Out of the 7,000+ languages spoken in the world, one in particular is commonly overlooked because speakers replace word with hand gestures. One part of the 70 million people who use sign language in their everyday lives is Laura Hickey (‘15)
Both of Laura’s parents are deaf and so she was taught to speak sign language at a young age. “Until I bring it up and tell people they usually don’t even know I can speak sign language, let alone have deaf parents.”
Merging two different cultures, Laura has come to realize that “the hearing world is a lot different from deaf culture in communication, and as a result so are the social norms.”
With American Sign Language, body language and emotion are extremely important because it helps the other person better understand what exactly is trying to be said. In public, “what my family considers a casual conversation may seem like a heated debate but body language just is a way to express tone of voice in ASL.” People will of course stare, but Laura finds it flattering because she can tell it is out of interest.
When Laura is not with her parents and must contact them, she makes a phone call like a regular teenager.
“In my house we have this videophone, or as we call it, a vp, and I really appreciate it because it helps my parents communicate so much easier. It’s like a video chat but instead of face to face an interpreter acts as a middleman.” The speaker interprets what Laura’s parents sign to them and then speaks in English to the caller.The only real setback is the language barrier between Laura’s parents and everyone else.
“When my parents are alone, they usually have a pen and paper ready so they can just write out what they need to say. More recently though I noticed people are a lot more understanding and can usually just gesture and point or give a thumbs up or down.” Laura and her sisters lend a hand whenever they are in public and act as interpreters as well.
“I don’t think my life is different from others at all. Having deaf parents allowed me to experience life from the perspective of two cultures and and gave me the freedom blend their morals and social standards to make me into me. I lead life just like the average joe.”