Wedding Officiant Learns Sign Language For Deaf Flower Girl, Mother Brought To Tears

By Jo Anne Hubert , Parent Herald Aug 16, 07:29 am

A video of a deaf flower girl walking and throwing petals on the aisle tugged people's hearts and went viral when her mother narrated that the wedding officiant learned and did sign language to express that she was part of the ceremony.

The groom's sister and mom of the almost 2-year-old Rile, Christina Pacala, was moved to tears when she saw that the wedding officiant was "signing" during the wedding ceremony.

The 34-year-old, who was also a bridesmaid at the wedding, shared that she had no idea that American Sign Language (ASL), utilized to communicate with deaf people, would be incorporated into the wedding ceremony. Thus, she could not help but be moved and teared up when she realized that "he wasn't just moving his hands - he was signing the word 'family," she expressed to TODAY Parents.

Inclusivity Means The World To A Family With A Deaf Member

Randy Latini, both wedding officiant and bride's brother-in-law, was intentional in learning ASL. She told TODAY that he looked for a teacher of the deaf at the school he works at and reached out to her. She then sent him a video showing how to sign the phrases that he wants to say and he practiced the hand movements until the wedding day.

According to Pacala, Latini didn't tell anyone about his plan and it might not be a big deal for him, but for the entire family of the Pacalas, it meant the world. Latini's action lovingly implied that the two families gathered on that wedding day see and acknowledge that a member of the family is deaf and that they accept her wholeheartedly and will do their best to include and love her.

"I already knew my brother was marrying an incredible girl from a wonderful family. But this act of inclusion meant absolutely everything to us," Pacala gratefully proclaimed on her Instagram account.

Sign Language Key To Genuine Inclusion

Riley, who currently lives in Arlington, Virginia, was born deaf. She failed the newborn hearing test in the hospital and after a check-up with a pediatric audiologist, Pacala and her husband was caught off guard when they found out that their daughter is deaf.

Pacala recounted that at first, they were scared, not having any idea how to communicate with her. They researched and learned that the only 100% accessible language for deaf people is sign language.

Research from the Human Rights Watch stated that deaf and hard-of-hearing members of the community are facing numerous barriers and difficulties in accessing information and basic services all because there is a lack of sign language interpreters and accessibility.

A woman with a hearing disability in Gaza vulnerably expressed, "Whenever I go to a hospital without someone to interpret for me, they write on a piece of paper that I should come back and bring someone with me. This experience made me feel less of a person."

Deaf children specifically in China, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and Nepal are having difficulties accessing education in sign language. Thus, the call to the government to make sign language universal and accessible to all like any other language is important. It is a fight and a stand for the genuine acceptance and inclusion of the deaf in society.

Sweet girl Riley may not fully understand how beautiful and precious the gesture of Latini is, but to the Pacalas and to other parents who have deaf kids and other families who have deaf loved ones, it was a magnitude of respect and love.