Today marks a terrific triumph:
Universal declaration announced today that Deaf babies are first HUMAN babies and must be allowed equal access to language. From now on, all governments on the planet mandate that visual babies be exposed to a visual language - the signed language of the respective country, and all new parents of deaf babies learn that visual language.
Each country now recognizes their Deaf community's signed language as one of the official languages, allowing Deaf citizens to be active at every level of their society. Full bilingual education and bilingual services are now available for Deaf people all over the globe.
Hurrah! Hurrah! And shout and SIGN "HURRAH!" again.
Truly, this is the best day in world history for Deaf people everywhere.
I can now retire.
susan@susan.schaller.com
www.susanschaller.com
Wednesday
Saturday
April Flowers
In April, an interview of me will appear in Works & Conversations, with the announcement that " In Search of the Languageless Tribe" will be published soon. Hurrah!
I just came back from Southern England after interviewing a friend and fellow actor in the National Theater of the Deaf of Dot Miles whom I write about in the new book.
I'm off to Paris and then rural France this week. Back to England, then off the Austria at the end of March. I will be speaking in Salzburg at The English Center.
Then back to Shropshire to continue rewriting the book, adding, subtracting and polishing it for publication.
Thank you, all who have been supporting me and the advocacy for Deaf language rigtht, for these many years.
L'chaim, and equal access to language and life,
susan
www.susanschaller.com
I just came back from Southern England after interviewing a friend and fellow actor in the National Theater of the Deaf of Dot Miles whom I write about in the new book.
I'm off to Paris and then rural France this week. Back to England, then off the Austria at the end of March. I will be speaking in Salzburg at The English Center.
Then back to Shropshire to continue rewriting the book, adding, subtracting and polishing it for publication.
Thank you, all who have been supporting me and the advocacy for Deaf language rigtht, for these many years.
L'chaim, and equal access to language and life,
susan
www.susanschaller.com
Tuesday
The Honesty, Creativity and Confidence of 5-yr.-olds
Dear Readers,
Let's all be 5 again. Just think of everything we could accomplish!
In Chapter Two: Language Wars
... My attraction to languages and their respective cultures stems from both the early love of my father and also from his strange sub-culture. When I was five, I remember the excitement of learning to read. I knew it was a doorway into a much bigger world outside our little house in Wyoming. Only days or weeks after learning to read, I wandered into my father’s office where books stood, wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and lay scattered across his messy desk. I climbed onto his big oak swivel chair to reach the top of his desk. My father always had open books, at least three, in his work space, besides all the papers and closed books circling the writing pad. I pulled the first book closer. Shock, disappointment and excitement all flooded my insides at once, as I stared at a completely different and unreadable alphabet. That ancient Greek book was next to an ancient Hebrew text and next to an English book with the familiar alphabet but few words I could understand. I found more funny words or lettering in Latin and old German Script books, all lying in front of me. For a split second, I felt like I was drowning in an ocean, but with the confidence of a five-year-old, I decided to learn how to read them all.
Let's all be 5 again. Just think of everything we could accomplish!
In Chapter Two: Language Wars
... My attraction to languages and their respective cultures stems from both the early love of my father and also from his strange sub-culture. When I was five, I remember the excitement of learning to read. I knew it was a doorway into a much bigger world outside our little house in Wyoming. Only days or weeks after learning to read, I wandered into my father’s office where books stood, wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and lay scattered across his messy desk. I climbed onto his big oak swivel chair to reach the top of his desk. My father always had open books, at least three, in his work space, besides all the papers and closed books circling the writing pad. I pulled the first book closer. Shock, disappointment and excitement all flooded my insides at once, as I stared at a completely different and unreadable alphabet. That ancient Greek book was next to an ancient Hebrew text and next to an English book with the familiar alphabet but few words I could understand. I found more funny words or lettering in Latin and old German Script books, all lying in front of me. For a split second, I felt like I was drowning in an ocean, but with the confidence of a five-year-old, I decided to learn how to read them all.
