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The International Week of Deaf People has been celebrated during the last full week of September. This week, we come together to recognise that deaf people have our own communities, our own cultures, our own languages, sign languages, which unite us all.

This year's theme for the International Week of Deaf People is " Celebrating Thriving Deaf Communities ". Deaf communities have been expanding and thriving throughout the years and giving us all strength, now is the time to celebrate their incredible endurance at the local, national and international level.

This is an important week for the recognition of deaf people, it is vital for deaf communities and deaf organisations. This falls under the key principle, " Nothing about us, without us! ".

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The International Week of Deaf People has been celebrated during the last full week of September. This week, we come together to recognise that deaf people have our own communities, our own cultures, our own languages, sign languages, which unite us all.

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One of 2021's most anticipated releases is Coda, a drama about a majority-deaf family. Is it part of a watershed moment after years of patronising depictions, asks Jack King.

With the advent and now-ubiquity of streaming, massive disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the much-discussed demise of the leading man, Hollywood is in greater flux than ever. While not all change may be wholly positive, one development that is unarguably a good thing is the proliferation of more stories centring hitherto marginalised groups and demographics within the mainstream - from the emergence of a strain of newly en vogue queer cinema in the early 2010s, including films like A Single Man, Carol and Call Me by Your Name, to the way in which the likes of Black Panther and Moonlight have marked a new epoch for black creatives both behind, and in front of, the camera.

- Has animation woken up to racism?

- Ten films to watch this August

- How film has mistreated child stars

Now, another great shift in representation seems to be taking place - towards a more nuanced, powerful cinematic depiction of deafness. Whereas previously deaf characters were, so often, relegated to reductive bit-parts and comedic relief, in films including Todd Haynes' Wonderstruck (2017), John Krasinski's A Quiet Place (2018) and its sequel, and Darius Marder's Sound of Metal (2019), they have become full-on protagonists. Couple that with a new wave of deaf actors on the verge of stardom, like Millicent Simmonds, star of both A Quiet Place movies; Lauren Ridloff, who will be seen as one of the lead superheroes in Marvel's Eternals; and Shoshannah Stern, who was the first deaf doctor in hit medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and it seems like deaf people may finally be gaining the kind of visibility within the industry that they have long been denied.

Coda tells the story of a young hearing woman and her deaf family living and working as fishers on the US East coast (Credit: Alamy)

One film out this week that could move the dial yet further is Coda, a coming-of-age indie movie that was the big talking point of this year's Sundance Film Festival and was picked up for worldwide distribution by Apple TV+ in a record $25m coup. A remake of the French film La Famille Bélier (2014), it centres on Emilia Jones' Ruby, the only hearing person in a deaf family who live in Massachusetts on the US East coast. They're humble fishers, making modest cash from the sea, but because they don't have enough money for a sign language interpreter, and the societal infrastructure around them is built with the hearing world in mind, they rely on Ruby to get by. Therein lies the conflict: she aspires to escape her small-town shackles for Boston, where she wants to pursue a singing degree, but she is bound by the ties of familial loyalty.

Though the central protagonist is a hearing teenager, it's the film's ensemble casting that makes Coda stand out: all three of the actors who make up Ruby's family are, themselves, deaf. The most recognisable of the three is Marlee Matlin: 35 years ago, she won the best actress Oscar for Children of a Lesser God, about a young deaf woman's tumultuous relationship with a speech teacher, and remains the only deaf performer to win such an award. In a recent Hollywood Reporter feature about the film, Matlin herself reflected on the change that Coda was a marker of: "to have a hearing actor put on a deaf character as if it was a costume. I think we've moved beyond that point now," she said. The profile of the film, and the buzz around it, suggest this is a significant moment for both deaf representation and casting on screen.

Reductive characterisations

Until very recently, deaf people were afforded measly characterisation in cinema; they seldom took centre stage, and nor did their lives, identities, or cultural idiosyncrasies. Often, they were framed as victims. "Historically, deaf characters and disabled characters more generally have often conformed to negative stereotypes," says Annie Roberts, advocacy officer for the UK's Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID). "Too many films ignore the wealth of deaf culture, the sense of belonging to a community, and often embark on the medical route where deafness is seen as something be cured. Often, a deaf character is just a token, used to tick a box, or is an object of ridicule." A particularly queasy example from the Hollywood Golden Age is 1948's Johnny Belinda, the plot of which hinges on the eponymous Belinda, a deaf-mute woman played by hearing actor Jane Wyman, being raped at a village dance; emphasised is her inability to scream for help. Wyman would go on to win an Oscar for the role. Roberts says that even Children of a Lesser God, for all of its awards-worthy bona fides, perpetuated negative stereotypes: "[Matlin's character] is in a subordinate position with no agency," suggests Roberts.

When she was 14 years old, film critic and access consultant Charlotte Little was diagnosed with a condition called Usher's Syndrome, "which meant that I was losing my peripheral vision," she says. "It's a leading cause of deaf-blindness: I usually say I'm hard of hearing and visually impaired. I have, like, tunnel vision - that kind of makes sense, but it's a really complex condition."

In Little's experience growing up, deaf and hard-of-hearing characters were frequently marred by reductive tropes and stereotypes. "They were always very two-dimensional: either the butt of the joke, in it for a few minutes, or portrayed in a very pitiful light. You never saw complex, flawed, beautiful, strong deaf characters - you just saw the bare, bare minimum."

More recently, she suggests, deaf representation has been tokenistic, with deaf characters written in by Hollywood studios to tick diversity and inclusion boxes, as a sort of cynical marketing ploy. She points to Toy Story 4 as a pertinent example. "I remember finding out that there was meant to be a character in the film with a hearing device [an unnamed boy with a cochlear implant] - but they're in it for a second," she says. "So using a deaf character to gain interest, but not actually honouring that representation."

But what does representation, which might feel quite nebulous on the surface, actually mean? The late critic Roger Ebert famously described movies as "machine[s] that generate empathy": cinema can be a direct route into understanding a little more about experiences different to our own, not least of marginalised groups. But also, as celebrated filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, of Birdman, Babel and The Revenant fame, put it in a 2016 interview, "cinema is a mirror by which we often see ourselves". In that sense, a great movie can be a rich source of self-understanding. Little points to A Quiet Place, which she saw for the first time when she was 20, as the first time she saw herself on screen.

The Quiet Place franchise features a young heroine, Regan (Millicent Simmonds, left), whose deafness is a source of strength and empowers her (Credit: Alamy)

The film begins 89 days after blind, quadrupedal aliens, clad from head-to-toe with impenetrable armour, are brought to Earth by what the sequel Part II subsequently implies to be a chance meteor collision. They kill everything that makes a discernible noise, and ruthlessly so, their instinct being to exterminate; like a man-eating super virus on gangly, clawed legs. By the time we meet the Abbott family - composed of dad Lee (John Krasinski), mum Evelyn (Emily Blunt), and kids Regan (Simmonds), and Marcus (Noah Jupe) - the human race has been decimated, with signs of organised survival few-and-far between. Crucially, Regan is deaf, just like the actress who plays her. Simmonds cut her teeth on Wonderstruck, which also centres her character's deafness as a central motif; unique to the depiction of Regan, however, is the total lack of pity with which her character is depicted.

