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

[Shadow Wolf]

Maurice,
You mentioned using Dragon Dictate version 3. Did you know that version 
4.0 is now out? The newer version has shown great improvements in how it 
dictates your speech and texts. Plus it's much faster and more accurate. 
It can literally dictate more pages with little to no transcription 
mistakes. But the newer Dragon Dictate version 4.0 is only available for 
Mac users at this time. I'm not a Mac user.

F.Y.I. on the article of Dragon Dictate version 4.0:
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/hello-computer-speak-your-text-with-dragon-dictate-80097045492.html

--S.W.
On 3/20/2014 7:26 AM, sheila wrote:
> hi you are absulutely right. I know next to nothing about sign but 
> that might change.
> On 3/17/2014 10:37 PM, maurice mines wrote:
>> 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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-- 
*~Shadow Wolf~*