Question about/for the Deaf :-)

Ronald Dettloff signpreach at SBCGLOBAL.NET
Mon Sep 17 20:01:53 UTC 2007


I think your research could be very beneficial to the Deaf community. SignWriting is a great tool. In our society bilingualism is a reality. SW is very useful in recording signs, making books, and in studying the linguistics of ASL. I don't believe anyone can be a true expert in ASL without the ability to record signs on paper. SignWriting is the best tool for that.There is no one and final tool just as there is no such thing in the hearing world. However, it is unfortunate that an attitude exists which does not encourage the Deaf to try different tools. SignWriting has already grown to a point that it cannot be ignored and will continue to exist long after its creator. There is no simpler way to record a sign.
 
Rev. Ronald H. Dettloff, 20880 Ten Mile Road, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080
Other Web links:           http://theshoreschurch.org/ME2/Audiences/Default.asp 
































----- Original Message ----
From: Rodrigo Ferreira Bagni <rodbagni at gmail.com>
To: SignWriting Forum <sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 9:42:05 AM
Subject: [sw-l] Question about/for the Deaf :-)

Hello,
I would like some help and I thought I could ask some questions here.  :-)

Currently I am trying to define a topic of studying to my master of science research on computer science, that is computers :-)


I have two main corcerns with which I would like to work. The first one is the problems the Deaf faces today in the society and the second one is digital divide.

Thus I'm trying to combine them. Among the Deaf there are many different personalities, needs, goals, abilities etc; so I don't want to exclude anybody or consider the broader set as possible.

Digital divide for me is the constraint imposed to someone preventing them from having access to information technology, mainly the internet. Because of it those people cannot, as we can, develop themselves learning with the content available on the internet and most important, they cannot act to change the situation in which they live, using what the internet offers. For exemple, what would have happend with SignWrinting if we didn't have the internet?


So, based on this I wanted to know, if someone want to help, please  :-)

What problems do you think there are that prevent the Deaf from effectively using the internet, if there is any?

Do you think SignWriting is the solution? If it is, is it the only one?


What about those ones that do not know any sign language and poorly learnt a spoken language (English, French, German, Portuguese, etc). Can the internet help them or they should learn a language first to use the internet?


If the internet had something more or were somehow different, I am sure the Deaf could use it much better. What would be something more or different?

Do you think there is anything else that could be done besides working with the internet? Regarding computers, please.



Thank you very much.  :-)
Best
-- 
Rodrigo Ferreira Bagni



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/sw-l/attachments/20070917/5ba04eb4/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------



____________________________________________

SW-L SignWriting List

Post Message
SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu

List Archives and Help
http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/

Change Email Settings
http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l


More information about the Sw-l mailing list