deafaq

[deafaq]

Not everyone knows this so im gonna tell you. Countries that speak the same spoken language will not necessarily use the same sign language.

For example, American Sign Language and French Sign Language are related and I’ve known ASL users who have said they could stumble through communication with people who use LSF.

British sign language is completely unrelated to ASL however. The two languages have almost nothing in common. BSL is related to Australian sign language but Auslan and BSL still aren’t the same language.

Mexico from what I gather has at least three completely unrelated sign languages, though LSM is the most widely used. Mainland China and Taiwan use completely different unrelated sign languages despite both countries using Mandarin. Portuguese sign language is influenced by Swedish sign language while Brazilian sign language is influenced by LSF. In most of Canada they use ASL but in Quebec they have their own unique sign language that’s still related to ASL and LSF. Nicaraguan sign language is a unique language naturally developed by children in a school for the deaf and is completely unrelated to the sign languages around it in other Spanish speaking countries.

I could go on and on and on. There’s hundreds of sign languages out there and they don’t follow the same geographic lines that spoken ones do. Keep that in mind.

[deafaq]

Hi! This might be a silly question but it's my first time learning a 3rd language for regular use where I'm not sure how immersion works best compared to vocalized languages. I'm learning ASL and work in a retail setting. When working with customers that are Deaf or HOH that I already noticed using ASL, is it or could it be considered rude to continue the interaction in ASL even though I'm not fluent?

Hello,

really depends on the person. But generally, deaf people will respond positively, in my experience.

Just keep in mind that not everyone who uses ASL is deaf and not everyone who is deaf/hoh uses or knows ASL.

Mod T

[deafaq]

helllo ^_^!! very good blog you have , very glad I found it!!

I was wondering what your thoughts are on Deaf Schools? like schools for the Deaf (is that right term?)

also was wondering if you know any blogs or such thatll do beta reading/sensitivity reading for writings of d/Deaf characters :3?

have a good day!!!!

Hello,

Deaf schools can be a complicated topic. They are a very important place for sharing Deaf culture and sign languages, but have also been places of oppression and bad treatment of deaf people.

These days, whether school is good or bad depends on the principal and the program school has. I have visited around 6 or 7 Deaf schools in my life and their quality varied wildly. Some were amazing places for learning and great options for deaf students, some I would shut down immediately for horrible education methods. And some were just average.

These days, most deaf/hoh kids end up in mainstream schools, which has its advantages and disadvantages too. Deaf schools are in decline by numbers and most students there now have additional disabilities or other difficulties (as in, they are from immigrant families, etc).

Of course, this applies to primary and secondary education, not colleges/universities. Deaf universities are another topic entirely.

I am sorry, I do not have any links to such blogs. Try search engines? And keep in mind that sensitivity reading is usually paid, as its often time consuming activity and disabled people should be paid for their labour.

Mod T

[deafaq]

What kind of technology do you think would help d/Deaf / HoH people in the future? Should there be more research into improving hearing aids, or making real-time captioning glasses, or maybe AI that can translate sign language instead of a human interpreter? What would be super useful if it existed?

Hello,

hearing loss is very varied, as are the types of communication people use. As such, I wouldn't focus on one single technology, since it wouldn't fit all deaf people.

Hearing aids can't be much improved, imo - they work on making sounds louder for existing hearing. They can be fine tuned, but they are more akin to glasses. The biggest issue with hearing aids isn't technology, but their price - they often aren't covered by insurance and as such, remain inaccessible for lot of people. There is also a significant stigma about their usage, esp for people who lose hearing later in life and discomfort with using them. I think that should be the priority.

Cochlear implants are a hearing device which can still be improved and does keep improving every year. Ideal end goal would be hearing identical to natural hearing and smaller size of implant. Current implants do work well, but sounds from them are different compared to "ordinary" hearing (more robotized, less fine) and they are still fairly big. Of course, you can't make them too small, otherwise you wouldn't be able to operate them. And same as hearing aids, price remains a problem - not just price of surgery and implant itself, but of batteries and upkeep.

