You met a Deaf person...Now What!?

Do you want to learn basic sign language phrases that actually help you start the conversation?
Do you hesitate to ask questions because you’re worried about looking awkward because you're learning ASL?
Do you know a few signs, but freeze when it’s time to use them?
Did you try learning ASL, but gave up when it got confusing?
Do you want to understand the Deaf community, but don’t know where to begin?
Do you wonder why you can't find enough resources for learning ASL?

You're not alone and I've been there.

Here your journey begins and it's never too late to learn!

Take the first step...

Watch this FREE mini-course guide now!

Here you'll learn a little bit about the deaf community and some basic conversational phrases to get you started!

You want to start the conversation but you're afraid they'll judge you...

The truth is, most Deaf individuals don’t expect perfection. They value effort. Taking the first step, even if it’s not flawless, shows respect and a genuine willingness to connect. Fear of judgment often comes from not understanding the community. The Deaf world isn’t looking to criticize you. They’re looking for you your learn anything about them. When you approach with patience and openness, that effort is seen and appreciated more than you think

Imagine if we all knew basic conversational ASL, the alphabet, and took the time to truly communicate with Deaf individuals. We would understand their world on a deeper level and be more mindful of accessibility.

The reality is, society holds a lot of mixed views about Deaf people, and not enough people are willing to invest the time to learn. If that changed, many of the myths and misunderstandings would disappear.

Here are some of the common misconceptions people still believe:

American Sign Language (ASL) is a Universal language...

Just like spoken languages, sign languages are not universal either. There are more than 200+ signed languages in the world.

ASL and English are the same...

They're not. They are so different lingustically and grammatically. There is so much more you need to know before you can say you are "fluent" in ASL. Anyone can learn a language but Sign Language is more intricate than we think.

We should say "hearing-impaired" and assume Deaf people read lips..."

We actually should NOT say this or assume all deaf individuals read lips. Everyone is different. Society teaches us this because it's normal in the hearing world when it's actually impacting the deaf world by following these norms.

Deaf culture isn't real...

The deaf community will make sure you know all about their culture and how to respect it. Deaf culture is a REAL culture, they have their own language, and even though their community is small, it does very much exist.

Hey, Hearing Friends!

Welcome to your journey into ASL and Deaf culture basics

I’m Jess, a certified ASL interpreter and I’m really excited to support you as you start learning. I’ve been doing this for 7 years and I’ve seen so many things I wish more people understood about the Deaf community.

That’s why I created this course for you. I want you to feel comfortable asking questions without fear of judgement for not knowing the answers and figuring out if ASL is something you want to take further.

There is so much Deaf individuals go through every day that most of us will never experience. But if we don’t slow down, have patience, and try to understand, nothing will change.

Before learning the language, we need to understand the community that started it all, how and why sign language exists. Every day I’m reminded how hard it can be to live in a world built for hearing people. And honestly, it doesn’t take much to start making things more accessible.

I’m here to walk you through the basics, what to be aware of, what you might experience, and the things society doesn’t really teach us about accessibility for the Deaf community.

When you're ready, LET'S GET SIGNING!

Take the First Step and Let's Get SIGNING!

I'll tell you the must know basics about ASL, deaf culture, and the deaf community. Let's learn a few phrases and helpful signs to get you started!