Deaf artist Youmee Lee creates animation for Google Doodle honoring sign language poet Dorothy Miles

On Monday August 19, Google’s front page had a Google Doodle animation created by Deaf artist Youmee Lee. She posted on her social media that the illustration honored the late Welsh deaf poet Dorothy “Dot” Miles. August 19 was Dot’s birthday so the illustration was to honor her.

If you look, you can see that the illustration has a gesture showing the sun moving. Youmee said it was from Dot’s poem as she was describing how to sign a rising and setting sun. She showed a link to the video and I’ll show you a clip.

[Video clip] Credit: YouTube/The HeART of Deaf Culture.

(Dot signs and speaks, “Follow the sun from rise to set or bounce it like a ball.”

Nice. You can see that the illustration matches up with her signing. I read about who Dot was. A brief biography said she grew up in the U.K. and attended the Royal School for the Deaf. She then went to Gallaudet University and joined the National Theatre of the Deaf. She created poetry in ASL, English, and British Sign Language (BSL). Dot returned to the U.K. in 1977 and worked with the British Deaf Association and wrote several books on sign language. So that’s Dot’s life.

Nice of Google to honor Dot and to ask Youmee to make this animation. If you’re curious for more information on Dot or Youmee, I’ve provided several links.

Google Doodle and Dot info: https://doodles.google/doodle/celebrating-dorothy-miles/

Youmee Lee info: https://youmeelee.com/about

YouTube video of Dot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPbVc0nLB54

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