Who Uses ASL?

Who uses ASL?

Marie Baeta: Question, are there variations in ASL?

Sam Sanders: [communicating in ASL] 

Interpreter: Yes, there are, definitely. In the United States and Canada, they both use American Sign Language. However, in Canada, in the Quebec region, they actually use a French-based version of their own sign language unique to that region. But in the United States, there are many varieties of sign language. For example, we have Black American Sign Language. The African-American community here in the United States, they use a lot of what we call BASL. As well, we have the Deaf/Blind community in the United States. They use American Sign Language, as well, but what I want to emphasize is that we have another dialect called Protactile, which is a separate form, and it's a unique language that is for Deaf/Blind people in their community, as well as American Sign Language. 

Really, the best part is the regional dialects within sign language. It can be quite - examples. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have a sign for salmon. This is common for our area. You can see the pointer finger at the chin where the salmon has that sort of chin shape. We show that through sign language, as an example of one of our regional dialects. Another example is we have indigenous sign languages based on different tribes throughout the United States. There are a lot of varieties. These sign languages have been passed down from community over the generations.

Marie: It's cool to note that ASL actually borrowed some signs from indigenous sign language, as well. Really interesting history here and a lot of variety, too. I also wanted to mention that in addition to having cultural variations in ASL that there's just a lot of different people that use ASL, as well, deaf people, hard-of-hearing people, hearing people like myself who learn for fun, people with disabilities, people with language difficulties, children of deaf adults. There is a ton of diversity within the community of who uses ASL. There's just so much to learn, a lot of history, and it's really fun. OK, so I'm curious what it means to be culturally Deaf. This might be people's first time hearing that there is a Deaf culture. In Head Start, we talk a lot about language and culture being tied together. How would you describe Deaf culture?

Sam: [communicating in ASL] 

Interpreter: Yes. Deaf culture, we have a concept, for example, a capital D on the word "Deaf" or a lowercase D describing the word "deaf.” What we are trying to signify, there is a spectrum of identities. The capital-D Deaf typically means that ASL has been passed down and it's your most comfortable, maybe native language. You maybe go to deaf schools or to a college with a deaf population in a deaf community. Then on the opposite end of that spectrum, maybe that person speaks for themselves, has an assistive technology, like a cochlear implant or hearing aid, but they're comfortable navigating between both spoken language and American Sign Language. But really, the value part of this Deaf community is there's something for everyone, and there's a variety and a spectrum of people within it. We have kind of that social model of disability where it's not a lack of hearing. 

The cultural identity is what we focus on and this community and the shared experience between people in this community telling stories, just having different Deaf experiences here in the hearing world. As a deaf person, if you see another deaf person, there is an instant connection, that shared language and experience with ASL. In our experience, it can be quite complex. There are a lot of different cultures within the world. Deaf culture is one that we share across all of those varying identities.

Marie: Yeah, I think that's really interesting. It makes a lot of sense that you would have an instant connection. If you meet a deaf person from France, you may not share the same language, but you might have similar experiences. I think it's important to kind of take into context the multiple identities that we can hold at one time, that it doesn't necessarily define you, but it also is a real part of your experience.