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From: Fran.O'gorman@f94.n272.z1.fidonet.org (Fran O'gorman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: question RE signers and signing
Message-ID: <17232@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jan 91 17:25:41 GMT
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[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Hi Jay,

 JC> I used to live in the Bronx and at one time seriously considered 
 JC> buying a house in Orange County.  Kids from your county are bussed 
 JC> to the New York School for the Deaf, so it's part of their 
 JC> stomping grounds. 

That ( the bussing to the NY School for the Deaf) is still done but
only rarely.  Orange/Ulster BOCES tries to provide the program
where possible and avoid the long trip.  The NY School for the
Deaf is excellent and the few that do get to go there get a better
deal educationally-- I think...what a coincidence that you know
Orange county  :-) Most people never heard of it --and then when I
say, Florida NY--they crack up!  Oh well... :-)

I guess I'm not familiar or adroit enough with Silver Express or
I'd pull in the quote from your msg to Rob Carr, but when you
expressed umbrage with "hearies" making decisions for deaf people
I felt the sting as I too am a "hearie" and when tossing around
this idea of writing or not writing chapters I've been asking
everybody, hearing and deaf alike, whoever could possibly use the
program, their opinion...

I think that the reason Rob Carr asked for a sign for EMS here in
this echo, is because most of the people ARE deaf, and he wanted
to use a sign that he felt most deaf people would like, and feel
most comfortable with.

You're right about how becoming deaf later, does not guarantee
that a person will become sensitive to the issues or concerns of
deafness, and that with so many newly acquired experiences, there
will be those who will feel they qualify as 'experts'.  I think
real sensitivity comes when someone really cares and WANTS to help
and that  can take a lifetime of experiences, I think-- and
unfortunately, for some, is never acquired.   It is especially a
problem though when that lack is present in the caring/helping
professions.  It can be draining too, even when you are trying.
As a priest, you've probably found that yourself.

I read in your msg to James about the sign language interpreter's
exam costing $500 to take...wow, and if a person failed and wanted
to take it later--I guess $1000!  No wonder there are so few of
them, and thus so few courses--got to have the license to teach it
I imagine.  Is there any reason why the fee is so prohibitive?  I
would have been in no way ready to take it at the end of my
course, but I had no idea it would have been so expensive.

--Fran
        

     

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