Hand Talk: The Native American Sign Language that Predated ASL All humans have unique ways of communicating to navigate the world and interpret daily events. Although the spoken language is the most common way to do so, not all of us can use it. In addition, those who are Deaf or Hard of hearing (D/HoH) […]
Ten Fun Ways to Learn American Sign Language (ASL) Besides opening up new possibilities for interacting with the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing (D/HoH) community, choosing to learn American Sign Language (ASL) has many other benefits. For instance, it increases signers’ awareness of their facial expressions and body language, which can be helpful in social interactions. Also, […]
Sioux Falls School Expands American Sign Language Program Most US high schools have only recently begun accepting American Sign Language (ASL) as an option for foreign language study. This is true even though the language has been used for decades by Deaf and Hard-of-hearing people across the US and Canada. ASL is a visual way […]
How American Sign Language has Changed Over Time Change is clearly a characteristic of every language. For instance, in 2022, the Oxford English Dictionary added 650 new words, senses, and sub-entries. But American Sign Language (ASL) has several qualities that can cause change more quickly than in English. Around the world, digital media are constantly […]
Parents Push for More American Sign Language Education for Deaf Children More than 90 percent of D/deaf children in the United States have parents who can hear. Surprisingly, however, most of these parents never make the effort to learn American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with their kids. 75% never use sign language in the […]
Deaf Family Proud of Nine-Month-Old Deaf Son Who Signed ‘Milk’ Using American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual means of communication. When people use sign language, their brains sort out and interpret linguistic data through their eyes. Hand shape, placement, and hand movement, along with facial expressions and bodily movements, all convey […]
Disney Princess Brings Joy to Deaf Child by Communicating in American Sign Language Communicating with another person in your own language has a special impact when you’re in an unfamiliar environment. This is especially true for members of the Deaf and Hard of hearing (Deaf/HoH) community. Many may feel isolated because it’s often challenging to […]
Megan Thee Stallion’s Sign Language Interpreter Inspires People to Learn ASL Need another reason to learn ASL? Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s 2020 song “WAP” is an undeniable hit that has produced shock waves throughout the entertainment industry with its racy lyrics and visuals. In July 2021, an interpreter named Kelly Kurdi went viral […]
American Sign Language has a rich history in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Before Europeans arrived in North America, indigenous peoples created sign languages to interact with their Deaf and Hard of hearing (Deaf/HoH) members. In contrast, American Sign Language (ASL) traces its ancestry back to the 19th century in France. And like any […]
Learn American Sign Language and Unleash Your Potential If you’re planning to learn American Sign Language (ASL), you’re part of a growing trend. The use of sign language is becoming increasingly common around the world. More and more people are employing the language as a communication tool or studying it as an academic subject. In […]
A great deal of time and energy goes into making the concert-going experience enjoyable and accessible for everyone. Recently, Hyunjin, the lead dancer and rapper for the South Korean boy band Stray Kids, thanked some of the people who make this possible – talented and dedicated ASL interpreters. While Inspiring More People to Learn ASL, Sign language Interpreters Make […]
Learning a new language can be a fascinating and valuable activity for many people to undertake. And in today’s increasingly interrelated world, proficiency in more than one language is a critical skill that provides the chance to engage with others in a deeper and more meaningful way. This is true both for interactions in […]
A famous cartoon on the Cartoon Network recently highlighted the vital importance of Black American Sign Language in our society. It could also inspire many children and adults to learn ASL online. A Children’s Cartoon Series Enlarges the Scope of Its Stories to Become More Inclusive Craig of the Creek is an Emmy, GLAAD, and […]
Here’s a story that will inspire you to learn ASL online — Carlos Lopez of Littleton, Colorado, USA, was about to miss his young son’s birthday for the second year. So, he felt he had to come up with an incredibly unique way to convey his well wishes to the boy on this special […]
Marvel Character Shang-chi Makes a Guest’s Day by Signing American Sign Language at Disneyland Resort Disney Actor Amazes a Visitor by Signing with Her in American Sign Language. During Disneyland’s grand opening on July 17, 1955, founder Walt Disney proclaimed, “To all who come to this happy place, welcome!” Since Mr. Disney made his announcement, it’s […]
At times, the smallest act of kindness can have the most significant impact on the lives of others. This was certainly true in the case of Randy Latini, the officiant at his sister-in-law’s August 2022 wedding in Hamilton, New Jersey. Randy incorporated American Sign Language (ASL) into the marriage ceremony for the benefit of Deaf […]
