Sign Language Update

Hello Everyone!

So, I just wanted to put out an update on my sign language learning and practicing since I have had a lot more time this week, due to it being Spring Break. While I have worked on several medical signs, songs, and the vocabulary that I talked about on the first blog, I have also been trying to dive a little deeper into the deaf culture. I have found a couple who pots Vlogs on YouTube about their experiences and adventures. ASL with subtitles is used throughout the entire video, so even though I could only pick up a few words I recognize here and there, I could follow along with what they were talking about. Their channel is called “Our Signed World” (oursignedworld) and it just gives their viewers a glimpse into their lives as a hearing (Courtney) and deaf (Zach) couple. Being able to watch these videos have helped me to pick up on some more conversational words and phrases that I would use on a more day to day basis. They also talk some about deaf culture and how it fits into the hearing world. Watching these vlogs has been both fun and informative for someone who is trying to learn ASL.

            Also, on a separate note, I wanted to talk about an experience that I had today. I was leaving my house for a doctor’s appointment this morning and realized that my car was 8 miles until empty. Therefore, I left my house and stopped at the nearest gas station. I went inside to pay for my gas and there were two customers in front of me. The first man bought his coffee and cigarettes and left, and then the second man stepped up to the counter. I noticed that the man was not saying anything, but was instead alternating holding up 3 fingers and then 0. He would then point to his car parked outside the door at the pump. The cashier kept asking, “What? I don’t understand you. What do you need?” And the man continued trying to tell him. Finally, he motioned for a blank piece of paper sitting on the counter with a pen. On the paper he wrote, “I need $30 more in gas.” The cashier who had just told the man he didn’t understand stated, “Yeah, I got that part. What pump?” Mind you the man had obviously been into the station once by this point because he was saying he needed “more”. That means the cashier had likely just rang him up a few minutes before. The man pointed to a car outside at a pump where you could not see the number from the inside of the store. Mind you, there was only 2 cars parked out at the pump and the man was obviously pointing to the blue one. The cashier states, “You realize there are four pumps out there, how am I supposed to know which one you want?” By this point I was livid. How dare he speak to this man the way he was. So, I stepped to the window and saw that it had to be pump 3. I then looked at the man and finger spelled, “You need $30 gas for the blue car, right?” He looked thrilled that someone was willing to stand up for him. He signed, “Yes, thank you,” and then looked back at the cashier. I then said to the cashier, “He needs $30 worth of gas on pump 3.” He then states that he just sold the man $5 worth of gas for that pump. So, I said (very angry at this point) “Great, well now he needs $30 more in the same pump.” The cashier nods and hangs his head, rings the man up, and hands him the receipt. The man looks at me and signs, “Thank you! Have a good day,” and then leaves the store. It is now my turn to pay for my gas. The cashier looks at me and says, “That was ridiculous, huh? He could have told me that to begin with.” I was astounded that someone who be that blatantly disrespectful to another human being and then have the gall to make it out as though it were the customer’s fault and that it was an inconvenience. I asked him if he realized the man was deaf. He said that he did, but he could have found a better way to communicate. Needless to say, I was livid. I told him that communication was his job. The man told him repeatedly what he needed and the cashier continued to tease him and mock him by pretending he did not understand. That is not okay! You do not treat another human being that way under any circumstances. I was glad that my low quality, beginner signing and finger spelling could help, but I was so angry that this was even an issue. What happened to offering another person basic human decency? I realize that everyone does not know sign language, just like everyone does not speak Spanish; however, the man tried to communicate in 3 different ways; at some point we have to meet them halfway and want to understand what they are telling us! People need to learn to be nice to others who are different than them!

I think this shows an important reason why we should try to learn more about other cultures, and I am not just saying this because this circumstance struck a chord with me because I am currently learning about the culture that was being mocked during the above situation. I am saying this in general. There is so much hate in this world and it saddens me to realize that at the rate we are going it is only going to get worse.

It is due to things such as this that have made me want to be an interpreter for the deaf eventually, whether that be formally or even in smaller scale situations like this. I want to be a voice for the those who are only able to speak through their hands and show others that, though the communication style is different, they are still people. There is a big difference between deaf and ignorant, and people need to realize that.

This post was more to share about how I have already seen sign language impacting my life, rather than a practice update. However, I did want to list some of the sources I have been using for the medical signs and which songs I have been working on. For the medical signs, I again looked to Meredith ASL and Bill Vicars. Their videos are so informational and easy to follow along with. I also used a video that my mom shared with me on Facebook where a deaf paramedic gave some signs she felt were most important in an emergency medical setting. However, I now cannot find the video or the paramedic who taught the signs; however, most of them were also found in the other two videos mentioned above.

I will continue studying these words and will decide on new topics or guided studying to begin within the next few days. I will keep everyone updated with what is to come! Thank you and I will give more information soon!