jhall@ihlpm.att.com (John R Hall) (03/20/91)
Index Number: 14069
Here are a few comments I have about recent discussions
concerning Deaf issues.
1) As far as how relay operators answer calls, here in IL
they answer with "Illinois Relay Service CA #NNN", where
CA stands for Communication Assistant. Back when I was
a relay operator for a volunteer organization that pre-
ceeded the professionally staffed relay, we answered with
the organization name "Deaf Contact" along with our first
names.
2) Someone asked about learning ASL from tapes. Well, I just
spent about six hours straight today studying tapes in a college
library. Some of the tapes are custom productions of the
staff at the college, but one tape that I think is excellent
should be one you could get your hands on. There are three
tapes in the series and they go along with the book "The
American Sign Language Phrase Book", by Lou Fant. The book
is currently in paperback in some bookstores. I have many
Sign books; this one's angle is concentrating on phrases
much like foreign language phrase books do. His tape is
very well done with nice coordination with the book including
page numbers, but the video does stand on its own as well.
He signs the phrase, then the text is displayed with the page
number, then he signs the phrase again. The phrases are
practical and organized in various topic areas like greetings,
deafness, weather, health, etc. It would be worth buying
the book on its own; then write to the publisher to see how to
buy the tapes. I've only viewed the first of the three tape
series.
You might also want to write to DawnSign Press, 2124 Kittredge
Street - 107, Berkeley, CA 94704. They have a tape with work-
book called "Signing Naturally". It's used as the text in the
course I'm taking.
Tapes are OK, but they are not the end-all to learning ASL,
at least in my opinion. Tapes watching, like TV in general, is
a passive activity. Communication, on the other hand, is highly
interactive. I take a formal school class (at Harper College),
hire a Deaf tutor sometimes, take advantage of tutoring at school,
and am fortunate enough to have some Deaf people at work who will
sign with me occasionally. I'm also a member of a non-profit
organization called CAST which promotes Sign interpreted live
theater. There are probably similar opportunities to get involved
in many areas of the country.
3) Someone has mentioned a couple of times how SHHH conventions
have a wide variety of communication methods being used including
Sign. I've only attended a couple of SHHH meetings here locally,
and they were generally older people who had lost their hearing.
Hearing aids were a big topic of discussion, and no one used Sign
at the meetings (that doesn't mean they don't know it, though).
At the meetings, they set up a loop of wire encircling all the
chairs, and this was hooked up to a PA system. The idea was that
hearing aids picked up the sound. I never thought of SHHH people
being much into learning Sign.
--JohnAnn.Stalnaker@p0.f14.n385.z1.fidonet.org (Ann Stalnaker) (03/28/91)
Index Number: 14535 [This is from the Silent Talk Conference] To: jhall@ihlpm.att.com (John R Hall) > 3) Someone has mentioned a couple of times how SHHH conventions > have a wide variety of communication methods being > used including Sign. I've only attended a couple of > SHHH meetings here locally, and they were generally > older people who had lost their hearing. > Hearing aids were a big topic of discussion, and no > one used Sign at the meetings (that doesn't mean they > don't know it, though). > At the meetings, they set up a loop of wire encircling > all the chairs, and this was hooked up to a PA system. > The idea was that hearing aids picked up the sound. I > hearing aids picked up the sound. I never thought > of SHHH people being much into learning Sign. It is true there are many members of SHHH who are older citizens, but there are also many, many of those who are not. Perhaps you've not read any of their journals or attended chapter meetings that include members of all ages. The reason I'm so impressed with SHHH is the fact that there are no barriers in the way of provided all communication assistance for all. I attended my first convention last summer and was very impressed with the workshops. There were oral interpreters, sign interpreters, PA systems, captioned note taking - you name it, they had it for us. I really feel SHHH is more than gone out of their way to include everything for their members and I am of the opinion SHHH is the best organization to belong to. I'll let Wayne Roorda, Jack O'Keeffe, and Frank Hicinbothem jump in on this and give you their comments. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!385!14.0!Ann.Stalnaker Internet: Ann.Stalnaker@p0.f14.n385.z1.fidonet.org