#deaf

[morguezsz]

idk man. i just think itd be really cool if sign language classes were mandatory throughout primary school. yeah because it would make communication with deaf kids and autistic/nonverbal kids much easier. and those kids would be accessible to the others so they could make friends and have healthy relationships. yeah. and kids would eat that shit up man. like their own little secret language? they love that.

[bodhrancomedy]

I’m angry with myself for not feeling up to properly fighting back on the Supreme Court ruling on trans rights, but I do keep seeing the words “feel safe” and it’s stabbing me in the brain a bit.

[dannyphannypack]

Writing ASL: Techniques to Write Signed Dialogue

Hey, guys! I've been reading a lot of DC Batfamily fanfiction lately, and in doing so I realized how little I see of ASL being represented in written text (love you, Cass!). I wanted to briefly talk about tactics to writing American Sign Language (ASL), and ways that these techniques can help improve your writing in more general contexts!

SOME THINGS BEFORE WE GET STARTED

I will be discussing everything in terms of ASL! If you have a character who uses Chinese Sign Language or even British Sign Language, the same rules will not necessarily apply! Don't be afraid to do some extra research on them.

Do not let this dissuade you from writing a character who signs ASL! This is by no means the end-all be-all to writing ASL dialogue, and I do not intend this post to insinuate that by writing ASL the same way you write English you are deeply offending the Deaf community. If this is something you're interested in though, I highly recommend experimenting with the way you write it! Above all, have fun with your writing.

Related to 2nd rule, but still very important: not everyone will agree that sign language should be treated/written any differently than English. This is a totally valid and understandable stance to take! I do not hope to invalidate this stance by making this post, but rather to introduce an interested audience to how ASL operates in the modern world, and how that can be translated into text.

ADDRESSING SOME MISCONCEPTIONS

ASL is the same as English, just with gestures instead of words.

Actually, no! There is a language that exists that is like that: it's called Signing Exact English, and it's an artificial language; i.e., it did not come about naturally. All languages came from a need to communicate with others, and ASL is no different! It is a language all on it's own, and there is no perfect 1:1 way to translate it to English, just as any spoken language.

2. But everyone who signs ASL knows how to read English, don't they?

No, actually! Because it's a completely different language, people who sign ASL and read English can be considered bilingual: they now know two languages. In fact, fingerspelling a word to a Deaf person in search for the correct sign does not usually work, and is far from the preferred method of conversing with Deaf people.

3. Because ASL does not use as many signs as we do words to articulate a point, it must be an inferior language.

Nope! ASL utilizes 5 complex parameters in order to conversate with others: hand shape, palm orientation, movement, location, and expression. English relies on words to get these points across: while we may say "He's very cute," ASL will sign, "He cute!" with repeated hand movement and an exaggerated facial expression to do what the "very" accomplishes in the English version: add emphasis. Using only ASL gloss can seem infantilizing because words are unable to portray what the other four parameters are doing in a signed sentence.

4. Being deaf is just a medical disability. There's nothing more to it.

Fun fact: there is a difference between being deaf and being Deaf. You just said the same thing twice? But I didn't! To be deaf with a lowercase 'd' is to be unable to hear, while being Deaf with an uppercase is to be heavily involved in the Deaf community and culture. Deaf people are often born deaf, or they become deaf at a young age. Because of this, they attend schools for the Deaf, where they are immersed in an entirely different culture from our own. While your family may mourn the loss of your grandfather's hearing, Deaf parents often celebrate discovering that their newborn is also deaf; they get to share and enjoy their unique culture with their loved one, which is a wonderful thing!

YOU MENTIONED ASL GLOSS. WHAT IS THAT?

ASL gloss is the written approximation of ASL, using English words as "labels" for each sign. ASL IS NOT A WRITTEN LANGUAGE, so this is not the correct way to write it (there is no correct way!): rather, it is a tool used most commonly in classrooms to help students remember signs, and to help with sentence structure.

IF THERE'S NO CORRECT WAY TO WRITE IN ASL, THEN HOW DO I DO IT?

A most astute observation! The short answer: it's up to you. There is no right or wrong way to do it. The longer answer? Researching the culture and history, understanding sign structure, and experimenting with description of the 5 parameters are all fun ways you can take your ASL dialogue to the next level. Here are 3 easy ways you can utilize immediately to make dialogue more similar to the way your character is signing:

Sign languages are never as wordy as spoken ones. Here's an example: "Sign languages are never wordy. Spoken? Wordy." Experiment with how much you can get rid of without the meaning of the sentence being lost (and without making ASL sound goo-goo-ga-ga-y; that is to say, infantilizing).

