ASL Deafined Blog

Deaf Culture #15
ASL Deafined Blog Deaf people use a videophone more often than seeing each other in person? This is true.  While the Deaf community is close knit, it is also spread nationwide.  You may meet a friend at a Deaf retreat, a convention, or … Continue reading →
Wed, May 15 2013

Deaf Culture #14
ASL Deafined Blog All deaf people use Hearing Aides? This is false.  If you have such a profound hearing loss that only the loudest of noises (think close range jumbo jet), a hearing aid would be completely ineffective.  Deaf people can have an … Continue reading →
Wed, May 15 2013

Deaf Culture #13
ASL Deafined Blog NTID stands for: National Technical Institute for the Deaf? True! NTID is located in Rochester, New York, and is one of nine colleges within RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology).  Started in 1967, the school’s mission is to give Deaf and … Continue reading →
Wed, May 15 2013

Deaf Culture #10
ASL Deafined Blog When talking with a deaf person through an interpreter, always look at the interpreter? This is false, although it is one of the hardest things for a hearing person to master.  From early childhood we are taught to give our … Continue reading →
Wed, May 15 2013

Deaf Culture Quiz #9
ASL Deafined Blog Deaf people should wear contrasting colors in order for people to see their signs? Not necessarily.  In general, this rule applies to an interpreter, or a Deaf individual that will be giving a presentation to a large crowd.  As you … Continue reading →
Wed, May 15 2013

Deaf Culture Quiz #8
ASL Deafined Blog How do you reference a person who is not in the same room while you are signing? (Point to a specific location in front of you)? If the person that you are referring to is not in the room, you … Continue reading →
Wed, May 15 2013

Deaf Culture Quiz #7
ASL Deafined Blog The signs for male “gender” are: The “masculine” area of the face is near the forehead.  There are mixed theories on the reason for this, some saying that it is because men tend to be taller than women, and others … Continue reading →
Tue, Apr 23 2013

Deaf Culture Quiz #6
ASL Deafined Blog 90% of all deaf children are born to hearing parents Surprisingly, this is true.  The other 10% are called DOD, or Deaf of Deaf, meaning that they are the Deaf children of Deaf adults.  DOD tends to be a title … Continue reading →
Tue, Apr 23 2013

Deaf Culture #5
ASL Deafined Blog When signing a “yes” or “no” question, your eyebrows are always up. True.  Also, your body is leaned forward slightly and the duration of the last sign is extended.  This sounds complicated to remember, but if you take note of … Continue reading →
Wed, Mar 20 2013

Deaf Culture Quiz #4
ASL Deafined Blog Cochlear Implants are widely accepted by the Deaf community This is false, but it can be a confusing issue.  While people with Cochlear Implants are widely accepted in the Deaf community, the decision to implant yourself or your child is … Continue reading →
Wed, Mar 20 2013

Deaf Culture Quiz #3
ASL Deafined Blog The term “Hearing Impaired” is offensive “Hearing Impaired” was once considered to be the politically correct term for someone who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing, but has since fallen out of favor. The word “impaired” is being used less … Continue reading →
Thu, Mar 14 2013

Deaf Culture Quiz #2
ASL Deafined Blog American Sign Language is the same as English Actually, ASL and English are very different.  ASL has it’s own linguistic structure, slang, and even idioms.  One of the easiest ways to show the difference between ASL and English is to … Continue reading →
Thu, Mar 14 2013

Myths about American Sign Language
ASL Deafined Blog Myth #1:  American Sign Language is Universal. American Sign Language is not universal.  This myth is often shared by the majority of the hearing community.  American Sign Language is learned by the majority of the Deaf community in North America.  … Continue reading →
Thu, Jan 31 2013

Deaf Culture Quiz #1
ASL Deafined Blog Is American Sign Language universal? A common assumption about American Sign Language is that it is universal. This is, in fact, false. Just as spoken language has many variations, so does sign language. Many of the variations are members of … Continue reading →
Wed, Jan 09 2013

“You Have to be Deaf to Understand” Poem by Willard J....
ASL Deafined Blog What is it like to “hear” a hand? You have to be deaf to understand! What is it like to be a small child, In a school, in a room void of sound – With a teacher who talks and … Continue reading →
Thu, Dec 13 2012

Changing Times = Changing Signs!
ASL Deafined Blog First, we’re back! August was a bit of a vacation month with exciting things happening at ASLdeafined, which you’ll be hearing about via our upcoming newsletter and blogs. Meanwhile though, did you know that American Sign Language, just with any … Continue reading →
Fri, Oct 26 2012

