To sign 'diabetic', form a flat handshape with your dominant hand, keeping your fingers together. Place the inside of your fingers against your chin. Brush your hand downward off your chin, bending your fingers slightly as they move down. This is the same sign used for 'sugar' or 'sweet', which is commonly used in ASL to refer to diabetes.
Point to the person, sign DIABETIC, and raise your eyebrows while leaning forward slightly to indicate a yes/no question.
Sign MY, then FATHER, followed by DIABETIC. Keep your facial expression neutral and informative.
Sign SHE, BLOOD, TEST, and then DIABETIC. This clearly establishes the medical context of the sign.
Point to the person, sign DIABETIC, and raise your eyebrows while leaning forward slightly to indicate a yes/no question.
Sign MY, then FATHER, followed by DIABETIC. Keep your facial expression neutral and informative.
Sign SHE, BLOOD, TEST, and then DIABETIC. This clearly establishes the medical context of the sign.
Yes, in ASL, the same sign is typically used for both the medical condition (diabetes) and the adjective (diabetic). Context will make your exact meaning clear.
It is very common in ASL to use the sign for 'sugar' to refer to diabetes. This is similar to the older English phrase 'sugar diabetes', highlighting the condition's link to blood sugar.
Yes, some regions and signers prefer an initialized sign using a 'D' handshape on the chin or neck. However, the 'sugar' variation shown here is highly common and widely understood across the Deaf community.