Emotion is your friend. ASL is a very emotive language! If we were to take that sentence and get rid of the unnecessary, we could get something like "ASL emotive!" The way we add emphasis is by increasing the hand motion, opening the mouth, and maybe even moving the eyebrows. It can be rather intuitive: if you mean to say very easy, you would sign EASY in a flippant manner; if you mean to say so handsome, you would sign handsome and open your mouth or fan your face as if you were hot. Think about a game of Charades: how do you move your mouth and eyebrows to "act out" the word? How are you moving your body as your teammates get closer? There are grammar rules you can certainly look up if you would like to be more technical, too, but this is a good place to start!

Practice describing gestures and action. ASL utilizes three dimensional space in a lot of fun and interesting ways. Even without knowing what a specific sign is, describing body language can be a big help in deciphering the "mood" of a sentence. Are they signing fluidly (calm) or sharply (angry)? Are their signs big (excited) or small (timid)? Are they signing rushedly (impatient) or slowly? Messily (sad) or pointedly (annoyed)? Consider what you can make come across without directly addressing it in dialogue! Something ese about ASL is that English speakers who are learning it tend to think the speakers a little nosy: they are more than able to pick up on the unsaid, and they aren't afraid to ask about it.

Above all, don't be afraid to ask questions, do research or accept advice! New languages can be big and scary things, but don't let that make you shy away. Again, there is nothing wrong with deciding to write ASL the same as you write your English. I've personally found that experimenting with ASL dialogue in stories has aided me in becoming more aware of how to describe everything, from sappy emotional moments to action-packed fighting scenes. Writing ASL has helped me think about new ways to improve my description in more everyday contexts, and I hope it can be a big help to you as well, both in learning about Deaf culture and in pursuing your future writing endeavors. :)

P.S: I am quite literally only dipping my toes into the language and culture. I cannot emphasize how important it is to do your own research if it's someting you're interested in!

P.P.S: I want to apologize for my earlier P.S! What I meant by “I am … dipping my toes into the language and culture” was in direct regards to the post; what I should have said is “this post is only dipping its toes into the language and culture.” While I am not Deaf myself, I am a sophomore in college minoring in ASL and Deaf Culture, and I am steadily losing my hearing. Of course, that does not make me an authority figure on the topic, which is why I strongly encourage you to do your own research, ask your own questions, and consult any Deaf friends, family, or online peers you may have.

[kalethemonster]

what neurotypical abled people cant seem to get into their heads is aids and medication dont stop people from being neurodivergent and/or disabled. hearing aids dont stop deaf or hard of hearing people from being deaf or hard of hearing, it just makes hearing easier mobility aids such as canes or crutches dont stop people with arthritis, chronic pain, or just general mobility issues from having arthritis, chronic pain, or just general mobility issues, it just makes getting around easier

pain medication doesnt stop people with chronic pain stop being in pain (specifically in the long term), it just makes pain management easier

fidget & stim toys and fidget & stim jewelry dont stop people with anxiety from having anxiety, adhd-ers from having fucked up exectutive function, and autistics not being able to automatically regulate emotions and sensory responses, it just makes dealing with them all easier

various adhd medications doesnt make people not have adhd anymore, it just makes it easier to regulate their executive function.

anxiety medication doesnt get rid of anxiety, it just makes it easier to deal with.

white canes and sight specific service animals dont stop blind people and people with sight impairments from being blind or having sight impairments, it just makes living with them easier.

trauma and emotional support specific service animals dont stop people from having trauma and emotional issues, it just makes dealing with them easier

anti-depressants dont stop people with clinical depression from being depressed, they just make it easier to deal with by stabilizing mood.

immune suppressants dont stop people with any autoimmune condition(s) (such as crohn's, psoriasis or psoratic arthritis, rhumitiod arthritis, myasthenia gravis, fibromyalgia, ect.) being affected in any way affected by their autoimmune condition(s), they just make living with the condition(s) easier.

medication and aids arent magic. they dont make the disabled and/or neurodiverse person not disabled and/or not neurodiverse, they dont entirely cancel out the thing they are used/pescribed for, they just make it easier to exist in a world where whats considered "normal" or "independant" or "a regular human being" doesnt automatically include them.

[thedeafzoologist]

How hearing aids work

This is intended as a writing guide, but anyone is welcome to read it to learn more about the different aids used by deaf people.

