Originally Posted by TheHalfWayMan

Thanks, but Googling "Gally History Library" brings up 0 results.

Originally Posted by TheHalfWayMan

Excellent guys. Thanks for clearing things up.

I really am here to learn, so if I say anything wrong again, please don't be offended and just let me know that what i've asked or said is offensive.

With the exception of you guys, I don't know anyone who is Deaf and I really don't know anything. I'm sure there are millions, if not billions, of people like me and I hope that I can do something to get other people like me more aware, give them a better understanding and try to reduce (or git rid of) the isolation.

Originally Posted by DragonYoga

Nice!!! Love your avatar, 1/2way man!

If anyone tries to tell you that "all" of this or that is true, then it is automatically a lie because there is always an exception to the rule. I'm Deaf myself, and in the Deaf culture, there is a significance to the use of the captialization of the letter D - it denotes a pride of the culture that we are a part of. If you see someone using a little d - as in, deaf - then it's more of a medical/pathological point of view, as in stating a hearing loss but not a part of the culture. (not all though)

HI! I've had people ask me if I could read and write. I remember when I was about 9, an old woman gave me a magazine full of pictures because she thought I couldn't read. The fact I had a 3 inch thick book with me apparently escaped her notice...





Someone said earlier that those with ASL communication don't usually have the skills to write in English because it's difficult to translate from one to another is partly right. We (my class) actually studied this last semester. What we found out is that the teachers - usually hearing and who learned signs in college/school - will give a very quick translation in English without details.

Let me explain: If a child asks "Teacher, how do I sign this? (signs a car driving manically around twists and turns in the road, and nearly smashes into a tree)" The teacher will say, 9 times out of 10, "The car's driving fast and it almost hits a tree." What happens is the student never learns to make that connection - that English *can* be as descriptive as ASL, and they end up writing the way they have been taught. I was fortunate that my love of reading taught me what I needed to know about writing.

Originally Posted by Reba

There's no hard and fast rule. I know some strong ASL users who have excellent English reading and writing skills, and I also know some signed English users who have minimal English reading and writing skills. Some of the signed English users don't use conceptually correct signed English either.

I've also seen hearing English teachers with poor English grammar, who can't spell, and frequently mispronounce words.

Originally Posted by Boult

don't use "gally" use "gallaudet" when you do googling you may get results.

Originally Posted by Boult

welcome back?? Did I disappear?

Originally Posted by Canuckian_Chick

well I think you did.. lol.. smile you just haven't post that much or maybe it's me haven't been keeping up with AD.. smile... well isn't that a nice compliment to say welcome back.. lol.. snickering...

Originally Posted by TheHalfWayMan

Thanks guys... I found it... Gallaudet University Archives

Originally Posted by Boult

heh maybe you weren't paying attention eh.

sorry my post is offtopic... this is my last one

Originally Posted by Reba

There's no hard and fast rule. I know some strong ASL users who have excellent English reading and writing skills, and I also know some signed English users who have minimal English reading and writing skills. Some of the signed English users don't use conceptually correct signed English either.

I've also seen hearing English teachers with poor English grammar, who can't spell, and frequently mispronounce words.

Originally Posted by deafskeptic

Ha,ha! So true. I remember one English professor well and for all the wrong reasons. I'm normally a straight A student in English even when I'm the only deaf. Well, this teacher didn't have a clue how to teach and her English wasn't good either.. Class had no structure either so I ended up dropping out of her class. I don't do well in unstructured situations even when I excel in a given subject.

Originally Posted by Canuckian_Chick

...i love your avatar!!! so golden...

Originally Posted by Reba

Thank you. It's in honor and remembrance of a precious little girl who died of cancer.

The gold ribbon represents childhood cancer awareness. The ribbon with an angel on it represents children who have died of cancer.

Originally Posted by Canuckian_Chick

Oh sorry for the loss of a precious little girl who had died of cancer... SHe's in a good place right now..

awesome gold ribbon, thanks for sharing the info.

may god be with you all in this trying time...

Originally Posted by Canuckian_Chick

(off topic) you do Yoga?? I DO tooo... smile.. I love it.. but haven't being able to get motivated to do it.. if you got tons of tips... please let me know by sending a msg... smile (I think I have to add ya first in order to let you in) lol

Originally Posted by Jolie_77

I have seen some deaf people who are very good at fixing things but when it comes to writing, they are clueless. There are some who are good at writing/reading but not so good at being a "handyman". The same thing applies to mathematics. From what I have noticed, deaf people are usually better in mathematics than they are for writing/reading. I'm not saying all of them are like that but some of them are.

Originally Posted by DragonYoga

Off topic - yes I do Yoga. I was lucky enough to get that as a credited course this semester *YAY*!!! There's actually a DVD out called Deaf Yoga. Try to google for it, it's interesting. My only tip is to relax, take your time, practice meditation and just have fun. I love dragons too and I want to have a tattoo one day of a dragon in the lotus pose.

And Jolie, on the math observation? I am so the exception to that rule. I can read and write with the best of them, but give me a math problem above the 6th grade level and I couldn't solve it correctly to save my life!

Originally Posted by Jolie_77

This is an interesting thread.

We often get that question from time to time when we encounter a person who has no knowledge or exposure to the deaf community. For some, it is offensive but for some, it isn't. If a person is asking in a nice manner, I wouldn't be offended but however if someone asks me that question in a rude manner, then yeah it'd be offensive.

Everyone has pretty much nailed it in this thread. Illiteracy and Literacy is a huge problem everywhere across the globe. Not everyone is able to read and write. For those who can are fortunate. I, too, am aware that my english is not perfect but it doesn't mean that we're no better than others. It varies by being able to read/and or writing at different levels.

I have seen some deaf people who are very good at fixing things but when it comes to writing, they are clueless. There are some who are good at writing/reading but not so good at being a "handyman". The same thing applies to mathematics. From what I have noticed, deaf people are usually better in mathematics than they are for writing/reading. I'm not saying all of them are like that but some of them are.

Originally Posted by shel90

I suck at math but excellent with reading and writing despite having limited access to language growing up. However, thanks to my job, I am getting better at math.

I have 4 students who are like that. 2 of them are my top for language arts and the other 2 are my top for math. It is interesting to see that with them.