Tactile signing

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CJB

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Is it harder to learn signing by touch or is it the same as if you learn it visually first? I am visually impaired and recently hard of hearing but can't hear well at all when there is a lot of background noise. I can see close-range signing but my eyes get tired quickly and I want to prepare for future vision loss when I can only use tactile. So I want to learn tactile sign for public places. Should I start with visual since I can see enough close up or should I go directly to tactile? :ty: :ty:
 
I would personally suggest kind of meeting it at a halfway mark. Have the person showing you a sign visually sign it in front of you, and from that point on, use the sign in tactile form. For me, personally, it helps to have visual memory of a sign.

If that's not the case for you, do not pass go, do not collect 200$, go directly to tactile. :P Visual signing benefits you a little bit now. Tactile signing benefits you a little bit now and a lot in the future.
 
Thanks Aleser -- I think I might just do that. I can see the signs close up but my eyes get tired LOL! Then I would have to switch to tactile.
 
I have another question. Most of the sites I've found for ASL are visual and give videos. I can't see the videos very well. Is there a site that describes the signs? :ty:
 
Not that I've found. Have you considered taking a class irl? the net can teach you the signs, a real life class can teach you actual ASL.
 
I'm definitely planning on real life classes. I just meant for practice between classes. Right now I am doing fingerspelling and my wife fingerspells into my palm (because my eyes get tired very quickly so visual fingerspelling is only good for 15 minutes and in certain types of light).
 
Print on Palm is great for short messages and this is where tactile comes in handy for long conversations.

Fingerspelling is quite difficult to follow and I can understand.
 
Mrs Bucket said:
Print on Palm is great for short messages and this is where tactile comes in handy for long conversations.

Fingerspelling is quite difficult to follow and I can understand.
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I was trying to remember that term too. My wife and I use print on palm too.
 
Print on Palm is helpful for me too in certain situations when I cannot communicate with a hearing person so I will ask them to print on my palm.

I use this approach and it's not used commonly in the DB community. It is the Tadoma method.

The Tadoma method consists of me putting the back of my hand on the other person's throat so I can feel the vibrations. This way I can read lips and put together the vibrations to make out the words.

Some people will not appreciate the Tadoma method because they consider it a violation of personal space so this is where I ask ahead of time if it is okay I do this.

Tadoma also works for those who had extensive speech therapy as well.
 
This morning my wife and I tried to use my hands like the keyboard on the computer. It worked pretty well. Do you know the official term for this method? I've read about using the palms like a Brailler but since my wife isn't familiar with the Perkins we use the QWERTY layout.

I read a bit about Tadoma, Mrs. Bucket, and it definitely sounds interesting. But the one thing I don't like about it is it makes me do all the work. Personally, I can't imagine making sense of the vibrations and jaw movements, either. Of course it works for some people and not others.
 
I think it is Flexi-paper [tactile paper] you are speaking about.

I prefer the QWERTY layout myself as well.

Tadoma takes time, I agree. It works for some people and it doesn't work for another.

There's so many approaches and there's never a perfect one for the DeafBlind community because nobody is the same.

Smile.
 
Mrs Bucket said:
I think it is Flexi-paper [tactile paper] you are speaking about.

I prefer the QWERTY layout myself as well.

Tadoma takes time, I agree. It works for some people and it doesn't work for another.

There's so many approaches and there's never a perfect one for the DeafBlind community because nobody is the same.

Smile.
Click to expand...

Different strokes for different folks!
 
When a person loses one sense, they often gain sensitivity with another sense.

For instance, a deaf person often becomes more alert of their surroundings.

For a person who is blind, they rely on their sense of touch and hearing.

For a person who is deaf and blind, they rely more on their sense of touch.

I knew a woman who was deaf and blind, but her sense of touch were amazing. I used to interpret for her at church until she moved elsewhere and I moved elsewhere.

One day, I was at Six Flags for Deaf Awareness Day. I was with a friend and I saw this woman walking by (with a guide). I told my friend that she would recognize me after 5 years of not touching me. My friend thought I was joking. So, I approached her and her guide asked me for my name so that he could tell her who I was. I told him "no" and gave her my own hands. Within seconds of touching my hands, she immediately knew who I was. Both the guide and my friend were shocked. (No, I don't have warts. No, my hands are not dry. No, I don't have ugly wrinkles.) She just could tell who I was by feeling my hands.

Anyways, my point is that... for a person who isn't blind, learning to understand ASL with hands only is difficult. Even when we try to learn, it's still difficult because our primary sense is to see things around us. For a person who is blind, they rely on touch. So, it becomes easier to understand sign language with hands.
 
VamPyroX said:
When a person loses one sense, they often gain sensitivity with another sense.

For instance, a deaf person often becomes more alert of their surroundings.

For a person who is blind, they rely on their sense of touch and hearing.

For a person who is deaf and blind, they rely more on their sense of touch.

I knew a woman who was deaf and blind, but her sense of touch were amazing. I used to interpret for her at church until she moved elsewhere and I moved elsewhere.

One day, I was at Six Flags for Deaf Awareness Day. I was with a friend and I saw this woman walking by (with a guide). I told my friend that she would recognize me after 5 years of not touching me. My friend thought I was joking. So, I approached her and her guide asked me for my name so that he could tell her who I was. I told him "no" and gave her my own hands. Within seconds of touching my hands, she immediately knew who I was. Both the guide and my friend were shocked. (No, I don't have warts. No, my hands are not dry. No, I don't have ugly wrinkles.) She just could tell who I was by feeling my hands.

Anyways, my point is that... for a person who isn't blind, learning to understand ASL with hands only is difficult. Even when we try to learn, it's still difficult because our primary sense is to see things around us. For a person who is blind, they rely on touch. So, it becomes easier to understand sign language with hands.
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:hug: Thank you so much for this.

I'm teary-eyed because I am at this point with my vision loss.

I rely on touch and yes, I can tell who is who by scent & touching hands.

Call it intuition, I know you would make a fantastic SSP. Have you considered applying for this position?

You have the empathy and the honesty we desperately need.
 
I can't. People have to tell me who they are when they speak to me. Otherwise I don't know. I'm still waiting for my touch and smell to heighten but not happened yet. (shrugs).
 
dreama said:
I can't. People have to tell me who they are when they speak to me. Otherwise I don't know. I'm still waiting for my touch and smell to heighten but not happened yet. (shrugs).
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Ditto. Not only that, but I find it extremely rude when people do the whole "who am I" act. My memory is fine, but, my ability to tell who you are based on hand size.. does not exist. Unless you are someone extraordinarily familiar, and even then, I might not recognize you when stressed or disoriented.

Asking "who am I" or putting your hands on me without introducing yourself can be frightening and may well lead to be delivering you a well placed kick between the knees.
 
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