I think about how, if I saw more films like A Quiet Place growing up, would I have had a different relationship with my deafness? - Charlotte Little

A key subplot of A Quiet Place focuses on Lee's attempts to repair Regan's cochlear implant, which amplifies the little hearing she has left. The implant itself is set up quite early on as a Chekhov's gun, though you're left to wonder how it will become relevant. By the film's climax, however, all is clear: the feedback emitted from Lee's modified implant makes it an anti-alien superweapon. Advantage point, humans. Regan's deafness, then, by implication, is not something about which to feel sorry for her: it's the antidote to humankind's apocalyptic malaise, and perhaps the only route left to survival. Part II doubles down on Regan's heroism by emphasising her independence, bravery, and ruthless survivability. "[Her deafness is] a source of strength, it empowers her," says Little. "She's the hero of that franchise. Not in this superficial, 'oooh, she's a superhero,' sense: [she is] just this genuine, resourceful young deaf girl who has struggles with her identity."

Regan - and, in turn, Simmonds - represents a new kind of cinematic deaf protagonist, elevated by their condition which is, in turn, framed as a source of power, rather than superficially seen as a regrettable disability. "I think about how, if I saw more films like that growing up," Little adds, "would I have had a different relationship with my deafness? Would I have been [so] self-conscious?" With Wonderstruck and the A Quiet Place franchise already under her belt, along with a just-announced starring role in the television adaptation of deaf coming-of-age novel True Biz, Simmonds seems well on her way to A-lister stardom. She is, perhaps, the shining example of this new era of deaf representation; a leading lady whose image subverts the dusty old blueprint.

A new wave of deaf narratives

Following on from the commercial explosiveness and critical acclaim of A Quiet Place, we've seen a number of successful titles that centre deaf narratives, identities, and cultures across film and TV. Released in October last year, the Netflix reality series Deaf U features a Washington DC educational institution, Gallaudet University, established for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The Sundance TV comedy series This Close also granted a nuanced look at the experiences of young, deaf US adults, focusing on the lives of two deaf best friends in their twenties.

The richest cinematic example is Darius Marder's recent Oscar-nominee Sound of Metal, in which Riz Ahmed plays a drummer, Ruben, who loses the lion's share of his hearing and joins a deaf commune. Made with hearing audiences in mind, the film offers a novel look into a deaf culture that, for many in the hearing world, would have been previously invisible. Here we get to see an expansive deaf world all of its own, independent of the dominant hearing culture, with its own music, social norms and customs.

While its aesthetic is far more austere indie than bombastic blockbuster sci-fi, it shares myriad similarities with A Quiet Place - most notably, in the formal methods and cinematic language it uses to communicate the protagonists' deafness, often involving a clever use of sound design. Both films, too, mostly avoid the maudlin sympathy some would suggest has long been inherent to the "hearing gaze", imbuing their deaf characters with nuance and strength. Little cites one scene in Sound of Metal as being particularly unique. "I think about when Ruben is in the audiology room, and he's getting his cochlear implant re-tuned," says Little, "It's one of the first times I've seen that. I felt like I was going back to those rooms, it was so immersive."

Darius Marder's Sound of Metal is an insightful portrait of deaf culture, in which Riz Ahmed plays a drummer who loses most of his hearing and joins a deaf commune (Credit: Alamy)

Yet if representation is moving forward, another conversation that has come to the fore in tandem with the new wave of deaf heroes on screen is around authentic casting. For all of its plaudits, Sound of Metal has been criticised by some for casting hearing actors Ahmed and supporting star Paul Raci in deaf roles. In a piece for the magazine i-D, for example, the writer Shanti Escalante-De Mattei suggested of Sound of Metal that "when deaf actors far outnumber the few deaf parts available, the casting of a hearing actor is something of a slap in the face to the community." Little, on the other hand, is less critical. "Personally, I was happy with the casting," she says, emphasising the casting of deaf actors like Ridloff across the wider ensemble. "Joe [Raci's character] is an older, deafened war veteran and addict. Raci is also a war veteran and has [dealt with] addiction," says Little, "and while he's not deafened, he's a child of deaf adults and has been immersed in the deaf community for most of his life." Little points to Raci's proactive involvement with Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, and work with Hands of Doom ASL ROCK, a Black Sabbath tribute band who perform in American Sign Language.

Compounding these lingering issues around deaf representation are the real-world difficulties faced by deaf audiences. Captioned screenings are rare, and frequently relegated to off-peak times; for all of the plaudits A Quiet Place Part II has received for Regan's robust characterisation, it was reported that only 41% of UK cinemas offered subtitled screenings on the film's opening weekend. "I had to be really strong with my local cinema so I could see [the film,] but even then, I only got to see it two weeks after release," Little says. Sound of Metal, by contrast, was open captioned - meaning that all theatrical screenings of the film had subtitles by default - as, too, will be the release of Coda. The impact is simultaneously functional and artistic: audiences, hearing or otherwise, are treated on a level playing field, and captions are further used to communicate the struggles faced by Ruben as he assimilates into the culturally deaf world. "I think that's a very bold statement," says Little. She notes, however, that Ahmed was criticised on Twitter for sharing uncaptioned videos promoting the film. "[Initially] he wasn't particularly vocal about [the importance of deaf access] online, and I remember seeing interviews where Raci and Ahmed were being asked about deaf actors in the industry - those questions should've gone to the actual deaf actors in the film," she says.

The film industry have the opportunity to balance the equilibrium, but this continues to be grossly missed when deaf audiences cannot access the films - Annie Roberts

Compared to the artistically inventive Sound of Metal, Coda is a fairly conventional melodrama, with all the expected dramatic beats and signposted conflicts. It is, nevertheless, imbued with rich compassion for its deaf ensemble, and possesses an acidic humour that Little suggests is rare in deaf stories on screen - perhaps because the impulse of the hearing audience is to sympathise with deaf characters, such that laughing feels taboo. "That's the thing we miss a lot, the funny side of it," she says. She cites one particularly great moment: Ruby attends a doctor's appointment with her parents as their interpreter, communicating to them the visceral details of a venereal disease they've contracted. She has to tell them - that's right, her parents - that they can't have sex again.

But beyond the humour, Little notes, there are some important insights for hearing audiences. "I hope people watch it and think about how the family lives in this small town, where they have no access to interpreters - especially in the doctor's office, or the court," she says. "They rely on Ruby to interpret for them, which isn't paid; and these are important services."

With the emergence of deaf-centric narratives over the past couple of years, the question is: have we reached a cinematic tipping point? "It's good to see a more positive trajectory in modern films [like Sound of Metal], where deaf culture is at the forefront and characters are less dependent on others," says Roberts. "When well researched, film and TV can be really effective in educating people on what being deaf or having hearing loss can be like." That Coda has been considered of such commercial value, and is being widely tipped as an awards contender, is also a good sign, as is the mainstream embrace of the likes of Simmonds and Ritloff, not just actors but actor-activists who understand the implicit political statement of their work.

But for all of these cheering developments, Robert says, questions still nag about where this new wave of deaf representation will lead - or not. "Could recent films be seen as an exploitation of the deaf community for entertainment purposes?" she suggests. "Will deaf characters [continue to] be viewed as a novelty, something extraordinary, rather than be respected and understood for what they actually are?" Roberts also points to the dearth of accessible screenings for deaf audiences as a major sticking point "[which] reinforces the message to audiences that hearing people have power over deaf people," she says. "The film industry have the opportunity to balance the equilibrium, but this continues to be grossly missed when deaf audiences cannot access the films." In Hollywood, progress has been repeatedly halting and fragile - and so, now that film and TV makers have shown what can be done with deaf stories, what happens in the next few years will be crucial.

