Deaf Culture

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Celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages!

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The United Nations has set September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages. It’s meant to be a day to celebrate and support all sign language users, and this year’s theme is unity. The idea is to unite our world by recognizing national sign languages as part of their countries’ linguistic identities. In other words, we’re hoping that sign languages will be accepted as mainstream languages. This would open doors for so many more people in our world. So let’s look at how we can celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages. There are more than 300 different sign …

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Signing Time Academy Instructor Making a Difference in the World

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Kimberly Churchill, owner of Lil Signing Hands in St. Philips, NL Canada, & Signing Time Academy Instructor, is making a difference in her community and in the world. Kimberly’s son, Carter, who at 3 months of age, was diagnosed as profoundly deaf. She immersed herself to learn everything she could about Deaf culture and community, including learning American Sign Language (ASL). She chose to learn with Baby Signing Time, then transitioned into Signing Time and TreeSchoolers to broaden communication with her son. She continued her ASL education locally through the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for the Deaf. Carter also has …

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American Sign Language – Celebrating 200 Years

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According to The National Center for Health Statistics there are approximately 50 million Americans that have some degree of hearing loss. About 2 million are classified as deaf. Approximately 10% of those classified as deaf were born deaf, the other 90% lost their hearing later in life. American Sign Language is the 3rd most used language in the United States. It is estimated that 500,000 deaf people are in the US and Canada. American Sign Language is increasing in popularity, spreading to other countries, such as Japan and China, where is it being used for not only early communication, but as a bridge in learning English. Several organizations …

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Film Highlights Impact of Cochlear Implants

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Cochlear Implants: Leah’s Journey to Becoming Bilingual  Signing Time host Rachel Coleman has rarely spoken openly about her daughter Leah’s cochlear implant surgery. Until now. A new documentary film, Louder Than Words, reveals Rachel’s struggle to challenge her own long-held beliefs in making this complicated and far-reaching decision. Watch never-seen-before footage of Leah’s activation and follow her journey to becoming bilingual in both English and American Sign Language. Two Ways to See Louder Than Words 1. Digital Download Save $5 now with code: louder5 Get the Digital Download 2. Subscription This documentary is included in our All-Access SigningTime.TV subscription (which includes Baby Signing Time, Potty Time, Signing Time, Signing Time …

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Dorm Sweet Dorm

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by Leah Coleman When I was packing up for college last fall, my mom came in my room and said that she had booked the plane tickets. “Tickets?” I asked, and then she told me she was coming with me. I was relieved, because I had completely assumed I was going to go on my own. We still laugh about it today. She had asked, “How on earth were you going to get to campus? A taxi?” “Yes, that was my plan!” I told her.  I’ve always been a little independent. Dorm life at RIT brought some new changes in my …

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Press Release: Signing Time and Marvel Comics

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Comic Dedicated to Signing Time Star  SALT LAKE CITY, UT – July 30, 2014 In 2012, Rachel Coleman, host of the Two Little Hands series, Signing Time, met Matt Fraction, a writer for Marvel Comics, at a Signing Time concert. Fraction had been fascinated by the experience of signing with his son. He was struck by the similarities in visual communication used in both comic books and sign language. They discussed the Avenger character Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, who had once damaged his hearing in a fight. For a time, he wore hearing aids. Fraction said it was a shame that Hawkeye’s …

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Meet our Deaf/HOH Instructors

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We’d like to introduce you to our Signing Time Academy Instructors who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH). Who better to take a class or workshop from than someone fluent in ASL? These Instructors are not only great teachers, they are terrific resources for our other Signing Time Instructors. We are grateful for the contributions our Deaf/HOH Instructors make to the Signing Time Academy. Enjoy learning more about them! Note: If you are a Deaf/HOH Instructor and would like to be added to this blog, please send your information to leeann@signingtime.com.

Looking to practice your ASL? Try Deaf Chat Coffee

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This blog post is part of our Deaf Culture series for Signing Time families. If you would like to meet Deaf people in your community and get a chance to practice signing in a relaxed atmosphere, you might want to visit www.deafcoffee.com. This site provides a list of coffee socials for anyone who uses sign language. Florence Angelucci started the Deaf Chat Coffee in Batvia, Illinois. Attendance grew from a handful of people 5 years ago to about 70 people per month, including sign language students from Waubonsee Community College. Angelucci says, “We’re hoping that hearing people come here and …

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Meet two Deaf young adults on MTV’s Real Life

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Many Signing Time families have expressed a desire to learn more about Deaf culture as they learn and use signs from ASL at home. We came across this terrific episode of MTV’s True Life and shared it on our Facebook page a few weeks ago. We got so many comments from the people who watched it that we wanted to share it with our blog readers, too. We hope you enjoy meeting Christopher and Amanda and getting a glimpse into the joys and challenges they face in their lives. Watch “I’m Deaf” now. Learn more! Find more Deaf culture resources …

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