Life as a Deaf Studies Minor

First of all, trying to get enrolled in Sign Language classes in itself is a struggle… but you feel extremely lucky once you finally do get in.

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Once you are enrolled, you find that the classes are 99% female.

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Facial expressions are some of the first things you learn. 

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You go to your first Deaf Event completely intimidated by everyone around you, because you’re a beginner signer. (It’ll be okay.) 

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But now you are immersed in the culture, and know so much more than you did before.

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You know deaf people can do anything hearing people can do.

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Looking back at 101, you realize weren’t as good as you thought you were and your professors were probably thinking this…

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People may even ask if you are becoming an interpreter. (Answer, no, it takes more than a minor – that’s a whole separate degree!) 

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Some people may even ask if you know how to read braille…

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You will meet the occasional person that thinks they ‘know’ sign language because they know a few words… yeah, okay.

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And these same people are then the ones to ask you to teach them Signs.

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But then they look like this

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You want everyone to realize that they don’t need to yell at Deaf people.

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And they probably don’t’ realize that ASL has it’s own grammar.

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And that Sign Language isn’t the same in every country (There’s French Sign Language, British Sign Language, Spanish Sign Language, etc.)

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You try to explain to people that ASL is different from English and it is not interpreted word for word English, but people just don’t get it.

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You may or may not eventually have a dream where you are using ASL.

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There also may be a point when you interpret daily conversations in your head into Sign Language… but you love it.

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• minor
• Xavier University