myths about SW

[Kimberley A. Shaw]

Hello all:
and this is why I walk around with a mini-version of "Lessons in
SignWriting" and the anthology I'm working on! It really has been great
watching my Deaf friends "get" the concept ... and once people begin to
understand that it offers things that pictures and glossing don't -- and
that it is also not about *fixing* their language, then they really start
to get excited.
Also, there are a lot of myths about signed languages, period! I just had
a long discussion the other day with a hearing colleague who had no idea
that there are different signed languages in different countries, never
mind that even in ASL alone we can a bunhes of different signs for
"pizza", or whatever. (See the Gallaudet University Press' book, "What's
your sign for pizza"!).
Best,
Kim from Boston

From: Valerie Sutton <sutton at signwriting.org>
Date: Tue 13 Jul 2004 11:56:55 AM EDT
Message-Id: <43D451E7-D4E5-11D8-8B80-000A959F2614 at signwriting.org>

SignWriting List
July 13, 2004

Wonderful, Stuart! I hope people will contribute to your list of "Myths
About SignWriting"!

That may help people understand it better...Val ;-)

----------

Stuart Thiessen wrote:
> I wonder if there are other "myths" about SignWriting. Should we put
> a FAQ or something together that specifically shoots down myths?? I
> would be happy to put something together if you all would be willing
> to help me with some of your experiences with people's
> misunderstandings. What myths or false ideas about SignWriting have
> you heard? What misunderstandings have people told you? Like --- "So
> SignWriting is like Chinese" (but it's really more of a featural
> writing system than a concept-based [logographic] writing system.)
>
> My friend, Philip, also had a chance to talk with people about it and
> we feel very positive about the reaction. One friend of his agreed
> with him that if the grassroots really knew about the potential of
> SignWriting, they would be very excited about it. So we just need to
> keep on the process of educating our deaf communities about the
> benefits of SW.
>
> The next NAD conference will be in New Orleans probably the second
> week in July 2006. We have two advance tickets for NAD and hope to
> prepare for a booth at that NAD convention to promote SignWriting more
> vigorously. We may do a trial run at our state convention next year
> in 2005.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Stuart