Signs of Diabetes

Perhaps you or your deaf child (or a hearing child of deaf parents) have just been diagnosed with diabetes and the basic concepts of diabetes need to be explained. You need to explain about blood sugar, possible complications of diabetes, and how to manage diabetes. Here are the sources of signs for basic words associated with diabetes, and other resources on diabetes for deaf and hard of hearing people. (The word list is courtesy of the About.com Guide to Diabetes.)

Signs for Common Diabetes Words

blood ASLPro, Handspeak*, ASL Browser, ASL University, ASL Video Dictionary and Inflection Guide* and
sugar ASLPro, Handspeak*, ASL University, ASL Browser, Signing Online*

complicate(or complicated, or complex) ASLPro, ASL Video Dictionary and Inflection Guide*, Handspeak*, ASL Browser

diabetes ASLPro. The National Institutes of Health also has a sign language and text video about diabetes.

exercise ASLPro, Handspeak*, ASL Browser, ASL University

heart ASLPro, ASL University, ASL Browser, Handspeak* and disease ASLPro

hypoglycemia I cannot find a sign for this. Since it means low blood sugar, you could try combining the sign for "low" ASLPro, ASL University , ASL Browser
with the sign for "sugar" (see above)

injections (inject) ASLPro, Handspeak* ASL Browser

insulin The National Institutes of Health has a sign language and text video about insulin.

kidney disease The book Medi-Sign: An Introductory Course in American Sign Language for Medical Practioners from Medi-Sign.org has "kidney" in its index. Try combining that with the sign for "disease" above.

numbness The book Medi-Sign: An Introductory Course in American Sign Language for Medical Practioners from Medi-Sign.org has "numb" in its index. In addition, ASL Browser has the sign for "numb" online.

nutrition ASLPro

pancreas The book Medical Sign Language: Easily Understood Definitions of Commonly Used Medical, Dental, and First Aid Terms has an explanation of how to sign "pancreas."

testing (test) ASLPro, Handspeak*, ASL Browser, ASL University

Signed and Captioned Diabetes Videos

For a signed explanation of diabetes, DeafMD.org has two signed videos, one on Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1, and another on Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2. The videos also have a text transcript below the video.

The Described and Captioned Media Program (registration required) has some captioned programs about diabetes:

• Kids Talk Diabetes
• Teens Talk Diabetes
• Creating Health: Type 2 Diabetes

Keep up with developments in diabetes with the About.com Guide to Diabetes.

Related blog posts on diabetes and deafness:

Diabetics at Greater Risk for Hearing Loss?

Smoking and Diabetes Both Linked to Hearing Loss

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