James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (03/28/91)
Index Number: 14523
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Jay, we had a big meeting at the school where I work. Thehearies in
charge of the program (and this is a residential school, now) attacked
ASL so viciously that it was incredible. They tried to claim that ASL
advocates were trying to get English thrown out of the school and replace
it with ASL. This despite repeated statements by person after person
that ASL should be tried as first language tool to teach the second
language English. They just couldn't hear this. We tried pointing out
that all the English centered methods had failed as evidenced by themajority
of our graduates andthat perhaps it was time to try teaching English
as asecond language and from there go on to build upon that in other
areas of academics. Repeatedly we stood accused of wantonly trying
to get English removed from the school. I honestly believe this attitude
is born out of fear that so many hearies are not proficient in ASL
and fear they stand to lose their job when it is explicitly demonstrated
that they are incapable of communicating effectively with the children.
I also believe that this hard headed approach is rooted in a deepseated
and probably not personally recognized unwillingness to see Deaf people
become truly independent. The sheer viciousness of the attacks provide
no other basis when mated to the complete inability to hear what we
are really saying. It is truly appalling.
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