Adan R. Penilla II

Making phone calls as a Deaf person is an interesting event. Some Deaf people use a videophone to see who they are conversing with while other Deaf people would rather talk to other people using a traditional telephone. The question is, how do Deaf people use a house phone/landline if they cannot hear? Deafness comes at different levels.

The videophone has replaced the TTY for Deaf people calling friends and family, making appointments, and attending to daily business needs. To set up a videophone, all you need is a videophone, Internet connection, and a screen to connect the VP, or videophone.Deaf people do have the option, however, of having an application on their smartphones.

Interpreting for the Deaf community is very much a part of the Deaf experience. Deaf people used to use family members as interpreters. Often the interpreter was usually the first female of the brood. Often when the Deaf parents needed an interpreter, they would rely on their children; professional, certified interpreters with a common standard was not established at this time.

The roots of American Sign Language (ASL) run fairly deep. Although early Greek writings refer to manual communication, no one knows whether those writings refer to just a few gestures or an actual alternative language using signs. Hippocrates studied deafness, and Socrates believed that it was a natural occurrence for Deaf people to communicate manually.

Being sensitive to Deaf people is a part of Deaf etiquette that's really for the hearing. Deaf people already know what it means to be Deaf, but those who can hear probably never think about the day-to-day struggles that the Deaf have to overcome in this world.Getting close to a Deaf person requires a little vulnerability on both sides.

American Sign Language uses expressions in much the same way that English does. However, in ASL expressions are stated manually, which means that they are seen differently. This slideshow describes some expressions that are commonly used in Sign. Practicing these expressions with people who've been signing for a while can be a shortcut to your success.

What you know about rhetorical questions in English is not the same as rhetorical questions in American Sign Language (ASL). In English, a rhetorical question is a question that does not require an answer. In ASL, a rhetorical question is asked and the person who asks the question gives the answer as well. A rhetorical question is a way of making a point by providing the information for the very question you ask.

Going out with the gang is a good time for those who like the night life. Deaf people enjoy their social bonds and can paint the town red with the best of them. Often, people go as singles, and other times, it's couple's night out. The signs shown here will help you when you're planning that night out with your friends.

Iconic or natural signs look like what they mean — the up and down motion of brushing your teeth that means toothbrush, for instance, or the right and left punches that mean boxing. Iconic signs always show action. Here are some examples:BoxingLooks like you’re “putting up your dukes.” Like the sign for boxing, many sports signs are iconic.