PUDL

Hi, I'm back to talk about Sign Writing. Many people consider Sign Writing to be too complicated or a waste of time. If an adult can read and write English, why learn to read and write ASL. The problem is that Sign Writing will only be used when it is used. And Sign Writing will never be used if nobody uses it.

But how to learn Sign Writing, or at least be introduced to Sign Writing...

I have created the Sign Writing Playing Cards as a zipped Word Document. If you go to the store and buy business cards to print on your computer you can print your own deck at home.

Instead of the four suits, Sign Writing Playing Cards use four of the six orientations. Palm facing the signer is hearts. Palm to the side is diamonds. Palm facing away from the signer is clubs. And palm facing down is spades.



The numbers 2 through 13 are used with 11 for Jack, 12 for Queen, and 13 for King. The numbers 11, 12, and 13 each have a mark that means to bend the finger joint twice (illustrated below). The Ace is the letter O which can equal 1 or 14. The symbols used in the Sign Writing Playing Cards are straight ASL Sign Writing. While the cards may be difficult to understand at first, they quickly become natural with practice. How about that straight, 9 thru King...


I've started to use these cards and I really like them. If you're up to a challenge, go ahead and try them yourself and let me know what you think.

Deafness

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VamPyroX

Umm... I'm lost.

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PUDL

Sorry. Context does matter.

Sign Writing
Sign Writing is a graphical notation for writing a signed language on paper. Visit the Official Sign Writing Home Page or Pittsburgh United for Deaf Litteracy for more information about Sign Writing.

Sign Writing Playing Cards
There is a lot to learn about Sign Writing. I wanted to give people a taste of Sign Writing without covering every detail.

The Sign Writing Playing Cards are used the same as a regular deck of 52 playing cards, like the kind used to play poker. But instead of suits and numbers, Sign Writing notation is used.

Here is a handy key for understanding how the suits work with palm orientation.


Here is the 2 of Clubs... . With your hand, make a 2 with your palm facing away from your. This is just a regular 2.

Here is the 2 of Hearts... . With your hand, make a 2 with your palm facing towards you.

Here is 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of Spades (palm facing down).


Print your own deck
If you can print MS Word files, you can print your own deck. Go to an office supply store and get a package of printable business cards. They should come is packages of 100 cards, with 10 cards per sheet. Here is an example available from Avery.

Download this file. It is a zipped Word document about 1/2 MB. Print this document (6 pages) on the business card sheets. Pop out the cards and you will have a 52 card deck of Sign Writing Playing Cards, with 8 cards explaining the suits and palm orientation.

It is easier to explain the cards in person with an actual deck in hand. But it you are interested in understanding, please try and ask a specific question and I will try and answer it.

gnarlydorkette

uhh..... why would one write signs on a paper if one CAN sign it out?

PUDL

One of the major reasons to write in ASL is so that other people can read it. Reading and writing are very important. Face to face is not always possible. And a video does not have the same power as the written sign.

For a few examples...

You could write about the Protest at Gallaudet.

You could write about The National Association of the Deaf

A deaf child could express their grief over the terrorist attack of 9 11

You could read a story to a deaf child in ASL

And the biggest reason to write sign on paper...
To educate deaf children in a language they can understand. For a deaf child who understands ASL but not English, explaining how to read is much easier with Sign Writing than with the English alphabet. And once a child can read their first language, learning to read a second language is much easier.

BabyPhat21

it could be our secret code like many people have the dot codes you know and other stuff, this is ours!!!!

PUDL

gnarlydorkette

Deaf Understand? that is what those pictures say? WHOO! I HAVE MASTERED READING THE SIGNS!

gnarlydorkette

It is probably useless for you to know but I am using one of those signwriting sign in my artwork... the sign of "deaf" so thanks PUDL for showing this special way of communication! :-D

Castleman

PUDL

That's really cool. Where's the artwork?

So has anyone tried the Sign Writing Playing Cards?

I'll make an offer. I'll send a deck of Sign Writing Playing Cards to the first 5 people who send me a private message with their address. But you have to agree to use the cards and post feedback to this thread. Any takers?

Angel

WoW!...Coolieee...