I had the pleasure of collaborating with a cool organization dedicated to serving the deaf community in their state. (Keeping their name and location a secret for now, shhh!) They wanted to make their website super deaf-centric, specifically targeting a Deaf audience. Their website was very nicely made, but somewhat dull and did not have many images. They wanted to add ASL (American Sign Language) videos and graphics.

But before we dive in, let’s have a purr-face: A lot of people don’t realize that many Deaf individuals don’t have a strong grasp on English. ASL isn’t just English words signed; it’s a whole native language with its own culture, just like any other foreign language. Think of it like someone using “broken English” – many native ASL users have grown up with it as their primary language, so written English isn’t their forte. Community websites like DeafColorado.org also recognize this and aim to provide resources for their users.

Back to the tail! The client wanted videos and graphics (both animated and still) so Deaf visitors could understand what their website is all about. This approach ensures that the website is truly accessible and caters to the specific needs of its target audience.

And meow, I was on it! I knew just the purr-son- I mean person – for the job. I have a deaf acquaintance who teaches ASL, and she was perfect for creating videos that briefly describe each of the client’s services. Plus, I was tasked with adding an ASL graphic to the top of each page.

My acquaintance created her sample video, and I edited it to purr-fection. I also created an animated graphic for the “About” page. (See below.)

Just when things were going swimmingly, an internal situation within the client’s organization put the whole project on paws-indefinite hold!

Drats! But hey, even though I’m not an animator, I had a blast creating the animated “team”! I might just purr-actice some more and offer simple animations as part of my services!

Interested? Contact me and we’ll meow!

–Tabby