Last post Sun, Mar 30 2008 1:24 PM by bonniethesurvivor. 30 replies.
This is a great thread! As a disability advocate, about 15 years ago, I met many deaf people and decided to learn to sign as it was clear that there is a "deaf culture," and I wanted to be able to communicate with everyone, no matter what their disability is.
I must admit I found it very hard to learn, I think because I did not practice with folks enough. I was working out of a four book set of instructions, and my spastic hands did not do those shapes. Also, there seemed to be different ways to say the same thing.
But I kept at it, and have advocated heavily for signed church services, signed community meetings, and so on. At my old college, Princeton, the disability services department provided a person to sign for a student who spent her junior year in France, and all of her classes and a good deal of life experience was accomplished with sign interpreters. I think this was very cool.
I have kept bumping along, returning to my little books and working on my skills. I can sort of make myself understood, but understand reading the signs much better, I would love the chance to practice and think this is a great idea.
Good luck, Bonnie
