St. Catharines, Ont., ASL signage removed for review and corrections

by carly_mchugh | 27 March 2023 3:26 pm

The city of St. Catharines, Ont., has taken down its recently implemented American Sign Language (ASL) signage at several recreational facilities, after a resident raised concerns about the accuracy of some of the illustrations.

According to a report from The Standard[2], Paul Moreau, a member of the city’s deaf community, said he was pleased with the effort “to be inclusive of both deaf and hard of hearing individuals.” However, he was disappointed with the quality of the ASL imagery. He contacted the city with his feedback, at which point the signage was removed for review.

A few of the errors Moreau pointed out were the sign for the letter X showing hand movement; the sign for the letter N missing a part of the thumb resting on the palm; and other issues with the signs for H, G, and D, and the words “play” and “cold.” He said deaf individuals specializing in ASL studies should have been consulted on the illustrations, along with organizations such as Sign Language Institute Canada.

“Accuracy in the signs is crucial, and it’s essential to be precise rather than settling for something that just looks good enough,” Moreau told The Standard. “As ASL signages are being displayed publicly, it’s crucial to introduce hearing and non-signing individuals to American Sign Language accurately. This can be done by providing precise illustrations and information, which will ensure they start learning the right signs.”

Moreau added various deaf and hard of hearing people from St. Catharines and surrounding communities will be having an upcoming meeting with city staff to discuss the issue.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/st-catharines-ont-asl-signage-removed-for-review-and-corrections/

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