I would honestly love real time caption glasses! They do exist in some way nowadays, but not in any practical form. One of the biggest issues is that automatic caption is still pretty... hit or miss. Especially in louder environments, extra especially if your language isn't English. I do think its a neat technology that could be useful, but we are far from its ideal existence. (not to mention, problems with privacy, connection to internet, how to power them, price, etc etc.)

There already has been some attempts into artificial interpreter, but nothing really workable. Big issue is that you need both technology that produces very fine tuned movement of all top parts of body (including face expressions) and is able to capture movement and recognize movement. Another issue is that you would need to have a workable library of all signs in a specific sign language. ASL is probably the closest to it, but it would need to be likely captured for that technology specifically and that's insane amounts of work. Unlike with written English, you can't just scrape internet for signs - they are in various video forms, differ slightly, lot of signs aren't on internet at all... To have AI interpreter, you first need to have a great, indexed sign language dictionary and that doesn't really exist at the moment.

(there are various online dictionaries but their quality... is in my opinion not up to par for this)

The biggest problem often isn't technical limit of technology itself, but the amount of time and money it would need for these technologies to exist. That's why cochlear implants get most "updates", bcs its funded by big medical companies and it brings lot of money.

In ideal world, I would love to have all of these technologies. If you focus on just one, you risk leaving part of community in the lurch. Not all deaf/hoh people use sign language. Not all deaf/hoh people want or can use hearing aids or cochlear implants. Not all deaf/hoh people are good readers (either due language issues or additional disabilities).

Hope this helped,

Mod T

[deafaq]

i feel strongly about this

[deafaq]

How do you remove the gender/age from signs in Asian sign languages that cannot say sibling as a single sign, etc...?

Hello,

I am afraid this is outside of my area of expertise. I do not speak any asian sign language and I only know about their gendered signs from linguistic articles.

Generally, a lot of languages are gendered and the gender is impossible/difficult to remove with the existing grammar. Usually, if one wants to avoid using gendered words, new words are created - e.g., nibling in addition to niece and/or nephew in English.

A native speaker(s) of said asian sign language could therefore create a new sign, if they wished to. If that's likely or how would that look like, I cannot say.

Mod T

[deafaq]

Just something I really want to share on here because it’s important.

[deafaq]

Write more Deaf characters!

[Large Text: Write more Deaf characters!]

When answering questions about deaf and hard of hearing characters, I have noticed they are overwhelmingly about:

A character who is deaf in one ear or hard of hearing because of an accident

A character who was born deaf and knows sign language, but seems to have 0 connection to the broader Deaf community

This is not the experience of most d/Deaf people! So, here's your primer to Deaf community and culture, and writing a Deaf character, because they are sorely underrepresented.

(Disclaimer: this post was written using viewpoints I, a singular Deaf person in the United States, have encountered. I tried to make this as general as possible to encompass many Deaf views, but it is possible that I have misconstrued something. Do not take this guide as the be-all and end-all of your knowledge on Deaf culture. Keep reading and researching the Deaf community, and explore viewpoints from many different Deaf people of all backgrounds.)

Why do you write Deaf with capital D?

[Large Text: Why do you write Deaf with capital D?]

The term "deaf" with the lowercase d means not being able to hear. The term "Deaf" with an uppercase D refers to the cultural identity formed by deaf people. This identity is difficult to explain but it includes knowing sign language and engaging with other Deaf people.

There are varying opinions within the Deaf community on who is allowed to call themselves culturally Deaf. Some Deaf believe that only those who were born into the Deaf community (whose family is Deaf, who attended a Deaf school, and/or who have sign language as a first language) are allowed to consider themselves culturally Deaf. On the 'flip' side, some Deaf believe that anyone with hearing loss can claim the label. And of course, you can find someone Deaf with any opinion in between.

This is all intracommunity nuance. If your character is born deaf and learns sign language at a young age or as a first language, they are likely culturally Deaf.

Sign Language Use

[Large Text: Sign Language Use]

Sign languages are the language of Deaf communities. (Note that there are many sign languages in different regions, and they are not related in the same way spoken languages are!)

