‘Signing Santa’ brings Christmas magic to Deaf and hard-of-hearing community
By Jonathan Greco
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — The holiday magic has arrived for Oklahoma’s Deaf and hard-of-hearing community as Signing Santa made his way to the Shoppes at Northpark on Thursday to check his list twice and bring the Christmas spirit to all.
Since 1889, “Signing Santa” has broken communication barriers for this community, and the University of Oklahoma’s American Sign Language instructor is bringing excitement to all.
“My husband, ‘Signing Santa,’ is deaf and he grew up without that opportunity to tell Santa Claus what he wanted for Christmas,” Terri Davis said. “So, he just feels it’s important to give these kids that opportunity to see a Santa that’s like them.”
Miranda Pollard said she’s been visiting “Signing Santa” for over 25 years – ever since she was a little girl. She will continue to bring her children in the years to come.
“It means a lot to me to have accessibility to communicate with him instead of having to get an interpreter or walking up to a hearing Santa that doesn’t know sign language,” Pollard said. “How can I communicate with him? How can my children communicate what they want for Christmas? But ‘Signing Santa’ creates that accessibility right there.”
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