American Sign Language

9 Stories

NFL Player Got Creative to Avoid Trash-Talk Penalties

DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks learned American Sign Language

(Newser) - After Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf scored a touchdown, he very publicly taunted the opposing player he beat on the play. Normally, that would draw a flag. But Metcalf avoided one in clever fashion—he delivered the taunt in American Sign Language. Watch it here . Metcalf used his newly acquired...

Interpreter Who Was ASL 'Royalty' Dies of COVID

Patty Sakal interpreted for Hawaii's deaf community for nearly four decades

(Newser) - In Hawaii, she was known among her colleagues as "interpreter royalty." To the Aloha State's deaf community, Patty Sakal was simply the one who kept them in the know on all the news of the day. Now, sad news from our westernmost state: Sakal has died of...

She Wanted to Help Make Masks. But Not Just Any Masks

College student Ashley Lawrence's virus masks have plastic strip to aid deaf, hard of hearing

(Newser) - Ashley Lawrence is a senior studying education for the deaf and hard of hearing at Eastern Kentucky University, so when the coronavirus pandemic began taking hold and Lawrence saw people start to volunteer to make masks, the 21-year-old got an idea: Why not make masks for the deaf community near...

Her Fingers Just Stole a Twista Show

Amber Galloway Gallego can sign at lightning speed

(Newser) - The "fastest rapper of all time" isn't too fast for Amber Galloway Gallego. The sign language interpreter with memorable magenta hair is drawing raves for her ability to keep up with Twista at a Saturday concert in North Carolina, the New York Post reports. A tweeted clip of...

Father, Daughter Make a Sweet Scene at Rock Concert
She Asked Her
Dad to a Concert.
They Ended Up
Wowing the Crowd
in case you missed it
Dec 22, 2018 6:30 AM CST

She Asked Her Dad to a Concert. They Ended Up Wowing the Crowd

Kari Carberry signed song lyrics to her hearing-impaired dad at Three Days Grace show

(Newser) - The sign language gestures for "rock on" and "I love you" are similar, but for this Canadian father and daughter, there's a lot of overlap. At first, Jules Maria was annoyed by the two, who were dancing in front of her Wednesday at the Three Days Grace...

He Couldn't Communicate With Flight Attendants. Enter 'Angel'

'Angel' teen Clara Daly helped blind, deaf man on Alaska Airlines

(Newser) - "We are all starving for good news and this was just what we needed." Those are the words of Alaska Airlines passenger Lynette Scribner on Facebook after she witnessed a touching interaction between a young teen and a blind and deaf man on a recent flight. All three...

These Gloves Turn Sign Language Into Speech

College students awarded $10K prize for invention

(Newser) - Some half a million people use American Sign Language to communicate. Now, communicating with others who don't know ASL could be as easy as donning a pair of gloves. Navid Azodi and Thomas Pryor, undergraduates at the University of Washington, were recently awarded a $10,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize...

Storm's Unlikely Star: Bloomberg's ASL Interpreter

Lydia Callis' Sandy ASL updates were full of enthusiasm

(Newser) - There's not much room for positive news in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, but one woman has captured the hearts of those following the news of the storm, reports the New York Post . Lydia Callis is Mayor Michael Bloomberg's American Sign Language translator, and was on hand at...

Communicating Chimp Signs Off
Communicating Chimp Signs Off
Nov 2, 2007 5:07 PM CDT

Communicating Chimp Signs Off

Washoe, simian with impressive vocabulary, is dead at 42

(Newser) - Washoe, the first non-human to learn a human language, is being remembered as a linguistic pioneer and a "polite, cheerful person," even though she was a chimp. Washoe, who died this week at 42, could use around 250 different American Sign Language signs in conversation, the Seattle Times ...

9 Stories