Most sign languages did not originate alongside spoken language, either, so they usually have different grammar than the spoken language in a region. This means that someone whose first language is sign may have difficulty learning even the written version of the spoken language due to the different grammar and translation. For native signers, the spoken language of their area is their second language.

Sign languages are fully developed languages, with grammar and structure. Sign language is not "less" than spoken language, and encouraging sign language does not discourage speech. (Even if it did, that's not a bad thing! Sign languages are still a valid and rich communication form!) Sign languages have slang and expressions/idioms too.

Sign languages typically have a "manual alphabet" otherwise known as "fingerspelling". This is a way to represent words that don't have a sign. Fluent signers very rarely fingerspell; normally fingerspelling is for proper nouns which don't have a name sign.

Name signs are the last big point I want to cover about sign language. A name sign is a way to refer to someone so you don't have to spell their name every time. It's usually related to someone's attributes, like dimples or a specific way of moving. Sign names can only be given by Deaf people who are fluent in sign language.

Deaf Education

[Large Text: Deaf Education]

For a long time, deaf people were considered unable to learn, just because they couldn't hear. And since 1880, for about 100 years and even still today, the prevailing tradition in deaf education was/is oralism--a teaching method based on speech that rejects sign language.

Historically speaking, if deaf children were to receive an education, they would be sent to a Deaf residential school. These still exist, although there are also many Deaf schools that are typical day schools, just for d/Deaf/hoh students.

Deaf children may also attend "mainstream" schools; they might have sign language interpreters and other accessibility accommodations, or they may be forced to rely on lipreading and context, or placed in special education where their needs often still are not met.

Oralism still has lasting effects today. Deaf people have received, and still do receive, worse education than hearing people.

One common problem is language deprivation. Many deaf children grow up without access to sign language. About 90% of deaf people are born to hearing parents; even if hearing parents do send their deaf kids to a Deaf school, they may not learn sign language themselves, so the child must rely on what they can gather of spoken language at home. Sign language is even discouraged by some audiologists and speech professionals, because it "might interfere with speech". But by depriving deaf children of sign language, more often than not, they are being deprived of all language.

People who are born deaf do not learn spoken language naturally, even when provided with aids like hearing aids and cochlear implants. Many deaf kids who learn speech learn it through extensive speech therapy, and often have a "deaf accent" from copying mouth shapes but not being able to hear or process what sounds they are making, which may also include having an atypically pitched voice (e.g., very high-pitched). Lip-reading is inaccurate and the best lip-readers can only follow about 30% of a conversation, and that's by intently watching with no breaks.

It is possible to learn a language at any age. But it is easiest to pick up a new language when one is young. Children who do not learn a first language by around age 5--the age at which they would start school--have more difficulty learning any language, and may have frequent outbursts or trouble expressing emotions as a result of communication difficulties.

Another problem, especially within the Deaf community, is literacy. Spoken languages are often unrelated to the signed language of the same region. Learning to read and write, as a Deaf child, is like learning a whole new separate language, with different grammar and structure than their native language. This is why captions are not a perfect accessibility tool--it is, for many Deaf people, being offered an alternative in their second language, if they have learned to read and write at all.

Deaf Culture Norms

[Large Text: Deaf Culture Norms]

To hearing people, Deaf conversation can seem very blunt and to the point. This isn't to say Deaf people are inexpressive--quite the opposite: sign languages often use facial expressions as part of the grammar, and there is a lot of expression that can be incorporated into a sign--but there isn't a lot of "talking around" things. You can see part of this culture in name signs, which are usually based off a trait of the person. It's not offensive--it's just how they're recognized!

Another conception is of Deaf people being over expressive, but again, that is just part of sign language grammar. Face and body movements take the place of tone of voice, as well as other grammatical clarifications.

Deaf people talk a lot! It's very hard to end a conversation, because there will always be something else to say or a new person to meet. Hugging and other physical touch are really common greetings.

Tapping people on the shoulder to get their attention is fine. Other ways include flicking the lights or rattling a surface (for vibrations). Eye contact while signing is also important to make known that you are listening. Groups of Deaf people will sit in a circle so everyone can see everyone else. It's rude to talk in a Deaf space. If you are lost in the conversation, you'd ask if you can write or type instead.

