J. Parrish Lewis

I dream of a country where our American Sign Language catches on like wildfire until it’s so common to see signing on every street corner, in every mall and museum, in every school and park. I would love it: just to feel that much more connected to the world around me because of communication becoming more accessible. I envy the deaf who lived on Martha’s Vineyard back in those amazing days when everyone signed there. Amazing, really.

Ask yourself: Is it possible that the rest of America could develop a similar appreciation of ASL? My answer is yes. Is it likely? No. I want to be a dreamer, so I’ll be a dreamer, but I’m also a realist. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Every individual person that we inspire to love ASL is a victory. Every single person counts. Every person is going to contribute a little bit of happiness for all of us who sign. Really.

If we want our world to change, we have to welcome hearing people to our lives. We have to take the time to teach them a few signs without judging them. We have to treat people well, then we set an example. Anything else is fuel for the exact opposite of what we want.

Examples of what we can do:

• At deaf events, do you see that group of nervous ASL students in the corner? Go meet them and welcome them, teach them a few signs.
• If a hearing person comes up to you, include them in the conversation in the way you would like them to include you.
• Recognize that love doesn’t care if one is deaf or hearing.

I know that each of us has the potential to really open up our hearts to everyone. We need to treat everyone the way we’d like to be treated. With respect, with appreciation, with compassion. We need to make change happen, for sure, so that we can pursue that dream, but we’ve got to do it by showing others how amazing that dream can be, not by pushing them away. If you say, “_______ won’t change!” and push them away mentally, then definitely they’re not going to change as a result of that. If you say, “_______ MIGHT change,” and treat them well, while you still express your dream, then it becomes possible. Not guaranteed. Possible.

Where do we go from here?

If you’re like me, you wish more people in the United States of America could communicate in ASL.

What good is a wish by itself? Your wish is only a seed that needs to be planted. Without planting a seed in soil and watering it, giving it care, it will not likely grow. Perhaps by luck or divine providence, a wish comes true with you doing nothing more than having the wish. Yet, if you put some action behind that wish, just to give it a little more inspiration, it’s more likely to come true.

Steps to making your wish to see more people in the U.S. learn ASL:

1) HOLD THE WISH SEED IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND: Express to other people (and if you are religious, to God) that you want more to learn ASL.

2) FIND A PLACE TO PLANT THE SEED: Figure out where YOU are going to teach ASL on 2/1/12 (hey, you don’t HAVE TO wait.)

3) MAKE SURE YOU GOT EVERY TOOL YOU NEED: Plan what you’re going to teach and how. Ask advice from those who have taught ASL. Ask inspired students who their teachers were. You don’t want to ask ASL students who didn’t enjoy their classes.

4) DIG A HOLE: Get started. Make a flyer and advertise your free class, or e-mail your family and friends with the info. Whoever your students are, make sure they know when and where and what and whether to bring cookies. Commit to it.

5) PLANT THE SEED: Teach what you know. If ASL vocabulary is your strength, teach that. If you’re excellent with ASL grammar, teach that, too. If you’ve got fantastic ASL expressions/non-manual signals, by all means include that. Everything you can do helps.

6) WATER THE EARTH: Students need inspiration for ASL to really take root in their hearts. They need to develop a love for the language, otherwise they will quickly lose motivation. You can’t motivate them, only inspire them. They have to motivate themselves. How you do it: Make the lesson FUN and explain why it is important to you. Tell them how awesome they are for learning even one sentence. Show appreciation. Give them a sense of passion for language and show them how special it is for you.

7) WATCH THE ASL PLANT GROW AND TEND TO IT: You see that spark of inspiration light a fire in your students. Keep their interest by giving them your time freely. Point out their progress. Invite them to deaf socials. Introduce them to deaf friends. They need people to practice with to get skilled.
JOIN THE 2012 TEACH TEACH ASL PROJECT. You don’t have to wait ’til 2/1/12 to do any of the above, but I encourage you to teach on that one day because then we’re making a show of solidarity. We will be making a unified effort to our goal of having more people learn ASL. You can post on the Facebook page (or here) about what you do and what the number of students you taught was.

Don’t limit yourself to a wish alone. Plant that seed.

For the Facebook Page, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/events/262924730425655/

On February 1, 2012 (2/1/12) let’s ALL teach American Sign Language that day!

WHAT I’m asking everyone to do is simple:
1) Figure out who you’re going to give a FREE ASL lesson to. Friends? Family? Strangers?
2) Figure out where. A library? A coffeehouse? Your garage?
3) Teach, and teach with a love for language.
4) Tell those you teach how much it means to you that they learned a little and encourage them to keep learning ASL.
5) Post a short summary of what you did and how many people you taught a little ASL to, on that day only.
6) As a bonus, post quotes from students and videos.

Today in explaining the value of learning American Sign Language to hearing family members of deaf individuals, I used this imagery to give them a sense of what it means, to a deaf family member, when they make the effort:

Imagine you see your family, not too far away from where you stand. There they are: the ones you have known and loved your entire life. Parents, siblings, a favorite uncle, even your children. You walk toward them, wanting to join your family and spend time together. Then, suddenly you halt, for you have reached the edge of a chasm. A deep, wide gulf that separates you from your family, one that you cannot jump across. This chasm is your communication, or lack thereof. You see your family and you reach out, but you cannot understand them. The gulf is too wide. The chasm is too deep. You cannot see the bottom, nor a way around. You see your family that loves you, talking to each other, but you feel left behind.

You try to build a bridge across and it feels shaky. You struggle. The bridge collapses again and again, and you find yourself constantly lunging for the solid ground, pulling yourself back up, and never on the side with your family.

Now imagine this: Your family is creating a rope of words. It’s thin, for the vocabulary is not a large one. Just one sign and then another, until they have just a good enough vocabulary to create this lifeline. They fashion the rope with their words. They twist it around and around. They sign small phrases and the occasional word, crafting this rope with care. They make a loop at one end, and when they’ve learned enough that the rope can bridge the distance, they twirl it in the air and throw it across. The rope is flying your way, soaring high and fast, and it lands at your feet. You pick it up quickly, and you fasten it to a tree. There. You have it. A tightrope crossing that chasm. It’s only a tightrope for now. Thin, frail, fraught with danger that it may break for neglect, but it is something. You can get across, and so can they.

Perhaps in time, the tightrope will have a twin, alongside. Then one day, planks. The bridge will get built, one piece at a time.

To my deaf peers: will you ask your family to create this tightrope?

To our hearing treasured ones: Are you willing to begin?