Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!104!809!Karen.Keil From: Karen.Keil@f809.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Karen Keil) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: Just Some Thoughts Message-ID: <15725@bunker.UUCP> Date: 19 Nov 90 03:59:09 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Karen.Keil@f809.n104.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:104/809 - Fantasy Mountain, Golden CO Lines: 46 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 11817 [This is from the Silent Talk Conference] Yes, you certainly have firm viewpoints! I agree that every deaf child should have a chance to learn lipreading and verbal oral speaking skills. How would anyone know if that person could do well or not if it wasn't even tried? I'm glad that the schools taught me oral and lipreading skills, even though they did not teach sign language. My saying that the oral skills serve me well but not perfectly means only even with these skills, I can't understand people if they don't talk clearly and I'm unable to follow group conversation very well. The telephone....well, it's extremely difficult.... It's nice to know that there are others around like me whose primary language is speaking English, not sign language. I learned 300 signs in the summer of 1987, but since I don't use it, most of it is forgotten except for a few like 'thank you', 'sorry', 'no', etc. I'm the eldest of 4 children, but my brother and sisters are hearing. My hearing loss is not genetic, but the probable cause may be being born 10 weeks premature. As for labels, yes, we are individuals first of all, but it seems people have a tendency to 'label' others anyway--e.g. the ethnic nationalities, etc. I have just read two books written by deaf people-- WHAT'S THAT PIG OUTDOORS? by Henry Kisor (1990) and LESSONS IN LAUGHTER by Bernard Bragg as signed to Eugene Bergman. (1989). The first one is by an oral speaking deaf man and the other is by a signing deaf man. They have different and interesting perspectives! The PIG OUTDOORS book details ingenious methods the author used to get around the obstacle of his deafness upon his social life and work life. It made me think of all the little techniques and methods I've used for situations that normal hearing people don't ever have to consider. The LAUGHTER book gives interesting insights on how a signing man sees the world. He has a definite opinion on the oralists (not 100 percent positive). This message is getting rather long, so other thoughts on these two books will be posted in a future message. Karen -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!104!809!Karen.Keil Internet: Karen.Keil@f809.n104.z1.fidonet.org