Fran.O'gorman@f41.n267.z1.fidonet.org (Fran O'gorman) (03/01/91)
Index Number: 13760
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
James, I read and replied to your msg earlier re the isolation of
the deaf, from this board (the other board I use had been having
difficulty with the mail) and then I wrote and left a more
extensive reply to your msg from that board (it's closer &
cheaper) but it occurred to me that if he (the sysop of that
board) is having problems receiving he may also, sending, so I'm
leaving a msg here as well, just to be sure you receive one of
them. If the other DOES get through forgive my redundancy.
What I wanted to say is that I have no idea what I could have said
that made you think I was BLAMING the deaf or users of ASL for the
fact that many schools had been residential --actually Thomas
Gallaudet started his out that way so it may not have been the
result of any BIG decision. Certainly your point that the deaf
have been the victims of prejudice is true as with any and all
disabilities -- and that this has cut them off from the hearing
world socially, also probably true. If blame or accusing fingers
are pointed -sure, it would be the hearing establishment that
would be guilty...as Jay pointed out most educators of the deaf
are not deaf themselves (you are probably a rare find!) But I
wasn't pointing accusing fingers...
If that accusing finger is to be turned toward me (?) if THAT is
what you meant...why do you think I'm writing Sign Friends? If I
have some hidden thing against hearing impaired/signing people
I'm certainly in the wrong business...
The feeling I've gotten from Jay (and if I'm wrong I hope he will
correct me on this) is that there are times when a HI signing
person would PREFER another HI signing person (at times) simply
because of the common bond of experience of deafness (which a
hearing person can never TOTALLY empathize with) and because they
probably usually sign more proficiently. And I could understand
that too. I was actually lamenting the separation that
traditionally has been the case, between the worlds, and Sign
Friends has been an effort to bridge that gap...
Whatever I could have said that could have incited such ire, I
apologize, but for the life of me, I don't know what it was...
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!267!41!Fran.O'gorman
Internet: Fran.O'gorman@f41.n267.z1.fidonet.org