Deaf Space also refers to design concepts that are more accessible to deaf people. This includes good lighting, minimal signing-height visual obstacles (e.g., low waist-height shelves), visual indicators instead of bells, open spaces so people can sit in a circle to talk, and automatic doors and wide hallways/passages so it is easier to continue a conversation while walking.

It's also very rude to comment on a Deaf person's voice. Do not mention you're surprised they can speak. Do not call their accent "cute" or "weird" or anything like that. Do not ask them to speak. Do not say their voice sounds really good ("for a deaf person") or that you wouldn't be able to tell they are deaf.

Deaf Views on Deafness

[Large Text: Deaf Views on Deafness]

The Deaf community is incredibly proud of their Deafness. You'll often hear the phrases "hearing loss = deaf gain" or "failing a hearing test" as "passing the deaf test". Continuing the Deaf community and culture is highly valued, and learning sign language is encouraged for everyone.

Many people in the Deaf community dislike cochlear implants as their success is incredibly variable and they require invasive surgery and therapies from a young age. Another big argument against CI is that they are often presented as the only or the first option to hearing parents, who misunderstand CI as a "cure" and then do not give their child access to sign language.

Deaf people also reject any sort of cure for deafness, especially genetic therapies. Many Deaf people do not think of their Deafness as a disability.

(Deaf people will often point out the advantages of Deaf culture and sign language, such as being able to talk over long distances, through windows, and even underwater.)

Most hard of hearing and some deaf people have hearing aids, although it is really an individual choice whether or not to wear them. Many d/Deaf/hoh people are overwhelmed and startled very easily by noise (since they're not used to that much auditory input) and get tinnitus from auditory overstimulation. They may also struggle with auditory processing--locating sounds, interpreting sounds, recognizing and interpreting speech, and other issues.

The Deaf community doesn't have any general complaints about hearing aids, just many prefer not to wear them. Do know that they are an imperfect aid; they just amplify sound, which doesn't improve processing or understanding, and it doesn't make people hearing. Not everyone even benefits from hearing aids--their specific hearing levels may make hearing aids a bad choice of aid.

A big point you'll hear in Deaf spaces is Deaf Can (and Deaf Power). Hearing people have historically treated deafness as a sign of incapability, but Deaf people can do everything hearing people can--except hear.

Myth Busting

[Large Text: Myth Busting]

Myth #1: All Deaf people are completely deaf. This is very far from the truth! Most deaf people have some degree of residual hearing, although this may require very loud sounds and/or at very specific pitches. Plus, there are many culturally Deaf people who are not deaf/hoh at all--CODAs, hearing children born to Deaf parents, are part of the Deaf community.

Myth #2: (Non-speaking) Deaf people do not make noise. Also very far from the truth! First off, Deaf people laugh. Many Deaf people also vocalize without knowing or intending, especially when excited. We can get very loud!

Myth #3: (Speaking) Deaf people talk loudly. While this can be true, often d/Deaf people talk more quietly than expected. This is because with severe to profound levels of deafness, no speaking volume is really going to be audible, so they will often rely on feeling vibrations in their throat to know if they're making noise. Vibrations are detectable at lower volumes than hearing people like to listen to.

Myth #4: Deaf people can't drive. I actually have no idea where this one came from but it's false. Deaf people can absolutely drive, and tend to have a lower rate of accidents and violations than hearing drivers. There is a common trend of treating d/Deaf people like they can't do things unrelated to hearing, but deafness on its own only affects hearing.

Deaf Struggles in the Hearing World

[Large Text: Deaf Struggles in the Hearing World]

A huge problem is just basic accessibility. Many places do not have captions or visual indicators, or rely on hearing (like drive-throughs). Movie open caption screenings are often at awkward times, and caption glasses are hard to find or access and awkward to wear.

Deaf people are also at increased risk of police violence. Police often treat signing as aggression, rather than attempts to communicate. When they yell, talk quickly, or shine a flashlight in Deaf people's faces, it's even harder to understand what is going on. Deaf people are also not often provided with a qualified interpreter and may not understand what is going on or why they were arrested.

