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From: Fran.O'gorman@f94.n272.z1.fidonet.org (Fran O'gorman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Multiple Uses Of Sign
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Date: 1 Mar 91 04:19:37 GMT
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[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Hi Lana,

 LB>  Hey! Neat.. that's kinda cool especially when you consider
 LB>  how EMENSELY different Japaneese is from English.  I wonder
 LB>  if they derrived their sign language from ASL?

I suspect that it was, since so many signs were the same and they
appeared to be using our alphabet (unlike the 2 handed British
one).  I know that it is not considered proper for a person to
make contact with their hands to their bodies (especially for
women) so the movements were a bit more sweeping.

Another part of Japan recieved my program and Tzipporah, the gal
that got it to them, said they were modifying it, which at first I
was upset to hear.  But when I learned it was only to make the
hands have less contact with the little man's body and face, and
she explained all that, then I didn't mind.

They (at the Kobe school) want to learn our ASL so as be able to
communicate better with Americans.

--Fran

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