Coda is in cinemas in the US and UK and on Apple TV+ from 13 August.

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One of 2021's most anticipated releases is Coda, a drama about a majority-deaf family. Is it part of a watershed moment after years of patronising depictions, asks Jack King.

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Don't Google "hearing loss" or "hearing impaired" when you want to include more diverse content. Check out these great Ted Talks!

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Don't Google "hearing loss" or "hearing impaired" when you want to include more diverse content. Check out these great Ted Talks!

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Hidden Contributions - NASA owes much to Deaf people

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Hidden Contributions - NASA owes much to Deaf people

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History you didn't know!

See also: https://youtu.be/kxAhHKmVjBc

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How 11 Deaf Men Helped Shape NASA's Human Spaceflight Program

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How 11 Deaf Men Shaped NASA's Human Spaceflight Program

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Play Video Basic ASL Vocabulary Jump into basic ASL Vocabulary with our fun videos, categorized by theme. Go to Videos Free Online ASL Lessons Learn basic ASL with our free online interactive lessons. Go to Lessons Want to learn more ASL? For more in-depth learning of ASL, sign up for credit ASL online courses.

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Despite TV shows depicting deaf people and the high profiles of deaf celebrities such as Marlee Matlin or Nyle DiMarco, many myths and misconceptions persist about people with profound hearing loss. Here are some of the most common myths and stereotypes out there in the hearing world and the reality of each situation.

1. Myth: Most Deaf People Communicate in Sign Language

Approximately 10% of people with hearing loss communicate in sign language as their first language. Some people lose their hearing through illness or other causes after learning English and prefer to speak or lipread.

2. Myth: Most Deaf People Can Read Lips

Lipreading (sometimes called speech reading) is a difficult skill to acquire. Even the best lipreaders can catch only 25 to 30 percent of what is being said. The percentage may be a little higher if a deaf person knows the speaker well. Deaf people look at the context of the discernible words in the sentence to fill in the words that they did not understand. Many mouth movements appear similar on the lips and may look the same to a deaf person.

Many hard of hearing people also read lips. Lipreading requires intense concentration to understand a speaker, and people will quickly tire during the process.

3. Myth: Deaf People Cannot Talk

Some people with severe hearing loss can speak well. This ability depends on many factors such as whether they are prelingually or post lingually deaf and their educational background. Speech pathologists work with some deaf people to help them improve their speech. Many deaf people can speak and are not physically mute.

Some deaf people may choose not to talk because it is difficult for them to regulate the volume, pitch, or sound of their voices in a way that most people can understand. Deaf people do not want to be labeled as "deaf-mute" or "deaf and dumb" and reject the terms as inaccurate.

According to the book Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of Deaf America, by Jack Gannon, the expression "deaf and dumb" was a label used by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle felt that deaf people were not able to learn or reason.

Unfortunately, some hearing people falsely assume that people with hearing loss who do not speak well are not intelligent or have much going for them. In reality, there is no relationship between hearing loss and intelligence. Many deaf people lead successful, productive lives in a wide range of professions.

Deaf People Answer Commonly Googled Questions About Being Deaf

4. Myth: Deaf People are Silent

"Deaf and dumb" has come to mean silent. The deaf, however, are neither "dumb" nor "mute." The TV and movie industry often depicts deaf people as silent. Deaf individuals are not always quiet, however. Many make sounds while they are signing. They may make noises to add meaning to manual communication.

Deaf people make natural sounds when they sign, such as when they are emphasizing a point or expressing intense emotions. Some deaf people use certain sounds to communicate that are understood by their families, friends, or pets. For example, a hearing child who hears a certain loud sound from their parents know that they are in big trouble.

5. Myth: Writing notes are adequate means of communication

For some deaf people, English is a second language. Some only have about a Grade 4 level of English comprehension. Some deaf people struggle to understand written English, especially in highly stressful or emergency situations. A sign language interpreter is needed to facilitate communication if the deaf person's first language is sign.

6. Myth: People With Hearing Loss Will Hear If The Speaker Shouts

Shouting at a deaf person does not help them to understand a speaker. If a speaker increases the volume when he talks, his face becomes distorted, making his lips more difficult to lipread.

7. Myth: All Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Persons Benefit From Hearing Devices

Hearing aids amplify sound and may benefit some deaf people. Other people have a hearing loss that distorts sounds, making sounds more difficult to understand. Amplification does not help them. Other people do not benefit from hearing aids at all, particularly if they do not have any residual hearing.

Cochlear implants work best when implanted in young children. Older deaf people who are implanted may not know how to interpret what they are hearing and find the world bewildering with strange sounds that they cannot identify.

8. Myth: Deaf People Can Be Defined As "Hearing Impaired"

Many deaf people do not like the label of being "hearing impaired" and prefer the word "deaf." Some want to be identified as members of the deaf community and capitalize the word "Deaf."

Some deaf people also object to the word "impaired," which they feel implies that a person is flawed, deficient, or imperfect. "Hearing impaired" is a vague term and lumps people with different levels of hearing loss, communication modes, and cultural identities under one definition.

9. Myth: Deaf People Can't Drive

Many deaf people do drive cars. Studies have shown that deaf people are better drivers than hearing people. Their peripheral vision is more highly developed than hearing people.

10. Myth: Deaf People Use Braille

Braille is an alphabet of raised dots on paper that helps blind and low vision people to read. Deaf people do not generally use it unless they also have vision problems. Deaf actress Marlee Matlin has said that she occasionally gets offered Braille menus in restaurants.

Concluding Thoughts

Many of these misconceptions and myths create barriers that hinder deaf people from fully participating in society. The public needs to be more educated about deafness. Deaf people often say that they can do everything but hear. For those who are interested in learning more about this unique group, I recommend the book Through Deaf Eyes: A Photographic History of an American Community by Douglas Baynton.

References:

FAQ, General Information about the NAD, National Association of the Deaf
Stereotypes and Misconceptions About Deaf People, Deaf Education Worldwide
Deafness Terminology & Myths, Florida Health
Debunked: Top 8 myths about deafness you need to know, Deaf Unity
© 2013 Carola Finch

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10 Myths and Misconceptions About Deaf People

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Despite TV shows depicting deaf people and the high profiles of deaf celebrities such as Marlee Matlin or Nyle DiMarco, many myths and misconceptions persist about people with profound hearing loss. Here are some of the most common myths and stereotypes out there in the hearing world and the reality of each situation.

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This course explores the culture of the American Deaf community, focusing on enculturation; values, attitudes and norms; social, political and athletic organizations; the visual and performing arts; folklore and humor; and diversity of membership. The late 19th and 20th century of Deaf experience is studied with specific reference to cultural implications of technology, Deaf education, and (hearing) societal perspectives.

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This week is also known as the International Week of Deaf People or International Week of Signed Languages.

Deaf Awareness Week is meant to increase public awareness of D/deaf issues, people, and culture.

Celebrate the culture, heritage, and language unique to Deaf people of the world.

Promote the rights of Deaf people throughout the world, including education for Deaf people, access to information and services, the use of sign languages, and human rights for Deaf people in developing countries.