Deaf people, specifically those who are mainly kept in the hearing world, have higher rates of drug use and addiction.

Hearing people also treat Deaf people as incapable or lesser. Gallaudet University had only hearing presidents until 1988 after the Deaf President Now protests; then-chair of the board at GU said in a statement that received heavy backlash from the students, "deaf people cannot function in the hearing world".

When writing your Deaf character:

[Large Text: When writing your Deaf Character:]

Were they born to hearing parents or to Deaf parents? (90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents.) Is anyone else in the family d/Deaf?

At what age was their deafness noticed? (It can be at birth, or it can take several years, even for children born deaf.) Is their hearing loss progressive? Is their hearing loss significantly different in each ear?

Were they eligible for cochlear implants? Did they get CI? Did they get hearing aids? (Consider cost as a factor: CI requires the surgery as well as intensive speech therapy; hearing aids are also expensive and can need replacement and refitting.) How well do the aids work for them? Do they have them in one or both ears?

What advice did their family receive from audiologists and speech therapists about sign language and communication, and did their family listen? Did they learn sign language? At what age? Did their parents and family learn sign language? Are they language-deprived? Did they go through speech therapy? What is their speech like? Do they like using their voice?

Did or do they attend Deaf school? Is it residential or day school? If it's residential, did they understand what was happening when they were dropped off? Does the school use sign language or rely on oralism? (Consider time period; most schools now use sign language, but from 1880-about 1980 the predominant method was oralism.)

If they don't attend a Deaf school, what accommodations are they receiving in mainstream setting? Are they in special education? Are they in a Deaf program at a mainstream school? Do they have an interpreter? How much do they understand what is going on in class?

How involved are they in Deaf community and culture? Are their friends and family involved and supportive of the Deaf community? Do they treat deafness like something to cure? Do their friends and family frequently ignore or "forget" that they are deaf?

In general, consider their scenario, what ableism they've faced, and what their Deaf identity is.

Happy writing, and please continue to send in your questions!

Mod Rock

[deafaq]

Hey! I have a deaf character, and I’m not sure how to especially do dialogue grammar wise. I usually use ‘She signed “how are you?”’

This is obviously a very basic example sentence, but I was wondering are there better ways to write this? Should I be using dialogue tags? I’ve heard of some people doing

‘She signed how are you?’

But I don’t want that to be confused with inner thoughts, because that’s the same style I use for inside thoughts like—

‘I can’t believe she would do that. She thought to herself.’

I’ve also heard of (I think) ‘She signed <<how are you?>>’

Is this something of importance to the Deaf community? I might post this work eventually on here, and she’s one of my main characters that drives the plot forward. I don’t want to disrespectful! I usually use dialogue tags out of convenience, but I can switch it up in my edits if there’s a better and more respectful way to do it!

Hi!

Regular dialogue marks are just fine! The “signed” dialogue tag should cover it. :) [smile face]

(I have seen some books write in ASL GLOSS but this is generally clunky to audiences who don’t know ASL, and, if the author isn’t fluent in ASL, usually wrong.)

You also don’t need to just limit yourself to “signed”. Once you’ve established that your character signs, you can use whatever you want. (If she uses multiple modes of communication, just clarify which one she’s using in which scene / when she switches modes.)

[deafaq]

Hello, i am the anon who last asked about name signs, you dont have to answer this. I would just like to apologize for the way i worded the question and the question in general. I saw that it somewhat upset you and i understand why. It must be anoying to get the same question over and over again asking how to do something you told people not to do not even remotely understanding what they are asking about. Looking back, my question certainly fills that criteria even if i didn't intend it to. I thought that i about understood what name signs where from reading through the tag on this blog but i clearly missed so many things, it opened my eyes just how much i asume to know about writing a Deaf character without something solid to back it up even if i did research here . I thank you for that, genuenly, i can now do more proper research and do the people i am writing about more justice.

I once again apologize and thank you sincerely for opening my eyes, and for the work you do with your blog. Have a wonderful day.

Hello,

hey, its chill. I was a bit peeved but I got it out of my system.

Problem is, this wasn't really meant as a writing advice blog and I get name signs questions too often, so I get frustrated.

Anyway, good luck with your writing and research, I am sure it will be a good story.

Mod T

[deafaq]

Hello i wish you all a beautiful day.

i have a question about name signs related to writing. You sayd that writers can mention them but don't describe them. Could you ellaborate on that? Does this mean that we can mention that a character has one but not even say what it means and just writing the characters writen name in the place where the signing character would use the sign name?

If its not arbitrary could you say what it means and not describe how its signed? since sign names usualy relate to someone looks, personality, quirks and it could be insight into how the character who gave the sign name sees them. Or should i find a sensitivity reader if i want to do this?

Lastly nicknames. Can i have my deaf character using them for people like a hearing person would if i also write his dialog using the proper name of other characters and imply that he uses a name sign for the proper name? For example calling one of the characters Blue sometimes because they have very distinct blue eyes, usualy wears clothes with blue tones and undertones and they have a less than cheery personality but mostly refer to him to others by his proper name. Or does this and the concept of nicknames in general are too similar to a sign name in concept to be used without consulting with a deaf person first?

Hello,

your character can have a sign name... if you collaborate with a Deaf person who gives them one.

Look, the problem is, hearing writers usually have absolutely wrong idea about how name signs look and work. Writing down a name sign in letters is very difficult. They are, most of the time, not signs you can pick from dictionary - so you cannot go "characters name sign is FLOWER". Name signs are usually created as new signs specifically for the person and while they usually do include some elements of existing signs, they are entirely new.

A Deaf couple decided that they wanted their child to have an sign name on her birth certificate and it was written down as "UbOtDDstarL". Do you know what that means? Would it tell anything to your readers? Can you recreate it based on this? I think the answer to all of this is "probably not". (Unless you studied linguistics of sign language).

If you wanted to "just" describe the name sign, it would still be difficult. I have a friend whose name sign would be... "Left palm out in front, facing from the body, fingers up in the 5 spread position, right palm in tightened 5, palm towards the ground, going slashing motion across the left palm repeatedly". And it means roughly smth like "Wild, constantly breaking boundaries". But the sign itself *isn't* how WILD is signed in our sign language, its a new sign created for her.

I mean, you can use name signs, I cant barge into your room and stop you from writing them. I am just largely irritated bcs its something OURS and its fun for Deaf community and symbol of belonging. And most hearing people see it as sort of... quirky new name thing. The names are often puns and/or sometimes mean and that just doesn't translate properly to spoken language, bcs you cant translate it 1:1. And they rarely are deep meaningful stuff - its usually based on persons looks or their character traits, but like... them always being late. Them talking too big and spreading their hands. Them having really fucking huge forehead.

Look, if its a minor part of your writing, just use nicknames. You can say he calls his friend Paul "Blue" in sign language or whatever.

If you are writing something heavily featuring deafness, you should get a sensitivity reader.

Mod T

[deafaq]

Hi!!! Your blog is amazing, i just found it but i learned so much by browsing it.

So i know you are not primarily a writing blog but i don't know who ellse to send this to and finding sources for reaserch in my native language is difficult and since i am on phone i can't find your faq section for the life of me so i might even ask questions you answered plenty of times My apologies for that and the lenght. I can fill half a dictionary when i get fixated on explaining myself.

For clarification: i am hearing and i don't know any form of sign language so i might ask some very stupid or insensitive questions unintentionaly i apologise in advance.

I am writing fantasy and the two nations share a spoken language but developed diferent sign languages from the same root sign language due to separation and different enviromental factors and needs both related and unrelated to the new circumstances (for example one of the nations consists entirely of magic users and i thought they would modifie the signs to flow more with magic as it can be influenced by movement among many things) My first question is if this portrayal is alright? Is there anything offensive that i should change? would it be realistic for sign languages to be influenced like this.

