Grateful for American Sign Language: International Day of Sign Languages

Sep 18

An image with two background colours, top is navy blue, bottom is white with a purple line in between. The title is split with "Grateful for American Sign Language:" on the navy side and "International Day of Sign Languages" on the white side. A ribbon across the top half of the page next to the title.

I am grateful that I learned (and am still learning) to communicate in American Sign Language (ASL). I did not have knowledge and access to it growing up as medical professionals and teachers prioritized my cochlear implant and spoken language to my family over a bilingual approach. With all my ups and downs of my hearing devices over the years, learning and communicating in ASL gave me flexibility, options, and a community that has shared lived experience.

International Day of Sign Languages is coming up on September 23rd during International Week of Deaf People. September 23rd was chosen to be the date to recognize sign languages as it was the day that the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was established. International Day of Sign Languages is to recognize that sign languages are their own fledged natural languages and are critical to the linguistic identity of Deaf people. Deaf people have been advocating to recognize their national sign languages rights for decades, which makes the theme “Sign up for Sign Language Rights” well fitted as it encourages government officials to sign the theme to signal the day.

Over the years, I took the time to learn about the history of Deaf Culture and ASL to better understand how and why experiences and decisions happened. Deaf people had to fight to preserve the language as policies and decisions were made to eliminate the use of sign language and the pressure to be as hearing as possible with spoken language, especially with 90% of deaf children coming from hearing families.

It is a complicated relationship to realize that the reason why access to sign language is limited is due to the decision of hearing people in the medical model to “fix” hearing loss. By presenting hearing devices as an amazing technological innovation and encouraging the ability to speak instead of the ability to understand to make fitting with hearing people easier.

There is nothing wrong with choosing to use devices. There is nothing wrong with choosing to speak or sign. In fact, there are people who utilize many of the options available to help with their daily life.

But, it is an issue to make accessing sign language difficult. It is an issue to present one option superior to another because it makes other people's lives easier. The focus should be on the individual’s needs, wants, and lifestyle by providing all the tools for them to make their own decisions.

Sign languages are languages that were developed with the needs of Deaf people in mind to communicate. It considers the need of a language that is visual that can consider words, tone, and grammar that is missing as a D/deaf person listening and speaking in oral languages. It is also a cultural connection with shared experiences and behaviours that provide community. Not every D/deaf person will choose to use sign language. But, it should not be up to hearing adults to make decisions to ignore sign language rights in order to make fitting in easier. It may be easier for hearing people but that does not mean that it is easy for a D/deaf person.

Language acquisition is always the professional goal when it comes to learning a language as a D/deaf child. As inclusive education is being the approach for students, it is important to be aware that focusing only on spoken language may not set the child up for success. Hearing with devices is hard and not linear like traditional hearing which can make oral languages difficult. This is why the approach for bilingualism of both sign language and the oral language is slowly becoming the choice. By allowing both types of languages to be learned, many options can be available in different situations and rights leading to more access. Advocating for sign languages is providing deaf people with options and a community that can help inform what is best for them. While children are typically the focus of the conversation due to adults making decisions for them, this applies to everyone with a hearing loss to create an inclusive society for all.