Sign Language, who needs it ?

This week we are reading of more help on accessing videos and vblogs (Not deaf ones !), to make them more accessible via captioning or subtitles. I'm a great fan of both, but it has occurred to me there is little or NO comprehensive attempt by the Deaf signer nor those interested in 'Deaf' access, to make videoed access via sign language, be it ASL or BSL, there seems no area offering to sign access video output unless it is strictly an 'Deaf' vblog, something the system puts out, or it's a deaf program. OK that's the point about fair access made.

'Lessons' abound online on free captioning on how to do that, but personally on my own vblogs I find it not all that hard to do. OK it takes time, you need patience, but the end result is helping other deaf people, (And it covers up my crap sign!), you scratch their back, they might even scratch yours.... I've never understood dedicated signed output with no other access, or, people who do that, objecting to freelance transcribing of what they say. OK there 'may' be an reason 'Deaf' don't 'Do' English, but I find mostly it is political and stubborn mindedness more than an inability.

Current bugbears are Deafyou, which is some sort of 'flagship for the paranoid few', with occasional output about real issues from genuine deaf to suggest what it isn't, but there are others who resist access on the grounds they are some special exemption or something. They aren't, if you can, DO, if you can't, allow others to..... I like Carl Schroeder, I didn't always agree with him, Don G also talks a lot of sense when he isn't on the road to deafhood every other sentence... (HEY DG there's another 'road' movie there)....Carl has a lot to say, he is an very intelligent person and knows his sign as I gather, sadly he talks mainly to himself or a few that can follow him.

This will not carry the relevant message about the specialisations in sign and culture his output covers. I admire his signing ability, I do not admire him, and his fan club following the "Access unless it IS sign, is an attack on culture..." stance,it's silly,it isn't awareness, or even promoting culture/sign. You would think with so much to impart to the deaf community and bearing in mind British/world deaf haven't a clue what he is saying, or any American using ASL much, he/they would make the views accessible ? Yep we have to step up to the plate too. What Deaf.read has done is invited in world deaf to American ASL and deaf people, now it presents the issue of access to ASL.

We are in the position we can't debate views, or even learn about this aspect of American signed culture, because we do not KNOW what that view is. Yes we can read blogs, but text isn't sign is it ? and, not accessing ASL signers clearly either. Look on captioned/titled access as an awareness thing and not a threat, we can then move on...