How do people communicate using sign language to someone who is not within visual distance?

Answer 1

If the person is not within visual distance, then you can't see them! Smile. Therefore it's not possible.

Although, when people who use sign language are further away from each other that typical, then usually we sign much bigger, using more space, and wider movements and motions. The sentences are typically very short as well. So if a Mom is standing on her porch is signing to her Deaf son, who might be at the other end of the yard, her signs would be larger.

For instance, at close up and normal ranges, typically the mom would use perhaps 7 - 10 inches of space and sign the sentence "It's time for you to come inside and eat". But from far away she would use a good 25 - 30 inches of spacial area and make HUGE motions and simply sign something like, "Time eat" or "Come eat". This helps save confusion and makes it very clear what the basic message is. Then when he comes in closer, she can sign the whole sentence and/or go into more detail.

You can compare it somewhat to 'shorthand', or like a Baseball or football referee does.

Which brings another example, especially related to sign language users when playing sports: Games where players are far away from each other on the field, such as baseball, football, and soccer - there are sometimes 'special' signs used to convey activities going on far away in the outfield/infield.

For instance at a baseball game, when talking using sign language within a good 5 feet of each other, you would use the sign for 2 (strikes) using the typical number 2 handshape. This is made by showing only the first two fingers - the index and the middle - on your hand. (Looks like the 'universal' sign for 'peace').

But if you want to convey 2 (strikes) when you are, say, at the homeplate, and want to tell someone all the way out in the left field that it's 2 strikes, your first 2 fingers can either spread out wider (rarely done), or (more common) use the special 'sports' number two hand-shape. This involves using two fingers still, but this time the first finger (index) and the last finger (pinkie) are shown instead. This 'sign' skips the second and middle fingers, so when shown, it appears as if it's still a number 2, but it is easier to see and figure out from afar.

The same thing can also be done outside of sports-related activities. And this example sort of fits in with the first option explained above; that is, that other smaller signs are replaced with larger ones, and other gestures are replaced with less complicated ones.

Just as in English, where you can have two words that both mean the same thing; whereby one word is smaller (with just a few letters) - vs another word that is larger (as it possess a lot of letters) - can be applied also in sign language.

So in English, an example would be the two words car vs automobile, (car has less letters and is easier to pronounce than automobile) or use vs utilize (use being a smaller word but meaning similar to utilize); and in sign language for example, there is a sign that means don't that uses the thumb of just one hand that rubs off the chin, VS another sign for don'tthat does not require complex handshapes nor motions and is formed using two hands.

These signs can be used interchangeably in a regular conversation. But if a sign language user needs to sign afarusing the sign for don't, for example: "Don't squash the flowers", then the two handed sign for don't would be used because it's easier to see both hands moving from far away, rather than trying to figure out the teeny little handshape and thumb motion from further away.

Answer 2

People can communicate using technologies like video calls or relay services to translate sign language into spoken language for those not within visual distance. Apps or devices that convert sign language into text or speech can also be used to bridge communication with people who are not physically present. Additionally, written notes or messages can serve as alternatives for communicating in sign language when visual communication is not possible.