Why Sign Language Bible Translation

One of the more common questions Carolyn and I are asked when we tell people that we will be working with the Deaf in sign language Bible translation, is “Why can’t they just read the printed Bible?”  In English for example, there are over a hundred Bible translations – why do Deaf in America need one specifically in American Sign Language?

It’s a good question, but there isn’t a simple answer.  You see, we learned that less than 2% of the Deaf around the world have been reached with the Gospel.  That means that over 98% of the estimated 70 million Deaf are lost; that is staggering.  Through discussion and reading, we learned that there are three main barriers that create this separation.
 

The first barrier is that learning to read as a Deaf person is extremely difficult, and for many it’s nearly impossible.  Even in countries where the Deaf are offered an education, many find a tremendous challenge in learning to read.  This is because virtually all the world’s writing systems are based on sound and are designed to be learned by those who can hear.  Think – how do you teach a child to read?   You sound out the letters to produce words that they are already familiar with because they have heard their family members use them for years.  But, what if you can’t teach them to sound out letters?   At the point that hearing children are ready for school, most of them have at least a 5000 word vocabulary, but many Deaf children only have about 65 words or symbols they can understand.

So even if a Deaf person overcomes the first barrier of literacy – there is still the problem of comprehension.  Sign languages and written languages have completely different linguistic systems.  Deaf have told our colleagues that for them word recognition is like memorizing phone numbers.  The average reading level for a Deaf person who has received a good education is about 3rd grade.  Most Bible translations expect a reading level of grade 6 or higher. So, how would you comprehend a complex book such as the Bible which is filled with parables and religious symbolism with such low comprehension?

There is still one more reason why the Deaf need a Bible in their own language, and this reason has very deep and painful roots from us as hearing people.  Many deaf have “healing” stories.  Hearing people such as Christians, witch doctors, or family members try to brutally “cast the deafness” out of them.  As a result, many Deaf understandably want nothing to do with people from a hearing culture and their “hearing God”.

By translating the Bible into sign language, the Deaf are able to understand the Gospel for the first time.  They are able to understand that God does speak their language, and doesn’t require that they change into hearing people in order to have a deep relationship with Him. They learn that even when they wanted nothing to do with Him, He wanted everything to do with them!  Wanting the estimated 70 million Deaf around the world to have the opportunity to understand this, and experience a relationship with their Heavenly Father, is why Carolyn and I have a desire to working in sign language Bible translation.