Signing Savvy, Your Sign Language Resource

Many people have heard of individuals using dogs to assist them with their visual difficulties, but the use of dogs for people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing is less understood by the general public. Hearing dogs for the deaf alert their owners to sounds, both inside and outside of the home. Some deaf people also choose to get hearing dogs for safety reasons.

The general public's lack of understanding about dogs for the deaf has been known to cause a problem for some hearing dog owners.  Some restaurants or stores where the owners are not aware of the current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws, have either told deaf owners to leave their dog outside, or refused them service. Some have even gone as far as saying, "You clearly aren’t blind! Why do you need a dog?"

These dogs are assistance dogs that have been very well trained and are not just your average pet with a vest on them.  It is the owner’s responsibility to keep them well groomed and to monitor their behavior, but because of the extensive screening and training process these dogs go through, disruptive behavior is rarely a problem. These dogs are trained to alert their owners of different sounds such as a siren, fire alarm, crying baby, telephone, or car horn. It is through the use of these dogs that many deaf people say they become more independent and interactive with their surroundings. The dogs are trained to learn obedience, correct response to sounds, and how to respond to voice and hand signals.

There are resources out there to educate yourself about assistance dogs of all types and the laws that apply to them. Assistance / service dogs have also been known to work with individuals dealing with mobility assistance, seizure alert, medical alert, autism and psychiatric issues.

Find out more:

• Dogs for the Deaf, Inc.: An organization that rescues and professionally trains dogs to help people and enhance lives.
• About Dogs for the Deaf, Inc.'s hearing dogs
• General information on hearing dogs for the deaf from About.com
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for service animals
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) commonly asked questions about service animals in places of business
• Dogs for the Deaf, Inc review of assistance dog laws

Related Books:

Sound Friendships: The Story of Willa and Her Hearing Dog
By Elizabeth Yates

The story of Willa Macy, who lost her hearing when she was 14, and Honey, a golden retriever, who helped her to discover a new world of independence and security. It is also a story about Hearing Dogs - their background, training, special abilities, and the unique relationship they develop with their owners.

Luke and his hearing-ear dog, Herald
By Andrea Zoll and Arlene Garcia

A book for children about a deaf 9-year-old boy Luke and his hearing dog.

Lend Me an Ear: The Temperament, Selection and Training of the Hearing Ear Dog
By Martha Hoffman

Written by a hearing dog trainer, the book includes tips, trainer's secrets, and why hearing dogs are the fastest-growing facet of the assistance dog industry.

We launched Signing Savvy in January 2009 with the goal of creating a comprehensive online sign language resource.  Over the last four years the site has grown dramatically in content, features, and usage.  We are so grateful for the support of all of our active users.  It is you, our users, that make Signing Savvy so special. We particularly are thankful for our full members who allow us to continue to grow and maintain the site and enhance its features.  As we celebrate the end of our fourth year, we are thrilled about the things to come in 2013 and beyond!

With that said, we are excited to announce that a new version of the Signing Savvy Member App for both Apple iOS devices and Android devices is now available. This long anticipated update addresses all known issues with the previous version, enhances the interface, adds additional sign information, and allows for searching of dates, times, and currency.  And, most notably, the app now takes advantage of the iPad, iPad Mini, iPhone 5 Retina display, and Android tablet display if you are on one of those devices.  The Signing Savvy Member App is for Signing Savvy full members.  If you are not yet a full member, you can still use the app to easily check the Sign of the Day on your mobile device.

This video gives a brief overview of the Signing Savvy service and the inspiration behind it by one of the Signing Savvy founders, John Miller.  In addition to his work on Signing Savvy, John has been a teacher, educator, and administrator at the K-12 and University level.  His focus throughout his career has been on Deaf Education and working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their parents.

Transcript of Video

Over 90% of deaf and hard of hearing children are born into hearing families. So that statistic alone is shocking for a lot of people to hear. But what that means is that over 90% of the children are coming home with a family that sign language is not their primary language.

Recently I visited with a group of parents of young deaf children who were sharing their frustrations and struggles with learning sign. They were asking for tips to improve their skills as their families learn the language of their young deaf children.  Their question is one that I hear often, and I know I have addressed it in previous blogs, but because I hear it so much, I thought it might be good to discuss it again. I will also point out a feature from our site that might help bring some clarity to the issue.

From all of us at Signing Savvy, we wish you joy and happiness during this holiday season and all the best in 2013!