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

[Scott Davert]

Hi Darlene.
Wow, I'm glad to hear that you have completed contracted braille. I
know that braille was quite a struggle for you for quite some time, so
I know this was a huge accomplishment for you! Just be sure to
remember what the 5th guy did after the 4 walked  in to a bar! Big
smiles.

Scott

On 3/18/14, Darlene Laibl-Crowe <dlaiblcrowe at att.net> wrote:
> 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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