American Sign Language: "Residential School for the Deaf" The sign "RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL" means "Deaf School." Use "i" handshapes. The dominant hand moves, the base hand is stationary. RESIDENTIAL-SCHOOL: Deaf School: Sample sentence: "Did you go to a Deaf school?" = "DEAF-SCHOOL YOU?" DEAF-SCHOOL (Version 2) There is another version of this sign that is done similar to the version above except that the base hand is in a palm-down "S"-hand. The dominant hand is still in an "i"-hand and still makes two downward movements. Notes: The term "Residential school for the Deaf" means "Deaf School." It can also be used to mean: campus, institute or institution. (But I don't recommend using it to mean "campus" as in a college campus. For that, just sign "COLLEGE" and if you need to you can add the "location / thereabouts" sign.) The sign for "Deaf School" is an initialized form of the sign "SCHOOL." Why the "i" handshape? The "i" handshape refers to the concept of an "institution." Deaf people used to be "institutionalized" into State-run residential institutions. In the Deaf world, when we ask someone if they attended a "Deaf School" what we mean is "Did you attend a State-run Residential School for the Deaf?" Students live there during the week and go home on weekends or school holidays--(depending on the program). If the school wasn't run by the State and if it didn't have a residential component then it wasn't a "Deaf School." Instead it would labeled with some other term: "Deaf Day Program," "Deaf Charter School," "Deaf Inclusion Program," etc. * Most Deaf people are proud of having attended a “Deaf-school.” It is culturally similar to the "Hearing world" practice of having attended a prestigious boarding school. Rich Hearing people might speak with pride regarding having attended certain "boarding schools" or "prep schools." Culturally Deaf people (rather than those who are merely physically deaf) express pride at having attended a Deaf school. See: DEAF See: SCHOOL You can learn sign language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™ Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars

American Sign Language: "Residential School for the Deaf"

The sign "RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL" means "Deaf School." Use "i" handshapes. The dominant hand moves, the base hand is stationary.

RESIDENTIAL-SCHOOL:

Deaf School:

Sample sentence: "Did you go to a Deaf school?" = "DEAF-SCHOOL YOU?"

DEAF-SCHOOL (Version 2)
There is another version of this sign that is done similar to the version above except that the base hand is in a palm-down "S"-hand. The dominant hand is still in an "i"-hand and still makes two downward movements.

Notes:
The term "Residential school for the Deaf" means "Deaf School." It can also be used to mean: campus, institute or institution. (But I don't recommend using it to mean "campus" as in a college campus. For that, just sign "COLLEGE" and if you need to you can add the "location / thereabouts" sign.)

The sign for "Deaf School" is an initialized form of the sign "SCHOOL." Why the "i" handshape? The "i" handshape refers to the concept of an "institution." Deaf people used to be "institutionalized" into State-run residential institutions.

In the Deaf world, when we ask someone if they attended a "Deaf School" what we mean is "Did you attend a State-run Residential School for the Deaf?" Students live there during the week and go home on weekends or school holidays--(depending on the program). If the school wasn't run by the State and if it didn't have a residential component then it wasn't a "Deaf School." Instead it would labeled with some other term: "Deaf Day Program," "Deaf Charter School," "Deaf Inclusion Program," etc.

* Most Deaf people are proud of having attended a “Deaf-school.” It is culturally similar to the "Hearing world" practice of having attended a prestigious boarding school. Rich Hearing people might speak with pride regarding having attended certain "boarding schools" or "prep schools." Culturally Deaf people (rather than those who are merely physically deaf) express pride at having attended a Deaf school.

See: DEAF

See: SCHOOL