LOL
ASL Deafined Blog As you work through American Sign Language lessons and read up on Deaf Culture, it is important to remember that deaf people have a sense of humor, too! Whatever aspect of deaf life you may be exploring, you should never … Continue reading →
Fri, Aug 10 2012

Deaf Dogs?
ASL Deafined Blog Perhaps in a future blog entry we will extend the topic of deafness to the animal kingdom. For this entry, we wanted to highlight what the animal kingdom does for the Deaf. As you may have guessed, there are indeed ... Continue reading →
Fri, Jul 13 2012

Deaf Popular Culture
ASL Deafined Blog In our blogs we have often used the term Deaf Culture, but that takes on a little different meaning if you just add the word “Pop” in between. There are certain very recognizable celebrities in Deaf Pop Culture, such as ... Continue reading →
Wed, Jul 11 2012

Does Being Deaf Make Sense?
ASL Deafined Blog The title of this blog is actually a little play on words, because it is literally about the myth (or perhaps, reality) surrounding the idea that if one sense is missing, others will be enhanced. There are a lot of ... Continue reading →
Fri, Jun 29 2012

Careers of the Deaf
ASL Deafined Blog So far recent blogs have briefly highlighted the origins of deafness and touched on family dynamics. Yet, what about where most of us spend the bulk of our time? Work. For hearing people reading this, it is important to remember ... Continue reading →
Tue, Jun 26 2012

Family Dynamics for the Deaf
ASL Deafined Blog We at ASLdeafined would not presume to know the ins and outs of the family lives of those in the Deaf Community, as it is as varied as anyone’s family structure and experience. Yet, we felt it important to note ... Continue reading →
Fri, Jun 22 2012

ASLdeafined.com Featured on Channel 4 (WDIV) in Detroit
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined was featured on WDIV Channel 4 in Detroit.  Make sure you turn on your speakers.  Unfortunately, this video is not closed captioned.
Tue, Jun 19 2012

LIVE ONLINE TUTORING! Coming to a computer near you…
ASL Deafined Blog Since we just released the news that we have now gone mobile, it seems appropriate to blog about something even more exciting… our American Sign Language online tutoring program! This is a unique opportunity for ASL learners to connect live ... Continue reading →
Mon, Jun 04 2012

Synonyms…Why do they matter in American Sign Language...
ASL Deafined Blog One misconception about American Sign Language is the belief that there is a sign for every word. However, unlike the English Language, ASL is based on communication through concepts. One example is the word “car”. There is not a specific ... Continue reading →
Sat, Apr 28 2012

Technology Used by the Deaf Community
ASL Deafined Blog Some of you may be wondering what sorts of interesting technologies are used in daily life by members of the deaf community. There are some very creative technology tools for the deaf that coincide with the use of American Sign ... Continue reading →
Sat, Apr 14 2012

Autistic Children Benefit from Learning American Sign...
ASL Deafined Blog We have mentioned the benefits of learning American Sign Language (ASL) for many different populations (general, toddlers, etc.), but some may not consider how positive the experience can be for those with special needs. With the rise of autism, the ... Continue reading →
Wed, Mar 28 2012

Toddlers Learning American Sign Language? Great idea!
ASL Deafined Blog One population that many be overlooked when it comes to thoughts about American Sign Language is toddlers! That period in life is ripe for absorbing amazing amounts of information and engaging in active learning about the world, which of course ... Continue reading →
Sat, Mar 17 2012

Lipreading…Easy?
ASL Deafined Blog Earlier we spoke about general myths that many have about the deaf, and one area that people tend to have misunderstandings about is lipreading. As one might imagine, it is a very difficult skill to master. For starters, 60% of ... Continue reading →
Tue, Feb 28 2012

Certified American Sign Language Interpreters
ASL Deafined Blog There are definite advantages to learning sign language for anyone interested in becoming more involved in the deaf community, but many may not realize the broad range of opportunities for professional interpreters. Much of the public may think that certified ... Continue reading →
Sat, Feb 25 2012

Myths About American Sign Language
ASL Deafined Blog It is easy when you are not a part of a particular subculture to innocently come to believe certain myths about that group. In the case of the deaf, there are some glaring misunderstandings that people may not realize they ... Continue reading →
Tue, Feb 14 2012

What is the Connection Between Loud Music and American Sign...
ASL Deafined Blog Just a few days ago, I was stopped at a traffic light at a busy intersection, when a slightly modified muscle car pulled up beside me.� A hole had been cut through the car�s hood and some air intake piece ... Continue reading →
Mon, Jan 16 2012