Deaf culture

Name signs on official documents

Are there name signs legally recorded on birth certificates and other official documents? Time has come!

Birth certificate in BSL name sign
Image source: www.bslzone.co.uk

The Deaf British BSL-speaking couple became the first people in Britain to legally record their baby Hazel's name sign on their birth certificate. The name sign was put in BSL linguistics notation as "UbOtDDstarL" which represents a combination of the handshapes, palm orientation, and movement.

MFA thesis in ASL title
Image source: Adrean Clark, 2018.

In July 2018, MFA graduate Adrean Clark published her thesis book with the title in ASL.

MFA exhibition in ASL name Image source: Adrean Clark, 2018

Likewise, Adrean Clark's name in both ASL and English is listed among the MFA graduate students' names on the poster in their graduating exhibition. Adrean's ASL name, which comes first before her English name, quite stands out!

MFA exhibition in ASL name

The image shows Adrean Clark's bilingual MFA graduation degree with her ASL name and English name on it. Naturally, her name in ASL comes first before her English name, which shows the identity of her home language and culture.

MFA exhibition in ASL name MFA exhibition in ASL name
Image source: Jolanta Lapiak

Another Ameslan MFA artist Jolanta Lapiak officiated her name sign by designing her handmade seal stamp (2016/17) and customized seal wax stamp (June 2018) in both ASL and English. It's used to authentice her art works or objects. Her ASL signed name also comes in the upper area above her alphabetical name, which shows her identity with her ASL language and culture.

These beginnings were the exciting moments. But, in the next years or decade, written name signs in ASL may become a common, everyday practice. It's natural that one identifies her/his name in their own language!

Resources

"Britain's first baby to be registered with a sign name." 2014. https://www.bslzone.co.uk/watch/deaf-world-britains-first-baby-be-registered-sign-name/

Related posts

Related posts: Name signs in Deaf culture

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