Deaf Awareness Month: The Myths About Sign Language

 

I'm late with this blog post again, but only because between my bad headaches and a looming deadline, I haven't been able to post on here for Deaf Awareness Month on a Friday like I planned to. I even missed Saturday! But as long as I get a post out there at least once each week of the month, then I'm good.

 

And today is the last day for me to meet Week 3! Well, for me, it is, because I have a deadline on Wednesday, and I will be hunkering down from Monday to Wednesday, working on my article!

 

So, here is the next post for my efforts to debunk the many myths and misconceptions out there about the Deaf, for the purpose of Deaf Awareness Month. This particular post is about sign language, and there are actually MANY myths and misconceptions about sign language. In this blog post, I will be addressing five of them.

 

I have a long, torrid history with sign language. Even though I am profoundly deaf, I am not fluent in sign language. Yes! It's true! I have had many problems in my attempts to learn sign language, only because I do not have a normal left hand just like everybody else does. Because of the car accident I was in when I was 20 months old, my left hand only has three fingers. The damage to my fingers on my left hand from the car accident was so severe, doctors amputated all but my thumb on my left hand.

 

Later in life, my brilliant surgeon, Dr. Buncke, came across a procedure known as the "toe-to-thumb" transplant. Basically, toes were being amputated from feet to replace missing fingers on hands. I was asked if I wanted to go through with this procedure, and I said yes! Here is what my left hand looks like:

 

 

Now, because I have that kind of left hand, learning sign language that uses TWO hands has been immensely difficult, especially when other hearing people ask me the sign for something that requires two hands! I pretty much gave up on learning it. However, I recently learned about one-handed signing, and I am working on how to learn it.

 

With all that out of the way, let's move on to the myths!

 

Sign language, also known as sign and signing, is a major form of communication among the Deaf/HOH community. Yes, even the hard-of-hearing use signs, because sometimes, spoken words are missed or lost in translation. The most common type of sign language used in the USA is American Sign Language (ASL). You will learn more about other types as we explore the five myths about sign language.

 

Now let's get to it!

 

1. Everyone who is deaf knows sign language.

 

This is a very common misconception about people who are deaf. If, like me, a Deaf person is raised in an oral (spoken language) home, then they may not know sign language. Additionally, a person who is deaf may have only recently lost their hearing, so they may still be in the process of learning sign language. And, finally, they may only prefer fingerspelling, which is spelling out words using ASL. (This is my preferred way to communicate, but only because I have one good hand to sign letters with!)

 

2. All sign languages are the same.

 

This is another popular myth about sign language. Sorry, but this is not true! Not all sign languages are the same. Just as with spoken languages, there are many, many different types of sign language, such as SEE (Signed Exact English), BSL (British Sign Language) and LSF (French Sign Language). In fact, there are 300 different kinds of sign language worldwide.

 

3. Home signs are not sign language.

 

This is a myth that REALLY needs to come to an end. Of course home signs are sign language! "Home sign" is the term used for a sign created by a Deaf individual who cannot make the regular sign of a word or who does not yet know the sign for a word. They are common among toddlers, students of sign language, and individuals with disabilities. Some home signs are even preferred over the actual sign of a word.

 

4. It's easy to learn sign language.

 

Oh, if only! There are approximately 10,000 or more signs to learn in ASL. We have signs for the alphabet, time of day, weather and emotions. There are A LOT of signs to learn and it can take some time as well as practice to become fluent in ASL.

 

5. Sign language is the only way to communicate with a person who is deaf.

 

Sadly, there are Deaf fundamentalists who believe that sign language is the ONLY way to communicate with a Deaf person. This myth gained a lot of steam from Deaf Culture in the past, but many spokespeople representing the Deaf are changing their tune. Not everyone who is deaf is the same. Some prefer sign language while others prefer written communication. As far as communicating with my deaf husband is concerned, we speak and sign at the same time. But other ways to communicate with the Deaf are acceptable, such as handwritten communication, oral (spoken) communication (where they will read your lips), typing things on your phone, pointing at pictures or gesturing.

 

Of the many myths and misconceptions about sign language, I felt it was important to address these top five myths. You can read more myths and misconceptions by doing a search online.

 

Knowing the truth behind these myths can help you establish a better and more compassionate method of communication with an individual who is deaf. Use the type of communication which they prefer, and not one which you feel they SHOULD use. It's so important to be able to communicate effectively with another person, and using the preferred method of communication with an individual who is deaf can make that communication go through a lot easier. Not only this, but the Deaf person will appreciate you for using the type of communication method which they prefer.