Recognize achievements of Deaf people.

Educate about the misconceptions of being deaf and the challenges the deaf population face during everyday life.

Learn about types, degrees, and causes of hearing loss and how this creates different types of D/deaf people and identities.

Be exposed to sign language and other ways deaf and hard of hearing people communicate.

Learn about the types of educational programs, support services, and resources that are available to the deaf and hard of hearing community, including children.

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Sound of Metal

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Sound of Metal – Official Trailer | Prime Video

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Deaf Culture vs People with a Hearing Loss who are deaf

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Deaf Culture vs People with a Hearing Loss who are deaf

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Learning American Sign Language (ASL) takes time, patience, practice, and a sense of humor.

If you are a parent of a newly-identified child who is deaf or hard of hearing, you can request ASL instruction from your child's early intervention system. Early intervention systems are designed to help your child develop in all areas. These systems also are designed to provide services to families so that families can support their child. More information is available at Sign Language for Parents.

Individual signs are relatively easy to learn. Like any spoken language, ASL is a language with its own unique rules of grammar and syntax. To learn enough signs for basic communication and to sign them comfortably, can take a year or more. Some people pick up signs more slowly than others, and if that is the case with you, don't be discouraged. Everyone learns sign language at their own speed. Be patient and you will succeed in learning the language. The rewards will be well worth the effort!

You can start learning ASL by attending a sign language class. Sign language classes can be found at community colleges, universities, libraries, churches, organizations/clubs of the deaf, and lots of other places. You can also expand your knowledge of ASL by practicing your signs with people who are deaf or hard of hearing and also know ASL. Generally, people who know ASL are patient about showing new signers how to sign different things, the correct way to sign something, and usually, they will slow down their signing so that you can understand them, too. They are also willing to repeat words or statements if you do not understand them the first (or even the second) time.

Other ideas include:
* Local/State Colleges & Universities
* Community Centers for the Deaf
* Speech and Hearing Centers
* American Sign Language Teachers Association
* State Schools for the Deaf
* Deaf Education programs within local mainstreamed schools
* NAD State Association Affiliates
* State Commisions/Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
* State Chapters of the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)

ASL is a visual language. With signing, the brain processes linguistic information through the eyes, and facial expressions and body movements play an important part in conveying information. It is possible to sign without using facial expressions or body movements, but doing so may give a mixed message, be confusing, or be misunderstood. It will also look odd or unnatural to native signers.

Sign language is not a universal language - each country has its own sign language, and regions have dialects, much like the many languages spoken all over the world. If you were to travel to another state and have an opportunity to sign with a person who knows ASL, you may notice that s/he will use some signs differently than you. These signs are known as "regional" signs, and you can think of them as the equivalent of an "accent." It does not mean that people in your state are signing incorrectly. It is just a normal variation in ASL, and such regional signs add flavor to your understanding of ASL.

When you don't know the sign for something, spell the word or words (called "fingerspelling"). When you discover there is no sign for a word, you should not invent or make up a new sign. To do so may violate the grammatical rules of ASL, or may be unintentionally offensive.

Speed is not crucial in sign language. It is more important to sign clearly, even if you have to do it at a slower pace. When people often ask you to repeat yourself, it is a signal that you should slow down and try to sign as clearly as possible. Do not feel embarrassed if you sign slowly. It is important to get your message across, to connect with another person, and to be understood. There are no shortcuts to effective communication.

See below for a list of resources provided by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center:

Apps for Learning ASL ASDC suggestions to support family learning of ASL.

The ASL App (ASL for the People), is about teaching conversational ASL. It includes over 1,000 signs and phrases for adults as well as ASL with Care Bears for kids to learn ASL.

ASL Apps List from the New Mexico School for the Deaf List of apps to teach signing developed at the New Mexico School for the Deaf. It includes apps for children, adults, and low vision/blind children, to teach the manual alphabet and support literacy, and books to download.

Four ASL apps links you to four popular apps to learn ASL: iASL, ASL Pro, Sign 4 Me, and ASL Dictionary

Marlee Signs highlights video demonstrations of Marlee Matlin teaching the basics of ASL, including the signed alphabet, basic vocabulary, and common expressions in everyday life.

VL2 Storybook Apps, developed by the Visual Language Visual Learning Center (VL2) at Gallaudet, providing interactive stories in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English.

ASL Connect is an online resource for learning American Sign Language and Deaf Studies. ASL Connect provides both free and paid learning content, as well as language learning services designed for businesses and families.

ASL Deafined is a subscription-based website provides ASL video lessons. The content is for anyone who wishes to learn ASL, regardless of age. It has been designed to instruct deaf students, parents of deaf children, and the community-at-large. You may cancel your subscription at any time. Nationally certified interpreters teach all lessons.

Enjoy the journey learning ASL!

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Learning American Sign Language (ASL) takes time, patience, practice, and a sense of humor. If you are a parent of a newly-identified child who is deaf or hard of hearing, you can request ASL instruction from your child's early intervention system. Early intervention systems are designed to help your child develop in all areas.

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Christine Sun Kim: The enchanting music of sign language

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Artist and TED Fellow Christine Sun Kim was born deaf, and she was taught to believe that sound wasn't a part of her life, that it was a hearing person's thing. Through her art, she discovered similarities between American Sign Language and music, and she realized that sound doesn't have to be known solely through the ears -- it can be felt, seen and experienced as an idea.

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Deaf ideology | Marika Kovacs-Houlihan | TEDxUWMilwaukee

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The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is the principal agency in the Commonwealth on behalf of people of all ages who are deaf and hard of hearing, established by Chapter 716 of the Acts of 1985, which amended Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 6 §191-197.

To fulfill this function, MCDHH is mandated to:

promulgate and coordinate public policy;

deliver technical assistance and resources for other state agencies as needed;

advocate;

provide or ensure provision of direct specialized services including but not limited to case management, interpreter services, technology services including telecommunication and assistive listening devices, independent living services, information services, and such other services as it determines are needed;

carry out public education;

ensure the accessibility and quality of existing services and recommend new services as needed;

make recommendations to the Governor.

Our Vision is a Commonwealth where universal access is the standard for ensuring that Deaf and hard of hearing people fully participate in all areas of life. The estimated number of Deaf and hard of hearing is 20% of the general population. The current MA census is 6,892,503; the estimation for MA Deaf and hard of hearing is: 1,378,501.

Priority Areas to reach our Vision

Effective Government
Facilitate effective public policy and operations that recognize and address the concerns of Deaf and hard of hearing consumers and employees.

Community Connected Services
Advocate and support access for Deaf and hard of hearing in the community.

Education
Ensure that Deaf and hard of hearing children receive a quality education based on national standards.

Workforce Development
Expand the pool of CART providers and qualified ASL proficient human service personnel in the Commonwealth.

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Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is the principal agency in the Commonwealth on behalf of people of all ages who are deaf and hard of hearing, established by Chapter 716 of the Acts of 1985, which amended Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 6 §191-197.

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state of rhode island:  commission on the deaf and hard of hearing

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State of Rhode Island: Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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State of Rhode Island: Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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Many films are available for free streaming with an account! All films are captioned.

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The Described and Captioned Media Program is a free-loan library of accessible educational media for use by teachers and family member of K-12 students with a vision or hearing loss. This U.S. Department of Education-funded program also serves as a clearinghouse of accessibility information and training resources as well as a gateway to accessibility information from partnering organizations.