There are two characters in the the story who this relates to one of them is hard of hearing and had a vocal cord injurie that makes it painful and dificult to speak and uses sign language as his only form of comunication throughout the story, he was semi verbal even befor the injurie and used sign language as a primary form of comunication since his childhood. (Would it be alright to refer to this character as culturaly deaf/ Deaf.) The other character is hearing and fuly verbal but knows sign language for complicated resons that are not realy relevant here i think, he is semy fluent in it as he gets to use it pretty regulary . They are from diferent nations tus know different sign languages. Would it be realistic for the hearing character to try and understand what the HoH character is signing by repeating the signs himself and try and asign meaning to them in the sign language he knows when they first meet instead of paying attention to the character who is interpreting. To clarify the two nations are the only one mentioned in the story and they had no outside contact for many generations befor the meeting at the start of the story so the concept of different languages (be that spoken or sign) is not exactly dead but definitly foreign and he doesn't realise beforehand that they might have diferent languages. Would this be alright since i know its a trope that there is only one capital s Sign language and i dont want to strengten it.

Also would these two character have an easier time understanding/learning each others sign language since they share the same spoken language whic both of them understand and one of them can speak. Could they learn from eachother by the verbal character signing components of a sentence individualy and saying the words for them out loud and then showing them in the proper gramatical order saying the sentence out loud and then the non verbal character signing his signs for the words in the same order the verbal character did then signing the sentence with the correct grammar he knows. Maybe the non verbal character writing down words and sentences he wants to teach the verbal character in liue of speaking out loud so the conversation is not dominated by him and the HoH character has more agency. Would this be a faster proces for them than if it was one hearing character who doesn't know sign at all and a character who speaks primarily in sign. Would the speed of this be influenced by the fact that the two sign languages have the same root sign language or the long time they developed separately would make that obsolete. Would it be possible for them to fully learn the others sign language and comunicate in it in a relatively short time frame ( i don't have an exact time frame but 1 to 3 months at most) or would it make more sense for them to develope a pidgin ( i belive thats how its called in english, apologies if not).

Also would it be the right solution if they did learn eachothers sign language comunicated primarily in the Hoh/non verbal characters native sign language to be more acomodating to him.

Lastly would it be apropriate for this to be framed in the narrative as these characters becoming closer to each other over learning to comunicate with eaxchother, it helping the the hearing character, (who is an outsider) become closer to the comunity the HoH character belongs to/their interaction being a source of joy for both of the characters. And all this being importante to the plot ( not the main focus but characters becoming closer to eachother is a very important theme in the story in general) Is this respectful portrayal or is this apropriation from Deaf culture/telling a story thats not mine to tell.

Thank you if you answer, but i understand if you chose not to. Have a lovely day regardles.

Hello,

that's a lot of text.

Anyway, here is a link to guide - https://deafaq.tumblr.com/post/190549529559/comprehensive-guide-to-writing-deaf-characters

Okay, so to take it one by one... Spoken languages and sign languages often don't follow same historical lines, so them having different development and different "similar" languages is pretty common. Not offensive, go ahead.

Though as a linguist, I must point out that if the two countries have same spoken language and no contact for many generations, the spoken language should differ too. Probably not to the point of being completely unintelligible, but it would be noticed pretty quickly.

Magical sign language is cool.

I am not very keen on the hard of hearing character with vocal chord injuries. It feels to me that the bigger emphasis is given to his lack of speaking, when it should be lack of hearing. Also, mute people are majorly over represented as sign language users compared to deaf/hoh people. This character can communicate only in sign language even if his vocal chords are fine - lot of deaf people do it, as they prefer not to use spoken language.

Re: the meeting of them... I mean, it can happen that two signers don't have common sign language but do have same spoken language. Happened to me with visiting British students, we ended up writing in English bcs BSL is completely beyond me.

But I am not really into the process you described for how the communication would work, bcs thats not really how it happens with deaf people most of the time. (or in this case, two people fairly fluent in sign language)

Usually, they'd use their sign language but with emphasis on more "iconic" communication/pantomime. (iconic = signs which look like the things they mean). Look up International sing to see what I mean. And since sign languages usually include iconic signs, even non-related sign languages are often more mutually intelligible as opposed to two non-related spoken languages. And if they have same root, there should be lot of same signs, especially for simple concepts like "sleep", "food", "me", etc.

Lot of deaf people have problems with spoken language grammar so they wouldn't bother with spoken language bridge at all. Using spoken language and writing and its grammar seems unnecessarily long winded, when you could communicate straight in SL. Also, if your HOH character has SL as his native language, he would probs prefer to stay in it.

