#WhyISignPTASL with Chad Ludwig

Video description:
Chad (a male with short brown spiked hair, wears a short sleeved black polo shirt) stands in front of a bright blue background and signs into the camera. 

Video transcript:
Hello everyone! I'm Chad Ludwig.  I am Deaf and sighted.  I live in Independence, Oregon.  I am a freelance DeafBlind interpreter, and I volunteer as an advocate for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community in Oregon.  ProTactile American Sign Language (PTASL) is essential because it encompasses all of the visual information from American Sign Language and makes it available tactually on a person’s arms, legs, or other places on the body.  With all of this information available, DeafBlind people are fully immersed in the conversation.  Where historically there were gaps in the information they received, PTASL now provides a channel for them to be informed and included in every interaction.  I have seen, first hand, the value of using PTASL in the community.  The benefit is not only for the DeafBlind person, but also for me as an interpreter, and for others in the community.  So, pass it on- #WhyISignPTASL.

(Video transcript and description also available for download as an accessible Word document)

#WhyISignPTASL ​​