Two or more independent clauses are joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction. Gestures are a means of communication for everyone, they are essential for the hearing impaired. Gestures are a means of communication for everyone, but they are essential for the hearing impaired. Use a semicolon . Make the clauses into separate sentences.
Gestures are a means of communication for everyone.
They are essential for the hearing impaired. Restructure the sentence by subordinating one of the clauses. Although gestures are a means of communication for everyone, they are essential for the hearing impaired. In other comma splices , the comma is accompanied by a joining word that is not a coordinating conjunction. Gestures are a means of communication for everyone, however, they are essential for the hearing impaired.