A person sitting in a chair infant of a black screen signing. A second man is seated at a distance facing the signer. Two woman seated facing one another approximately 10 inches apart. One woman is signing.

Distance, Signing Space and Pace

  • A person with restricted visual fields (i.e., retinitis pigmentosa) may require signs to be presented at a distance and in a small signing space to keep the signs within their visual fields.
  • A person with a central vision loss (i.e., macular degeneration) may prefer sign presented close.
  • Pace: people may prefer fingerspelling to be presented at a slower pace and may require repetition. 

Environmental Considerations

  • Ensure there is sufficient lighting
  • Avoid glare (i.e., don’t stand in front of a window)
  • Consider background: Solid backgrounds that are contrasting colors to the signer’s skin tone. Black or dark blue for people with paler skin and tan or light blue for people with darker skin color. Avoid white backgrounds as this can cause glare and sometimes be painful.

Personal Considerations:

  • Signer should wear clothing that is of contrasting color to their skin tone (no white) Clothing should be solid colored
  • Avoid bulky jewelry or bright long nails as this can be visually distracting.

Tracking:

Tracking is a method where the receiver places their hands on the signer’s wrists to keep the signs within their visual fields.