Going beyond the basics of Filipino Sign Language (FSL), the Ateneo Special Education Society (Ateneo SPEED) invited instructors from the Deaf & Terp Training Services to conduct the annual workshop last November 8 to 9, 2021. The two-day workshop provided an introduction to the Deaf community in the Philippines today to its participants, alongside facilitating a series of FSL sessions and activities.

History & Details about Deaf & Terp

Defined by their slogan, "Providing access that truly matters for the Deaf to live in a world of endless possibilities'', Deaf & Terp offers a variety of services within the Deaf community and its other relevant sectors. These range from FSL classes, seminars, and workshops to training and interpreting services across several organizations, companies, government agencies, and broadcast media.

Coverage of the Workshop

The first day covered the basics of why FSL is important and also introduced the students to Deaf and Terp Training Services. There was also a short activity to help either confirm or debunk some myths about the Deaf and Filipino Sign Language.

After this, the participants were separated into breakout rooms and here they were taught a few signs. They also learned non-manual signals (NMS), a key component in communicating better with the Deaf Community which largely refers to facial expressions and body movements. It is crucial as one of FSL’s five parameters, alongside (1) handshapes, (2) location of the sign, (3) movement of the hand, and (4) the palm’s orientation. Some signs that they were taught were the FSL Alphabet, alongside basic greetings and questions.

Meanwhile, the second day covered more complex aspects of FSL. Participants were taught to differentiate between FSL and Visual Gestural Communication (VGC) while still outlining both of their uses within the Deaf community. Additional greetings and phrases that further contextualize themselves towards the online and academic setting were taught as well, with expressions of goodwill (“Kaya mo ‘yan!” / “You can do it”) topping it off. The workshop then ended with a testimonial video from Ateneo SPEED’s partner community and additional volunteer opportunities that Deaf & Terp may provide.

Misconceptions & Information about the Deaf Community

As mentioned beforehand, the workshop had managed to better clarify certain notions about the Deaf Community that are ultimately misconceptions. These takeaways about the Deaf Community include but are not necessarily limited to the following:

1. Rather than calling Deaf people disabled / handicapped, it would be better to instill a view of positivity and to draw away from calling them disabled.
2. Moreover, not every Deaf person is also mute, which makes the term "deaf-mute" incorrect.
3. Aside from deaf-mute, the following terms to refer to them by should NOT be used and must be phased out:
   1. Deaf-mute / deaf and mute
   2. Hearing-impaired
   3. Hearing disability
   4. Hearing handicapped
   5. Deaf and dumb
   6. Pipi (Filipino)
   7. Amang (Bisaya)
   8. Apa (Hiligaynon)
4. Instead, look towards these terms:
   1. Deaf (with a capital D), relating to the Deaf community and Deaf culture
   2. Deaf (with a small d), relating to the condition of partial or complete deafness
   3. Late Deafened Adult, one who became deaf later in life via illness, an accident, etc.; they may or may not use sign language or speech to communicate
   4. Hard of Hearing, those who have recessive hearing and often utilize a hearing aid. Though they have their own community, they can mingle with the Deaf community.
5. One may call the attention of Deaf people by either flickering the lights, gently tapping them on the shoulder, or stomping the feet on a wooden floor to cause vibrations for them to feel.
6. Deaf people exist on a spectrum. Not all Deaf people are the same. There is the medical view of Deaf people by professionals or educators who see Deaf people as someone who is impaired and whose hearing faculty needs to be fixed. Whereas Deaf people see themselves in the socio-cultural perspective, being Deaf as an identity, a culture, a "gain" rather than a "loss."
7. Deaf people can do any job if given the accessibility measures to do so.

Benefits and Significance of Filipino Sign Language

Learning FSL is definitely something of significance not only to the Deaf community but also to everyone else. There are many benefits of learning sign language, like being able to communicate despite wearing a face mask and shield. You can actually even use sign language with a hearing baby since they learn to sign with gestures before they learn how to speak. You can communicate with those who do not speak your spoken language by also using gestures. Above all, learning signs and FSL promotes accessibility and inclusivity, providing a way for the Deaf to communicate effectively and be heard on what truly matters to them.