Why Not Sign Language
                for all the deaf and hard of hearing
                at a Catholic Mass?

90% of the deaf and hard of hearing speak English.

Providing access in English is respecting their own unique social, cultural and linguistic language framework. The deaf and hard of hearing are diverse.

Sign language is a foreign language that takes an average of 5 years for fluency.  Since it is not English in signs, having its own grammar and syntax, words are often lost in translation from English to ASL if the Mass, or a Catholic conference is in English.

It is inappropriate to expect a growing senior population to learn sign language if they have arthritic hands or short term memory issues.

"What does it mean for communication to be “effective”? Simply put, “effective communication” means that whatever is written or spoken must be as clear and understandable to people with disabilities as it is for people who do not have disabilities."

(Source: http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap3toolkit.htm)

Examples of Effective communication:   http://www.dartmouth.edu/~accessibility/effcomm/index.html

"Accessible meeting space allows

 everyone to participate." 

(Source: http://www.ada.gov/business/accessiblemtg.htm

How do you make it Inclusive to all those who are deaf and hard of hearing?

"However, in order to serve ALL deaf, hard of hearing, 

the hearing impaired or people with hearing loss 

(whichever terms you choose), all of these accessible 

solutions need to be provided, and the Deaf and 

hearing impaired should always be placed down front 

where they can use their eyes to see to hear and the 

audio amplifiers to be picked up by their assistive 

devices. Captions should be on the wall or a screen for

 those who need to read what is being said." 

 (Source:  http://limpingchicken.com/2014/01/16/deaf-discrimination-to-deaf/)

Catholics with Hearing loss interested in having the Mass in CC (CART), audio induction loops and other accommodations, along with conferences and workshops and how to support accessibility in the church and one another.

Focused on the hard of hearing and late hard of hearing, the non culturally deaf, late deaf, late deafen, oral deaf.

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