BRASIL SignWriting for the Deaf Blind

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
July 6, 2006

Dear SW List!
Here is the original message Dr. Lima sent to me. I will answer next  
message:


From: "Centro de Estudos Inclusivos \(CEI/UFPE\)" <cei at ce.ufpe.br>
Date: July 2, 2006 9:20:38 AM PDT
To: <sutton at signwriting.org>
Subject: Tangible sign Language.
Reply-To: "Centro de Estudos Inclusivos \(CEI/UFPE\)" <cei at ce.ufpe.br>

Dear Valerry: :


I am currently researching on SignWriting. My effords, however, is on  
making it tangible so that one can read it by touch. I know it may  
sound crazy and perhaps it is, but I think many people will benefit  
from it.
First, a blind or deafblind person will be able to comunicate with a  
deaf person who writes on SignWriting. Second, blind researchers like  
myself will be able to colaborate with science by offering his or her  
knowledge on the matter.
Third, parents, relatives or friends of deaf people will be able to  
teach the signwriting to these people, even if they are blind.
I have researched blind representation of two dimensional patterns  
and I think this knoledge can be put in the form of haptic  
configuration of signwriting.
Have you some knoledge of simillar work being done elsewhere? What is  
your opinion on the matter?
Can you send me articles or any other studies you may have on the  
subject? I need them on eletronic format so I can read with a voice  
synthetiser.
Also, could you send me the alfabet  on signwriting and the  
principles you have defined for teaching signwriting?
To have a good transcription on a haptic format, the signs need to be  
in about 2 inches in diameter.
I have done some basic experiment and interesting as it may seem, it  
was possible to comunicate a full sentence to a person with  
reasonable knoledge on Libras, Brasillian Sign Language.
I hope to be able to exchange information with you or and other  
researcher who might be interested in signwriting.
I am a professor of inclusive education at the Universidade Federal  
de Peernambuco, UFPE, in Brazil.My Phd was on sensory psychofisics  
and my work includes research on haptic drawing by the blind and  
other areas of mental representation on two-dimensional pictures.
My area of interest also includes the theory of inclusion and the  
education of people with disability as well. I current work with non  
verbal autistic persons and people with Down Sindrome.
As you can see, I am very much interested in your work, also because  
it is one of the best tools I have seen for the inclusion of people  
with hearing impairement.
Preserve one's language is one of the most important and eficient  
tool to preserve human's independence.
That is my way of seeing the subject.
Hence, congratulation for your outstanding work and contribution for  
humankind. Yes, contribution for humankind. And I mean it!
Best regards,
Dr. Francisco Lima

sutton at signwriting.org
  <Sutton at SignWriting.org