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ASR or RCC — What’s the Difference?

A Guide to Useful Signs for the Holiday Season

No matter how you say it, or what you say, the holiday season is a time where we tend to be at our merriest. There’s something magical about this time of year. It might be the chill in the air. It could be the snow crunching beneath our feet. Not every person or culture celebrates the same thing, but it’s the general celebration and joy that unites us all around this special time.

A Guide to Signs You Should Know for the Workplace

Whether you find yourself interacting with a coworker who relies on sign language to communicate or a business client or customer who is deaf or hard of hearing, it’s important to have a basic understanding of some of the most common signs you might encounter in a workplace setting.

Holidays with the Hard of Hearing: 3 Communication Tips

The holidays are a great time to celebrate with friends and family. There’s plenty of joy to spread, food to eat and games to play. During this time of year, everyone deserves to be in on the fun. But those with hearing loss may be subject to seclusion during this festive time. This year has been isolating – don’t let “the most wonderful time of the year” be isolating, too. That’s why we came up with this list to help ensure the holidays are jolly for everyone.   

What You Can Do to Make the Holidays Bright for those with Hearing Loss

It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays, isn’t it? Celebration calls for gatherings of groups of people – and as 2020 has taught us, sometimes this isn’t always in person, but rather via a phone call or family video chat. Ironically, it’s often these large, happy gatherings that make certain people feel terribly isolated. When someone struggles to hear, conversations drain away the festive feeling.

How to Be an Ally for the Deaf Community

Do you consider yourself a Deaf Ally? There are many different definitions of an ally, just like there are many ways to help promote equality. For this discussion, the most important definition of an ally is someone who is united with the deaf community to promote equality. Being an ally means so much more than simple consideration for the deaf community. Action and accountability are key to help facilitate support.

Improving the Classroom Experience for Hard of Hearing Students

This has already been a tough year for students and teachers, but as school doors open this fall and winter, they may experience more challenges than ever before. This is surely true for students with hearing loss… and for teachers that are new to accommodating these students. Teachers of course embrace the responsibility to teach every single student in the classroom. While students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may require accommodations to learn effectively, it’s up to the instructors and teachers to ensure proper schooling.

Sign Language Around the World

Outside of the deaf and hard of hearing community, few people realize just how many types of sign language exist around the world. While the exact number of unique sign languages remains unknown, there are hundreds of distinct languages used by deaf and hard of hearing individuals the world over.

There are far more types of sign language than we could ever include in a single blog post, but read on to learn about some of the most common types of sign language in the world today. 

The Differences Between Deaf Culture and Hearing Culture

Hearing people outside of the deaf community often aren’t aware of the existence of deaf culture. As with other cultures, deaf culture comes with its own set of values, convictions and socially acceptable behaviors. It can sometimes be difficult to understand what differentiates the two communities.

Check out the key differences between deaf and hearing culture: 

Sign Language History Heroes: Heather Whitestone

In 1995, a 21-year-old woman from Alabama won the Miss America pageant. Heather Whitestone may not be a household name for many, but—for those in the deaf and hard of hearing community—her story is an inspiration.

Heather Whitestone was the first hearing impaired woman to win the title of Miss America.