Please remember that these are based off my experience as somebody who was born deaf in the uk. Other deaf people will have vastly different experiences, and I would encourage you to look up other guides like this

Hearing aids are not always available, particularly if you live in a country without free healthcare. They can be very expensive, both to buy and to take care of

If your character is a deaf child or young teenager, they will need new hearing aid moulds every so often as their ears grow. This only involves going to the hospital for a few hours, and isn't really a big deal. You can get different colours of mould, sometimes sparkly ones, or with tiny embedded designs

Hearing aids cannot get wet, so we take them off to shower, swim, etc. We also take them off to sleep

Hearing aids do not fix hearing loss, and many deaf people still need to lipread and use sign language while wearing them. Please don't try to compare them to glasses!

Some people choose not to wear hearing aids at all, which is a perfectly reasonable and valid decision. Sometimes it is too overwhelming to be exposed to so much noise, sometimes people just prefer to sign or use other non-verbal communication

Not all people with hearing aids know or use sign language

If your character is wearing hearing aids for the first time, they will probably become a lot clumsier while they get used to it

That's all I can think of for now! To any hearing writers reading this, I'm glad you're making an effort to write diverse characters thoughtfully and respectfully!

[chaoticallytiny]

As a Hard of Hearing person, this amazes me every time. Although this cat has put more effort into learning sign language than some people ever will..

Nonetheless, we love a Deaf ally!!! 💕

[doghowto]

Man unintentionally teaches his Corgi sign language! 😊 Follow me for more smart puppers!

[woodnrust]

Oklahoma School for the Deaf has opened up FREE ASL COURSES for the Fall season this new school year and anybody can join. The courses close on December 31st of this year (2023) so if you've been thinking about learning ASL here is your opportunity to get professional lessons for FREE

If you're interested, here's the link: https://courses.osd.k12.ok.us/collections

This is a GOLDMINE for information because not only do you get free video lessons by professionals that you can do at your own pace, but there's also graded quizzes as well as resources to educate you on the history of Deaf culture as well as sub-communities within, with links to loads of different websites to read up on Deaf-related topics.

[metalheadsagainstfascism]

-fae

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[bodhrancomedy]

I made a Bartok closet cosplay and now that’s your problem for the next 2-3 business days.

I love Bartok.

[killjoyous]

DSMP asl HCs

AU where Tommy is profoundly deaf and always getting yelled at for being loud, but he claps back with “IM DEAF, SUCK IT UPPP!!!!”

also clarification: Tommy in this au uses ASL but in-universe it’s just generally referred to as ‘sign’ even though I know realistically, it’d probably be BSL. I do not know BSL. 😭 so for my sake he’s using AS Tubbo learned sign language for him, but isn’t fluent yaya. Techno learned his from a book (for tactical reasons because communicating silently and effectively is really useful) but he gets a lot of it wrong. Phil has the same issue of using signed exact English/incorrect motions for signs, but they’re catching up. techno is probably a fucking polyglot so it’s not that big of a problem 😭😭 oh and Ranboo goes nonverbal when overstimulated!! And uses rudimentary sign language to communicate.

[frozenflvrries]

Like this if you either or both are blind/low vision, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, neurodivergent, disabled, chronically ill, has a rare disability, apart of ROYGBIV crew, introverted, or you are awesome!!!

[lilnightwing]

[qdrntln4]

i’ve always thought about lando having a deaf baby, as someone who is deaf myself and i too think he would be amazing. like imagine the baby was born deaf, and his reaction to the baby hearing your voices for the first time after having a cochlear or just a hearing aid fitted🥹🥹🥹i’ve thought about this sm

you. are. so. RIGHT

thank you so much anon for this ask and i’m sorry i took so long to get to you!!! and kudos to you for telling us your story 🥹 this one’s for you 🧡🧡🧡

people might’ve said it was controversial, for lando to be holding eden instead of y/n, but they’d never realise it was y/n’s idea.

the doctor’s office was quiet - ironically. eden looked around, her tiny baby arms flailing in the ear as her curious eyes looked around the white room.

lando swore he almost cried when the doctor re-entered the room with that tiny hearing aid in her hands. he looked over to his wife, that signature grin plastered on his face.

“alright…” the doctor spoke, bending down to be eye level with the baby. after a minute or so of eden’s whinging because a random stranger lady was trying to put a piece of metal on her head, the doctor was finally able to connect it. “get ready.”

as soon as the aid was turned on, eden let out a cry. lando turned the little girl around to face him before saying his first words to his daughter.

“eden, daddy’s here.”

as soon as lando spoke, eden stopped. the whole room stopped. y/n held her breath, tears brimming her eyes. suddenly, eden let out a soft giggle, and the world seemed to stop. lando let out a laugh, tears finally spilling down his cheeks.

his daughter - his first child - could hear.