Why is Silent Heraldry needed in the kingdom?

Because it benefits many people.  The Deaf community is not the only one that can benefit from sign language in court. Gentles who are hard of hearing, suffering from hearing loss, or simply can’t hear what’s going on in front of the thrones because they’re 50 rows back in a giant hall with bad acoustics can all benefit from having the visual aid of Silent Heraldry.

What “language” is Silent Heraldry?

Silent Heralds are trained using American Sign Language (ASL).  Depending on the individual Herald, you will see anywhere from fluent interpretive ASL to short phrases using “pidgin signed English,” which is ASL vocabulary using English grammar.  Signed English is discouraged.

I’m interested in Silent Heraldry, but I’m not fluent in ASL.  Can I still participate?

Yes!  Silent Heralds are not required to be fluent interpreters.  It helps if you are, but it is not mandatory.  You will learn the vocabulary you need to do the job during your training.  If you have a baseline vocabulary in ASL, you’re already halfway there.  What do we consider “baseline vocabulary?” Enough words to have a simple conversation with a toddler.  Have you taken ASL classes in school or college/university, even if it wasn’t recently?  Then you’ve already got a good foundation to start with.

How do I become a Silent Herald?

Start by contacting Lady Lorita deSiena, at silent@eastkingdom.org, to let her know you want to join the team.  She’ll get you “looped in” and on the roster for classes.  Depending on your skill level you may be able to fast-track through some of the training, but to become a fully independent Silent Herald, you will need to prove you have the competency and confidence to do the job by testing out with Lorita.