Looking to practice your ASL? Try Deaf Chat Coffee

This blog post is part of our Deaf Culture series for Signing Time families.

Deaf Chat Coffee logoIf 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 get motivated to study sign language. We want to promote better communication between everyone, not just ourselves.”

Deaf Chat Coffee events are free and open to the public. If you want to attend with your child, you can take these steps to prepare:

  • Visit www.deafcoffee.com and find a group near you
  • Email the coordinator and introduce yourself
  • Ask the coordinator if other children will be attending
  • Brush up on fingerspelling your name and your child’s name
  • Watch the Signing Time Nice to Meet You DVD and practice greeting signs together
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