Mother of a deaf child, this Sète resident introduces sign language to her 90,000 subscribers in a video

En plus de la maman Tracy, toute la famille du petit Ridann a appris à signer pour communiquer avec lui. Midi Libre – W. N.

Des vidéos dans lesquelles Tracy Izoird, la maman du petit Ridann, apprend par exemple à signer des mots de la vie courante.

Polite expressions, days of the week, verbs and even words related to Christmas. In the form of thematic videos, Tracy Izoird shares on the social network Snapchat the basics for learning French Sign Language (LSF). Her account, called La Famille Signes, now has more than 90,000 subscribers, parents of deaf children as well as people who simply want to learn to sign. “I didn't expect it, it really touches me”, smiles the Sète native.

Which wants, through this means, to reach as many people as possible in a concern for the inclusion of deaf or hard of hearing people. “We have to adapt to these people because they are not going to become hearing overnight”, she emphasizes. And to mention the testimony of this subscriber, a saleswoman, who was able to exchange a few words with a deaf customer after having viewed some of her “stories”.

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“At the beginning, it was discouraging”

Videos that Tracy first shared with her family members so that they could communicate with her son Ridann. “They encouraged me to make them public and it interested people who also understood our story”, says Tracy Izoird. A story that has everything to do with little Ridann. Born very prematurely, he developed many health problems that led doctors to say that the left side of his body could be paralyzed.

Now 7 years old, the little boy frolics around the apartment on the Île de Thau where his mother receives us, plays with a Christmas elf and has fun with his big sister. “Even the pulmonologist tells me it's a miracle”, says Tracy, her eyes watering. However, health professionals had warned that one of the little boy's senses could be affected. At the age of two, he was diagnosed with bilateral deafness. “We had the impression that he heard when a door slammed, for example, but it was coincidence, a reaction to vibrations”, says the young mother.

Tracy Izoird then decided to learn sign language to be able to communicate with her son. All the more so because she was “frustrated”, at not being able to understand, at the beginning, Ridann's desires or needs: “He was constantly shouting, he was getting into states… I didn't know what to do”. The Sète native then managed to learn the basics of LSF, training for parents “not existing”. Youtube videos and books – which she then lent to those around her – accompanied her in this initiation. It took her between six and nine months to assimilate the basics: “At first it was discouraging”.

Concerner tout le monde

As she discovered the words and expressions, Tracy taught them to Ridann. Still in context: “For the bike, I showed him a boy on a bike and I made the sign”. Schooled at Anatole-France in CP class, Ridann is also followed every Thursday by the Saint-Pierre Institute in Palavas where he also learns new signs. Even though her son now has a hearing aid, Tracy is keen to continue communicating by signing with Ridann.

Today, she advocates for the general public to learn sign language. And she also welcomes the increasingly frequent implementation of baby sign language in daycare centers. Especially since, according to her, this skill could be of interest to more than just deaf and hard of hearing people. “My grandfather lost his hearing as he got older and enjoyed communicating in signs with Ridann. It could also help people who have difficulty expressing themselves”, assures Tracy Izoird. Who continues to learn new words that she will undoubtedly teach her subscribers soon.