versions. If you’re interested in learning how to sign songs, visit our Interpreting Songs for the Deaf page. There are so many people that have interpreted songs into ASL […]
International Day of Sign Languages 2022 Sign languages are visual forms of communication that convey information through the use of hand and facial gestures or symbols. The gestures or symbols used in sign language are organized in a linguistic way that includes grammar and word order (syntax). Each individual gesture is called a sign. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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). […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
(Photo credit NAD Facebook post from 2/13/2022, https://www.facebook.com/NAD1880/photos/a.10152795501263810/10159783398858810/) This was the big moment. The big moment when three famous deaf performers got the spotlight at the 2022 Super Bowl. Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals were the final teams to play at the Super Bowl and a glorious victory when the LA Rams won. […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
by Ksenia Muhutdinova | 6 October 2021 Deaf culture is the culture made up of Deaf people that’s based on sign language and values, as well traditions and behavior norms that are specific to the Deaf community. It is the heart of the Deaf community. The Deaf community is made up of culturally Deaf people […]
by Madelynn Willingham | 7 October 2021 For our last research paper of this class, I decided to investigate how the D/deaf experience music. When people experience music, they typically use the sound of the beat and the flow of the lyrics to determine whether they like a song or not. However, for people who […]
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 […]
Video Relay Services (VRS) are a type of video relay services that many Deaf, hard of hearing, Deafblind people and people with speech disabilities use to communicate to hearing callers with the help of an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter (Wikipedia: VRS, 2021). In a VRS call, Deaf/hard of hearing callers can see the […]
There are a lot of interracial dating of various ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and languages. This concept is very similar to dating within the Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing communities. Many people may wonder how that works. Well, if a Deaf person dates a Deaf person, there is no problem with dealing with cultural differences […]
It is known that Deaf/hard of hearing people have one less sense and encounter many hardships and challenges, but there are a lot of positive elements. It is true that hard of hearing people often struggle when conversing in loud environments, talking with people that have heavy accents, or especially interacting with masks on – […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Learning the nuances of Deaf Culture can be difficult for new American Sign Language students. Below you can find some tips and insights about interacting in the Deaf community submitted by signers, interpreters, Deaf people, and more! Making the World More Welcoming to the Deaf Community by Danielle Pelletier | 26 January 2021 Since beginning […]
Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 film that, we believe, brought Deaf Culture and the values of deaf people into the public spotlight. If you have never seen it, you will be blown away. The movie stars William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, and Philip Bosco. The film was directed by Randa Haines, and […]
Switched at Birth is a television show featured on ABC Family that has truly brought American Sign Language and Deaf Culture into the living rooms of today’s generation. It is the first television show to feature several deaf actors/characters and entire scenes shot using only ASL. Switched at Birth is about two teen girls and […]
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. […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
By Chloe Colvard | 6 January 2021 In recent years there have been big changes in the sports world to try to include all athletes into sports programs. Inclusivity is more important than ever today, and it’s up to the leaders of these programs to get on top of the situation. As a hearing Athlete […]
by Anonymous | 2 January 2021 The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) is an organization, almost 50 years old, that preserves Canadian Deaf culture and art (in text citation: “Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf.”). This organization targets the preservation of Deaf culture and community while also promoting the use of American Sign […]
Deaf culture art is a cultural art that reaches both positive and negative ends of the spectrum unlike any other. You can learn so much about the Deaf simply by seeing the artwork that Deaf Culture produces. Deaf people have experienced many negative life changing events throughout history. They’ve been strongly oppressed and labeled as […]
Truly Inspirational There have been several famous deaf actors in the media that have made significant contributions to the deaf community and hearing society. If not for them and their influence in mainstream entertainment, deaf awareness may not be where it is today. These famous deaf people changed the Deaf world by showing hearing society […]
The Deaf Olympics, known as the Deaflympics, are international athletic competitions for the deaf. The Deaflympics started in Paris in 1924 and have had three official names: “International Games for the Deaf” from 1924 to 1965 (sometimes also the “International Silent Games”) “World Games for the Deaf” from 1966 to 1999 (sometimes also the “World […]
Signing songs for the deaf is a great way for students to learn a LOT of vocabulary and retain that vocabulary for a long time. If you need to interpret a song, I suggest finding a native Deaf signer or ASL interpreter to help out. If that’s not possible, the approach you take to interpret […]
