In a message dated 12/10/2012 4:54:06 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
dionne1030 writes:
I am a beginner at ASL. I'm using your site to learn the basics, i,e,
letters, numbers, adjectives, colors etc, before I take any actual
classes. I just have one dilemma. My dominant right pinkie has a
noticeable bend due to a torn ligament that has left it deformed, If
you will. Although, I'm able to sign with that hand, It just looks a
little weird. Like when I'm signing the letter 'Y', the pinkie is
pointing straight at the person I'm communicating with. I thought it
would be best to use my left hand since all the fingers are more
straight, until I learned it was best to use my dominant hand. What
do I do? Do I continue using my right hand and just explain my
disability? Or, are there exceptions for people like me?
Thanks for your response in advance
- Dionne
Dear Dionne,
You could choose to switch to left-hand dominant signing if you'd
like. That would allow you to do all of your spelling via your
left-hand. The important thing isn't which hand you use but rather
to be consistent about which hand you use.
For what it is worth, I once messed up a tendon in my right hand
pinkie. I couldn't bend it any more. It freaked me out for a while
due to my fingers being such an integral part of my life. For the
next 4 months I worked on my finger, stretching it, bending it,
moving it. I'd do weird stuff like bend it and then put a rubber
band around the bent pinkie to keep it bent and apply ongoing
pressure to bend it more. (Not for extended periods, but rather for
frequent short periods and then relax it to give it plenty of
circulation). While driving I would grasp the wheel with my other
fingers but I'd bend my pinkie so that the nail was up against the
wheel. I kept this sort of thing up until I had regained the ability
to bend it on its own without assistance.
I tell you the above story since it may be possible for you to
regain full use of your pinkie via therapy and/or self-therapy.
If you decide to not switch to become left-hand dominant in your
signing, and if your efforts at rehabilitating your pinkie fail, you
can always just go ahead and sign right hand dominant and not worry
about it overmuch. Deaf people get old and gnarly just like the rest
of the population and we get used to our elders signing with their
old gnarly hands. On the bright side, from what I've seen, signing
actually helps keep your hands more limber as you get older.
Cordially,
- Dr. Bill
You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™
ASL resources by Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars