How a Deaf Couple Had Their Baby Officially Registered with a Sign Name

Parents tend to give their children names in their own languages. What could be more natural? When Tomato Lichy and Paula Garfield, a British couple who are both Deaf (the capital “D” indicates that Deaf is a cultural identity), were about to have their second child, they began to look into whether it was possible to give their baby, legally, a sign name.

A sign name is not just an English name spelled out with the fingers. While Deaf people do have English names, which can be written, spelled out, or mouthed, they use signs, created specially for individuals, to refer to each other within their own community.

Lichy and Garfield gave their baby the English name Hazel, and consulted a linguist about how they might write out, in notation form, Hazel’s sign name, which is formed by a change from a closed to open index and thumb handshape near the chin. When they went to the Registry Office and asked to register the baby’s BSL (British Sign Language) name, they were told they couldn’t. They left without registering the birth, and looked for legal advice.

With the help of a motivated lawyer, they built a case, and the government eventually agreed that they did have the right to give their child a BSL name. The name, written in sign notation as UbOtDDstarL, is listed on her birth certificate.

See what the sign name looks like and watch the family tell the story in their own words in this video from BSL Zone. At the end of the video, linguist Bencie Woll explains how the notation works.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/60112/how-deaf-couple-had-their-baby-officially-registered-sign-name

Yeah. I saw it. thats great!

Cool story and video.

Now, I wonder, what's the story behind the father's first name?

I saw this story sometime back think find more on 'limping chicking'

Reba said:

Cool story and video.

Now, I wonder, what's the story behind the father's first name?

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I kept seeing the stupid ad playing over and over .


I would love to know the story about dad's name too. I guess he really like

Tomatoes . LOL!

You may think it's cute or nice but imagine when that kid goes to school and gets teased and imagine putting that name on a resume and an employer looking at it and quickly dismissing the application all together.

As someone who lives around plenty of people who named their kids after strong liquor (Yes I know 5 girls named Tequila and a girl named lasagna I kid you not) I would hope these parents own their own business because this kid is going to have a hard time in life or the kid is going to end up legally changing his name.

Lasagna always wondering why people refused to hire her and she could only get a job as a CNA Nurse and make 6.50 an hour lol

wow try to explain that on a resume.
When I got full custody of my daughter and changed her last name to mine, today she still has to put her birth last name (moms maiden) on her applications.
The first time was when she started working and things were denied because names didnt match with her SS#.... so, Hazel will have to fill out her applications and crap with some coded name on her birth certificate?

HisShadowX said:

You may think it's cute or nice but imagine when that kid goes to school and gets teased and imagine putting that name on a resume and an employer looking at it and quickly dismissing the application all together.

As someone who lives around plenty of people who named their kids after strong liquor (Yes I know 5 girls named Tequila and a girl named lasagna I kid you not) I would hope these parents own their own business because this kid is going to have a hard time in life or the kid is going to end up legally changing his name.

Lasagna always wondering why people refused to hire her and she could only get a job as a CNA Nurse and make 6.50 an hour lol

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I believe you, I went to school with and currently know a Charlie Brown, kids in school named Mai Dang, Monchici(sp) is actually a toys name, and so many others it was crazy. I dated a girl named Candy, there was a kid named Kermit, Glare, just to name a few.

HisShadowX said:

You may think it's cute or nice but imagine when that kid goes to school and gets teased and imagine putting that name on a resume and an employer looking at it and quickly dismissing the application all together.

As someone who lives around plenty of people who named their kids after strong liquor (Yes I know 5 girls named Tequila and a girl named lasagna I kid you not) I would hope these parents own their own business because this kid is going to have a hard time in life or the kid is going to end up legally changing his name.

Lasagna always wondering why people refused to hire her and she could only get a job as a CNA Nurse and make 6.50 an hour lol

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Well, the dad's name is Tomato, so I guess he had experience with unusual names.

Wicked....

I can't remember the specifics but when this story came out I looked around and the guy chose to go by Tomato. I want to say his name is actually Tom but that's probably just my mind going to the most obvious name.

The baby is registered as both Hazel and Ub.... (sorry can't remember the whole sequence) which the latter is the keyboard symbol which when translated into BSL
shows "Hazel" - didn't anyone watched the actual video link where the lady explains how it works??
So, probably in the future she'll have an option how she want's to be registered.

Fuzzy

Nice, as for the worry on resumes and schooling... She can always write Hazel out if it is an issue. My sister uses a nickname on all her documents. As long as legal documents have her birth name and it is stated why the difference there would not be an issue.