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https://www.facebook.com/Deaf.Studies/

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asl "american sign language" "deaf children" "deaf culture" "deaf people" signing "sign language" "shaylee mansfield"

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Knowing what it was like to grow up as the only Deaf person in her hearing family and raising two young signers, Sheena felt something was missing from the internet. A place where everyone is welcome to learn ASL. Finding her inspiration from the Food Network Channel, ASL Nook came alive in 2013.

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The sign language site is one of few most reliable resources and references highly recommended by Deaf native signers, including ASL instructors.

"Even though I'm Deaf with ASL as my native language, I still use Handspeak a lot in the last few years for reference. I also frequently recommended this website to hearings/ASL students I met. It's amazing how you contributed so much, so I just want to let you know how much I appreciate that. -- Theo, 2020."

"This website is AWESOME! I always refer it to my students. -- Denise (Deaf ASL instructor), 2021"

"This website is a godsend. Your work is amazing and I just wanted to thank you. Without it, learning ASL would have been much harder. -- Le, 2021"

"I just wanted to let you know that you are the reason I've been getting A's in my ASL classes and to say thank you. I use your website multiple times a day, and it has fleshed out so much information about the language of ASL and the Deaf community. You have truly made a difference in my life!" -- Angie DiNardo, February 4, 2022.

Thank you Handspeak!! You were an invaluable resource for me during my interpreter education program. I came to the conclusion that your dictionary of signs were one of the best and I relied on it immensely.

"I have been struggling to figure out signs for my class. It was really beginning to wear down on me and I was getting nervous about how the rest of the semester will go. A problem that was haunting me was found in short order using the sign and contextual reference from the assignment. THANK YOU!!!! You have blessed me for sure! -- Nita"

"THANK YOU SO MUCH. This site is amazing. I am just learning ASL, and I keep this tab open on my computer and check in several times a day to form words and sentences. Very blessed for this incredible project of yours. -- A.S."

"Your website has helped me to learn ASL and about Deaf culture, both when I studied in University and now as I continue to practice and learn. I just wanted to express that I am so grateful for you and for handspeak.com- you are wonderful, thank you for creating this project!! -- Kat"

"Your website is a blessing! I often refer my ASL students to the tutorials on this site as an extracurricular resource when they needed help. -- a certified ASL instructor and Deaf native signer."

"... thank you for making such an important and useful resource for those of us on the path to fluency in the language and art of American Sign Language. Your Handspeak website has provided me with countless hours of invaluable insight and dare I say entertainment. You're a beautiful person, and your work is thoroughly appreciated." -- Patrick Ryan (Minnesota), 2015.

"Handspeak is such a great online ASL lexicon, and it is very helpful. My TA's recommended it over other online ASL dictionaries. Thank you again! -- J.Y., 2017"

"Our daughter is so much happier that she can tell us what she wants and needs. Much less crying, much more laughing! Thank you for this site, the best of its kind on the web."

"We use the site in our homeschooling, as a second language, for our 9-year-old child who does really well with homeschooling. He's exceptionally bright, very active, inquisitive and challenging. Your site has captured his interest and he is intrigued."

"I scuba dive, and being able to use sign language while diving would expand the experience greatly. -- L. Niles"

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Sign Language resources online including ASL dictionary, tutorials, grammar, sentences, alphabet, Deaf culture, baby signing, and more.

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ASL - American Sign Language: free, self-study sign language lessons including an ASL dictionary, signing videos, a printable sign language alphabet chart (fingerspelling), Deaf Culture study materials, and resources to help you learn sign language. Good for homeschool sign language classes, parents (baby signing), interpreters, and people who just want to learn fun ASL phrases like hello, thank you, I love you, etc.

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Learn about George Veditz, first president of National Association of the Deaf, who  began an ASL preservation movement (using film) in the early 1900s in fear ASL would be driven extinct.

https://www.gallaudet.edu/about/history-and-traditions/george-veditz/

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Check out some other groundbreakers from the Deaf-World

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Check out some other groundbreakers from the Deaf-World

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Deaf people do not participate in Special Olympics; they have their own.

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CISS.org is the deaf sports for deaf athletes who compete at an elite international level date back to 1900's.

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Avail in multiple places

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Also see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ioi7COpA7A

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deafnewspaper "sign language" asl deaf "sign for" "ken davis" "american sign language" "deaf news"

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News in American Sign Language with Ken Davis. Visit his website at https//deafnewspaper.com Thanks!

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adventure destination seek the world calvin young austin texas deaf traveling gopro "american sign language" "sign language" "deaf stories" "deaf owned busin...

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Hey buddy! I go by Calvin Young and I'm a Deaf traveler. I love exploring the world to discover and share amazing stories, useful tips, stunning photographs, jaw-dropping videos and many more with you all! Seek the World aims to encourage people from the Deaf community to travel the world and break down communication barriers independently.

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https://sign1news.com/

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National Deaf News Where the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community get connected Highlights Daily Moth Deaf Humor Deaf Newspaper Latest News Error validating access token: Session has expired on Friday, 04-Jun-21 08:38:30 PDT. The current time is Monday, 09-Aug-21 08:59:27 PDT. Interests & Resources Education Health Education Culture Deaf Culture Social Security And IRS...

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Christine Sun Kim is a Deaf performance artist working to reclaim the world of sound for herself. From NOWNESS:

Cult photographer and filmmaker Todd Selby's latest short is a revealing portrait of performance artist Christine Sun Kim. Deaf from birth, Kim turned to using sound as a medium during an artist residency in Berlin in 2008, and has since developed a practice of lo-fi experimentation that aims to re-appropriate sound by translating it into movement and vision. "It's a lot more interesting to explore a medium that I don't have direct access to and yet has the most direct connection to society at large," says the artist. "Social norms surrounding sound are so deeply ingrained that, in a sense, our identities cannot be complete without it." Selby filmed an exclusive performance from Kim in a Brooklyn studio as the artist played with field recordings of the street sounds of her Chinatown neighborhood, feedback and helium balloons, and made "seismic calligraphy" drawings from ink- and powder-drenched quills, nails and cogs dancing across paper to the vibrations of subwoofers beneath. Working with sound designer Arrow Kleeman, Selby carefully choreographed the film's ambient score to reveal the Orange County native's unique relationship with sound. "Her work deals with reclaiming sound because it's a foreign world to her and one she's not comfortable in," explains Selby. "I wanted the film to act as an artistic conduit for her to tell her story to the world."

(Todd Selby, by the way, is blind.)

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Christine Sun Kim is a Deaf performance artist working to reclaim the world of sound for herself. From NOWNESS: Cult photographer and filmmaker Todd Selby's latest short is a revealing portrait of performance artist Christine Sun Kim.

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Read the full video description.

Dr. Carrie Lou Garberoglio gave a keynote address at the TDI 24th Biennial Conference on July 27. All the presentations are available online on their YouTube channel. The conference, with the theme "Reset and Reconnect," reflects the seismic change many had to make by embracing new ways of participating in educational, medical, or employment activities in a virtual space. This change has created a wake-up call to ensure full virtual access for deaf students, families, and workers.

