Dear K.,
Deafness does not isolate or "disable" people. Hearing people not
allowing these visual beings to be visual disables them. Their beautiful visual
language can teach us, hearing people, how to see better. Instead,
almost all the attention is on ears and mouths.
Many deaf babies grow up without language or little language because
over 90% of doctors in the US and Canada (ENT surgeons who are the ear specialists) say,
"don't sign to your deaf baby." They say this because they are excited
about fixing the ear. [Cochlear implants, invasive brain surgery, does help with speech and is a kind of hearing, but does not make a deaf baby hearing; he or she is still deaf, but has a tool]
They or the parents who follow them are not evil, but don't see that any
time there is objectification (ears instead of a human baby), it is an
act of violence.
We all need to include all people as equal in order to encourage OUR
full human potential. If you look me up, you'll find my address. Write
me if you want my book, A Man Without Words, and I will send you one.
The best thing you can do to help Deaf people is learn ASL. You'll be
treating yourself to a great feast for the eyes.
Yours for language for all babies,
Susan Schaller, soon to be author of an English/ASL version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, ASLTales.net
Tuesday
CABE: Education, Language & more Language
Journal entry:
Spent the week in Sacramento with California Association of Bilingual Educators
inspiring - many teachers and administrators working 50+ hours/week for children
Note: Educators, social workers, psychologists, cognitive scientists - ALL agree on a few basic necessities for all human children: Language, relationship to parents, ability to express themselves, respect and encouragement to continue learning - using the curiosity and abilities we are all born with ---- meaning, allowing children to be themselves - the need for self esteem,.....
Very little of this is seen or heard in "Deaf Ed." Deaf children are considered DEAF and all of the attention is on speech and hearing, not language (except through almost inaccessible speech and hearing). Deaf children are not considered human or children first, but DEAF and needing fixing.
Reminder - Tell people about this human rights violation.... how?... where?... to whom??? what exactly would I say???
Spent the week in Sacramento with California Association of Bilingual Educators
inspiring - many teachers and administrators working 50+ hours/week for children
Note: Educators, social workers, psychologists, cognitive scientists - ALL agree on a few basic necessities for all human children: Language, relationship to parents, ability to express themselves, respect and encouragement to continue learning - using the curiosity and abilities we are all born with ---- meaning, allowing children to be themselves - the need for self esteem,.....
Very little of this is seen or heard in "Deaf Ed." Deaf children are considered DEAF and all of the attention is on speech and hearing, not language (except through almost inaccessible speech and hearing). Deaf children are not considered human or children first, but DEAF and needing fixing.
Reminder - Tell people about this human rights violation.... how?... where?... to whom??? what exactly would I say???
Thursday
2011
Happy Old Year. Enjoy every moment of 2011, before rushing into that which is not.
Happy Day.
I need to meet a writing deadline, so see you next year.
signing off,
susan schaller
Happy Day.
I need to meet a writing deadline, so see you next year.
signing off,
susan schaller
Monday
Thanksgiving Everyday
When we fear someone's difference, we cheat ourselves. When we open ourselves to learning from all people, we grow. Each of us are mirrors of each other. Therefore when I learn more from you, I learn more about myself. This is obvious when we travel to another culture. We would never see what we assume, until we leave our culture and language and bump up against a completely different set of assumptions. I never knew I was an American, until I left the United States.
I never knew I was hearing, until I met a Deaf person. I never knew how blind I was until I met the superior visual brains of people born deaf. They use much more of the brain's cortex for processing visual information than we, hearing people, do. My wish, before I die, is that people will talk more about that than about how to make deaf babies speak and hear.
In answer to the questions about my second book which was going to be published, it has morphed into a much better book. I did get a contract, but the censorship was so great that I didn't sign the contract. The good news is the book changed. Instead of The Languageless Tribe, I am writing a new book, Helen Keller's Mirror. It will contain some of the stories I have gathered for over a decade that were in the old book.
ASL Tales also took over my attention. Actually, my second book will be "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" with ASL Tales, in a couple of months.
Write me if you want to help me update and improve my website.
susan of susanschaller.com
I never knew I was hearing, until I met a Deaf person. I never knew how blind I was until I met the superior visual brains of people born deaf. They use much more of the brain's cortex for processing visual information than we, hearing people, do. My wish, before I die, is that people will talk more about that than about how to make deaf babies speak and hear.
In answer to the questions about my second book which was going to be published, it has morphed into a much better book. I did get a contract, but the censorship was so great that I didn't sign the contract. The good news is the book changed. Instead of The Languageless Tribe, I am writing a new book, Helen Keller's Mirror. It will contain some of the stories I have gathered for over a decade that were in the old book.
ASL Tales also took over my attention. Actually, my second book will be "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" with ASL Tales, in a couple of months.
