Tactile signing
Encyclopedia
Tactile signing is a common means of communication used by people with both a sight
and hearing impairment
(see Deafblindness
), which is based on a standard system of Deaf manual signs
.
Tactile signing is also contained within a smaller space than is typical in visual sign language. Signs that touch the body may be moved forward into a more neutral space. Other signs which are usually produced in an ‘out of range’ location (such as the leg) may be modified (either spelled or a variant sign used).
Different rules govern turn taking, greetings and goodbyes.
Contrasting colors between skin tone and background walls can also help.
It is better to avoid jewelry which can be distracting, either tactually (e.g. rings and bracelets) or visually (e.g. sparkling drop earrings). Fingernails should also be short and smooth. A neutral color of nail polish may be worn, but bright reds and dark colors can be too strong. Working in close proximity to clients when using tactile sign, interpreters need to be aware of strong smells such as perfumes, cigarette smoke or onion breath.
Tactile signing can also be exhausting for both the interpreter and the deafblind client. Breaks are even more important than with regular interpreting, and should be taken more often. Correct seating can also reduce the risk of strain of injury; both communication partners should be comfortable and at an equal height. Specially designed cushioned tables for tactile signing can be employed.
wrote of a couple who were proficient in tactile sign communication:
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
and hearing impairment
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
(see Deafblindness
Deafblindness
Deafblindness is the condition of little or no useful sight and little or no useful hearing. Educationally, individuals are considered to be deafblind when the combination of their hearing and vision loss causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they...
), which is based on a standard system of Deaf manual signs
Manual communication
Manual communication systems use articulation of the hands to mediate a message between persons. Being expressed manually, they are received visually, and sometimes tactually...
.
Kinds of tactile signing
Several methods of Deafblind communication may be referred to as Tactile signing, including:- Hand-over-hand (also known as 'hands-on signing'): The receiver’s hands are placed lightly upon the back of the hands of the signer to read the signs through touch and movement. The sign language used in hand-over-hand signing is often a slightly modified version of the local Sign LanguageSign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
; this is especially the case when used by people with Usher syndromeUsher syndromeUsher syndrome is a relatively rare genetic disorder that is a leading cause of deafblindness and that is associated with a mutation in any one of 10 genes. Other names for Usher syndrome include Hallgren syndrome, Usher-Hallgren syndrome, rp-dysacusis syndrome and dystrophia retinae dysacusis...
who may have first lost their hearing, and later their sight. The sign language used may also be a manually coded version of the local spoken language (such as Signed English), or a mid-way point between the two known as contact signing.
- Tracking: The receiver holds the wrists of the signer to keep signs within field of vision and to gain information from the signer's movements. This is sometimes used when the receiver has a limited field of visionTunnel visionTunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision.- Medical / biological causes :Tunnel vision can be caused by:...
.
- Tactile FingerspellingFingerspellingFingerspelling is the representation of the letters of a writing system, and sometimes numeral systems, using only the hands. These manual alphabets , have often been used in deaf education, and have subsequently been adopted as a distinct part of a number of sign languages around the world...
(Deafblind Alphabet): Every word is spelled out using a manual alphabet. Different manual alphabets may be used, such as the one-handed ASL alphabet (the receiver places their hand over the back of the hand of the signer) or the two-handed manual alphabetTwo-handed manual alphabetSeveral manual alphabets in use around the world employ two hands for some or all of the letters.- BANZSL alphabet :This alphabet is used in the BANZSL group of sign languages. It has been used in British Sign Language and Auslan since at least the 19th century, and in New Zealand Sign Language...
, which is often used in a form adapted for deafblind communication, known as the Deafblind alphabet, in which letters are produced onto palm of the receiver's hand. This alphabet is also sometimes used in the USA even though the wider deaf community there use a one-handed alphabet. Other simple signs like a tap for 'yes' or a rubbing motion for 'no' may be included. In Japan, a system developed by a deafblind woman is in use to represent the five vowelVowelIn phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
s and five major consonantConsonantIn articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
s of the Japanese languageJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
on the fingers, where the signer 'types' onto a table and the receiver places their hands on top to 'listen' (see this page for more info).
- Co-active signing: The sender moves and manipulates the hands and arms of the Deafblind person to form sign shapes, or fingerspelt words. This is often used with deafblind children to teach them signs, and with people with an intellectual disability.
- On-body signing: The body of the person who is deafblind is used to complete the sign formation with another person. E.g.: chin, palm, chest. Often used with people who also have an intellectual disability.
- Lorm: A hand-touch alphabet developed in the 19th century by Deafblind inventor and novelist Hieronymus Lorm and still used in Europe.
