Hand Drauf Funk: High-quality information in German sign language

In Germany, barrier-free media resources for the deaf community are in short supply. Media for this community is limited to sign language translations provided by interpreters. Closing this gap was the primary focus when WDR established Hand Drauf, the only German sign-language social media format which caters exclusively for the German-language deaf community. And since its target is young people, it lives on Instagram, which Melissa Wessel, author and community manager for Hand Drauf, sees as an achievement in itself. 

Established in November 2020 in its current form, Hand Drauf addresses the deaf community linguistically, focusing on community-specific issues as well as the culture of this community.  

The format looks at one topic per week, guided by a specific issue. Questions are answered in feed posts and stories, often featuring experts from within the deaf community. The content covered by Hand Drauf is as varied as the presenters, who have their own interests and specialist subjects. Topics include politics, lifestyle, sports (such as the Deaflympics), trans identity and questions such as, “Why are deaf people in Germany not taught in German sign language during their schooling? What steps do we need to take to make sign language an official language? 

Content is produced in German sign language and deliberately has no soundtrack, simply because its target audience is the deaf community, which relies on sign language and subtitles.