embedding ASL in pdf/html

[Alan Post]

Adam,

I play "Where are your Keys" monthly with a group that is teaching
itself Spanish, and have recently been approached by several people
very interested in "Where are your Keys?" to learn ASL, removing the
verbal component of the game.  My next game, scheduled for this
weekend, will actually be Contact Sign only.

My significant challenge here is that the one person in the Deaf
community I personally interact with is not engaged by the game.
Playing WAYK requires a fluent speaker, even if that speaker does
not know how to play WAYK.

I suspect I could fill a lot of empty chairs for regular ASL
sessions, with a fluent teacher.  Right now the demand for teachers
exceeds the supply.

My own problem here aside, Willem and Evan (the creators of "Where
are your Keys?") live in Oregon, USA.  If anyone in that area is
interested in taking Adam's suggestion here I'd be happy to put you
in touch with both of them.  I live in New Mexico, USA, for purposes
of the same offer.

-Alan

On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 06:15:10PM -0700, Adam Frost wrote:
>    I was talking with a friend of mine about this same thing. She said that
>    the best way to guard against that is to make sure that there are Deaf
>    people involved. It doesn't mean that you will be protected completely
>    against that danger of apearring to appropriate, but there will be less
>    chance since the Deaf people involved will keep the language intact. I
>    personally think it holds for any language, but Deaf people are hyperaware
>    because of how often it has happened.
>    Adam
> 
>    On Mar 23, 2010, at 5:51 PM, "Cherie Wren" <[1]cwterp at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
>      What hearing people have done, more than just a few times, is take the
>      LANGUAGE of Deaf people, ASL, and minimize it into a code for English
>      (or whatever).  Using the signs to' stand for' words in another language
>      without understanding the grammar and structure that make ASL a language
>      is reducing one of the most beautiful languages into nothing more than
>      morse code on the hands.  Its like taking a beautiful piece of art and
>      cutting it into pieces to use for note paper.   While using it to play
>      your game to teach yet another language is, I am sure, useful to you, it
>      contributes to the all too common misunderstanding that ASL is not a
>      proper language, it is just 'hand talk code' and can be thrown about
>      willy nilly in any fashion we want.  It denigrates ASL into a
>      SUB-sub-language status.  (it has long been considered "less than"
>      spoken language, now its being pushed even lower.)
> 
>      Wow.  Sorry.  I didn't realize I felt that strongly about it until I
>      started writing.  I sat and seriously debated whether I wanted to send
>      this or delete it, but you asked...  I have nothing against you or your
>      project, and I hope this doesn't come across as too offensive.  But I
>      have been fighting with hearing people who treat ASL as a way to
>      manually represent English for FAAAARRR too long.  I apologize if I have
>      ruffled any feathers...
> 
>      cherie
> 
>    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
>      From: Adam Frost <[2]icemandeaf at gmail.com>
>      To: SignWriting List <[3]sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>
>      Sent: Tue, March 23, 2010 2:32:19 PM
>      Subject: Re: [sw-l] embedding ASL in pdf/html
>      That's exactly what he meant. It is something that has to be treaded
>      carefully because it has happened too many times where that exact fear
>      has happened. That is why so many Deaf people are so protective.
> 
>      Adam
> 
>      On Mar 23, 2010, at 11:15 AM, Valerie Sutton wrote:
> 
>      > So I am trying to imagine what the Deaf person meant by saying that to
>      you...I would assume there is a possible fear, that hearing people will
>      use Deaf people's native language, ASL, which is a true language, just
>      for games, and not understand its importance in society .... do you
>      think that was what he meant?
>      >
>      > Adam?
> 
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te djuno lo do sevzi



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