Recently, I had the honour of giving a speech at a high school graduation. The MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) was also on stage. I actually knew her from years ago — we worked together at a social services agency, where I was a case manager and she was the social worker supporting the same individual. Back then, collaborating made advocating for that person’s needs much smoother.
It was great to see her again in a different stage of our careers, still working for the same community.
After the speeches, as we mingled with the crowd, she came up to me and asked, “What’s the sign for ‘congratulations’?” I showed her, and she practiced it right there.
Little things like this go a long way. When someone genuinely wants to connect by learning even a small piece of our language, it moves beyond basic “access” or “inclusion.” It becomes a real human connection — being seen, understood, and valued.
When hearing people take the initiative to learn from us, it opens up space for Deaf and non-Deaf people to coexist more naturally and authentically.
These small, sincere moments are powerful wins.
What about you? Have you ever had a meaningful moment where someone made an effort to learn a bit of sign language or bridge a communication gap? How did it feel?
Share your stories in the comments — these small wins are worth celebrating!
See you tomorrow for Day 8!