ASL Deafined Blog

Trump/Beto Rallies And Their Interpreting Fails
ASL Deafined Blog   Updates on Trump/Beto Rally Interpreters Updates on Trump/Beto Rally Interpreters Posted by The Daily Moth on Wednesday, February 13, 2019   Captioning is available for this video under settings.  For more stories from The Daily Moth, go to dpan.tv. 
Fri, Feb 15 2019

Handshape of the Week: D!
ASL Deafined Blog D-Handshape The D-Hanshape is done by raising the index finger as shown below in the sign for DEAF. Other signs in ASL that use the D-handshape include: Date Dating Democrat Dessert Detroit
Fri, Feb 15 2019

Deafie of the Week: Millicent Simmons!
ASL Deafined Blog     Millicent made some significant headway into Deaf History with her famed role in The Quiet Place, a horror film which incorporated American Sign Language more than what we are certainly used to. We don’t want to spoil the plot, but we (of course) encourage you to go see the movie and Millicent in action! […]
Thu, Feb 14 2019

New Deaf-Tech: Google Launches Transcription App
ASL Deafined Blog Every seasoned deafie knows the benefits (and pains) of using voice-to-text to try and communicate with another person, and now Google is hoping to make it a bit easier. In this video released on Monday we see a deaf Google Research Scientist named Dimitri Knevsky use the app to order tea and even use it […]
Fri, Feb 08 2019

Deafie of the Week: Laurent Clerc!
ASL Deafined Blog Laurent Clerc   Do you know how American Sign Language came to be? We owe a lot to a man named Laurent Clerc! Clerc was born and raised in France, and became deaf at one years old after falling into a fire. (Ouch!) He attended and graduated school at the Royal Institution for the Deaf […]
Fri, Feb 08 2019

Handshape of the Week: C!
ASL Deafined Blog C-Handshape The C-Hanshape is done by forming the entire hand into the shape of a C, as shown below in the sign for CAFE. Other signs in ASL that use the C-handshape include: Bite Church Crazy Chocolate Nutty Stranger Stove Radio Cup Cake
Thu, Feb 07 2019

Handshape of the Week: B!
ASL Deafined Blog B-Handshape   The B-handshape is shown as a vertical hand with straight fingers, and a thumb crossing over the palm. Shown below is the word BROWN, which demonstrates the B-handshape.   Other signs in ASL that use the B-Handshape are: Business Cheap Close Scarf Liar Story Wall Beer
Thu, Jan 31 2019

Deaf News This Week: Deaf Woman Killed Crossing Highway in...
ASL Deafined Blog Gloria Anderson (38), a deaf mother, has died after being struck by a vehicle while crossing the road in Monroe, Louisiana. Anderson was crossing U.S. Highway 165 at night with her 9-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son when an SUV struck the woman. The SUV, driven by a 37-year-old male, was operating without it’s lights on […]
Fri, Jan 25 2019

Handshape of the Week: A!
ASL Deafined Blog A-Handshape The A-handshape is best described as a closed fist, with your thumb resting resting along your (clenched) index finger, shown to the right. Remember that an “Open A”-handshape is slightly different, and looks like a ‘thumbs-up’. Here is and example of a sign using the A-hanshape, DRAMA:   Other signs in ASL that use […]
Thu, Jan 24 2019

Deafie of the Week: LeRoy Colombo!
ASL Deafined Blog LeRoy Colombo Via DeafPeople.Com            “LeRoy Colombo of Galveston, Texas, was a champion long-distance and endurance swimmer and lifeguard. He is credited with saving 907 lives, a feat formerly listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Stories about his incredible feats in rescuing victims of disasters, both on sea and […]
Thu, Jan 24 2019

Deaf News This Week: Jameela Jamil Turns Down Deaf Role
ASL Deafined Blog Jamil Turns Down Deaf Role Actress Jameela Jamil, currently on NBC’s The Good Place, recently refused to fill a role best fit for a deaf actress. Jamil tells the Press Association, “[I]t wouldn’t be appropriate for me to take that role and they should find a brilliant deaf woman to play that role. I think […]
Fri, Jan 18 2019

Deafie of the Week: Chuck Baird!
ASL Deafined Blog Chuck Baird, Artist     Chuck Baird was born deaf and fluent in ASL, receiving an education rich in Sign Language from the Kansas School of the Deaf, Gallaudet University, and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). After graduating from RIT Baird worked with the National Theater of the Deaf as a set-painter, and as […]
Thu, Jan 17 2019

