I made a few gifs showing yall how to sign the names of gods/goddesses!! I’d really appreciate it if you’d let me know if you want to see more witchy sign language posts in the future
There is now a publicly accessible signbank for American Sign Language (ASL)!
You can search for ASL signs by using English key words, and if you create an account you can get more information about each of the signs. This video from the site gives some more information:
The ASLSignbank joins similar websites for other signed languages, including:
The Signbank is essentially a dictionary of signs for each of the languages. Each website was set up by a different team at a different time, and have slightly different layouts and functions.
You can see that there are some signs that are similar across languages, e.g. the sign for tree in ASLandBSL looks similar to each other, but different to Auslan, while the sign for dog is different in all three (ASL,BSL,Auslan).
Just as any other dictionary won’t teach you about how to stick words together to make sentences, these Signbanks won’t teach you the grammar of each of these languages - but if you’re learning ASL, BSL or Auslan they’re a great way to look up vocabulary!
Reference
Hochgesang, Julie A., Onno Crasborn & Diane Lillo-Martin. (2018) ASL Signbank. New Haven, CT: Haskins Lab, Yale University. https://aslsignbank.haskins.yale.edu/
A little PSA about ASL for ‘Thank you’! I’ve had all of these signed to me accidentally hahaha. And whenever I sign thank you to non signers, sometimes they thought I was blowing a kiss to them. T_T
A specially requested poster for a high school ASL teacher.
Encourage your students to do more than finger spell when they’re looking for the right sign. This film noir styled movie poster is just the visual aid you can hang up in your class to encourage better learning strategies.
If I could go back in time and meet the 14 year old me, there’s so much I want to say. That girl I was, I was in pain, constant sadness, I didn’t know who I was or what I couldn’t be. There were times I would go to bed wishing that I wouldn’t wake up.
1/ You’re not the failure you think you are. You can achieve anything you want to do.
2/ You are surrounded by people that love and care about you. You cant feel it because you wont let yourself.
3/ Being deaf is not that bad, it may hurt a lot but it’ll be worth worth it when you’re older.
4/ Being deaf will become a big part of you are, and you will love it. You will love it all; the language, the culture and yourself.
5/ if you don’t wake up tomorrow, you won’t know what tomorrow brings. I never had a positive deaf role model,and would have benefit greatly from it. I may have achieve self acceptance early. But these things happen for a reason…..
Well, today has been a fun day! Been to see my consultant today for my 6 monthly check up. (Those who read my blog post regularly would know I've had 2 operation and face further hearing loss.) At my last check up last year everything was fine and things were looking promising, but not this time round. There have been further hearing loss, which was a blow! I actually thought I was lucky for a change! They want me to try and adjust to using one hearing aid. For me this will be hard as already feel like I’m missing a limb.
I know I’ve always said that I would be fine if I were to lose more of my hearing, but it doesn’t mean it need to be fun! I still find it hard, I get full of fear and anxiety but not towards to the hearing loss but to my future. I have no control and this doesn’t sit well with me.
Overall I struggle as to where I place my emotions - I’m angry but there’s no one to blame. I don’t want to take it out on others as it’s not their fault but at the same time it’s not mine too! So where can I place it! I’m not exactly the most forth coming person when it comes to expressing my emotions. I don’t find it easy to talk about things that upset me.
All I can do is wake up tomorrow and move forward like I always do! I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who are supportive - friends, family and those whom I have the pleasure of working with. I am not alone.
Who says being deaf needs to be easy - Its a challenge. A challenge that I will face head on!
People say how can you be proud of a ‘disability’ because the term disability invokes the thought that people are dis-able to do something, in my case the ability to hear. So why am I proud to be deaf?? My deafness has given me strength, and without my pride in my deaf identity I wouldn’t be where I am today. It has been a long difficult journey to my own acceptance. When I was a kid I hated, i mean really hated being deaf, and because of this I hated myself because I was broken, different to everyone else. You could I ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would tell you I wanted to be hearing. As a child we were bombarded with the message we can be anything we wanted to be, we just had to work hard! I can never be hearing, and for me as a child/teenager was a hard thing to really deal with. I then believed that I would be nothing, having no confidence in myself. I never loved myself nor believe that someone else could, so I never let other people be there for me emotionally. I became withdrawn into myself. This then all changed smile emoticon I met other deaf people, learn sign language and alongside this I learned to love myself and because of this I became strong. I currently face the prospect of losing all of my residual hearing one day….. and you know what!? Its okay! I am going to be okay! Being deaf is a big part of my life and who I am. I may not be able to hear with my ears but I can hear with my eyes!