COVID-19 drastically changed how people work, learn, and interact with each other as so much of our life has shifted online. Dr. Garberoglio pointed out that the shift to online life is not entirely new, and has been a gradual process over time, particularly for deaf people. During her keynote, she also shared vital information about the new virtual world we find ourselves in due to the pandemic and its impact on deaf people.

Deaf People Often Lead the Way in Technology Advancements

Deaf people have historically been early adopters of technology, such as telecommunication devices (TTYs), texting, and video calling. They have always capitalized on using the latest technological innovations to communicate and share information. After all, deaf people may have been the first people to use text abbreviations while using TTYs like BRB for "be right back" or GA for "go ahead". These abbreviations are now a part of how the world communicates in text.

Thus, it is not surprising that many deaf college students choose to take their classes online - even before the pandemic. In 2016, 45% of deaf college students had taken at least one course online and 17% did their entire program online, at higher rates than hearing students. NDC research shows that deaf undergraduate students are older than their hearing peers and more likely to have children. These students may need more flexibility in when and where they pursue continued education and training.

We know that deaf people can't just up and move anywhere without thinking about a myriad of factors including: interpreter availability, employer awareness, access to deaf community resources, social opportunities, and educational options for their children, if deaf. Those decisions are complicated - and often this means deaf people have fewer options. Online spaces can give deaf people more options, more flexibility, and greater autonomy to make decisions that are the best fit for their lives.

Increasing Internet Access for Deaf People

Discussing the future of online life for deaf people must also consider who has access to these virtual spaces, and how. An analysis of publicly available data from the American Community Survey in 2019 shows that twice as many deaf people than hearing people did not have access to the internet, or equipment to access the internet.

11.7% of deaf people between the ages of 1-64 did not have a smartphone, compared to 5% of hearing people.

25.6% of deaf people between the ages of 1-64 did not have a laptop or desktop, compared to 16.4% of hearing people.

11.1% of deaf people between the ages of 1-64 did not have access to the internet at home, compared to 5.5% of hearing people.

Among deaf people who had access to the internet, 20.9% did not have high speed internet, compared to 16.3% of hearing people.

Ensuring that deaf people have access to the internet in this increasingly virtual world is of crucial importance. State agencies across the country are working on this challenge by partnering with companies to provide laptops, or using surplus funds when COVID-19 restricted travel to purchase equipment for deaf clients in their area. Some colleges and universities can loan equipment and Wi-Fi hot spots to deaf students, and vocational rehabilitation agencies may have funding available to support equipment needs.

The Federal Communications Commission has an Emergency Broadband Benefit Program that provides support for internet access to eligible households. Identifying strategies and opportunities to increase access to the internet needs to be part of the services that are offered to deaf people going forward.

The Challenges of Virtual Learning

COVID-19 has only magnified pre-existing challenges in access to virtual spaces. At NDC, our help team sees questions from the field every day and provides resources and strategies to help stakeholders address challenges. In the first three months of the pandemic, the number of questions received by our help team more than doubled. Many of these questions were related to technology and online access.

These questions were related to automatic speech recognition (ASR), confidentiality, intellectual property, technology policies and procedures, video conferencing, access for deafblind students, using VRS in virtual classrooms, and more. We share frequently asked questions on our website, and provide solutions.

However, over the last year, the questions that our help team received have been increasingly more complex and nuanced. This shows that colleges and training programs are thinking more deeply about access - and understanding that access is not 'one-size-fits-all." This acknowledges that we can't simply "move things online" but must find innovative solutions and think outside the box.

Finding Deaf-Centered Solutions

To find these solutions, deaf people must be part of conversations about access and the future of online spaces. As people who are increasingly living their lives online, the experiences of deaf people can help ensure that we maximize the potential of virtual learning, teaching, working, and connecting with each other.

It is also important to remember that not everyone can, or wants to, move their life online. For some deaf people, online information and communication are not optimal. For example, real-time captions for live virtual events are accessible for some, but not for others. All deaf people have different experiences and communication needs - everyone needs to be part of conversations about online access.

Trust that deaf people have expertise and know what they need, whether in person or online. Always work to provide flexibility and options that maximize what is available with remote services and online opportunities.

NDC is Here to Help

To learn more about the range of accommodation options for deaf students, visit our Accommodations 101, Interpreting, and Speech-to-Text Services pages.

In addition, NDC offers free online professional development courses to increase your knowledge about accommodations used in postsecondary settings. The Foundations of Effective Accommodations course is a great place to start. This course will help strengthen an understanding of effective communication in postsecondary settings, and how to create equitable access and participation for deaf people you work with. All our online classes are completely self-paced, allowing you to complete them according to your schedule.

As always, our help team is available to respond to your questions and concerns.

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The Shift to Online Life Creates Opportunity, and Challenges, for Deaf People

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Dr. Carrie Lou Garberoglio gave a keynote address at the TDI 24th Biennial Conference on July 27. The conference, with the theme "Reset and Reconnect," reflects the seismic change many had to make by embracing new ways of participating in educational, medical, or employment activities in a virtual space.

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Deaf and proud | Irisa Daphne MacAulay & Kathleen Wood | TEDxNBU

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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@BristolCC DeafStudies/ASL Club
@New England Deaf and ASL Social Events
@DEAFincMA

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AG Bell is NOT the man you probably think he was.

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AG Bell is NOT the man you probably think he was.

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The great project of Alexander Graham Bell's life was, perhaps surprisingly, not the telephone.

He focused much of his life on the education of deaf people, funded by his earnings from his famous invention.

He was an early pioneer of oralism, a belief that all deaf people should learn to communicate by lip-reading and speaking, rather than with sign language. "To ask the value of speech is like asking the value of life," he is credited as saying.

But not all deaf people can learn to speak, or believe they should be compelled to do so. According to author Katie Booth, the harm of oralism still reverberates.

"I can't even begin to express the deep, deep, deep trauma that so many deaf people still carry from those educations," Booth, author of The Invention of Miracles: Language, Power and Alexander Graham Bell's Quest to End Deafness, told Ideas. Booth's book, released earlier this spring, compiles years of her research into Bell's letters and other archival material, according to publisher Simon & Schuster.

While Bell's precise methods are no longer in use, critics say the philosophy of oralism - that speech is inherently better than sign language - still has a harmful ripple effect to this day.

Teaching or 'assimilation'

Bell's mother Eliza was born with hearing, but became deaf later in her life.

"I think Bell saw the way she was able to operate in the world. And just first of all assumed all deaf people should be able to do that. And I think maybe he glamorized it a little," Booth said.

Bell developed a method of teaching speech to deaf people, and particularly deaf children, called visible speech. It was based on a phonetic representation of the alphabet developed by his father, who was an elocutionist - something akin to a speech therapist.

"He would start by just teaching them about their mouths: This is your tongue. This is your soft palate. This is how you say ' puh,'' said Booth, who has normal hearing.

"He basically sought to make all of these invisible sounds visible, or felt in some way."

Bell would work at the Boston School for Deaf Mutes, teaching visible speech to students as well as teachers to promote and spread the practice. At the same time, oralism was growing in popularity among deaf educators.

"The goal was that deaf people could move through the hearing world without anyone knowing they were deaf. And by doing that, ideally, they would be able to have access to all sorts of hearing privilege," said Booth.

"Of course, today we would call that assimilation."

