FEET ALPHABETIC

[Sandy Fleming]

Hi Val, Stuart, and all!

Actually, there's a more serious side to this footspelling thing. I do often
find myself in situations where there are loads of hearing people about, and
not a signer in the house.

Sometimes it's possible to teach someone fingerspelling in five minutes, or
as often as not there's someone who happens to have learned fingerspelling
for some reason. More likely I just have to communicate by notepad and pen -
but this is a problem if I forget them, and even if I don't I often run into
people whose handwriting I can't read.

The challenge is to design a good manual (or whatever) spelling system that
doesn't need to be taught.

My best idea so far is to have a t-shirt with the alphabet printed large on
the front. Then people can just point at the necessary letters, no learning
required! Might cause a bit of neck strain with me trying to look at the
letters, though, and maybe a bit intimate for communication with strangers!
However, it could be printed on the arm of a long-sleeved t-shirt to solve
some of these problems. It's all perhaps a bit too eccentric for serious
use, but possibly a very good ice-breaker and communication device at
parties.

Hmmm.. sorry if this is getting off topic (the topic should be SW, right?
:)

Anyway, if anybody ever has any other zero-learning curve communication
ideas, I'd be very interested to hear - you might well improve the quality
of life for people like me who can't use hearing aids yet can't escape from
hearing people!

Sandy

-----Original Message-----
From: SignWriting List [mailto:SW-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA]On Behalf Of Valerie
Sutton
Sent: 22 September 2003 15:46
To: SW-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA
Subject: Re: FEET ALPHABETIC


SignWriting List
September 22, 2003

On September 21, 2003, Stuart Thiessen wrote:

Hmmm .... Wouldn't this be fun in SW?  <grin> I just got this so I haven't
had a chance to sit down and figure this out.  Come to think of it, I am not
entirely sure if feet are represented at this detail in SW (I'm sure
Movement Writing has something for this).  Just thought you all might enjoy
this. Stuart


Dear SW List, and Stuart!
Thank you for this charming graphic...Ingvild Roald, from Norway, is here in
California, visiting me, and we both laughed long over this....Yes. It could
be written in Movement Writing. This is the first time anyone on the SW List
has considered writing the soles of the feet, and movement of the toes - ha!
Val ;-)