Fetching Features: Doug Richardson and Gilmer’s American Sign Language Group

Social Media can be so stressful in modern days. With everything from politics to debates, arguments and insults, and so much in between. Yet, Social Media, like most things, has a brighter side, a side that enlightens, reaches out, and connects people or, in this case, sees someone trying to expand and grow people in their community. In only the last three months, a new social media group got started by a local man, Doug Richardson, who said he started the Gilmer County American Sign Language group to help people with “accessibility.”

And this group is not just improving one community, but two.

The “accessibility” that Richardson says he wants comes through bringing two communities, two cultures, together. He said he wasn’t trying to make everyone experts in Sign Language, but creating the group is an attempt to teach some sign language to people so that they might be more accessible to the deaf community. He said that deaf people, particularly in the rural areas of the United States, can feel isolated in a unique way if nobody in their community knows Sign Language. Even knowing the spoken language like English, they could still face unique challenges in communicating through sign language. “Anybody that is willing to learn Sign Language is making a step to bridge that gap in communication and make that person feel more like a part of the community,” he said.

He recounted a story from a friend in Florida, going to a restaurant, this person has had troubles with the outbreak as servers wear masks now and this friend cannot tell what they are saying. This particular instance, this friend sits down and, again, the server comes up with a mask on. Expecting a difficult time and preparing for a hard task to order food, this friend lets the server know that she is deaf. Yet, to her surprise the server then begins signing with her. Richardson said, “That was something that really put a highlight in her day that the [server] could make a connection.”

These moments, these connections are some of the driving forces behind Richardson’s group as he says that he wants to help make those connections, even if through a quick conversation. “Even if it was just a few words to say, it would make a big difference in their day.”

Richardson was a teacher at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind for years before coming to Gilmer. He said he knew his ABC’s and a few words, but some of those were wrong. Fully immersed in the language and the people, he said it really helped in learning the language and growing alongside his students. He set a goal of three words a day, learning and improving each time.

Today, Richardson works as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher at Ellijay Elementary School and lives near Cherry Log with his wife, Mallorie. He still modestly says he is not of the quality of polished interpreters, but he is reaching out with the vast knowledge that he has to share these things with Gilmer and any who would join the Facebook Group.

The group is also a place to keep immersed in the language. Richardson said, “If you don’t use it, you lose it. It’s true.” Richardson recalled a story about trying to help a student learn what a light year is. Explaining the concept of a distance as opposed to a time. Being a teacher is “an awesome” experience according to Richardson. With such good kids, Richardson said that word-for-word translations doesn’t always work, so working with kids to comprehend a thought and understand the lessons is part of the exploration of the language.

One of the unique things about the language that he says keeps him interested and moving forward in it is the nuances. “You can almost be more expressive with sign language,” he says as he explains that small details make differences in the meaning. “If you’re using your hands to convey ideas and back it up with maybe eyebrows bouncing or whatever it is. To me, that’s what is really interesting. An over-exaggeration, painting a picture that’s not only clear but gives some humor to the language.”

Just as any language, Sign Language has its own idioms, things like “fist-kiss.” Kissing the back of your fist and pushing it forward, a gesture to imply that you really like something.

Richardson hosts the group and teaches. Just as he learned in Florida, setting a few words a day through online videos. He says you’re not going to become fully fluent, but, again, introducing people to the language and providing that base to begin connections is the whole goal of the group and the individual videos. Providing challenges also incorporates the interaction to keep people “using” the language.

Yet, there is more to this than just learning a language. Bridging the gap means introducing people to a whole culture that they may not even be aware of in this nation.

One thing to understand is that Sign Language and the Deaf community connect into a proud culture. Deaf Culture is a whole thing on its own. Richardson said that many deaf people are proud of their culture and the language. He explained that even in signing, there are expressions, exaggerations, impacts that mean something different. Touching the side of your chin with your index finger  and then touching your cheek near your ear is how you sign “deaf.” However, doing the same thing with a wide arc in between the two points, bringing your finger out far from your face between touching your chin and cheek, is how you sign “Deaf.” And that is very different, because one explains that you cannot hear, and the other claims yourself as a part of the culture, a member of the community, a proud part.

Richardson explained that part of that claim of culture punctuates Deaf as the word, not “hearing impaired.” These people say, “I am Deaf,” and the distinction is clear, purposeful, and important.

Sign language is not just a way to speak English with your hands. It is a language, it is a part of the people. It has accents, it has expressions, it has idioms. And it has a teacher in the county, a man looking to spread knowledge and to connect people and build a bridge to make these two communities accessible to each other.