[nabs-l] blind students in ASL courses

Serena serenacucco at verizon.net
Wed Jun 9 21:13:50 UTC 2010


Hi Ruth,

Although I'm not currently taking an ASL course, I'm learning it on my own 
to make communication with a deaf-blind friend easier.  The student you're 
referring to will need someone who knows tactile ASL (ASL signed into 
someone's hands) so the student will be able to understand the signs.  I 
also recommend that the student get 2 great books:

The Joy of Signing  I don't recall the author's name, but, if the student is 
a member of the National Library Service, he/she can get it in Web Braille 
from the NLS website.  The book teaches quite a bit about the grammar rules 
of ASL.  To give you and the student fair warning, one drawback of the book 
is that it includes so-called "signs" that deaf adults wouldn't really use. 
E.G. adding "ed" to a verb to make it past tense.  There is no past tense in 
ASL!  For this reason, I recommend an ASL pocket dictionary.

Marium Webster's Pocket American Sign Language Dictionary  This dictionary 
isn't available from NLS or any other resource for blind students.  Having 
said that, it's really worth the student's buying the print copy from Barns 
and Noble and having someone be a reader for any signs he/she wants 
clarification about!

Serena


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Loew, Ruth" <rloew at ETS.ORG>
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 1:29 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] blind students in ASL courses


> Hi - I'm a sighted lurker on this listserv.  I know many of you from
> NABS meetings at the NFB Conventions and Washington Seminars.
>
> I participate in another listserv for people who work with deaf and hard
> of hearing college students.  Today someone raised an interesting
> question: a blind student has registered for an ASL (American Sign
> Language) class, and the Disability Services counselor is looking for
> suggestions as to how to make the class accessible and meaningful.
>
> I know that some NABS members have taken ASL courses.  Do any of you
> have ideas I could pass on to my colleagues?  You may contact me
> off-list at RLoew at ets.org; or, if you think the discussion would be of
> interest to others, feel free to post to the list, and I'll see your
> responses there.  Thanks!
>
> Ruth C. Loew, Ph.D.
> Assistant Director
> Office of Disability Policy, ETS
>
>
>
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