Hey all! Everyday this week, I will be posting a LGBT sign illustration. Today we starts with Lesbian! It is signed with ‘L’ tapping chin twice. This is drawn in Lesbian pride flag colour.
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com and scroll down. Have fun shopping!
[Image description: An illustration of a black woman signing ‘Lesbian’ with ‘L’ handshape. The index finger is tapping chin twice. She is in various pink and red colour, with dreadlocks and a red shirt with darker red heart. Next photos are a shirt with her on it, a ipad with sticker of her, and a zipped pouch bag with her on it.]
Happy Trans Day of Visibility from your fellow Deaf Trans artist! Enjoy this ASL Trans art I made for George Brown College’s Inclusive Valentine Day cards.
Did you know that ASL for ‘Trans’ is based on sign for ‘Beautiful’ but it’s signed over your heart. All us trans are beautiful in our hearts. <3
[Image description: An illustration of two POC wearing purple shirt. Left is a feminine black person with shoulder length curly black hair and a heart necklace. They’re signing “Trans?” The word balloon is light pink. Right is a masculine brown person with a hearing aid, a vest and a nail polish. They’re signing “Beautiful.” The handshake for Trans and Beautiful are same, but Trans is signed over one’s heart (aka, beautiful in heart), while Beautiful is signed in circular movement in front of face.]
Here’s the comic I made for Seven Days, a Vermont alternate weekly newspaper, about Austine deaf school and VCDHH. They’re now trying to get help from the legislature for money for a position of single entry service for the deaf / hard of hearing Vermonters.
((please click on the pics for better viewing. Thanks tumblr for heavily compressing my images.))
Be sure to pick up a few non swearing signs too. We deafies always appreciate if you do know these so we can say hi. Here’s resources you can use to learn more signs:
A little PSA about ASL for ‘Thank you’! I’ve had all of these signed to me accidentally hahaha. And when I sign thank you to non signers, sometimes they thought I was blowing a kiss to them. T_T
[ID: Title: “Be careful when you sign ‘Thank you’! Below are four people signing. First one is a black feminine person correctly signing thank you with tip of hand starting at her chin then moves to area in front of her. Rest of three signers are signing thank you incorrectly. 2nd one is a white man, tip of his hand starts from under his chin and moves to area in front of him. This means f*** you. 3rd one is a white feminine person. Their hand starts on a side of their cheek and moves to area in front of them. This means whore. 4th one is a medium skinned masculine person. Their hand starts on their lip and moves to an area in front of them. This means blowing a kiss.]
This is American Sign Language (ASL) for Drag King. It represents fabulous moustaches of Drag Kings.
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com. Have fun shopping!
[Image description: Three same illustrations of a drag king signing ‘drag king’. But each have different skin colour, hair colour, and accessories and make up colour. ‘Drag king’ is signed with finger twirling the moustache. Last three images are the same illustrations but on a bag, a phone cover, and a shirt.]
Drag Queens x3! This is American Sign Language (ASL) for Drag Queens. It represents big wigs that Drag Queens usually wear. Yes, of course the sign for Drag Queen has to be fabulous!
Admittedly, this is quite tricky to draw. Please be aware that 2D illustrations of signs are not always a totally accurate representation of a 3D language. I will share a video later with how to sign the drag queen. ;)
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com. Have fun shopping!
[Image description: Three same illustrations of a drag queen signing ‘drag queen’. But each have different skin colour, hair colour, and jewelries and make up colour. 'Drag queen’ is signed with a slightly bent '5’ handshape starting above head with palm upward and outward, then it is rotated as it moves down. The palm is rotating toward self, then ends with palm upward and inward.]
Pride! Show your pride! It’s signed with a thumb starting at mid belly then moving up to top of chest. It’s the same sign for proud too. Be sure to check my page for other LGBT signs!
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com . Have fun shopping!
[Image description: A poc is signing pride with thumb up handshape, thumb touching mid belly and moving up to top of chest. That person is wearing rainbow colour. Next three images are the same illustration on a iphone, a zipped pouch bag, and a shirt.]
Nonbinary in ASL today! We do not have a widespread common sign for non binary in American Sign Language (ASL) so right now some of us just fingerspell it as ‘N-B’. (ASL doesn’t even have a sign for ‘Gender’. A power move.) So here it is, in nonbinary pride flag color!