Handshape of the Week: W!
ASL Deafined Blog The W-Handshape   The W-handshape involves touching your thumb and pinky while keeping the remaining fingers extended, as shown below in the sign for WATER!   Other signs that use the W-handshape include: Microwave Run (water) Washington State Weather Wednesday West Western Wine
Thu, Jan 17 2019

Handshape of the Week: N!
ASL Deafined Blog The N-Handshape   The N-handshape consists of the thumb between the middle and ring fingers, as shown below in the sign for NEPHEW!   Other signs that use the N-handshape include: Bargain Common Conventional Discuss Haggle Impartial Natural Negotiate Negotiation Unusual Neutral Niece Noncommittal Normal North Northern Nurse Ordinary Standard Typical
Fri, Jan 11 2019

Deafie of the Week: Sean Forbes!
ASL Deafined Blog   Sean Forbes: Deaf and Loud   Want to add some new music to your playlist? Sean Forbes is a rapper who grew up around his musician parents and fell in love. He started with a drum set at the age of five and quickly grew to love rock ‘n’ roll, but ultimately found his […]
Fri, Jan 11 2019

Deaf News: Movie Theaters Strike Again!
ASL Deafined Blog Movie Theaters and Closed Captioning… Again!            You see the latest commercials for Aquaman and arrange a nice night out; a good movie, some overpriced popcorn, and maybe even recliner seats if your theater is cool enough. You buy your tickets, wait ten minutes for your CaptionView stick (because only one […]
Fri, Jan 11 2019

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – The Brazilian First Lady,...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 1/4/2019 HAPPY NEW YEAR!   First Lady of Brazil Signs During Inauguration President Bolsonaro was sworn in two days ago in Brazil, but his wife Michele really stood out. She used Sign Language to communicate a message to the Deaf community within Brazil, and to show the country she cares. “I would […]
Fri, Jan 04 2019

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter: The Harlem Globetrotters,...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 12/28/2018   Harlem Globetrotters Visit Deaf School The Harlem Globetrotters, a famous basketball team known for their impressive skills and charity, visited the Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf in New York last week. One of the basketball players identifies as a CODA, a child of a deaf adult, and […]
Fri, Dec 28 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Lou Ferrigno, Shaheem...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 12/21/2018   Lou Ferrigno Hospitalized Lou Ferrigno, known best as the original Incredible Hulk and weightlifting star, was admitted to the hospital after a pneumonia shot left fluid in his bicep. Ferrigno tweeted, “Went in for a pneumonia shot and landed up here with fluid in my bicep. I’ll be ok […]
Fri, Dec 21 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter: The Best Stocking Stuffer,...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 12/14/2018   Tis The Season For American Sign Language Last week we talked about Deaf Santas and how they help deaf children everywhere tell ol’ St. Nick what they’d like under the tree, so this week let’s talk gifts! If you love learning Sign Language with us and would love to […]
Fri, Dec 14 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter: Deaf Santas, SuperDeafy, and...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 12/7/2018   Deaf Santas Help Kids Celebrate Christmas It’s Christmas time! Those songs are on the radio, our relatives are out shopping for the best deals, and the malls are filled to the brim with children waiting in line to tell Santa exactly what they hope to see under the tree that […]
Fri, Dec 07 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter: Derrick Coleman, The Perfect...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 11/30/2018   Derrick Coleman Visits Deaf School in Arizona The Phoenix Day School of the Deaf was paid a visit by famed deaf NFL football player Derrick Coleman on Tuesday. Derrick talked about his life, his struggles to be taken seriously in football, and what motivates him to do his best […]
Fri, Nov 30 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Captioning Candidates,...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 11/23/2018   Congresswoman Captions Her Instagram Story Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Congresswoman in the U.S. House of Representatives, recently started caption her story on Instagram. “Advocates for the deaf community hit me up to connect me with tools (i.e. Clipomatic) to better serve all of us. I now caption all my […]
Fri, Nov 23 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter: LEAD-K, Alexander Graham...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 11/16/2018     LEAD-K Announces Partnership with AG Bell Association On Future Bills The LEAD-K campaign, which aims to eliminate language deprivation for deaf children under the age of six, is now working with the Alexander Graham Bell Association in future bills- and not many people are happy, it seems.  The […]
Fri, Nov 16 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter: Wins for Deaf Candidates,...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 11/9/2018   Two Deaf Candidates Win Offices in D.C. Politics is quite the topic as of late but a few candidates are determined to make changes- and they’re deaf!  First, Robb Dooling won a Commissioner seat in the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) in Washington D.C.. This area includes Gallaudet University. Dooling […]
Fri, Nov 09 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter: Bernard Bragg, The National...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 11/2/2018   Bernard Bragg, The Father of Deaf Theatre, Dies On Tuesday, October 29th the first American Deaf actor, Bernard Bragg, passed away in the company of his loved ones at the age of 90. Dear friends, including Marlee Matlin, will miss him dearly and remember his legacy: Bernard Bragg was […]
Fri, Nov 02 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Starbucks “Signing...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 10/26/18   Starbucks Opens “Signing Store” In D.C. The wait is over- the first official Starbucks “Signing Store” opened in D.C. on Tuesday on 6th Street & H Street, not far from Gallaudet University. This “Signing Store” is the first of it’s kind in the States resulting from a successful endeavor […]
Fri, Oct 26 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – The Dragon Prince, ASL...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 10/19/2018   Netflix’s The Dragon Prince Features Deaf Character, Signs It’s always nice to see some representation in the media! Netflix recently premiered a series entitled The Dragon Prince; An animated fantasy series featuring humans and elves at war.  Now, obviously, we don’t want to give away too much of the plot, bu...
Fri, Oct 19 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Open Captioning, Ryan...
ASL Deafined Blog Newsletter – 9/21/18   New Bill Introduced Requiring Open Captions At The Movies Anyone who has read our blog knows about the struggles of captioning, especially in movie theaters. Today’s deaf moviegoer buys their ticket, waits about ten minutes (or more) for their snazzy CaptionView stick, and prays that there won’t be any issues. These […]
Thu, Sep 20 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter- Hurricane Florence,...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 9/14/18   Hurricane Florence Will Hit Shores Today More than a million people across three states on the east coast have been issued a mandatory evacuation and it’s no surprise: Hurricane Florence is expected to bring storm surges higher than eight feet tall and may be the most dangerous hurricane to […]
Fri, Sep 14 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Nyle DiMarco’s TEDx...
ASL Deafined Blog   ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 9/7/18   Nyle DiMarco Talks About the Deaf Identity in TEDx Talk  Nyle DiMarco is no stranger to our bloggers and his latest project immediately earned our attention: TEDx released Nyle’s TED Talk this week on YouTube, which touches important topics including the Deaf identity and  Nyle opens with a […]
Fri, Sep 07 2018

Weekly Newsletter – Judge Kavanaugh, James Burke, and...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 8/31/2018   National Association of the Deaf Openly Opposes Trump Pick for U.S. Supreme Court NAD CEO, Howard Rosenblum, posted a video on the NAD YouTube channel this week stating the NAD’s lack of faith in Judge Brett Kavanaugh as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.  Rosenblum emphasized that they normally try […]
Fri, Aug 31 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter: Deaf Taxis, Laura Redden...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 8/24/2018   Seoul, South Korea Utilizes Deaf Taxi Drivers For The First Time Lyft and Uber are both already equipped with assistive technology to help out their deaf drivers, and now it’s spreading around the world! Two taxi drivers in Seoul are now able to transport passengers around the city thanks […]
Fri, Aug 24 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – #DeafOutLoud,
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 8/17/2018   “Born This Way” To Show #DeafOutLoud Special A&E is preparing to add another disability to the spotlight in their hit show Born This Way, broadcasting a special dedicated to the lives of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. A quick look into this special (shown in this video here) fills us with […]
Fri, Aug 17 2018

ASLdeafined Newsletter – Study Tips, Girls Scouts, &...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 8/10/18   Studying with ASLdeafined Whether you’re a newbie to our site or a seasoned senior, you’ll definitely be able to take advantage of some of our best study tips this week! Learning American Sign Language can be easy and fun if you focus and learn one sign at a time. […]
Fri, Aug 10 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Back2School Prep, Marlee...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 8/3/2018     Almost Time for School! It’s that time of year again- shopping endless Back2School sales, helping to stock up the tissues for the classroom, and getting ready to get back to those awesome ASL classes! Some of you may already be back in school, but luckily ASLdeafined has you […]
Fri, Aug 03 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Baby Sign Language, Nyle...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 7/27/2018 Baby Sign Language & You Want your child to get a head start? Whether your baby is deaf or can hear “baby sign language” has been proven to have it’s benefits. Infants as young as six-months-old can understand basics signs, and can sign right back to you just a month […]
Fri, Jul 27 2018