Write me if you want to help me update and improve my website.
susan of susanschaller.com
Friday
Almost October-Imagine
Imagine if we can rise above our differences and distinctions. Imagine if we can learn from those who are different from us, instead of asking, "What's wrong with them?"
I am hoping and working on ASL Tales and other projects which will be bridges and links to others who appear different, but are not. They are mirrors of us. We are all mirrors of each other. The more we accept others as just other bits of humanity, the more we learn about ourselves. You are not you by yourself and I am not me alone.
Specifically, we, hearing people, can learn how to see so much better if we learn from Deaf people who are geniuses at seeing.
Don't take my word for it, check out ASL Tales and see for yourself.
enjoy this day
susan
I am hoping and working on ASL Tales and other projects which will be bridges and links to others who appear different, but are not. They are mirrors of us. We are all mirrors of each other. The more we accept others as just other bits of humanity, the more we learn about ourselves. You are not you by yourself and I am not me alone.
Specifically, we, hearing people, can learn how to see so much better if we learn from Deaf people who are geniuses at seeing.
Don't take my word for it, check out ASL Tales and see for yourself.
enjoy this day
susan
Wednesday
July Lies Waiting for August Action
My blogging seems to have been non existent for June. I enjoyed café, face-face conversations, instead - How Old fashioned!
Whether blogging, talking in words or signs, reading or waxing eloquent on stage, we all love this symbol trading. We, humans, spend most of our time sharing symbols. We can't be human without other humans. Prisoners in solitary confinement, abused children or adults cowering under covers and deaf children not exposed to their natural, visual language - all haunt me. They are reminders of our first step to healing this hurting world, to connecting to our humanity. We must free ourselves, all of us, from our respective prisons.
Language connects us and helps us hold on to others who can guide us to doors or windows to freedom. Instead of blogging, I've been planning a language and literacy campaign to be launched in September. I, by myself, cannot achieve such a thing. However, a team of symbol mongers can. I'm out on the streets and byways (virtually and physically) shaking hands and collecting ideas.
Send questions, comments, suggestions - any helpful symbols - to help us get language and reading and writing skills to all our children.
Whether blogging, talking in words or signs, reading or waxing eloquent on stage, we all love this symbol trading. We, humans, spend most of our time sharing symbols. We can't be human without other humans. Prisoners in solitary confinement, abused children or adults cowering under covers and deaf children not exposed to their natural, visual language - all haunt me. They are reminders of our first step to healing this hurting world, to connecting to our humanity. We must free ourselves, all of us, from our respective prisons.
Language connects us and helps us hold on to others who can guide us to doors or windows to freedom. Instead of blogging, I've been planning a language and literacy campaign to be launched in September. I, by myself, cannot achieve such a thing. However, a team of symbol mongers can. I'm out on the streets and byways (virtually and physically) shaking hands and collecting ideas.
Send questions, comments, suggestions - any helpful symbols - to help us get language and reading and writing skills to all our children.
Tuesday
Bilingual May Flowers
Spring into action and more action. Hopefully, ASL Tales can capture the attention of teachers, schools, libraries, literacy programs, ESL programs, and parents in order to teach language, literacy and multiculturalism to all kinds of kids. It is such fun and brings families together, in many languages, the word must get out there to help launch our children with the magic of storytelling, in visual and aural languages.
If you know anyone in education or parenting or childcare or pediatricians, send them my way. Also, send any ideas or suggestions on how to inform people about ASL Tales. Instead of working directly in public health (the area of my professional degree), I realized how much ASL Tales could prevent substance abuse, depression, teenage pregnancy and other public health problems associated with kids dropping out of their lives, because of frustration and lack of confidence in reading and connecting. Literacy and storytelling, especially in many languages, are great connectors to our human family.
Help me in my "public health" work, bringing language, literacy and laughter to children and families. Write any suggestions, or questions on how you can get involved, and if you want to donate to our literacy campaign, send a tax-deductible donation (check) to the above address.
Yours for language, literacy and more languages with laughter,
susan schaller
If you know anyone in education or parenting or childcare or pediatricians, send them my way. Also, send any ideas or suggestions on how to inform people about ASL Tales. Instead of working directly in public health (the area of my professional degree), I realized how much ASL Tales could prevent substance abuse, depression, teenage pregnancy and other public health problems associated with kids dropping out of their lives, because of frustration and lack of confidence in reading and connecting. Literacy and storytelling, especially in many languages, are great connectors to our human family.
Help me in my "public health" work, bringing language, literacy and laughter to children and families. Write any suggestions, or questions on how you can get involved, and if you want to donate to our literacy campaign, send a tax-deductible donation (check) to the above address.
Yours for language, literacy and more languages with laughter,
susan schaller
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
