Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) recently hosted a virtual All About Sign event in collaboration with the Algonquin Students’ Association to celebrate International Day of Sign Languages and International Week of the Deaf.
The event held on Sept. 23 featured Leah Riddell, the director of community outreach for the Ontario Cultural Society of the Deaf and owner of SignAble Vi5ion Inc. Riddell spent the evening discussing disability justice, deaf accessibility and deaf culture. Riddell also taught a short lesson on the history of American Sign Language (ASL) and led participants in an interactive ASL lesson at the end of the night.
Callie Ogden, CUSA’s vice president (community engagement) and organizer of the event, said the goal of the event was to have more students at Carleton and Algonquin College learn about the deaf community and deaf culture.
“I thought [International Day of Sign Languages] would be a really cool opportunity to provide students with an opportunity to learn some sign language and learn some more about the deaf community if they really haven’t had the chance to do it before,” Ogden said.
In her presentation, Riddell emphasized the importance of educating students on the appropriate etiquette when interacting with deaf people.
“Don’t ask somebody if they read lips, please. Don’t assume, just ask their preference. For some people, asking if they read lips can be a trigger,” Riddell said.
She spoke about deafness as a culture instead of a disability.
“Isolated from others, you have that bond of mutual understanding and shared experience, and the culture of people grows together,” Riddell said.
Riddell also talked about how learning ASL as a hearing person doesn’t only benefit the deaf community; it also benefits the learner.
“Sign language improves brain functioning […] you’re better at memorising, it improves your productivity, as well as it [deters] Alzheimer’s and dementia,” she said. “It can help you read and be read in terms of facial expression and body language.”
The event was intimate, capped at 30 participants to encourage participation. About 10 students from Carleton and Algonquin were in attendance, but all the participants were asking questions and attempting to sign in ASL with Riddell through the Zoom.
CUSA runs the Carleton Disability Awareness Centre (CDAC), and Ogden said she would love to do more disability justice work surrounding the deaf community through the CDAC to work towards a more inclusive environment at Carleton, but there’s no concrete plans in place yet.
After the event, Ogden said that CUSA is looking to host another ASL night in the future, perhaps with Algonquin who is hosting a disability justice week in October.
“Learning about disability and disability justice and different cultures provides a more inclusive environment at Carleton, when people educate themselves on a culture that’s other than their own […] it really allows people to widen their horizons and their understanding of the world,” Ogden said.
Carleton offers ASL courses, as well as a minor in ASL for those who want to learn the language.
Riddell said that people could find more information about the history of deafness and deaf culture through the Ontario Cultural Society of the Deaf, of which she is the director of community outreach.
“It’s great having more exposure to the deaf community because people learn to then respect deaf people … It’s trying to take away the stigma around deaf people and the deaf community,” Ogden said.
Featured image from Screengrab.
