Camille was Born Profoundly Deaf & is a BSL user
Signing means the world to me as it gives me full freedom to express myself fully. Giving me independence to communicate without any barriers or hesitation. Every conversation being all-inclusive having complete access to all the chats without any distress.
Signing brings Deaf community and hearing people together with no one feeling left behind. Interacting with all who cannot be heard but can be seen bringing unity giving a visual voice through hands.
Signing means socialising to the fullest and breaking down isolation with our identities smiling and blooming. To share our world with each other and going with the flow with ease.
Signing is connecting with who we are and understanding our thoughts and feelings with others too who can use sign language. Signing has brought me endless opportunities, events and embracing who I am deeply.
Signing means being able to be in groups without any worry, fatigue and to be understood without any repetition. Signing means no more suffering in silence or being withdrawn.
Signing saves brain power so no need to do any guesswork from lipreading or having to make sense of verbal with struggle. The brain can rest and relax without feeling hard work or being on alert using up so much mental energy.
Signing sparks creativity with the ability to storytell, describe, explain anything and everything smoothly and freely spontaneously. Signing reduces overthinking or having to think too hard about answers and checking if it makes any sense.
Signing reduces the need for preparation or super hard concentrations to understand and keep up with conversations or knowing what is going on. Signing means no more dinner table syndrome and feeling wanted by society getting supported all the time everyday.
Signing has helped me realise my potential and capabilities being able to achieve my dreams. Along with being able to be part of discussions, meetings, sharing ideas and to have the excitement to create the future. Being able to create my future because of signing is very empowering.
Signing has brought me a great understanding of my identity, being from a minority, Deaf culture and history. Realising how it made me who I am today and how it impacts or influenced my own upbringing.
In the past, I learnt to be sorry but not sorry about being deaf and how society has gotten me to apologise for my deafness. Once I discovered how this is affecting me I stopped being sorry and being proud instead.
Signing has stopped me from thinking that I am not good enough or worrying about what other people think. Along with having to forever keep trying to reach society’s standards, high expectations and just be me accepting myself wholly and fully.
Signing means I would not need to suffer or struggle to survive in the hearing majority or have to constantly adapt just for them to make their lives easy! What about us Deaf? I’d be the happiest girl in the whole wide world if everyone could sign.
(Please note: This blog has been written by an independent author not associated with Signature, any and all views expressed are that of the independent author who does speak on Signature’s behalf.)