Stockard Channing is a film, stage, and television actress who narrated the film Through Deaf Eyes. She is best known for her role as First Lady Abbey Bartlet on The West Wing, Betty Rizzo in the film Grease, and in Six Degrees of Separation. She was born on February 13, 1944 and is the daughter […]
Through Deaf Eyes is the most informational movie about Deaf people. Most hearing people are completely clueless when it comes to Deaf people, the Deaf community, and Deaf culture. This film on PBS probably opened thousands of hearing people’s eyes to the intriguing lives of Deaf people. Through Deaf Eyes not only emphasizes how funny, talented, […]
Sue Thomas was a deaf undercover specialist for the FBI. She was the inspiration for the TV series Sue Thomas: FBEye, an international speaker, author, and founder of Kennels of Levi: EPEC Service Dogs for people who are physically challenged. She was also the founder of WaterBrooks – a Christian spiritual renewal center – and […]
Linda Bove was born on November 30, 1945 in Garfield, New Jersey to deaf parents. She majored in library science at Gallaudet University and received her bachelor’s degree in 1968. She then got into the acting profession and performed for the National Theatre of the Deaf (NTD) recently after it was formed in 1967. In […]
Marlee Matlin was born in Morton Grove, Illinois on August 24th, 1965. After she came down with the German Measles at the age of eighteen months, she lost her hearing and became deaf. When she was young, she communicated with her family and friends using sign language. When she was seven years old, Marlee started […]
When you are learning American Sign Language, it is important to get involved with the Deaf community. Many believe that learning ASL within the Deaf community is the only true way to become fluent in the language. But first, it is important to understand that the Deaf community is just one part of the Deaf […]
No Hearing People Here! Deaf people have been more in the spotlight than you know. There are so many famous deaf people and famous hard of hearing people who have been the founders of many organizations, been pioneers in deaf education, written books, painted famous artworks, held world records in sports, acted on several well-known […]
Here are some of the best deaf jokes we’ve heard over the years: The Motel A deaf couple check into a motel and go to bed early. The wife wakes her husband in the middle of the night complaining of a headache. She asks him to go to the car to get some aspirin from […]
The Deaf highly value the literature and art of their culture. Deaf Culture art and literature is how the Deaf share their values with future generations – their values of sign language and deafness, Deaf education, Deaf experiences, Deaf pride, and more. There is a wealth of Deaf art, poetry, stories, theater, media, and even […]
One of the most beautiful aspects of Deaf Culture is the value Deaf people put on their own deafness (their hearing loss). This is known throughout the Deaf community as Deaf Pride. While hearing society deems deafness a “disability,” many Deaf people feel that they are not disabled at all and are instead part of […]
American Sign Language is the most highly regarded asset of Deaf Culture. ASL is the natural language of the Deaf, so a strong goal of Deaf advocacy is to preserve ASL. There are many language systems that have been invented to try to help deaf children learn English—Sign Supported Speech, Signed English, and Cued Speech, […]
Learning about Deaf Culture is perhaps the most important part of learning ASL. Deaf Culture was first truly recognized in 1965. The idea that Deaf people had a culture of their own was first written in the Dictionary of American Sign Language by William Stokoe, Carl Croneberg, and Dorothy Casterline. This was a huge step […]
by Olivia Honeycutt | 25 September 2019 The entire world is a built for Hearing people. Despite having no real connection to one another, no defining features other than those that come with being human, they are considered to be what is “normal.” Where Hearing society is defined simply by being able to hear without […]
by Rocio Caceres (7/23/2020) Sordo or The Silent War (English title) is a Spanish movie released in 2019 and directed by Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas. Sordo’s genre falls between a few categories like drama, western, thriller, and deaf/hard hearing. Sordo translates to deaf from Spanish but titled to English as The Silent War. Sordo’s story is based on the comic by David Muñoz and […]
by Anonymous | 03 June 2020 For many humans all over the world, our names are one of the first things we receive that differentiates us from everyone else. Names can signify many things about a certain individual, such as their culture or the culture of their parents (Evans). For instance, the name “Antoinette” could signify […]
by Lisa Baker (05/27/2020) Literature and the Arts is an incredibly important outlet within the deaf community. It is one of the four crucial values of Deaf Culture, as it provides a sense of pride in one’s culture, especially for those deaf or hard-of-hearing who may have strong feelings about their hearing loss (Jay, 44). […]
By Janet Alberts | 16 November 2020 Every Deaf and hard of hearing individual has the right to communication access. These rights, as well as other laws are protected by the Americans with Disabilities ACT (ADA). These laws require all state and local governments, medical facilities, law enforcement, legal personals, educational personals, the employment system, […]
by Emma Pellegrini | 16 November 2020 It is often noted, and quite strongly from a multitude of personal experiences, that words have power. A power that is stronger than most expressions that exist in our world. Words allow for one’s self to be free of the pressure of others and the surrounding world. They […]
