A Sign of Respect 
Strategies for Effective Deaf/Hearing Interactions 
by Thomas K. Holcomb and Anna Mindess 
http://www.treehousevideo.com/store/?main_page=page&id=12

What is unique about this educational product?
 
Thank you for your interest in this DVD/workbook set.  A Sign of Respect focuses on 
how deaf and hearing people can interact effectively. You may think it is easy to use this 
product by playing the DVD in class, having students sit back and watch the show for an 
hour to learn all about Deaf Culture.  While this may be the case for most educational 
DVDs, this product is different -- we designed it to be taken home and used for 
homework, but not by just passively watching it. With this interactive DVD, students are 
expected to participate in the learning process by picking correct solutions to various 
choice points throughout the program.  Answers and explanations are provided to help 
students clearly understand expectations in the Deaf community.  In addition, a 92-page 
workbook is included, which contains reading and writing assignments associated with 
the scenes shown in the DVD.  The DVD/workbook set is a comprehensive curriculum 
with readings, activities, homework assignments, journal questions, and will eliminate the 
need for you to do as much planning and preparation, as it is all there and easy for you to 
use.  
 
What's the purpose of this DVD/Workbook? 
 
Many ASL and Deaf culture courses require students to attend Deaf community events.  
Students often report feelings of intimidation regarding such requirements, especially if 
they have never met other Deaf people or have limited knowledge of the Deaf 
community.  Furthermore, it is often difficult for instructors to provide support for due to 
their students’ limited fluency in ASL.  To address this challenge, this DVD/workbook 
set is designed to provide in-depth information on Deaf culture and the Deaf community 
in an accessible format (ASL, spoken English, and English captions).  It is hoped that 
students will become more comfortable and confident in attending Deaf community 
events as well as meeting and interacting with Deaf people. In the end, this should help 
make their experiences with both Deaf people and the Deaf community more positive.   

Which class is this DVD/workbook appropriate for? 
 
This DVD/workbook set can be used with students at all levels, from Level 1 ASL 
classes to advanced interpreting classes.  It is ideal for beginning ASL students as the 
entire content is accessible with information presented in both ASL and spoken English 
along with English captions, reducing the need for awkward and superficial discussions 
in class due to limited fluency in ASL.  For advanced students, in-depth discussions can 
be held on various relevant topics such as the places and roles hearing people can have in 
the Deaf community, and the delicate nature of Deaf/hearing relationships.  In some 
locations, Deaf community events are plentiful, affording students with many 
opportunities to experience Deaf culture up-close and process these experiences in class.  
In other areas, where the Deaf community is small with fewer opportunities for attending 
events, this DVD can actually provide an alternative avenue to experience Deaf Culture.  
So, in this way, this DVD/workbook set is versatile enough to be used with all levels of 
classes, depending on your goals and needs.   
 
What is in the DVD? 
 
This set contains a DVD and a workbook.  The storyline of the DVD follows an ASL 
student from her first day of class, where she learns of the requirement to attend Deaf 
community events through her first participation in a Deaf community event, her first 
Deaf acquaintance and eventually her first Deaf friendship.  The journey is not entirely 
problem-free for this student who repeatedly encounters cultural challenges. We 
accompany her as she faces 18 awkward situations, each followed by three possible 
solutions, two of which are not considered as appropriate responses. Your students select 
what they believe to be the best solution for each situation and explanations are then 
provided for each possible choice and as to reasons why this is or is not an accepted way 
to deal with things in the Deaf community.   
 
What is in the Workbook? 
 
Because A Sign of Respect DVD/workbook set is designed to function as supplementary 
learning tool, each student needs to have his or her own DVD/workbook set to use at 
home.  The numerous homework assignments contained in the set allow students to 
explore and learn more about the Deaf community and Deaf culture.  The workbook 
contains three sections.  In the first section, students are given opportunities to investigate 
the history of Deaf community events, discover what Deaf community events are 
available in their area, identify appropriate events to attend, and process feelings about 
attending a Deaf community function and meeting Deaf people.  The second section 
provides information on how to use the DVD and allows students view it at home.  The 
third section encourages students to develop relationships with Deaf people, become 
involved in the Deaf community and demonstrate respect to Deaf people and Deaf 
culture.