I think they would be able to communicate basic ideas fairly quickly, esp if they communicated every day - few days at most. More difficult/meaningful conversation would likely take months or more, depending on their language aptitude and circumstances. At first, it would definitely be sort of piding/bridge language.

Then, they might switch to one sign language - probably the one they are more proficient with, so if the hard of hearing char is fluent, then theirs.

And sure, learning language is often how people get closer.

Hope this helped,

Mod T

[deafaq]

Hi, I was wondering if I could ask a question? Well, actually maybe a few? I'm a writer and in my WIP, one of my characters experiences hearing loss in one ear thanks to a head injury. Modern hearing aids aren't available. How might I write his experience with this hearing loss? Would it effect his day to day life if his other ear isn't damaged? He's planning on becoming a doctor and is in a military-kind situation: how/ would this stop him in any way of doing both? And, is there anything I should avoid when writing him as partially deaf? Thank you so much x

Hello,

we are not primarily a writing advice blog... I recommend reading my guide to writing deaf characters: https://deafaq.tumblr.com/post/190549529559/comprehensive-guide-to-writing-deaf-characters

That said, for hearing loss in one ear specifically:

problems with orientation/sound origin. Person often cant tell where the specific sound is coming from, it all seems to come from one side.

there might be trouble with understanding in loud environment (think pub or party)

there can be troubles with balance - depending on which part of the ear was damaged.

It would affect his daily life to a certain degree, but it largely depends on what environment he lives in, how he communicates, etc.

I can't really say about the military. I know several doctors who have some sort of hearing loss but they use hearing aids/cochlear implants. With one ear hearing loss, he might get by without needing it. Some militaries have health requirement, however.

Rest of your questions should be covered in the guide.

Mod T

[deafaq]

Hi!

A Deaf person just joined my family. I don't know ASL, but every time we hang out, we communicate a little bit better!

I am learning signs about her interests and my job.

Our language is very stilted, but hopefully one day we will be able to actually have a conversation!

I don't have a question. I'm just very excited. I ran into her today and we were able to exchange greetings more than just waving to each other :)

Hello,

I am glad! Keep working hard and enjoy your new family! :)

[deafaq]

this is a niche one but instead of "they would not fuckin say that" it's "they would not fucking use American sign language".

ASL is not the only sign language. two british characters in your fanfiction would not be using ASL. England in fact has its own kind of sign language, BSL, that forms a sign family with many other sign languages around the world.

ASL isn't even the original member of its sign family, it comes from french sign language. do you know sign languages aren't related to spoken languages? that's an important one! it's not a direct 1:1 with people speaking English around the world. people in other countries don't learn ASL just in case they run into an usamerican or Canadian (who do often use it)

i know the entire world is the USA or whatever and sign languages do sometimes borrow from ASL for signs they don't have, but please be aware that there are other sign languages and families in the world that are not in fact ASL.

[deafaq]

i was wondering if Deaf/HoH people find it annoying when people sign slowly? i know y'all cant speak for all deaf people but in general do you find it annoying? im wondering mostly because i am in an ASL class and other (hearing) students always say i sign way too slowly but my teacher (HoH) says its ok for in class but she never mentions if i should try to sign faster outside of class. hope this made sense haha

Hello,

I don't think there is universal answer to that. I think it depends just *how* slowly we are talking about and what level are you. If you are a beginner, its pretty common. But if you are in advanced classes already, it might be a problem.

Its important not to break the general flow of the sentence. If you are not sure of the correct sign, try finger spelling or describing it. (for example, you forgot sign for apple, you sign "it grows on trees, this shape, etc")

If other students remarked on it, it might be wise to work on this aspect to make sure your speed is up to par for general conversation.

I can't really tell you if all deaf people would find it annoying. Some would, some wouldn't... Most deaf people are general understanding of beginners. But if you are slow signer in general, they will likely remark on it and/or tease you about it.

Mod T

[deafaq]

here's a link! you'll have to make an account in order to pre-order (for free) and access the course. 🤟