Invisible/Overlooked

Family

Sources: SigningSavvy, Lifeprint, ASLDeafined

[Image ID:

The initialized sign for Family in American Sign Language. Both hands in F handshape start with thumbs and index fingers touching each other, then twist forward ending with pinkies touching. Movement is illustrated by arms that are translucent blue and pink in different stages of the sign. Background is white.

End ID]

Remove

Sources: SigningSavvy, Lifeprint, ASLDeafined

[Image ID:

Remove in American Sign Language. A handshape moves from base hand in open 5 handshape to the side and opens to a 5 handshape. Movement is illustrated by arms that are translucent green, blue, and purple in different stages of the sign.

End ID]

I forgot to post yesterday but DPAN.TV had an interpreter team for the debate. You can still watch it.

[Transcript from DailyMoth.com:

Do you plan to watch the presidential debate on Tuesday night? Donald Trump versus Kamala Harris? DPAN announced that it would provide ASL interpreters, specifically Deaf interpreters, for the debate. You have to go to the website DPAN.tv. They will stream the debate from ABC News and add interpreters. It is a really nice way to experience the debate because whenever I watched debates with just captioning, it didn’t really show interruptions or crosstalk. The captions can’t keep up. But with interpreters, you can see both candidates talking at the same time, and any interruptions from the moderator. You can feel the tone, the drama, or the flow. Nice! So are you ready for tomorrow (Tuesday) night? 9 pm EST. Go to DPAN.tv. Thank you to DPAN for providing ASL access.

End transcript]

Surgery

Sources: SigningSavvy, Lifeprint, ASLDeafined

[Image ID:

Surgery in American Sign Language. Hand in A handshape drags thumb against base hand in open B handshape. Movement is illustrated by arms that are translucent green and blue in different stages of the sign.

End ID]

Got some cool stuff from 58creativity!

[Image ID: a picture of 5 items:

1: a tan T-shirt. The design has a mountain, trees, and play outside in English and ASL.

2: a sticker of the sign grow, which is green with a plant coming out of the top hand.

3: a sticker of the sign for tea with the base hand replaced with a teacup and leaves.

4: a blue button that has the sign for support and a heart under the words "Support Deaf Artists."

5: a note from the artist that says, "Thank you so much for purchasing and sorting my business as a deaf artist. Your support means a lot to me as it inspires me to create more." There is line art of the artist signing thank you.

End ID]

It was in my inbox for a month. I think I've made them wait long enough

it's a little early for this but could we get a happy Halloween if you haven't already?

Sure, it's close enough

Halloween

Sources: SigningSavvy, Lifeprint, ASLDeafined

[Image ID:

Halloween in American Sign Language. Both hands in bent B handshape rotate to cover the eyes. Movement is illustrated by arms that are translucent purple and orange. Eyes and fangs are purple.

End ID]

Day 1 of @elliottnotyet's Marchirp

Chicken

Sources: SigningSavvy, Lifeprint, ASLDeafined

[Image ID: Chicken in American Sign Language. Dominant hand in small O handshape starts pointing out in front of signer's mouth, then pecks base hand. End ID]

When I’m out with Deaf friends, I put my hearing aid in my purse. It removes any ability to hear, but far more importantly, it removes the ambiguity that often haunts me.

In a restaurant, we point to the menu and gesture with the wait staff. The servers taking the order respond with gestures too. They pantomime “drinks?” and tell us they learned a bit of signs in kindergarten. Looking a little embarrassed, they sign “Rain, rain, go away, come again another day” in the middle of asking our salad dressing choice. We smile and gently redirect them to the menu. My friends are pros at this routine and ordering is easy ― delightful even. The contrast with how it feels to be out with my hearing husband is stunning.

Once my friends and I have ordered, we sign up a storm, talking about everything and shy about nothing. What would be the point? People are staring anyway. Our language is lavish, our faces alive. My friends discuss the food, but for me, the food is unimportant. I’m feasting on the smorgasbord of communication ― the luxury of chatting in a language that I not only understand 100% but that is a pleasure in and of itself. Taking nothing for granted, I bask in it all, and everything goes swimmingly.

Until I accidentally say the word “soup” out loud.

Pointing at the menu, I let the word slip out to the server. And our delightful meal goes straight downhill. Suddenly, the wait staff’s mouths start flapping; the beautiful, reaching, visual parts of their brains go dead, as if switched off.

“Whadda payu dictorom danu?” the server’s mouth seems to say. “Buddica taluca mariney?”

“No, I’m Deaf,” I say. A friend taps the server and, pointing to her coffee, pantomimes milking a cow. But the damage is done. The server has moved to stand next to me and, with laser-focus, looks only at me. Her pen at the ready, her mouth moves like a fish. With stunning speed, the beauty of the previous interactions ― the pantomiming, the pointing, the cooperative taking of our order ― has disappeared. “Duwanaa disser wida coffee anmik? Or widabeeaw fayuh-mow?”

Austin “Awti” Andrews (who’s a child of Deaf adults, often written as CODA) describes a similar situation.

“Everything was going so well,” he says. “The waiter was gesturing, it was terrific. And then I just said one word, and pow!! It’s like a bullet of stupidity shot straight into the waiter’s head,” he explains by signing a bullet in slow motion, zipping through the air and hitting the waiter’s forehead. Powwwww.

Hearing people might be shocked by this, but Deaf people laugh uproariously, cathartically.

“Damn! All I did was say one word!” I say to my friends. “But why do you do that?” they ask, looking at me with consternation and pity. “Why don’t you just turn your voice off, for once and for all?” they say.

Hearing people would probably think I’m the lucky one ― the success story ― because I can talk. But I agree with my friends.

  —  I’m Deaf And I Have ‘Perfect’ Speech. Here’s Why It’s Actually A Nightmare.

Coffee

Sources: SigningSavvy, Lifeprint, ASLDeafined

[Image ID:

The sign for Coffee in American Sign Language. Both hands in S handshape, palms facing signer, are stacked with dominant hand on top moving in a circular motion. Movement is illustrated by arms that are translucent blue, purple, and pink in different stages of the sign. Background is white

End ID]

Jellyfish

Sources: SigningSavvy

[Image ID:

Hand in C handshape rests fingertips on base hand which pulses between 5 handshape and C handshape, moving upward every time it moves to C handshape. Movement is illustrated by arms that are translucent blue, purple, and pink in different stages of the sign. Background is transparent.

End ID]