Weekly Newsletter – Starbucks, Laurent Clerc, & More
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 7/20/2018   Starbucks Announces ‘Signing Store’ in Washington D.C. Starbucks has been really focusing on the Deaf community in recent years. We’ve all seen the viral videos about their Deaf-made Sign Language aprons and even video drive-thrus that cater specifically to the deaf. This week they’ve announced it’s newest stor...
Fri, Jul 20 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – ADA, Lou Forrigno, &...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 7/13/2018 What Should be Captioned Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Last week we turned our spotlight to Netflix, who recently acknowledged the lack of adequacy in it’s closed captioning for a variety of shows. Viewers complained that popular shoes such as Queer Eye had captions that were just plain […]
Fri, Jul 13 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Netflix Captioning, CJ...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 7/6/2018 Netflix Fails To Provide Accurate Captions Netflix might be your favorite streaming service, but they definitely aren’t our favorite captioners. Netflix admitted recently to having captions that are subpar: missing phrases, poorly timed captioning, profanity censored despite the actor’s voice not being ‘bleeped out’, ...
Fri, Jul 06 2018

ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – Climbing The Avalanche,...
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined Weekly Newsletter – 6/29/2018 What? You’re Starting A Newsletter? You betcha! Every week the ASLdeafined blog will be highlighting the latest in Deaf news, as well as any and all changes to the ASLdeafined Online Sign Language Curriculum. These newsletters will also contain weekly spotlights featuring renowned Deaf historical figures and events, and �...
Fri, Jun 29 2018

RIP Koko, The Signing Gorilla
ASL Deafined Blog The Gorilla Foundation has sadly reported that Koko, the gorilla famed for using American Sign Language to communicate, has passed Tuesday morning in her sleep. Koko, a Western Lowland Gorilla, was born on the 4th of July in 1971 at the San Francisco Zoo. She became a key subject for research regarding the emotional and […]
Fri, Jun 22 2018

ASLdeafined Mobile App – Learn On The Go!
ASL Deafined Blog   ASLdeafined has never been more accessible: Not only can you learn more than 16,000 signs on your computer at home, work, and school… you can also access our site for FREE with our mobile app! Whether you’re a student, teacher, or a parent learning sign language for their child, anyone that has an account […]
Thu, Jun 14 2018

Customer Service for the Deaf: Break the Barrier
ASL Deafined Blog A story was recently covered by The Daily Moth about a Deaf couple that was teased by KFC employees in Byram, Mississippi. After the couple noticed the store was drive-through only, they communicated verbally over the loudspeaker that they would pull ahead to read the lips of the employees. The staff proceeded to cover their […]
Thu, Jun 07 2018

We LOVE Our Teachers, And We’re Always Here To Help!
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined began when a teacher wanted a better Sign Language curriculum for his students; one that could be consistently updated and provide 24/7 support, and wouldn’t break a school’s budget. Our goal today is still all about the teachers. We want to provide everything we can to make sure your students love learning ASL and to make […]
Fri, Jun 01 2018

News This Week: ASL Direct comes to New York, and more!
ASL Deafined Blog New York Becomes 1st City to use ASL Direct During the hurricanes last year a video went viral about a faux interpreter in Manatee County, Florida who warned us about the dangers of pizza and bears and monsters (oh my!). Thanks to incidents like these, other cities started thinking about developing a way for the […]
Fri, May 25 2018

Deaf in the NFL – 3 Football Players that Made it Happen
ASL Deafined Blog Fullback Derrick Coleman recently sign with the Arizona Cardinals: Coleman has been deaf since he was three years old and played for UCLA in college. In addition to the Cardinals, Coleman has played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks. He even went to the Superbowl with the Seahawks (2015) and has starred in […]
Fri, May 18 2018

Teacher Appreciation Week – Questions By Teachers, For...
ASL Deafined Blog It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and our favorite teachers are (of course) the ASL teachers! Teachers like us back, too: ASLdeafined is the #1 Online ASL Textbook used by teachers across America for only $12 per student a year! Here’s a list of cool features for teachers, along with some frequently asked questions!  Sign variations in the […]
Thu, May 10 2018

Interpreters Gone Viral: National Interpreter Appreciation...
ASL Deafined Blog May 2nd was National Interpreter Appreciation Day! Interpreters are so important for the Deaf community- They help spread a love of Sign Language and serve as a bridge between the deaf and hearing worlds. Without interpreters, us ‘deafies’ would have a bit of a hard time (especially in medical and educational settings) so be sure […]
Thu, May 03 2018

World Penguin Day! – Our Top 5 Favorite Animal Signs
ASL Deafined Blog It’s World Penguin Day, and we just LOVE the sign for penguin! Here’s our top 5 favorite animal signs: Penguin – Who doesn’t love a well-dressed animal? Monkey – It’s easy to see why this one’s a favorite! Cat – What can we say? They’re just so furry! Squirrel – Fans of ‘Switched at Birth’ with recognize this one! […]
Wed, Apr 25 2018