[nfb-db] A medium length report on my first turn in American sign language class at Portland community college.

[Darlene Laibl-Crowe]

Hello!  I think it is great that you took the liberty to learn ASL as a
blind person.  Yes, it isn't easy.  I, too, learned ASL last year.  I took
two semesters of it at my local college.  The college provided an
interpreter who also became my tutor to work with me between classes.  The
students in the class were very helpful and wanted to know about the Deaf
Blind population.  All of these students were sighted and hearing and they
were so patient with me.  

There is much to learn and understand about the Deaf World.  First it is a
visual language.  The Wh Face that you mentioned is an example of having to
use facial expressions...the lifting of the eyebrow and so on are parts of
clearly understanding the sign.  But for someone that is blind, that isn't
possible so we must read between the lines.  

It is important that we take the time to learn whatever we can to help us in
our journey as a Deaf Blind person that includes Braille.  So many who are
like me that lose their vision as adults and have been Hard of Hearing all
their lives tend to not want to do this.  By the way, I am in my
mid-50s...and it took me a while to accept the fact that I am Deaf Blind.  

When I was first approached to learn Braille, I lost the desire to learn
after the first couple of work books from Hadley and it was because I still
had some residual vision.  And it was also because I couldn't understand the
concept of the way Braille was taught.  About 4 years later after I lost the
ability to read large print, I tried to learn Braille again.  This time I
asked to learn it as I know the alphabet...a, b, c and so on.  I also made
notes of where the dots are placed.  This helped me to have a guide to
follow as I learned the Braille.  A year and half later I finished Braille
Literacy 4 (contracted Braille) and I am so thankful I have learned this.  I
use Braille often.  I am still not a fast reader but I can read it.  It
takes practice, practice and more practice.  The same with ASL...

Now that I also know ASL, I have to practice, but at the moment, I don't
have many that I can interact with this way but knowing fingerspelling I
should be able to communicate with the Deaf in the future.  I know you will
do well in the next semester, Maurice!  The important part is that you
stepped out of your comfort zone to learn something to continue in your
effort to know how to best communicate with others!  

Keep up the good work!!!  Proud of you!!!

(smile)
Darlene Laibl-Crowe


-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-db [mailto:nfb-db-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of maurice mines
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:37 AM
To: NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List
Cc: Naryhelen
Subject: [nfb-db] A medium length report on my first turn in American sign
language class at Portland community college.

Good evening everybody, now that is the night before my final in this
American sign language class I've a few observations that I'd like to share
with the group first of all doing this as a blind person was hard of hearing
is definitely not easy. But I'm finding the more work I put into it the
better things tend to go. I certainly would say that I really do think the
instructor for her encouragement and the tutors and interpreters for
answering many of my questions. I think that now that it's the end of the
term I now have gotten a handle on how to make certain that I remember size
but it am working very hard these days on internalizing those signs so that
eventually they become second nature not something that I have to really
think about. And of course I think do better and not mixing signs up such as
the WH science, I think once I get things like that straight in my head that
will help me somewhat. The two deaf community events that I did go to the
Washington state school for the deaf without an interpreter, but I did get
some auditory things such as at the basketball tournament what I thought
would be ones that of behaviors, turn out to be completely the opposite of
what I thought they would be. Let's just say lots of foot stomping. And when
I arrived at this event I ran into the deaf schools human resources person.
Who immediately asked me if I'd gone through the school for the blind. I
said yes, a small amount of history here for a few years the school for the
blind and the school for the deaf in the state had the same business office
which handles financial and personnel matters and also some of the food that
the two schools consume.

Things that still somewhat make me somewhat nervous that occurred at that
basketball tournament while I think it was helpful for a deaf person to mark
ahead of myself and a classmate asking that the year in which my cane had to
our kin be cleared. Most of us on this list would ask the question while did
McCain meant to find obstacles? But I think, when one looks at it from a
blindness point of view that would be the first thing that would pop into
our head. But if one looks at it from a deaf culture point of view I think
it just boils down to being nice and having good manners. The last event is
past quarter that I went to was a deaf poetry reading competition at the
same school for the deaf, one of my classmates describe both the pole in the
accompanying video presentation to me.

We are however working on some changes to these community events in the
future. PCC, said that they will be in an interpreter assigned to go with me
for writing back notices given far enough ahead. And because I live in
Washington state not Oregon, I'm asking for some weekend tutoring put
together by the state of Washington's umbrella agency which apparently is
what the Deford served under. Where's the agency for the blind is paying for
the classes in might pay for one-on-one tutoring if it is needed. Or the
deaf agent C will pay for the tutoring on the weekend only. These two latter
things are still in the finalization stage. So hope to talk more about that
in the next quarter's note. I guess when one looks at how things work in the
classroom, for the most part I think things went the way that it should
think towards the end of my classmates when we had signed to each other time
essentially tried their best, but because I'm new, I think I was some things
that I that I normally would catch when it's the instructor during the
signing. But I think that's to be expected. And the interpreters I think it
an outstanding job Amy were all learning how to do it yourself from the deaf
blindness perspective. And I would say that is a definite work in progress.

Now that I've written all of that what I'm asking is for some suggestions
from some of you about what you guys think might be helpful during the next
term. I will be watching this list during spring break which for me starts
as soon as I take the final tomorrow morning. Does one ever get to a point
when one is signing spot up sentences just to remind one where ASL syntax is
supposed to be? And of course as I stated earlier realizing that one is
still mixing up the WH signs. But of course knowing what a lot of work that
that will eventually go away. I guess I can say one thing uncertainty not
nervous about signing anymore. Just need to continue practicing, practicing,
practicing.

And of course thinking about Federation spirit and determination to see this
endeavor through. The other thing I think that has been brought home to me,
not just me but all of us in the deaf blind division where possible to try
reaching out to the deaf community at large, to start a dialogue that just
like we're doing with the general public find a way to explain to them that
blindness is not the tragedy that society at large makes it out to be. And
if we do find someone who is becoming deft line that when in wherever
possible if they want to help them ease into the community. Because I think
it will help whatever we wish to do in terms of national legislation and
work policy suggestions would be helpful. I think the adage that Rome was
not built in a day, a week or a year, definitely holds true here. Remember
our adage please don't take this the wrong way though, we may lose the
battle every now and then but we shall win the war eventually. Stated
another way I think all of us if we can should start taking ASL classes so
that we can talk with the death is much as possible without filters so that
we can truly understand each other's issues so that we can find common areas
to work on. Such as RSS. Resolution and making sure that death line kids,
get the education that they need and deserve. We in the national Federation
of the blind have fought for that for blind people for many years. And those
of us in the deaf blind division should fight for that for the deaf blind.
respectfully submitted, Maurice mines.
national Federation of the blind of Washington Park County chapter
secretary.
Voicemail phone 360-524-0791.
School/work email address, Maurice.mines at PCC.edu.

Now I must go to sleep so that I can actually be awake to get through the
final exam in the morning. Because I unfortunately have a smooth the commute
to the campus. Also please note that I'm using Dragon dictate version 3 to
dictate this message there may be some phrases, or syntax that may be
incorrect. If portions of this email are incorrect please know that it is
either the software, or the dictation process. If you don't understand
something please let me know.

Yours in Federation is him Maurice.
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