Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!109!147.0!Christine.Selfe
From: Christine.Selfe@p0.f147.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Christine Selfe)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Sign language  Part 1
Message-ID: <14883@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 10 Oct 90 03:02:16 GMT
Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP
Reply-To: Christine.Selfe@p0.f147.n109.z1.fidonet.org
Distribution: misc
Organization: FidoNet node 1:109/147.0 - The CyberChurch BBS, Washington DC
Lines: 29
Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP

Index Number: 11030

In america The deaf  are looked on in different ways. Most hearies are 
afraid of us deafies. (as if we are gonna buite em or something)
It is interesting the attitudes of people at times. For example, because 
I have some  slight residual hearing I am able to converse with hearing 
people a good deal of the time. Yet the minute a person finds out about 
my deafness the attitude sudden;ly changes, they start moving their lips 
in funny shapes  and even yelling at me  or worse, they  shut up and 
act scared or something. 
However, on the whole, I would say that America is making tremendous 
strides in efforts in communicating with deaf and hearing impaired 
people. I am constantly educating people on the best way to communicate 
with someone  whohas a hearing impairment. 
The most frustrating thing for me to deal with now is the Education 
question..  residential schools versus mainstreaming programs  versus  
oralism. For myself , I was  thought to ne retarded until I was age 
eight, at which point some  brainy teacher finally persuaded  the 
schools to test my hearing. She pointed out that considering the fact 
that I was reading fluently by the age of five, without formal 
schooling,, there is no way in h*** I could be retarded.
I hear the same horror story all over america still.  
So the attitudes while still not completely in the dark ages , require a 
lot of improvement.
 I am curious as to the Australian Methods of educating the deaf.

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!109!147.0!Christine.Selfe
Internet: Christine.Selfe@p0.f147.n109.z1.fidonet.org