Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!3!Pat.Goltz
From: Pat.Goltz@f3.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Pat Goltz)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: deaf folks speak
Message-ID: <10327@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 22 Feb 90 05:09:52 GMT
Sender: news@bunker.UUCP
Reply-To: Pat.Goltz@f3.n300.z1.fidonet.org
Distribution: misc
Organization: FidoNet node 1:300/3 - UA Today, Tucson AZ
Lines: 48
Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP

Index Number: 6896

Hi. We were discussing teaching deaf kids to speak awhile back. You 
said that lots of kids can't talk well no matter how hard they try. 
I admit this is a problem. One guy I know really got turned off by 
people forcing him to try to learn to speak when he was little. 
Unfortunately, he wants to go into aerospace engineering, but that 
industry is heavily built on the idea of doing things by committee, 
and communication is essential. They will probably be real closed to 
anybody who can't talk to them, and not be willing to pay for an 
interpreter. Unless he's unusually persistent, he will get locked out. 
Even with an interpreter, it will be tough sledding. 
  I think an honest effort should be made to teach deaf kids to speak. 
Admittedly, it will take awhile before people really know for sure 
whether a given kid is going to be able to do it, and I think they 
should level with the kid and tell him that they don't really know 
whether it will do any good or not, but that we have to try. At the 
same time, educational efforts aimed at other folks to be willing to 
accept deaf people who can't speak, and to be able to communicate in 
sign somewhat should be undertaken. Someone here recently asked why 
TV programs should have an interpreter instead of captions. I can 
think of two reasons. One is that sign is more natural for many deaf 
folks, and the interpreters are likely to be more accurate than the 
captions. But the other is so that hearies can learn sign! I would 
gladly watch the interpreter intently during a TV program to learn 
all the sign I could. Years ago when I attended a church that had an 
interpreter, I ALWAYS sat among the deaf people so I could learn sign. 
i learned a lot that way. Kids could learn sign this way, and people in 
general could come to accept deaf folks better that way if interpreting 
were part of their world. I think both sides have to make much more of 
an effort than they are doing now. For deaf folks, that means trying to 
learn to speak as long as it isn't shoved down their throats. For the 
hearing, it means trying to learn sign. We're talking about building 
bridges here, and part of the responsibility lies with the person with 
the difficulty, because a person like me can only learn so much, and 
there are an awful lot of different conditions to learn about! 
  Deaf folks can't hear themselves, speak, but they can feel their 
vocal cords vibrate, and they can feel the way their mouths shape 
themselves. You and I agree on one thing: deaf kids should never be 
forced. But a lot of effort should be put into giving them incentive. 
Teachers need to rethink their attitudes, because there are some really 
bad ones floating around. I know that incentive is the ONLY way, because 
you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink! 
  Pat 

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!3!Pat.Goltz
Internet: Pat.Goltz@f3.n300.z1.fidonet.org