Part 1 Followup
Library-specific Resources
- Library Signs Videos, Handouts, and Quiz
- Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library
- Gallaudet University Libguide: Working with Deaf Patrons
- Foundations of Effective Accommodations: one of many free online courses from the National Deaf Center
- Special Needs Communication Guide: A handy printable resource you can keep at service desks to assist in communicating with patrons who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing, speak Spanish, or have limited communication skills. This 21-page communication guide was put together by The Library of Fanwood and Scotch Plains (New Jersey, USA), and contains English, Spanish, and fingerspelled words, as well as pictures for common concepts and items in the library setting.
ASL Manual Alphabet and Dictionaries
ASL Manual Alphabet (printable .pdf)
Fingerspelling charts, practice, and fonts
Receptive Fingerspelling Practice Apps:
- Receptive ASL Fingerspelling (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asl_fingerspelling
- ASL Fingerspelling Practice (Apple): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/asl-fingerspelling-practice/id1503242863
Online ASL Dictionaries:
- HandSpeak.com
- ASLPro.com
- SigningSavvy.com (Browsing access free; searching from the site available for subscribers only. To search this site without an account, go to google.com and search “Signing Savvy” followed by the word you are looking for)
Communication Tips
- How to Communicate with Someone who is Deaf
- Communication Tips from Deaf Cultural Resource Center (Library for Deaf Action)
- Guidelines for Effective Communication with Deaf, Late-Deafened, and Hard of Hearing People (Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
Masks
Recommended Clear Masks:
- ClearMask: https://www.theclearmask.com/
- BendShape: https://bendshapemask.com/
- Jelli Mask: https://jellim.com/
Deaf Culture
- Deaf Culture PEPNet Tipsheet by Professor Linda Siple, Assistant Professor Leslie Greer, and Associate Professor Barbra Ray Holcomb, all of the Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY.
- Through Deaf Eyes (DVD). (PBS Home Video, 2007)
- Audism Unveiled (DVD). (DawnSignPress, 2008)
- The Deaf Community in America: History in the Making by Melvia and Ronald Nomeland. (McFarland, 2011)
More Resources from Kathy MacMillan
- “Hands-On Collection Building: A librarian offers tips for sign language materials selection” by Kathy MacMillan. School Library Journal, March 2003.
- Try Your Hand at This!: Easy Ways to Incorporate Sign Language Into Your Programs by Kathy MacMillan. (Scarecrow Press, 2006)
- Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together by Kathy MacMillan. (1st edition, Huron Street Press, 2014; 2nd edition, Hands Up Press, 2022)
Part 2 Follow-up
Varieties of Signing
- How ASL and English Differ: A Brief Example (Kathy MacMillan)
- ASL is Not English on the Hands (LifePrint)
- Signing Black in America (Black ASL)
- Pro-tactile ASL: A new language for the DeafBlind (Quartz)
Laws
Interpreters
- Tips for Finding and Working with interpreters
- Sign Language Interpreters in Your Library: What You Need to Know
- Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Interpreter/Agency Locator Tool (US)
- State Regulations Concerning Interpreters (US)
- Canadian Association of Sign Language Interpreters Directory (Canada)
On-Demand Video Remote Interpreting Services (subscription-based):
Video Relay Service (VRS)
Technology
- Technologies and Tools for Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patrons (Kathy MacMillan)
- Described and Captioned Media Program
- Access: Post-Production/Offline Captioning Module (free online course from DCMP)
- Technology Resources from the National Association of the Deaf:
More suggested resources by category:
Resources for Learning American Sign Language
Resources about Deaf Culture and History
Resources for Educators and Librarians
Stories by Hand 