Nature's Best
Nature's vast and wonderful world is filled with amazing creatures and natural beauty. Sign language, with its iconic elements, reflects some of this beauty. If you are a nature lover or photographer, or if you just like to walk in the woods, you will appreciate these signs.
What is Usher's syndrome?
Usher's syndrome is a hereditary condition that results in the loss of eyesight and hearing. This condition represents 10 percent of all hereditary deafness and affects 3 babies out of every 1 million. People with Usher's syndrome use “tactile signing.” This form of sign language relies on the sense of touch to be understood.
FLOWER: Gently tap the “O” hand under your right nostril and then the left. This sign and movement imitates smelling flowers. Form this sign with an “R” hand and you are signing “Rose.”
STARS: Point both index fingers upward and move your fingers alternately skyward.
TREE: Hold your right arm vertical and rest the elbow on the back of the fingertips of the hand of the left horizontal arm. Using an “open five” hand, palm facing forward, pivot your wrist back and forth repeatedly. Note: To form “forest/jungle” repeat the formation while moving the arm right to left, imitating many trees.
RAINBOW: Hold the left “four” hand vertical, then sweep your right “four” hand left to right in an arc above your head, demonstrating the colors and shape in the sky.
OCEAN: Move both your “curved” hands forward, palms down, with one hand slightly behind the other, imitating rolling waves on the ocean.
BEACH: Begin with your elbow resting on the back of your left hand, held in front of the body. Brush the outside edge of your left arm with your “flat” right hand several times.
This sign for “beach” allows the signer to show gentle or ferocious surf. This sign can also demonstrate high tide by sweeping the right hand high above the arm or low tide by sweeping outward and down below the arm.
In this chapter, there have been many beautiful signs. Explore putting together signs to create short sentences. Your sign vocabulary is building. Signs from Chapter 7 would help create sentences, such as “The sky is beautiful.” “I am happy to see the sun.” Keep in mind, small words such as “the” and “is” do not need to be signed.
