This is poetry in motion. Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/aplusapp?sub_confirmation=1 About A Plus: A Plus is a digital media company devoted to spreading the message of positive journalism, a kind of storytelling that focuses on our shared humanity. It is rooted in our heartfelt beliefs that each person can effect positive change in the world and that we are all inextricably connected. We are proud to tell a different kind of story. Visit us at aplus.com.

Douglas Ridloff is a poet and visual storyteller creating original works in American Sign Language. And in support of signing, his goal is to make ASL a part of the whole community, not just a part of a marginalized community. Douglas wants to make signing hip and significant. More information on http://www.tedxvienna.at Douglas Ridloff is the owner, executive director and host of ASL SLAM (www.aslslam.com) a monthly open mic event in NYC that functions as a space for the Deaf community to creatively play with ASL through poetry performances, improv, games and storytelling, often bringing special guests from around the world to perform. As a widely popular platform, ASL SLAM has now been established as a monthly event in Washington DC, Chicago and Orlando with Douglas's oversight and guidance. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx Douglas Ridloff is a poet and visual storyteller creating original works in American Sign Language. He is the owner, executive director and host of ASL SLAM (www.aslslam.com) a monthly open mic event in NYC that functions as a space for the Deaf community to creatively play with ASL through poetry performances, improv, games and storytelling, often bringing special guests from around the world to perform. As a widely popular platform, ASL SLAM has now been established as a monthly event in Washington DC, Chicago and Orlando with Douglas's oversight and guidance. Recently, Douglas has organized performances at the Whitney Museum, the Jewish Museum, SITE Santa Fe and the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and has traveled to perform his own poetry and to bring ASL SLAM to Deaf communities around the world, including Jamaica, Cuba, Finland, England, Sweden and Australia. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Poet Douglas Ridloff creates American Sign Language poetry and performs at ASL Slam, a creative outlet for deaf people. Here is the link: https://www.nbcnews.com/video/poet-douglas-ridloff-creates-american-sign-language-poetry-and-performs-at-asl-slam-a-creative-outlet-for-deaf-people-1080243779927

ASL Coach for Saturday Night Live: "A Kanye Place.”

ASL Slam's 'open hands' event lets the deaf express themselves through poetry Here is the link: https://www.circa.com/story/2017/06/20/hollywood/asl-slams-open-hands-event-lets-the-deaf-express-themselves-through-poetry

He is a fearless artist, a poet, a performer, and executive director of ASL SLAM

It's spoken word without spoken words—ASL SLAM is an open space for poets to perform their work in American Sign Language (ASL). As ASL SLAM's executive director Douglas Ridloff explains, ASL poetry doesn't rely on rhyming patterns or meter within auditory or written wordplay; rather, the art is "more about the movement, a visual rhyme versus an audio rhyme." Its performance is a stunning and emotionally potent artistry that connects with all audiences. SUBSCRIBE: https://goo.gl/vR6Acb This story is a part of our Human Condition series. Come along and let us connect you to some of the most peculiar, stirring, extraordinary, and distinctive people in the world. Follow us behind the scenes on Instagram: http://goo.gl/2KABeX Make our acquaintance on Facebook: http://goo.gl/Vn0XIZ Give us a shout on Twitter: http://goo.gl/sY1GLY Come hang with us on Vimeo: http://goo.gl/T0OzjV Visit our world directly: http://www.greatbigstory.com

Today, more than 40 percent of American children born deaf receive cochlear implants. The technology effectively restores hearing by bypassing the ear and delivering audio information directly to the brain. The vast majority of deaf children who are implanted develop hearing and speaking skills comparable to their hearing peers, thus allowing them the option to “mainstream” into normal schools. Deaf education in the U.S. has gone through many phases. American Sign Language (ASL) is currently the dominant mode of instruction in deaf schools, but there have been periods where ASL was banned and students were forced to speak and lip-read, an ineffective approach known as oralism. ASL has now gained legitimacy and been shown to include the deep grammar and syntax found in spoken languages. It is also the wellspring of deaf culture, a proud community wary of historical attempts to assimilate them into a hearing world. As more parents opt for cochlear implants, VICE News explores their impact on the medical condition that gave rise to a cultural identity. Read: "Prisons basically ignore the Americans With Disabilities Act, leaving a third of inmates facing abuse and neglect" - http://bit.ly/2jwqCX4 Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Follow VICE News here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicenews Twitter: https://twitter.com/vicenews Tumblr: http://vicenews.tumblr.com/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicenews More videos from the VICE network: https://www.fb.com/vicevideo