4. HOMETOWN HARD NEWS
Monroe woman launches virtual ASL learning program to bridge gap between hearing, deaf communities
University of Louisiana at Monroe graduate, Tracee Albert, has launched a new website to help others learn American Sign Language and help the deaf community "feel seen". Tracee grew up learning ASL as her first language because both of her parents are deaf. Albert says that she hopes her new virtual learning program, "Feel Seen", will help bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf communities.
Albert says that
many people would tell her they want to learn ASL, but she did not have time to
teach them because of school and work. She then decided to make an online learning
program that allows anyone to have access at all times. Albert says, “You
always want to feel seen in a community no matter where you are, no matter your
disabilities, no matter your limitations. So, I feel like with my website, you can
learn the alphabet, numbers, colors, different kind of foods, just to make
people feel welcome in their environments.”
While the deaf
community already has trouble communicating with many people in the hearing
community, that struggle is especially difficult in this time of COVID with the
introduction of masks. Now, reading lips is no longer a simple way the deaf
community can interact with others around them. In addition to Feel Seen,
Albert is also selling clear masks to help make interactions between hearing
and deaf people a little easier.
Her website also
doubles as a scholarship foundation, offering three $1,000 scholarships. One scholarship
will go to a full-time ULM student in the medical field, another will be
available for a Vidalia High School senior (which is Tracee’s alma mater), and
the third will be for a student with at least one deaf or hard of hearing
parent.
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