Deaf UK TV actor Rose Ayling-Ellis, 2022 winner of the televised British dance contest Strictly Come Dancing, seems to have inspired many people to learn sign language. The actor’s Viennese waltz, performed with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, introduced Sign Language choreography to the highly successful BBC show. The dance was charged with emotion and […]
Seeing one’s favorite musical artist perform live on stage or attending a live concert by a popular band is an event each person should be able to enjoy at least once in a lifetime. But this goal is not easy for everyone to achieve. Fortunately, recent technological advances are helping to broaden the scope of […]
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. […]
Season 33, episode 17 of the long-running hit animated sitcom The Simpsons titled “The Sound of Bleeding Gums” is noteworthy for its use of American Sign Language (ASL) (although the characters have only four fingers), and for its casting of Deaf actor John Autry II to voice the Deaf character Monk. Through this role, […]
Juliette Gordon Low: A Deaf Champion Who Wouldn’t Hear “No” Each year Girl Scouts all around the US celebrate October 31st as their movement’s Founder’s Day. The date was chosen to commemorate the birthday of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low. Blazing a trail for countless young girls to follow and living a life of […]
Troy Kotsur Appears on Sesame Street Teaching American Sign Language Academy Award-winning Deaf actor Troy Kotsur recently appeared in an episode of the timeless PBS children’s show ‘Sesame Street” teaching American Sign Language. Mr. Kotsur was on set to teach two of the Muppets and the show’s global audience the regularly featured “Word of the […]
For their appearance on the UK television show Strictly Come Dancing, Deaf TV star Rose Ayling-Ellis and her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice won the Must-See Moment BAFTA, an award category that’s voted for by members of the viewing public. During their ballroom dance to the band Clean Bandit’s song “Symphony,” the music was switched […]
Hearing Toddler Interprets for Deaf Dad Using American Sign Language From first learning how to walk to achieving success in potty training, young children inevitably amaze their parents when they reach milestones in their lives. And each family has its own particular milestones that they look forward to seeing their youngsters hit. For deaf father, […]
OSU Led the Way to Learn American Sign Language With its ASL Bachelor’s Degree If your desire was to learn American Sign Language (ASL) in the 1800’s fewer educational organizations could offer more value than Oklahoma State University. Founded on December 25, 1890 in Stillwater, OK under the name Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Oklahoma […]
Meteorologist Gets Popular After Using American Sign Language in Her Forecasts Oklahoma meteorologist Mikayla Smith is making TV weather forecasting more accessible to a wider audience and in the process is rousing interest in meteorology for the next generation of forecasters. Mikayla initiated “Signing Science with Smith,” a program that makes use of American Sign […]
Understanding and Learning American Sign Language What is American Sign Language? Learning American Sign Language is trending now more than ever before. Commonly referred to as ‘ASL,’ American sign language is a natural language that began via contact with English and has evolved through continued use since its 19th-century origin at the American School for […]
A Young Girl Decided to Learn Sign Language to Give a Tender Message to Her Deaf Delivery Man Approximately 2% of people in the US are deaf or nearly deaf, and many others report having difficulties with hearing even if they are not totally deaf. According to World Federation of the Deaf statistics, the population […]
We would like to wish all of our students a very happy first day of fall. Seasonal Quote of the month: As the colors show signs of change for the season, so can the languages for life. – Start ASL Ready to learn American Sign Language? Check out Start ASL, where you learn ASL […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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). […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 Madisen Fritz | 24 September 2021 Ordering a simple cup of coffee or specialty java drink is, for most Americans, is a normal part of their mundane morning routine, but for D/deaf customers ordering a cup of coffee can be a big hassle if the barista doesn’t know sign language. Miscommunications happen frequently, which […]
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 Faith Ekart | 29 September 21 Sign language has been around for a really long time. People don’t know exactly when it started, but people have been using types of sign language since the beginning of time. Just like how babies use hand signals to communicate before they can talk, that’s what deaf people […]
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 […]
by Abby Doss | 2 March 2021 Throughout the years, Gallaudet University has been known by many different names. Gallaudet is located in Northeast Washington, D.C. Its history begins in 1856 when a man, Amos Kendall, devoted two acres of his own land in order to start a school for the deaf and blind. Kendall’s […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
American Sign Language (ASL) is the natural language of around 500,000 deaf people in the US and Canada. A “natural” language is a language that is learned as a first language in childhood. However, not all deaf people learn ASL as their first language. Many use it as their second language and some only use […]
