Jul 27 2010
Communicating with Signs
Opening Topic for Open Chat Night: Learning American Sign Language
Last Monday, I had dinner with a few friends in the HLAA chapter group. One of our conversations was about when we learned sign language. My hearing is close to normal by wearing hearing aids so I didn’t find the need to learn sign language to communicate with others. My hearing impaired teachers tried to teach me signs at the age of three but I refused to learn. More than likely I would have been forced to learn ASL if I had been surrounded by others with hearing loss. As I have mentioned in the past, I was the only kid in the entire school who wore hearing aids.
I recently attended several events with people who are deaf, and it is very difficult to communicate with them. In the near future, I would like to take classes to learn basic signs so I can easily interact with others who can’t hear. Share your experiences and at what age you started learning sign language.
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Will be on tomorrow night. Sign language is a beautiful way to communicate. Many churchs in the Milwaukee area offer free sessions.
My husband and I use sign language frequently. We are both hearing impaired. I am totally deaf in one ear, with tinnitus and vertigo problems. It is not so difficult to start learning sign language, a few signs at a time. It does take discipline and practice, but everything worthwhile in life takes time to make a change. So we are patient with one another and think of it as fun. We also try to make an effort to connect with the local deaf community. First it was awkward because so many were using ASL and I could not understand them. I felt alone and lost in a different world. But this is much the same way that I feel in the hearing world. I am lost and not able to keep up with the conversation. I rely on lipreading and sometimes isolate myself or avoid crowds and noisy environments. The difference, however, is that when I’m thrown into deaf community and everyone is signing, I might miss out on some of the conversation, but I am learning. If I can get over my fear of being different and stick it out, then I can learn something and take a step forward. Now I know 1000’s of signs and can slowly chat with my deaf friends who sign. They are patient with me and happy that I am trying to learn. It’s my responsibility to say, “Slow down, please” or “Again?” Learning sign language is fun, but it takes practice. I find that even though I can sign, reading ASL is another skill. It’s good to have a group like this where I can meet others who are wiling to learn new skills, and chat about our journeys as a hearing impaired person.