Sesame Street’s Linda Bove Shares her #whyIsign story!!
Thank you, Linda for sharing your #whyIsign story! You inspired many children by being your beautiful self as a Deaf woman sharing the power of American Sign Language with all children, Deaf and hearing, during your days with Sesame Street.
Image description:
A video of a white female presenting woman with short black hair and blue blouse. She presents her #whyIsign story facing the camera.
Transcript:
Hello. My name is Linda Bove. If one asks me #whyisign- Signing is my birthright. I grew up using ASL. Being able to express myself fully was one way how I developed my identity as a deaf person. I grew up being proud of who I am as a deaf person. When I entered the working world, there were hearing people everywhere. I worked at Sesame Street. The character I was given was Linda the Librarian. In my mind, I thought, how perfect. I am in a library, surrounded by books, and I am given the opportunity to tell stories using ASL. The children were mesmerized by my storytelling. They saw how I proudly expressed myself in my language, ASL. With that, being on TV everywhere in the world, I realize that I was able to spread ASL to deaf children all over. Deaf children watched me, and was able to bring in their families to watch me on TV signing. They learned how to communicate, and see that ASL is a language. The deaf children and their families were able to use ASL when conversing. I thank ASL for making me who I am, and giving my “stand” in spreading awareness all over. I encourage children, deaf children, parents, families, relatives, and community to sign and to give deaf children the language that is their birthright, ASL, period.
