Stephen.White@p1.f853.n681.z3.fidonet.org (Stephen White) (11/16/90)
Index Number: 11735
JW> English is a phonetically based language! Period! The deaf child
JW> does not have full access to English and won't. There is a limit
JW> to how much of the phonetic properties of English you can teach
JW> via the eyes. To think you will get it all through is the same as
JW> expecting tp be able to see a rainbow with the mouth!
This is quite true! I never considered it from this aspect.
My circumstances are rather unusual, in that I am profoundly deaf
from birth (off the charts) and yet I speak perfectly, with only a
slight monotone which only hi-fi buffs have barely managed to pick
up.
An audiologist (internationally renown) cites me as the only
example of someone he doesn't know how I do what I do... I've told
this bit before in ABLED, but over a year ago:
I was about 5 or 6, and Dr Rice said to me "Stephen, I have
something very important to tell you... You will always be deaf.
There is nothing anyone can do for your deafness - in 40 years
time, you will still be deaf."
I replied "That's OK, Dr Rice. In 40 years time, I'll only be deaf,
you'll be dead!"
JW> Yesthere are many exceptions butthey are usually people who becae
JW> deafened later in life or are hard of hearing or profoundly and
JW> sevrely deaf people with poor self-images-meaning they have yet
JW> to accept their deafness and live the farce that they are not
JW> "truly" deaf.
I know I'm deaf, but I don't use sign language, simply because
everyone I interact with is hearing. I did pick up sign language
extremely fast when I was attending that awful school for the deaf
for one year, but have not since signed at all - even though I do
think I would probably sign better now than before since it is
something that gets better the longer it sits in your brain.
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Internet: Stephen.White@p1.f853.n681.z3.fidonet.orgJames.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (11/16/90)
Index Number: 11736
Stephen, as you indicate, there are always exceptions innearly everything
that can be named. I commend you for your abilities. I think you must
be gifted to be able to achieve what you did.
No doubt some schools for the deaf are beyond horrible. However, for
the most part, they have historically been the center piece of the
deaf community. This is not to say they have been faultless. Far from
that. But they have been the hub around whichthe deaf community and
deaf culture itself revolved.
I will discuss sign languages issues further when I have a bit more
time. I will place them in Silent Talk Echo because Anne Stalkner and
I seem to be having a fairly lively discussion on it. I have discussed
the issue with her in the past and she has interesting thoughts, ideas
and such. I enjoy learning from her about how others perceive signlanguage
and their different philosophies pertaining to it. Join us.
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