Public urged to learn to commuincate with deaf

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Public Urged To Learn To Communicate With Deaf
From: Community Newswire, UK - Apr 28, 2006

By Ben Pindar, Community Newswire

EDUCATION Deaf, 28 Apr 2006 - 10:07

A national charity for deaf children has today unveiled new survey which reveals only a small number of the British public know how to communicate with a deaf person.

Despite more than half of those involved in the poll knowing someone who is deaf, only 14% said they knew how to communicate succesfully.

The survey has been carried out by the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) ahead of national Deaf Awareness Week which runs between May 1 and 7.

Charity chiefs are hoping to use the poll and the awareness week to encourage people to learn a few simple habits to help communicate with the thousands of deaf children growing up in the UK today.

The NCDS believes everyone can make communication a little easier by following a few simple guidelines which include: facing the person and getting their attention before you speak; maintaining eye contact; speaking clearly and not talking too quickly; using gestures to help explain what you are saying and if the person prefers using sign language and you find it difficult to understand, use pen and paper.

Staff at the charity are also urging people to learn some sign language so they can communicate with the deaf people who prefer to sign.

NDCS chief executive, Susan Daniels OBE, said: "Around three babies are born deaf every day and 90% are born to hearing parents with little or no experience of deafness.

"Deafness makes it harder for children to learn to communicate but everyone can help by being a little more aware of how to improve communication."

Young deaf actress Rebecca-Anne Withey, who plays Holly in BBC TV's "Grange Hill", is supporting the NDCS and encourages hearing people to be more deaf aware.

She said: "Communication is a two-way thing and there are endless ways that hearing people can communicate with a deaf person.

"Getting to know someone who's deaf means you have to consider a few simple things like speed of speech and keeping eye contact.

"Deaf awareness rids us of all those invisible barriers, allowing deaf and hearing people to hold conversations, make friendships and relationships and allows equal access to society for every individual.

"A deaf person simply has impaired hearing - it doesn't mean they are limited in their personality or capability to communicate."

The NDCS is the only UK charity solely dedicated to the support of deaf children and young people, their families and professionals working with them.

For more information about fundraising or about the work of the charity visit www.ndcs.org.uk

Parents with concerns about their child's hearing can contact the NDCS Freephone Helpline on 0808 800 8880 (voice and text) or email helpline@ndcs.org.uk
 
sign language should qualify as foregin language

Sign language should qualify as foreign language
From: UNLV The Rebel Yell, NV - Apr 20, 2006

By: Ryan Donohue

The third most common language used in the United States today is one that we at UNLV do not teach or even accept as a transfer credit for foreign languages. Hundreds of schools across the country accept and teach it. We are being done a disservice by the administration of this university in that we have been shoved to the side and not allowed to learn a language with a rich history and culture all its own. This must be stopped. I am calling on CSUN President-Elect Jeff Panchavinin, UNLV President Carol Harter-as well as her unnamed successor-and the Board of Regents to make a change. Accept American Sign Language as a foreign language credit.

A number of years ago, our esteemed Nevada State Senate considered a bill that would have made American Sign Language a foreign language. It was heavily pushed by members of the deaf community. The thought that their language, with its own sentence structure, syntax and culture, was not considered by our state legislature to be a language, on its own, was ludicrous. At the time, the state considered American Sign Language a derivative of English. In the context of the "Deaf President Now" rallies at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the decision was an easy one. The Nevada Legislature passed the bill and it was signed into law by Gov. Bob Miller.

Why then does UNLV turn up its nose at the idea of accepting American Sign Language as a foreign language? The University of Nevada, Reno has accepted it for years, and even teaches it. The Community College of Southern Nevada has an extensive Deaf Studies Program, one that has training programs for American Sign Language interpreters, and has been operating this program for a long time. Western Nevada Community College and Truckee Meadows Community College, in the Reno/Sparks area, all accept and teach this fantastic language.

Why then does UNLV continue to demand that American Sign Language is not a foreign language? The idea that it is simply a part of English is very wrong. It has its own syntax and sentence structure. It has its own base of native speakers and is widely known. As a matter of fact, it is among the top five languages used in the United States. It does not have a written form, but it is simply continuing the oral tradition (or sign tradition) that we have all studied in English classes for years.

This is an issue that has been raised time and time again. The administration of this university knows that the students want this. The administration knows that there is the talent pool of instructors available to teach the classes. And the administration knows that they can make some money by offering these classes to students. So what is stopping American Sign Language from being at least accepted as a foreign language credit by this university? It is simple laziness. I call on President Harter, the incoming president (whoever that may be) and the entire administration to please consider this and allow the deaf community to have the same rights as those who speak French, Italian, German, Arabic, Spanish or any other language accepted by this university. It is time to make a change.
 
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