ASL Deafined Blog

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

Deaf Uber Driver Goes Viral
ASL Deafined Blog The deaf can do anything…including drive for Uber! Recently, a deaf man named Onur has been sweeping the internet after a rider posted a picture of a note on the back of his seat (see left): It explains that he’s deaf and all communication needs to be through text or written notes. He even mentions […]
Fri, Apr 20 2018

5 Signs For Your Baby/Toddler
ASL Deafined Blog Did you know that babies can learn simply signs at around six months old? Teaching Sign Language to your baby or toddlers can give them a head start in their language skills, reduce tantrums related to communication barriers, and may even give them better grades in school! Go ahead and give these five basic signs […]
Fri, Apr 13 2018

Dummy Hoy: MLB Hotshot!
ASL Deafined Blog Baseball season is HERE and we are nearing the end of Deaf History Month, so it’s the perfect time to talk about William “Dummy” Hoy! Hoy grew up in Ohio and attended the Ohio School for the Deaf after contracting meningitis at the age of three. While owning a shoe repair store and playing baseball […]
Thu, Apr 05 2018

National Doctor’s Day – Deaf Doctor Phillip Zazove
ASL Deafined Blog Dr. Phillip Zazove has bean deaf for most of his life, but that never stopped him from chasing his dreams of becoming a doctor! Dr. Zazove graduated from Washington University as the third deaf American physician, knows sign language, and mostly caters to deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. His studies were hard, but he kept at […]
Fri, Mar 30 2018

Deaf/deaf/HoH – What’s The Difference?
ASL Deafined Blog We’re almost halfway through Deaf History Month- It’s time to talk about what it means to be deaf! People with hearing loss (or deaf gain) around the world can be grouped into the following three identities: deaf The word ‘deaf’ (no capitalization) means only one thing: They can’t hear. When ‘deaf’ is not capitalized it […]
Fri, Mar 23 2018

Requested Word Feature – Fantastic Addition to...
ASL Deafined Blog In the ASLdeafined dictionary, there are over 17,000 words and counting.  In fact, we pride ourselves on having the BEST ASL dictionary on the internet.  However, if you are like me, after requesting a word, forgetting what I just requested is inevitable. At ASLdeafined, we have created a way for all of your requested words to be […]
Sat, Mar 17 2018

Deaf President Now: The Protest Heard ‘Round the World
ASL Deafined Blog This past Tuesday, March 13th, marked the 40th anniversary of the end to the protests known as Deaf President Now- but how much do you know about this iconic movement? In 1988 Gallaudet University’s Board of Trustees announced that a hearing candidate, Elisabeth A. Zinzer, to become the new President. At this point not a […]
Fri, Mar 16 2018

Deaf Women in History – International Women’s Day
ASL Deafined Blog Yesterday was International Women’s Day! It also happens to be Deaf History Month, so let’s take a look at three amazing Deaf women that made an extraordinary impact!    Juliette Gordon Low Did you know that the founder of the Girl Scouts was deaf? Julliette Gordon Low became deaf in early adulthood, but that never […]
Fri, Mar 09 2018

Ghost: Washington State’s First Deaf Drug Dog!
ASL Deafined Blog The deaf can do anything, including assist law enforcement! Little Ghost was found at just 3 months old with a lot of energy in Florida, and was scheduled to be euthanized after being labelled as “unadoptable”. Lucky for us the Swamp Haven Humane Society searched high and low all over the country until they found […]
Fri, Mar 02 2018

Captions at the Movies – Nyle DiMarco Speaks Out
ASL Deafined Blog   Nyle DiMarco took to Twitter to complain about the CaptionView devices in theaters, specifically AMC. On Sunday he posted this picture (left), saying “RT (retweet) if you prefer Open Captions instead of this.” Open Captions are captions that are displayed on the movie screen, just like a DVD would, and are widely accepted to […]
Thu, Feb 22 2018

This Close – TV Made By The Deaf, For The Deaf
ASL Deafined Blog This Valentine’s Day, the new TV Show This Close aired on Sundance Now, staring Deaf actors Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman! This Close is described as a serious comedy that brings light to living as deaf people, both the good and the bad. Ms. Stern and Mr. Feldman play roommates Kate and Michael, who are both deaf. […]
Fri, Feb 16 2018

Haven’t checked out our new app yet? Here’s what your...
ASL Deafined Blog Last week, we launched our brand new ASLdeafined Mobile App! If you have an account with us you have free access to the app! If you haven’t downloaded it already, here’s a sneak peak! 1. The app has our entire 16,000+ video dictionary!                   2. All of […]
Fri, Feb 09 2018

The Official ASLdeafined Mobile App Has Arrived!
ASL Deafined Blog Students, teachers, and social media followers alike have all asked for the same thing since the beginning, “When are you going to get a mobile app?!” Well here you have it: our brand new app is now available on Android and IOS! If you already have an account with us, you get to download the […]
Thu, Feb 01 2018

Where to Watch the Super Bowl Halftime Show in ASL?
ASL Deafined Blog Did you know captions during live shows are notoriously slow and sometimes non-existent? Jo Rose Benfield will be signing Justin Timberlake’s performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on dpan.tv!  --- The Deaf Performing Arts Network annually livestreams the half-time show, paired with an ASL performer or interpreter. Last year infamous terp Amber Galloway Gal...
Fri, Jan 26 2018