Being a nonbinary myself, I hope someday we will have an awesome sign that’s created by us nonbinary deaf folks.
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com . Have fun shopping!
[Image description: illustration of 'N’ and 'B’ in ASL. It is colored in nonbinary pride flag which is yellow, white, purple, and black. Next three images are the illustration on an iphone cover, a button, and a sweater. There is a website address to my store, carodoodles.threadless.com]
Pansexual in American Sign Language (ASL) with Pansexual pride flag color. This sign’s movement is similar to movement of sign for ‘soul’ but with handshape that’s used in sign for heart. Basically, it translates to love one’s soul. I am pansexual and I really love that sign!
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com . Have fun shopping!
[Image description: a person is signing pansexual with same handshape used in sign for heart but the sign starts with palm facing outward in neutral space, then rotates down and up with palm changing to facing inward. Then it is moved straight to one’s heart. Next three images are the same illustration but on a drawstring bag, a sticker, and a sweater.]
Today it’s Intersex in American Sign Language (ASL) with Intersex Pride flag color. The ‘I’ begins in mind and ends with 'X’ over heart. This shows the connects of mind and heart in one’s gender identity / identities. This sign was created by a Deaf person who is Intersex.
Be sure to check out my other LGBT illustrations on my page!
Did you know that the amount of people who are intersex is about the same as the amount of people with red hair?
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com . Have fun shopping!
[Image description: a person in hijab is signing intersex, starting with ASL for 'I’ on forehead and ending with 'X’ over heart. Next three images are the illustration on a notebook, a button, and a shirt, with my shop website address.]
I am posting everyday a sign for LGBT terms! Go to my page to see all of them so far.
Did you know that the American Sign Language (ASL) for Transgender means ‘beautiful in heart’? That sign was created by a Deaf Trans person.
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com . Have fun shopping!
[Image description: an illustration of ASL for transgender in trans pride flag color. The sign starts with hands almost like high five but slightly bent with thumb a bit inside, as if you’re holding an egg. The hand is placed on chest with side of thumb and index finger touching your chest. Then the hand is moved away from chest with fingers in more closed, the hand is rotated that your palm is facing inward toward your chest. Then last sign is all fingers touching each other at fingertips, with side of your pinkie finger touching the chest. Next three images are the illustration on a pouch, as a sticker on a laptop, and on a tote bag.]
I am posting everyday a sign for LGBT terms! Go to my page to see all of them so far.
Here’s ASL sign for Bi. It is fingerspelled with ‘B’ and ‘I’. This is colored in Bi pride flag.
And guess what? You can buy this in art prints, shirts stickers, mugs, notebook, etc! Just go to carodoodles.threadless.com . Have fun shopping!
[Image description: an illustration of ‘B’ and ‘I’ in BI pride flag color. ‘B’ is like high five but with fingers closed and thumb tuckered in. ‘I’ is just a pinkie finger pointing up while all other fingers are closed in a fist. Next three images are the illustration on a bag, as a button on denim shirt, and on a notebook.]
ASL is American Sign Language and it’s a beautiful and complex visual language used primarily by Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. I’ve been studying it for about 3 months now and have completely fallen in love with it! My roommate and his gf both know varying levels of ASL (she’s fluent and he’s around my level) so it’s been great to practice with them when we’re able.
A lot of my language progress has been coming from youtube videos and practicing by myself (especially in a mirror or recording myself) so I wanted to share some of the resources I’ve found particularly helpful!
What The Deaf?! Podcast: A podcast run by two Deaf women talking about various aspects of their lives, gives some insight into Deaf culture and their lived experiences
ASL Fingerspelling Receptive Practice: They show short videos of a fingerspelled word that you then type out to see if you interpreted it correctly. Fingerspelling is a super important skill in ASL so I highly recommend practicing either with sites like this or through other resources meant for receptive practice!
Bill Vicars ASL 1 YouTube Lessons: These are more extended lessons taught entirely through sign while still being largely understandable. I recommend checking these out once you have a little more of a foundation in vocabulary so you can follow along better!
Chris Gorges ASL Basics YouTube Lessons:He gives clear and concise explanations for a lot of different concepts. I went through all of the videos in this playlist which helped me build up my vocabulary quickly
The Daily Moth YouTube Channel:They produce daily news segments signed in ASL with captions, which I’ve found is great for receptive practice and semi-immersion even though they still go quite fast for my current level
I hope some of you find these resources helpful, and it would be awesome if anyone else learning ASL could reply with some other resources you’ve found beneficial too!
