Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!wtm
From: IJJT500@INDYCMS.BITNET (Mike Wheeler)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Sign and Signing + Education
Message-ID: <17984@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 7 Mar 91 05:12:48 GMT
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Reply-To: IJJT500@INDYCMS.BITNET (Mike Wheeler)
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Index Number: 13831

I fallen behind in reading the digest, just caught up and I though I
would get all my posting done at once.
  Firstly, the most common way of signing "BUS" is a finger-spelled
loan sign.  That is spell it really fast (for you hearies thats faster)
than normal.
  As far as signing and residential schools.  I was in an interesting
situation.  I was part of a research program when I was young.  It was
the start of the total communication era.  So I WAS taught sign first
then ASL.  Then at the end of grade school I was mainstreamed though
profoundly Deaf.  Because of close to 12 years of speach therapy a lot
of people don't realize I am Deaf, but ASL is still my first language.
It always will be.  I am probably the only person to be mainstreamed
and fail a grade while being tested with a 160 I.Q. (mid-genius range)
  Mainstreaming as most schools do it just doesn't work.  At least not
where I went to school.
     As far as Sirens go I live right next to one and I have a sound
sensor, similar to the ones to detect babies crying it works great for
me.
     As far as the term used to refer to me, I prefer Deaf, thats
what I am both physically and culturally.  Hearing Impaired is for
statiticians and numbers.  You know what they say "there are liars,
d*mn*d liars, and then there are statitians"  Besides I don't really
what to be a number or another statistic.
     Actually I don't care when it comes to the phone relay what they
call me, but that's what I prfer.  "Communative challenged" could work
   To all the relay operators you are MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.
==================================================================
Mike     | "Don't confuse your schooling with your Education"
Wheeler  |        - Albert Einstein