Bell was also interested in the genealogy of deaf people. In a 1884 paper titled Memoir upon the Formation of a Deaf Variety of the Human Race, he raised concerns about deaf people intermarrying lest it lead to increased prevalence of deafness, or what he referred to as "a defective race of human beings."

Jim Grosvenor Watson, Bell's great-great-grandson and auditory-verbal therapist who works in the field of deaf education today, accused Booth of "cherry picking" from historical documents to reinforce theories that have been circulated about Bell for years.

"What she's done in this book is she's created a portrait of somebody that's based on all of these opinions that are based on myths that have been propagated by the deaf community that are not true," he told CBC Radio.

He pointed to an FAQ page by the Alexander and Mabel Bell Legacy Foundation specifically dedicated to refuting "myths and rumours," including whether Bell was opposed to sign language or deaf people intermarrying.
Watch this ASL video of Veronica Simmonds' documentary, Unsound: The Legacy of Alexander Graham Bell, listen above orread the transcript.

'They thought he was the devil'

One "unspoken part" of oralism, according to Booth, was that while deaf and hard of hearing students were learning spoken language, the use of sign language was to be discouraged - even punished.

"It was the Victorian era. The body was something to be controlled and restrained. And so sign language just seemed, well, just out of control," she said.

Dan Foley, who attended an oralism school in Massachusetts as a child, says he experienced that bias.

"They'd make me sit on my hands. I'd be forced to try to speak. And if I did try to sign, I would be punished - [if I was] just waving like, 'Hello' or something like that, or pointing like, 'Over there' or 'What's that?' or something," he told Ideas, speaking in ASL through an interpreter.

While most of his peers had hearing impairments, he was fully deaf - and found it difficult to learn while teachers spoke aloud to the class, sometimes with their backs facing the students.

Foley described feeling "culture shocked" after he transferred to a school that allowed signing and had deaf teachers among the staff. Where his education stalled at the oralism school, it flourished in a signing environment.

But the change also sparked a "genuine anger" in him at the difficulty he endured in the oralism school.

"At the deaf school in the sign language environment, they hated him," he said of Bell.

"They thought he was the devil."

Watson says modern speech-oriented deaf education practices, such as auditory verbal therapy, are a far cry from the visible speech methods Bell used in the 19th century.

He doesn't teach sign language, but also doesn't discourage or punish the use of signing.

"We're offering the parents a choice ... of using listening and spoken language, teaching your children through their hearing how to talk - or you can teach them through sign language," he said.

"If you want the choice for signing, go get that. But we're not the ones to do that for you."

'A terrible legacy'

Early into his career, Bell's star student was a girl named Mabel Hubbard, who would later become his wife. Thanks to Bell's teaching method, Booth says, Hubbard was able to "function quite well" in society.

"He [Bell] kind of thought that since she did it, anyone could do it," said Booth, who points out that Mabel was not born deaf, but lost her hearing after scarlet fever as a child.

The problem, however, was that not every deaf person can learn to lip read, and not every deaf person can learn to speak.

"What A.G. Bell did not understand or realize was that he hadn't met enough deaf people," said Joanne Weber, a researcher at the University of Alberta and Canada Research Chair in deaf education.

"But because he invented the telephone, and because he was a brilliant man, and because hearing people are so audio-centric, of course they supported A.G. Bell in his push toward oralism."

Weber has hearing loss in both her ears. But with the help of a hearing aid, she's able to understand language fairly well in her left ear.

"But the problem is not everybody has the one ear that I have. And no matter what you do with them, they cannot learn to speak. And so, with this population, there's always been an attitude of, oh well, they're just the unfortunate. They just didn't work hard enough. They didn't have enough intelligence....

"That's the legacy that A.G. Bell left us with. And it's a terrible legacy."

Deaf education today

Decisions about whether to teach a deaf child spoken or signing language can be made much earlier in the child's life than in Bell's era. Babies have their hearing tested within their first month. Parents may then choose whether to pursue cochlear implants, a type of hearing aid installed in the inner ear.

These implants do not guarantee a child will hear. Sometimes, at best, they can allow the child to understand 80 per cent of the sounds around them - and even then, it will take extensive training to help them interpret spoken language.

Watson said speech therapy aided by these implants are a better first option over sign language in early life, pointing to a 2017 study in the journal Pediatrics that followed two groups of deaf and hard of hearing young children with cochlear implants.

The group that learned spoken language with the aid of the implants, he said, had not only greater speech recognition and skill with spoken language, but also reading, compared to the group who solely used sign language.

Weber dismisses arguments for an either/or approach, arguing that both spoken and sign language can be important tools in helping deaf children's "cognition, emotional and social development."

"The brain does not care, 'Is the language coming through the tongue?' or, 'Is the language coming through the hand?'" she said.

Booth says that Bell's legacy of deaf education instead left deaf people to advocate for themselves in a hearing society that too often leaves them behind.

"Our world would be different for deaf people if he redirected his energy towards changing hearing people instead of deaf people," she said.

"What's even more important is to not put a burden on deaf people in terms of them getting into the hearing world."
Written by Jonathan Ore. The documentary Unsound: The Legacy of Alexander Graham Bell was produced by Veronica Simmonds.

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Alexander Graham Bell's oralist mission still harms deaf and hard of hearing people, say critics | CBC Radio

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Alexander Graham Bell's true passion, and the project he focused on his entire life and funded with his earnings from the telephone, was the education of deaf people. But according to author Katie Booth, the harm of oralism still reverberates today.

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Why Sign?

Language acquisition at a very early age is critical for every child who is deaf or hard of hearing. It leads to the development of literacy skills needed throughout the child's life.

Caretakers should introduce deaf and hard hearing children to language as early as possible. The earlier any child is exposed to and begins to acquire language, the better that child's communication skills will become.

Eligibility

The Gallaudet University Regional Center can provide weekly Sign Language instruction, at no cost, to families who:

Live in Massachusetts

Have a child who is deaf or hard of hearing aged 0-3

And are currently receiving services through an Early Intervention Program.

Goals

The goal of the MA Family Sign Language Program is to introduce family members to Sign Language, enabling them to communicate with their child at the earliest age possible. Extended family members and caregivers are encouraged to participate. All of our tutors are Deaf or hard of hearing, have had a criminal background check, are specially trained in the provision of Sign Language instruction and follow a specially devised curriculum that is perfect for families.

Curriculum

The curriculum will address not only the learning of sign vocabulary, but the application of the signs to everyday family life. As part of the classes, our tutors will also share their knowledge about Deaf culture and will teach the family ways of making their family communications more visual and accessible for their child.

How It Works

This program is coordinated by the Gallaudet University Regional Center at Northern Essex Community College through a contract with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The Family Sign Language Program will send a deaf or hard of hearing tutor into the family's home once a week to work with the family. The goal of this program is to introduce family members to Sign Language, enabling them to communicate with their child at the earliest age possible.

Families will receive a total of 20 weeks of instruction tailored specifically to them. The first 10 weeks are provided in the family's home; the second 10 weeks may be in the home, online, or in a group setting with other families. Classes will be scheduled at a time convenient for the family.

For more information please contact

Aimee Stevens
Family Sign Language Program Coordinator

978-556-3701 voice
978-556-3703 fax
978-241-7057 VP/VRS
fslp@necc.mass.edu

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Language acquisition at a very early age is critical for every child who is deaf or hard of hearing. It leads to the development of literacy skills needed throughout the child's life. Caretakers should introduce deaf and hard hearing children to language as early as possible.

