“For Jake to be kind, to be aware, to be considerate, to learn sign language…it’s touching and refreshing,” said Christianson, who is the son of deaf parents. “And for him to also want to put American Sign Language in the national spotlight, like he did with the St. Louis Blues ASL hat last year, that was insanely popular. This doesn’t happen, I think, without Jake Neighbours’ involvement and his support of the Wiesblatt family, ASL and the deaf community.”
Neighbours talked recently with NHL.com about the Blues’ ASL Awareness Night, the ASL broadcast and learning ASL.
You were about 16 years old when you started to learn ASL, a language that not many teenagers choose to pick up. Why did you do it?
“I had known ‘Oz’ for a while playing against him, and then finally got the chance to meet him and play with him in Calgary and just became really good friends. Going over to his house, seeing obviously all the sign language and having to get them to communicate for me and translate, I guess it becomes old after a while. I was spending so much time with the family I just decided to start picking up little things. And, yeah, got good enough where I can at least communicate with the family and with his mom, but, yeah, still working on it to this day.”
How did you get started learning ASL?
“Ozzy was my main teacher, and then, Kim and Ozzy’s other brothers (Ocean, Orca, Oasiz) and Oceana, the youngest sister, have helped me out as well along the way.”
What were the challenges of learning?
“I think, honestly, the action of it. It’s not as easy as it looks and being able to do it at a pace high enough where it’s not taking you long amounts of time to respond or say what you want to say, I think, is the hardest part. I think the memorization of it as well, like, learning it properly and being able to remember it. I find when I don’t it when I’m in season and I’m not around (the Wiesblatts) as much, I’m not as fluent or as good with my hands. When I’m in the offseason, spending a lot more time with them, I’m definitely a lot smoother with it.”
I understand that you’re using an app to help you improve your ASL. How does it work?
“It’s called ASL Bloom. You go on there and there’s, like, a word a day. You can just go learn a word every day, or there are other courses you can take and categories and stuff like that.”
Have you had a chance to watch the NHL in ASL?
“I haven’t had an opportunity to watch one yet. I know Kim, Ozzy’s mom, really enjoys it, and a lot of her family members as well that are deaf enjoy watching those types of broadcasts.”
Were you surprised about how popular the Blues ASL hat became so popular?
“I don’t think you ever expect anything that you designed or created, I guess, to be that big, but the fans love the style of them and love the movement behind it. And you’re right, they were flying off the shelf. It was really nice to see the support from the fans and how much awareness it brought the deaf community.”
What’s the response in the deaf community to your knowledge of ASL and efforts to raise awareness?
“I have had instances where someone who is deaf will see me in public and I don’t know if they’re a fan of hockey or seeing me through the ASL community, but I’ve had conversations that way. Sometimes I’ll say hello to the people at concerts to do the sign on the side.”