Learning ASL with a physical disability?

Question

I'm HoH, moderate loss in my left ear and mild in the right, and I would like to learn ASL. I wasn't taught when I was younger because I can get by ok, but now I'm in college and have a lot of HoH friends and hearing friends who know ASL and I can take ASL classes. However, I've been a quadriplegic since I was 16. I have normal shoulder and bicep movement. My triceps, forearms, and wrists all have almost normal strength but they fatigue quickly (the fatigue issue can improve with more use). My fingers are pretty weak (3 or 3+/5). I have useful movement and movement against gravity but they're weak. I'm mostly paralyzed below about my armpits so I use a wheelchair. I know the alphabet and numbers and a few other signs. My other HoH friends have told me my signs are a little sloppy and a little slow but still recognizable, I guess comparable to people with spoken accents. Is there anyone else here with a disability affecting their finger movements? What is learning to sign like? I would like to learn in ASL classes at my college even though I'm scared I'll struggle to keep up. What advice can you guys give me about ASL classes?

Answer 1

Hi!

Took four semesters of ASL and still learning, love it. Learning a new language is always scary, for whatever reason one might have. Even if you think your sign language has an "accent", you will never reach your full potential if you don't try. I don't have a physical disability, but I would still give it a go. Some deaf people really feel left out because not a lot of people understands them. Even if you don't have the perfect signs, I know a lot of deaf people would be forever grateful just because they can enjoy a conversation with someone who understands them. If you can't keep up in class, there's a lot of books that provide ASL signs with pictures and you can learn at home. Hope you give it a go, I believe in you!