Let's Sign Together

Hello everyone, my name is Mallory.  I write the blog for We Care Arts every week.  This week I want to introduce myself and tell you about my amazing experience teaching sign language to some of our clients.  First, I want to explain how I discovered We Care Arts and began to develop a strong connection with them.  Last year I was completing my Bachelor’s Degree at Wright State University and I had to do a final internship prior to graduation.   My academic advisor told me about WCA so I contacted them and did my internship here for four months.  I have a rare neurological syndrome called Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere that caused me to become legally deaf blind and a quadriplegic.  I use sign language and lip reading as my primary way of communication.  Despite my multiple disabilities I am determined to work with individuals with a variety of disabilites and help them any way I can. 

 

           During my internship, I did many different projects. Teaching sign language to a few clients with the help of my sign language interpreters was one of the primary projects I did.  Every week I would create  a document focusing on a specific topic to teach the following week.  Once the list of words was completed we would copy and paste pictures of the individual sign on the document for each client to keep and practice on their own.  Some of the topics included animals, holidays, activities, colors, and many others.  It always makes my day to see how much these clients truly enjoy learning sign language.  Sign language is a wonderful way for them to be able to communicate with others who are deaf, hard of hearing, or non-verbal. 

I recently started working on staff at WCA part time so I continue to teach sign language to those same people along with any new clients who are interested.  We are currently learning the signs to the “I Love You Song”.  I am thrilled to announce that some of us might be performing this song at our upcoming event Celebrate Your Style. 

Come see us perform on Saturday, October 8.  Celebrate Your Style will be held at the NCR Country Club from 10am to 12 noon.  Please click here if you want to register: http://wecarearts.org/about-events.php.  We hope to see you there!  I will continue to keep you updated on the clients in their journey to learn sign language.