- Tracing or 'print-on-palm': Tracing letters (or shapes) onto the palm or body of receiver. Capital letters produced in consistent ways are referred to as the 'block alphabet' or the 'spartan alphabet'.
- Braille signing: Using six spots on the palm to represent the six dots of a brailleBrailleThe Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
cell. Alternatively, the signer may 'type' onto a table as if using a braille typewriter (see Perkins BraillerPerkins BraillerThe Perkins Brailler is a "braille typewriter" with a key corresponding to each of the six dots of the braille code, a space key, a backspace key, and a line space key. Like a manual typewriter, it has two side knobs to advance paper through the machine and a carriage return lever above the keys...
) and the receiver will place their hands on top. This method can have multiple receivers on top of each other, however a receiver sitting opposite will be reading the braille cell backwards.
Tactile sign language vs visual sign language
Little data exists on the specifics of variation between visual and tactile sign language use. However, what studies there are suggest a significant degree of difference. In hand-over-hand signing, elements of deaf sign languages known as 'non-manual features’ (such as facial expression) will not be received, and will need to be substituted with supplementary information produced manually. Common non-manual features used in Deaf Sign languages that are absent in tactile signing include raised eyebrows as a question marker and a shaking head as a negation.Tactile signing is also contained within a smaller space than is typical in visual sign language. Signs that touch the body may be moved forward into a more neutral space. Other signs which are usually produced in an ‘out of range’ location (such as the leg) may be modified (either spelled or a variant sign used).
Different rules govern turn taking, greetings and goodbyes.
Visual modifications
Many deafblind people make the most of their remaining sight, so the right lighting is vital. Mostly bright, even light is best (avoid glare), but some prefer dim light, so it’s best to ask. Susie Morgan suggests the following guidelines for appearance and attire of interpreters working with deafblind clients:
Wear clothes that provide contrast for your hands. Consider the following when selecting clothing:
- Dark colors (black, navy blue, brown, dark green, etc.) for persons with light skin
- Light colors (off-white, tan, peach, etc.) for persons with dark skin
- Solid colored clothing (avoid stripes, polka dots, etc.)
- High necklines (no scoopnecks or low v-necks)
Contrasting colors between skin tone and background walls can also help.
It is better to avoid jewelry which can be distracting, either tactually (e.g. rings and bracelets) or visually (e.g. sparkling drop earrings). Fingernails should also be short and smooth. A neutral color of nail polish may be worn, but bright reds and dark colors can be too strong. Working in close proximity to clients when using tactile sign, interpreters need to be aware of strong smells such as perfumes, cigarette smoke or onion breath.
Tactile signing can also be exhausting for both the interpreter and the deafblind client. Breaks are even more important than with regular interpreting, and should be taken more often. Correct seating can also reduce the risk of strain of injury; both communication partners should be comfortable and at an equal height. Specially designed cushioned tables for tactile signing can be employed.
History
In 1648 in Britain, John BulwerJohn Bulwer
John Bulwer was an English physician and early Baconian natural philosopher who wrote five works exploring the Body and human communication, particularly by gesture....
wrote of a couple who were proficient in tactile sign communication:
"A pregnant example of the officious nature of the Touch in supplying the defect or temporall incapacity of the other senses we have in one Master Babington of Burntwood in the County of Essex, an ingenious gentleman, who through some sicknesse becoming deaf, doth notwithstanding feele words, and as if he had an eye in his finger, sees signes in the darke; whose Wife discourseth very perfectly with him by a strange way of Arthrologie or Alphabet contrived on the joynts of his Fingers; who taking him by the hand in the night, can so discourse with him very exactly; for he feeling the joynts which she toucheth for letters, by them collected into words, very readily conceives what shee would suggest unto him. By which examples [referring to this case and to that of an abbot who became deaf, dumb, and blind, who understood writing traced upon his naked arm] you may see how ready upon any invitation of Art, the Tact is, to supply the defect, and to officiate for any or all of the other senses, as being the most faithful sense to man, being both the Founder, and Vicar generall to all the rest."
See also
- Sign languageSign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
- Visual Frame Signing
- TadomaTadomaTadoma is a method of communication used by deafblind individuals, in which the deafblind person places their thumb on the speaker's lips and their fingers along the jawline. The middle three fingers often fall along the speaker's cheeks with the little finger picking up the vibrations of the...
- BrailleBrailleThe Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
- Moon typeMoon typeThe Moon System of Embossed Reading is a writing system for the blind, using embossed symbols mostly derived from the Roman alphabet...
External links
- A Deafblind Manual Alphabet
- Sign Language with People who are Deaf-Blind : Suggestions for Tactile and Visual Modifications.
- Guidelines for interpreting with Deafblind people
- How do people who are deafblind communicate?