Deaf Athletes in Sports – Inclusion and Athletics
ASL Deafined Blog A viral commercial from Microsoft featuring the California School of the Deaf’s football team using their new tablet captured the attention of the Deaf and Hearing communities alike, and now a knew question has risen: How do the Deaf play sports?  We learn pretty quickly from the commercial alone that Deaf Athletes train and play […]
Fri, Jan 19 2018

Announcing the Face of our NEW APP (coming soon!)
ASL Deafined Blog That’s right, Deafiners! You will complete access our 16,000 dictionary, as well as other favorite features. Handshapes and locations, favorites, themed lessons will now be available from the palm of your hand. As long as you have a login for ASLdeafined, you will be able to access the APP for FREE. Keep an eye out- […]
Fri, Jan 12 2018

Our New Year’s Resolution – Inclusion
ASL Deafined Blog As we ring in the New Year we’re all anxious to start that cleanse and hit the gym, but we’d like to take a minute and think about something else this year: Inclusion. The Deaf community is filled with stories of awkward dinners and relatives they can’t talk to. This year we want to make […]
Thu, Jan 04 2018

FULL vs FED UP – What’s the difference?
ASL Deafined Blog We had an interesting question on our Twitter page’s #SignOfTheDay: Can you use the sign for FULL to mean FED UP?       Our handy-dandy experts say… YES! This sign can be used to mean both FULL and FED UP. You can avoid confusion by setting up context. For example, you would talk about what […]
Thu, Jan 04 2018

ASLdeafined Founder Paul Fugate Interviewed by Ashleigh...
ASL Deafined Blog ASHLEIGH IN A.S.L.: ASL Deafined is a website that teaches American Sign Language! The creator, Paul Fugate, is in town to discuss the process of learning, and issues facing the Deaf community. Posted by Ashleigh Walters on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 For captions, look under Settings (small gear icon under the video).
Fri, Dec 29 2017

The Night Before Christmas in ASL
ASL Deafined Blog Thanks to ASL Nook, we have this adorable version of The Night Before Christmas in American Sign Language! Merry Christmas, Deafiners!  
Thu, Dec 21 2017

10 Signs You Need To Know For Christmas!
ASL Deafined Blog Christmas is only 10 DAYS AWAY! To help us count down to Christmas, let’s learn 10 signs in ASL about CHRISTMAS!   Reindeer Christmas Christmas Dinner Joyful Scrooge Candy Cane Wrapping Gifts Shopping Church Santa Claus     Try us out for FREE for 3 DAYS! CLICK HERE! 
Fri, Dec 15 2017

5 Lessons You Didn’t Know We Covered in ASLdeafined
ASL Deafined Blog Ever wonder what you’re missing out on? Discover these 5 Awesome ASL Lessons of ASLdeafined! Technology for the Deaf Thanks to some really smart cookies out there, there’s a TON of technology available to help out the deaf. One of the most common devices, a Video Phone, allows a deaf person to make phone calls! […]
Fri, Dec 08 2017

What’s New With ASLdeafined?
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined has had a lot of news lately, so here’s the scoop! Better Resources for Teachers ………ASLdeafined has over 200 lessons… and now they all have handouts specifically for teachers! Games, worksheets, quizzes, and more are now available for classroom use. The Gift of Sign Language          Our Holiday Gift Certificates have […]
Thu, Nov 30 2017

Gift the Beautiful Gift of Language This Holiday Season
ASL Deafined Blog Do you know anyone who… is taking an ASL class? has a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing coworker? recently had a deaf child? wants to become an interpreter? With ASLdeafined you learn at your own pace with real Deaf Community experts, have access to our growing 16,000+ ASL video dictionary, and will be the first to access our […]
Sat, Nov 25 2017

Coming Soon…. The Mobile App for ASLdeafined!
ASL Deafined Blog   That’s right- after several years of bring the best ASL online textbook to your school and your home, we are bringing it right to your smartphone!                                                          […]
Fri, Nov 17 2017

Same, But DIfferent: Variations for the Word COMPUTER
ASL Deafined Blog Accents develop in most languages and sign language is no exception: Countries that use American Sign Language include the United States, Canada, and even the Philippines! Different countries, states, and even towns will have their own signs mixed within ASL. How cool is that? The sign for COMPUTER particularly varies a lot. Check out seven different […]
Thu, Nov 09 2017

ASL Tip- Don’t forget your facial expressions!
ASL Deafined Blog American Sign Language is an amazing and expressive language- but if you don’t “show it” your signing will fall flat! Let’s take the sign for HAPPY, for example. If you don’t sign it with a smile then you may convey a sarcastic tone. Try it like Mindy! Your facial expressions don’t just provide context, they […]
Fri, Nov 03 2017

Lauching our New Twitter Daily #SignOfTheDay
ASL Deafined Blog ASLdeafined has a growing Twitter presence and they all love the same thing: ASL videos! That’s why we are now launching #SignOfTheDay on Twitter!  With #SignOfTheDay not only will you get a sneak peak into our ever-growing video dictionary, but you’ll also learn a new sign in ASL everyday! How cool is that? Today we […]
Thu, Oct 26 2017