<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:14pt"><div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">In terms of users, Madson and Claudia, we have this question asked on a regular basis. </SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Sign Writing goes back to the early 1970s. At that point there was a newspaper in press type which was published in La Jolla and went out to libraries. The articles were in ASL, English, Danish, and Danish sign language. There was scattered interest in several countries, including Norway, and Spain, and Nicaragua. Pilot projects were started as soon as there was software to be published.</SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Trying to get a handle on "how many use SW every day" is very hard. For daily communication in the marketplace as a language of signage on the street, very few, but that may change in the next few years in Brazil because of pioneering work there among the Deaf. To graduate from the University of Santa Catarina as an interpreter one must know Sign Writing, so that is creating a small group of highly qualified signers (both Deaf and hearing) who use SignWriting every day in their own lives. </SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Small school projects create pockets of school children in the U.S., Brazil, Nicaragua, Mexico, Columbia<VAR id=yui-ie-cursor></VAR>, and Ethiopia (to name a few), but we don't have day-to-day statistics on how many students from those classes continue to use SW as their everyday writing system once they are out of school and working with their own families. I'm looking forward to seeing protest signage in Brazil written in Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS). That, to me, would prove we have an independent Deaf culture expressing itself in its own language in the marketplace of printed word. </SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">We have researchers in more than 40 countries, but can say we have more than 20,000 people (a small town) using SW every day for commercial purposes. Not yet, but once one combines all the schools, all the teachers, all the users, one gets a distribution that is quite high, even if everyone is not fluent. </SPAN></div>
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<div>Charles Butler<BR>chazzer3332000@yahoo.com<BR><SPAN style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap" class=baec5a81-e4d6-4674-97f3-e9220f0136c1>240-764-5748<A style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; POSITION: static !important; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 16px; BOTTOM: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; WHITE-SPACE: nowrap; FLOAT: none; HEIGHT: 16px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-TOP: medium none; TOP: 0px; CURSOR: hand; RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; LEFT: 0px" title="Call: 240-764-5748" href="#"><IMG style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; POSITION: static !important; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 16px; BOTTOM: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; WHITE-SPACE: nowrap; FLOAT: none; HEIGHT: 16px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-TOP: medium none; TOP: 0px; CURSOR: hand; RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; LEFT: 0px" title="Call: 240-764-5748"
src="data:image/png;base64,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
F6XRGA4HAptTsdrsXeZ6fEHtl+31nAOA4rkUulz/I5XL63dQGgHEAN8Ph8AYA/BsAt4ube4GblQIAAAAASUVORK5CYII="></A></SPAN><BR>Clear writing moves business forward.<BR></div>
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<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
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<DIV style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 0; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-TOP: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 0px" class=hr contentEditable=false readonly="true"></DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Claudia S. Bianchini <chiadu14@TISCALI.IT><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Wednesday, February 8, 2012 11:48 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Who we are?/ How many?<BR></FONT></DIV><BR>
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<DIV>Helo Stefan,</DIV>
<DIV>Why I make you smile? Do I write something strange in english?</DIV>
<DIV>Claudia</DIV>
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<DIV class=yiv1133452200gmail_quote>2012/2/8 Stefan Wöhrmann <SPAN dir=ltr><<A href="mailto:stefanwoehrmann@googlemail.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:stefanwoehrmann@googlemail.com">stefanwoehrmann@googlemail.com</A>></SPAN><BR>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt" lang=EN-GB>“We have to work harder!!! :-)”</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" lang=EN-GB><U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div>
<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT color=navy face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" lang=EN-GB><U></U> <U></U></SPAN></FONT></div>
<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT color=navy face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Cannot stop laughing! ;-)<U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT color=navy face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Stefan <U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Von:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> SignWriting List: Read and Write Sign Languages [mailto:<A href="mailto:SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU">SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU</A>] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Im Auftrag von </SPAN></B>Claudia S. Bianchini<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Gesendet:</SPAN></B> Mittwoch, 8. Februar 2012 13:53<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">An:</SPAN></B> <A href="mailto:SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU">SW-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU</A><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Betreff:</SPAN></B> Re: Who we are?/ How many?</SPAN></FONT><U></U><U></U></div></DIV>
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<div style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt" class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I think it depends on what you think that using SW is! It's depend on the project (transcription, writing, education, translation, informatics?), the people involved, the cities involved...<BR>Can we tell Italians use SW? There is a group of italians using SW, but there are less than 10 persons (we just start spreading SW, after 10 years studing it for research purposes, so now we have about 50-60 persons knowing it, but did they use it? I don't know!). By the way, they use it massively to research purpose envolving writing and transcription. So we can't tel that Italians (all!!!) use SW, but we can tell that there is a "pole of excelence" on SW in Rome.<BR>I think that it very hard to speak about countries using it. I prefere to think that there are places where SW is used: Rome (10 persons), Toulouse (1 person), La Jolla
(Valerie and the DAC's members)... Maybe in some palces it's more extended, because they use it at scool (but to be considered "spread" it have to be more than one single scool, I think). I hope that, frome those "pole of excelence" we can spread SW all around us, but it's not already done! We have to work harder!!! :-)<U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">2012/2/8 Madson Barreto <<A href="mailto:barretobh@gmail.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:barretobh@gmail.com">barretobh@gmail.com</A>><U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt">Hello all,<U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt">I followed the discussions in the forum and via email<U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt">every day I see people of all countries participating.<U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt">I have a question:<U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt">Who we are (how many countries currently use the SignWriting)?<U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt">Thanks,<U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><B><FONT color=#888888 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #888888; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Madson Barreto</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT color=#888888 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #888888; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt"><U></U><U></U></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><I><I><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Claudia S. Bianchini</SPAN></FONT></I></I><U></U><U></U></div></DIV>
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<div class=yiv1133452200MsoNormal><I><I><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">PhD student</SPAN></FONT></I></I><I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><BR><I><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">Univ. Paris8 / UMR7023</FONT></I></I><BR><I><I><FONT face="Times New Roman">Univ. Studi Perugia / ISTC-CNR</FONT></I></I></SPAN></I><U></U><U></U></div></DIV>
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<DIV><I>Claudia S. Bianchini</I></DIV>
<DIV><I>PhD student<BR>Univ. Paris8 / UMR7023<BR>Univ. Studi Perugia / ISTC-CNR</I></DIV><BR></DIV><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></div></body></html>