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From: IJJT500@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU (Mike Wheeler)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: NAD Position Paper
Message-ID: <14652@handicap.news>
Date: 10 Apr 91 05:05:32 GMT
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Reply-To: IJJT500@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU (Mike Wheeler)
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Index Number: 14652

Jack O'kieffe,
     You may be right in saying that you will never understand the Deaf
community.  But your remark about pepetuating deafnes and employment is
nothing but a ignorant, narrow-minded snipe.
     I am a student at IUPUI (a "normal" university) in coputer science
I sign, I am Deaf and I am a member of the Deaf community.  If you read
any of my post you would see why mainstreaming for most deaf persons doesn't
work as it is really done.  If only they could do it like the describe in the
research papers and text books then it would probably work.  But the lack
of trained people and funds along with the growing class sizes make it
impossible for most schools to do it propperly.
     As far as Signing goes you can sign and lead a normal and happy life.
ASL is a natural vital and essential language and all the mud slinging that
any one can do will not stop it.
     From 1880 to about 1955 the mid 1950's to 1960 (somewhere in there)
educators tried to eliminate all sign altogether and ASL survived and
will be here for a long time.     I have seen to many kids sent to our local
school for the deaf at age seven with no language skills after oral programs
finally discarded them as hopeless only to see them become fluent in ASL.
    Sorry about being so emotional in this post but I have to call a spade a
spade.  Next time I pull one of the pieces of research I collect as a hobby to
back it up.   I have 1,241,322 pages of various research papers, articles and
studies supporting the use of ASL and residential schools.  Needless to say
it fills a room.  And yet there are still people and organizations trying to
knock it down.              (If you want to knock it down join the Alexander
Ghaham Bell Soiciety and subscribe to the Volta Review)