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[Video Description: A white female with dark shoulder length hair is wearing glasses, golden earrings, and a grey shirt with a black cardigan and black background.]

Sheryl Spera Executive Director Search Committee Member and Board Member

DEAF, Inc. is embarking on an exciting new chapter. DEAF, Inc. has selected as its new Executive Director, Darian Burwell Gambrell, effective September 2021! Gambrell succeeds Sharon Applegate, who will retire this month after 18 years of service to DEAF, Inc.

The organization is the only Massachusetts community-based, multi-service nonprofit run by and for Deaf (Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened) adults. DEAF, Inc. is founded on the principle of self-determination and the rights of Deaf people to identify their own goals and follow through on achieving them, taking increasingly independent charge of their lives.

The search, which was first announced in March 2021, was led by a search committee of staff members and Board representatives and facilitated by Innivee Strategies, Inc., a Deaf-owned and led organizational and leadership development company.

Wesley Ireland
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The search process attracted a group of excellent candidates who brought their unique experiences and vision for the organization. We are excited to welcome Darian Burwell Gambrell as DEAF, Inc.'s new Executive Director. She is a true champion of the community. Darian impressed the search committee and the Board with her transformative leadership philosophy and the depth of experience she brings to the role.

Darian Burwell Gambrell Incoming Executive Director

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Sheryl Spera Executive Director Search Committee Member and Board Member

DEAF Inc. has had an amazing impact on the Massachusetts community over the past 44 years through its educational and human services. I look forward to getting to know the many people and groups who have been impacted by and supported DEAF, Inc., and building a shared vision for the organization's future together. Thank you for your confidence in me to continue to lead DEAF, Inc.'s vision. I look forward to meeting with the staff, community members, and current/new partnerships in the Massachusetts area. One of my priorities at DEAF, INC will be to expand visibility on the top services and resources DEAF, Inc. has to provide. I can't wait to meet you!

Shane Feldman CEO - Innivee Strategies

[Video Description: A white female with dark shoulder length hair is wearing glasses, golden earrings, and a grey shirt with a black cardigan and black background]

Since 2017, Gambrell has been a manager at the Raleigh regional center of the North Carolina Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, which has seven regional centers across the state. Prior to this role, Gambrell was well-known at Gallaudet University for her student-centered management; she oversaw the Office of Student Success and had a leadership role in the university's JumpStart and Peer Mentoring programs for incoming students. Gambrell has worked in several positions in non-profit, colleges, and state agencies throughout her career. She is a current member on the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University and a former board member for Arts Access, Inc. Gambrell hosts community conversations and workshops and has since cultivated a reputation as an engaging facilitator on diversity and inclusion dialogues.

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Hello! My name is Shane Feldman. I am the CEO for Innivee Strategies, Inc. The DEAF, Inc. Executive Director search committee and board did an incredible job in leading the search process in collaboration with our company. The process was co-created and designed with an emphasis on involving stakeholders and building trust in the search and selection process. Their efforts resulted in the selection of Darian Burwell Gambrell, the new Executive Director of DEAF, Inc. Her qualifications, leadership, and vision are parallel with what the organization and community shared that they wanted from the new DEAF, Inc. Executive Director. Both DEAF, Inc. and Innivee Strategies, Inc. wish to extend their appreciation to the DEAF, Inc. community members who contributed to the search process and to all individuals who applied for the role.

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Video Description: A white female with dark shoulder length hair is wearing glasses, golden earrings, and a grey shirt with a black cardigan and black background.] Sheryl Spera Executive Director Search Committee Member and Board Member DEAF, Inc. is embarking on an exciting new chapter. DEAF, Inc.

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state of rhode island:  rhode island school for the deaf

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State of Rhode Island: Rhode Island School for the Deaf

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State of Rhode Island: Rhode Island School for the Deaf

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What we're about

We are a group of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Signers who meet every week to chat in American Sign Language. This group is open to people who speaks American Sign Language. We especially encourage people to come to our group who want to HAVE FUN while socializing with all sorts of different people! This is not a study group nor class! It's a great group for practicing having real conversations in American Sign Language.

We are a bunch of people who speaks American Sign Language, and who want to get better and better at signing. Some of us want to become interpreters or are in interpreting programs. Others work with Deaf people or have Deaf family members. We have American Sign Language students, pros, and everything in between. Some of us are Deaf and just want to hang out with other fun Deaf, hard-of-hearing, or hearing people who sign. Essentially, we are a social group brought together because we love American Sign Language and we want to have a place where we can socialize, get to know one another, and practice our American Sign Language skills.

Boston Area American Sign Language Meetup welcomes and celebrates diversity in our membership! We do not tolerate audism, racism, sexism, homophobia, or any other type of discriminatory behavior at our meetings.

Group rules:

1. Sign up as member when you join

2. RSVP when you attend any of our ASL Meetups to make it easy for organizer to keep an record of attendances

3. Please treat all members with courtesy and respect--both online and in person.

4. Membership is at the discretion of the organizers, and you can be removed from the group at any time.

We hope to see you at a Meetup soon!

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Boston Area American Sign Language Meetup (Cambridge, MA)

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We are a group of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Signers who meet every week to chat in American Sign Language. This group is open to people who speaks American Sign Language. We especially encourage people to come to our group who want to HAVE FUN while socializing with all sorts of different people!

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Gaining New Perspectives: Leadership Lessons from a Deaf CEO | Ryan Maliszewski | TEDxCollegePark

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American Sign Language & Interpreting Education

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Skip to content Apply This group meets once a month at Boston area establishments for socialization. For information about upcoming events please see their Twitter or Facebook Page. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts offers a free guided tour in ASL with no spoken English for MFA members and visitors who are fluent in ASL.

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Join us online for the MFA's fourth annual ASL Night, a celebration of Deaf culture for members of the Deaf community and friends! Kicking off Deaf History Month, which runs from March 13 to April 15, this free virtual event highlights the art, language, and culture of the community.

The entire program is presented in ASL by Deaf artists, performers, and tour guides with voice interpretation and open captions. Stream here or on the MFA's Facebook or YouTube channels to watch. Featuring:

Welcome remarks from Jessica Doonan, the MFA's manager of Accessibility

A dance performance from DEAFinitely, Inc, merging ASL, hip-hop, b-boy, and breakdancing

An art-making activity led by local artist Takiyah Harris

A tour in ASL with MFA guide Leon Jerfita

A performance combining magic and art with magician Steve Weiner

Presented in partnership with DEAF, Inc, Boston Children's Hospital Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program, and Massachusetts State Association of the Deaf (MSAD).
Keep Our Virtual Programs Alive

Your support makes online programming at the MFA possible. We can't do it without you.

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Join us online for the MFA's fourth annual ASL Night, a celebration of Deaf culture for members of the Deaf community and friends! Kicking off Deaf History Month, which runs from March 13 to April 15, this free virtual event highlights the art, language, and culture of the community.

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MSAD has a long-standing history of serving and advocating for the Deaf Communities in the Massachusetts since 1977, by promoting, preserving and protecting the civil, human, and linguistic rights of Deaf individuals in Massachusetts.

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On Becoming Hearing: Lessons in Limitations, Loss, and Respect | Dirksen Bauman | TEDxGallaudet