AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
A BRIEF HISTORY 1700's - Martha's Vineyard had a high Deaf population. They created a new sign language to lessen communication barriers. 1817 - Laurent Clerc & Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet established the 1st school for the Deaf. 1864 - President Lincoln enacted the 1st federally chartered school for the Deaf.
...GONE WRONG 1880 - Alexander Graham Bell spoke to eliminate ASL in favor of lip-reading. He believed that Deaf people would only ever belong to society by learning how to speak. This resulted in a ban on sign language being taught in schools that lasted for 100 YEARS.
ASL TODAY 48M people have hearing loss 1M use ASL to communicate Resources are hard to get The philosophy of oralism (that speech is inherently better than sign language) still has a harmful ripple effect 75% of families *don't* learn ASL for their Deaf children ...we need earlier education, better resources, and inclusion.
WHY I SIGN I began learning ASL in 2014 with my firstborn son as a way to meet other parents. Austin, TX, has a large Deaf population (~50k), and TSD is a top school in the U.S. As the universe would have it, my second son, Dorian, was born in 2016 with profound sensorineural hearing loss.
DORIAN In our experience with progressive hearing loss, access to visual language & communication via ASL is essential. It's something that can never be lost or taken away.
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS Seek lessons from Deaf mentors and role models, not a hearing person Utilize social media! Befriend a Deaf individual Strike up convos in public
LET'S SIGN! Hi / My name is... Thank you / You're welcome Help / Please / Sorry Dog / Cat / Fish Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Where / Who / What Go / Work / Home
RESOURCES Learn the alphabet Practice your skills Signing Time - for Toddlers The ASL Shop - daily signs Mary Harmon - accessibility
THE ASL SHOP
CAPITAL D FOR DEAF CIs are not guaranteed to work Hearing
understanding! Captions & visuals Deaf people are left to advocate for themselves in a hearing society
Never put the burden on them to try and hear or lip-read; find a better way. :-)