What Is a Person Who Uses Sign Language Called?

The short answer

A person who communicates in sign language is most commonly called a signer. "Sign language user" is an equally neutral, widely understood alternative. In the United States, where the main sign language is American Sign Language (ASL), you may also hear "ASL user" or "ASL signer."

These terms describe how someone communicates, not whether they can hear. Deaf people, hard of hearing people and hearing people can all be signers.

Which word fits depends on what you mean

The right term changes with the person's role or relationship to sign language. Choosing the wrong one can change your meaning, so it helps to know the common distinctions.

Term | What it describes

Signer / sign language user | Anyone who communicates in a sign language, regardless of hearing status

Native signer | Someone who acquired sign language from early childhood, often from signing parents

Sign language interpreter | A trained professional who conveys meaning between a signed and a spoken language; not every signer is an interpreter

Deaf (capital D) | Often used for people who identify with Deaf culture and community, where a sign language is typically central

deaf (lowercase d) | Often used for the audiological condition of not hearing, without implying cultural identity

Hard of hearing | People with some degree of hearing loss who may or may not sign

CODA | Child of Deaf Adults: a hearing person raised by Deaf parents, frequently a fluent signer

Capitalization conventions such as Deaf versus deaf are common in the US but not used uniformly. When you know the person, the most reliable approach is to use the term they use for themselves.

Terms to avoid

• "Deaf-mute" or "deaf and dumb": outdated and widely considered offensive, because signing is full language use and many deaf people can vocalize.
• "Hearing impaired": once common, but many Deaf people dislike it because it frames them only by a deficit. Some individuals still use it for themselves.
• "Sign language person": understandable, but vague; "signer" says the same thing more precisely.

If you meant a call using sign language

If your question is about a phone call involving a signer, the relevant term in the US is Video Relay Service (VRS). A Deaf or hard of hearing caller signs to a video interpreter over a camera connection, and the interpreter voices the conversation to the hearing party and signs their replies back. The professional in the middle is called a video interpreter or VRS interpreter.

For signed calls, having camera access granted in the browser or operating system only means the camera can be opened. Whether signs are readable also depends on the video actually being captured and transmitted smoothly, with enough light and frame space to show hands, face and upper body.

What this guide does not cover

No source material with figures, provider details or survey data was supplied for this article, so it does not state how many people use ASL, name specific relay providers or quote style-guide rulings. For formal writing, check the current guidance of a national Deaf advocacy organization or the style guide your publication follows.