Skip to main content

    Learn ASL

    Help with hearing loss + connect with deaf community.

    Why seniors learn ASL

    • Communicate with deaf grandchild/family.
    • Backup for hearing loss progression.
    • Volunteer at deaf school/community.
    • Brain exercise.
    • Useful when hearing aids fail.
    • Many beautiful expressive aspects.

    Free learning resources

    • Lifeprint.com — free ASL course Dr. Bill Vicars. GOLD standard.
    • Bill Vicars YouTube — videos free.
    • Sign Language 101 — free site.
    • ASL Bloom app — free with purchase.
    • SignSchool — free interactive.
    • Free + thorough.

    Paid apps

    • Lingvano — Duolingo for ASL. $50/yr.
    • The ASL App — $5. Reference dictionary.
    • SignSchool Premium — varied.
    • Cheap for beginners — free works fine.

    Start simple

    • Alphabet (fingerspelling).
    • Numbers 1-100.
    • Common phrases (hello, please, thank you, sorry).
    • Family signs (mom, dad, sister, brother).
    • Food signs.
    • Question words.
    • Practice daily 10-15 min.

    Local resources

    • Community college ASL classes — affordable.
    • Library Deaf Coffee gatherings.
    • Local Deaf community Meetup groups.
    • Senior centers occasional workshops.
    • Deaf church services welcome new signers.
    • Practice with deaf community = essential.

    Live captioning helps too

    Modern phones auto-caption conversations. iPhone Live Captions, Android Live Transcribe — both free. Useful in noisy restaurants. Combine ASL learning + auto-captions = senior hearing-loss toolkit.

    Learn ASL for Senior Beginners | TekSure