Comments on: WHAT IS WRONG WITH ASL?

By: Jane Alexander

Jane Alexander — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:12:05 +0000

I support ASL 100%.

I was born deaf. I was in private oral school with no sign language for few years. We, deaf kids, created our own sign to communiate outside of classroom. Even the teachers adviced us not to sign because our parents paid a lot of money for us. We tried not to sign but we still sign little to communicate. It’s amazing that we still used the sign language to communicate. We, oral students , always used to talk with hands no matter what. That time I didn’t know that there’re deaf schools with sign language. My parents couldn’t afford this private school so they put me in deaf school with ASL. Wow, I was shocked to see deaf culture. I was a child with fresh mind that time. My mind was absorbed with ASL automacially. Compare with oral school —- I felt like my world was so small. In ASL world —-I felt like my world’s so large with a lot of knowledges. Wow! I wish that AGBell see my point. You know that I have a good speech but I still prefer ASL for my education. I don’t lipread very good because I tend to misunderstand if I lipread.

By: Dianrez

Dianrez — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:44:00 +0000

“A full toolbox” is what we should be aiming for, both Deaf and Hearing people.

In that toolbox are all possible avenues of learning language: ASL, reading, CI or other assisted hearing, lipreading, everything, as appropriate for the individual child.

For the Deaf child, the biggest tools are the visual ones: ASL and reading, and should never be eliminated.

As the child grows, it is natural to eliminate the unneeded tools or to use then less often. It is the same for all other children: they grow to use their best skills and options more. If the child can hear very well, he will rely more on that and leave ASL in the toolbox more. If the child is totally visual, he will use ASL and reading more and leave the CI and other aids as less frequently used tools. What is important is that he has the freedom.

By: Penny

Penny — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:56:04 +0000

One more here…some readers may think that I was sharing about myself (with Law Professor) to get special treatment. No I don’t get any! I mean zero!
:-)I think it is important to share with Professors—little about my background and also to educate them too.

By: Penny

Penny — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:41:45 +0000

You are right, John. I don’t understand why some Deaf bloggers and vloggers who are completely against bilingualism and ASL. They are Deaf themselves after all! Why they are so adamant about Deaf children using ASL for communication and learning? What is wrong with ASL? It is a beautiful language. I told my Law Professor that I spent countless hours on learning how to speak when I was a child and it affected my delay in education and language. She was receptive about it and tried to understand where I was coming from. She knows nothing about ASL but she was receptive and unfortunately some Deaf bloggers and vloggers can’t be like her. Another thing here…I am not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist but my guts tell me that some bloggers and vloggers who are against ASL and etc may have mental illness problems so I prefer to spend energy with people like you and others to speak up for Deaf children and rights. Time is running out you know. Yeah you are our Veditz! Smile. (you are humble man, I Know)

By: DE

DE — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:58:43 +0000

Yeah. Respect towards our beautiful language, ASL, has been hard to attain. I could list factors causing resistance towards recognizing ASL’s legitimacy and celebrating it as a lifeforce;
-Dysconscious Audism
-Deficit thinking & discourse
-Ignorance
-Anti-Deaf kneejerk reactionary behavior (i.e.: always assumig that the Deaf is responsible for any and all cultural clashes)
We have a long way to go, but I would like to say that ASL HAS gained more respect since the 1960s. I would like to believe so. It’s just the far-right fringe groups like the AGBAD that are denying what’s in their face.