Monday
Deaf Bilingual Coalition
Recently, I donated for a fund-raiser, for the Deaf Bilingual Coaltion,a Polish poster of Children of a Lesser God and some old ILY (mother signing to a baby) postage stamps. As I looked around the room of almost hundred signing Deaf people, I wondered why it was so hard for hearing parents, doctors, and most of society to accept these people as equal to us. They have their own language, sports teams, churches, traditions and customs, and beautiful art and poetry. What is it that makes humans focus on differences rather than similarities, and worse, abuse minorities who are not "like us"?
This last Thursday, the U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving, a holiday dedicated to gratitude. We are all grateful for diversity in nature - plants, animals, landscapes. Nature includes all the varieties of humans, making life much more interesting. I'm grateful for every word of every foreign language I've learned - it's the beginning of a window into a different culture and way of viewing the world. I'm especially grateful for meeting Deaf people and learning a 3-D language and a richer way of seeing.
Yours for language rights for all people, especially deaf babies,
susan schaller
www.susanschaller.com
This last Thursday, the U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving, a holiday dedicated to gratitude. We are all grateful for diversity in nature - plants, animals, landscapes. Nature includes all the varieties of humans, making life much more interesting. I'm grateful for every word of every foreign language I've learned - it's the beginning of a window into a different culture and way of viewing the world. I'm especially grateful for meeting Deaf people and learning a 3-D language and a richer way of seeing.
Yours for language rights for all people, especially deaf babies,
susan schaller
www.susanschaller.com
Tuesday
Autumn Planning for Spring Flowers
We need to finish planting our winter crops before the cold and wet chases us inside.
The winter crops I would like to see grow are:
A broader coaltion of people working together to combat "anti-otherism." Linguistic minority rights, children's rights, disability rights, purple-spotted, three-legged hermaphrodite rights all huddle together under HUMAN RIGHTS. The more WE recognize ourselves in others, the more we can learn from each other, build community and live fuller lives.
A deeper understanding of how our human condition is related to environmental crises/opportunities, our expressions - academic, artistic, political-public (as in town meeting action, not just voting), and how solutions to all our problems begin with connection to each other.
Laughter. Let's plant the seeds of honesty and humility (objectivity - letting go of ego), so we can step back, not take everything personally and LAUGH at ourselves.
Perspective. See "laughter."
Tell me about your plans for the coming season.
Yours for a better life,
susan schaller of susanschaller.com
The winter crops I would like to see grow are:
A broader coaltion of people working together to combat "anti-otherism." Linguistic minority rights, children's rights, disability rights, purple-spotted, three-legged hermaphrodite rights all huddle together under HUMAN RIGHTS. The more WE recognize ourselves in others, the more we can learn from each other, build community and live fuller lives.
A deeper understanding of how our human condition is related to environmental crises/opportunities, our expressions - academic, artistic, political-public (as in town meeting action, not just voting), and how solutions to all our problems begin with connection to each other.
Laughter. Let's plant the seeds of honesty and humility (objectivity - letting go of ego), so we can step back, not take everything personally and LAUGH at ourselves.
Perspective. See "laughter."
Tell me about your plans for the coming season.
Yours for a better life,
susan schaller of susanschaller.com
Monday
In Search of the Languageless Tribe
My second book, now entitled In Search of the Languageless Tribe, is finally being considered for publication. Stay tuned for news on that front.
Another director/screenwriter is brainstorming with me and others on dramatic film possibilities for A Man Without Words or a documentary on languageless people.
September 28th, at 4:00, a presenter is introducing me and the advocacy work of the Deaf Bilingual Coalition. If you're in Berkeley, find the Arlington Café on the Arlington, a mile above the Marin Avenue circle. If you mention this blog, I'll give you a free DBC shirt.
The new academic year has begun and deadlines for papers and conference registration have begun to pepper my calendar.
I have an invitation to present in England, and hopefully, will be busy rewriting my book for publication.
In conclusion, contact me now if you, your class, university or bookstore would like to add to my calendar art.
Write me with any specific questions, comments or requests for a denser blog entry!
yours for language rights,
susan from www.susanschaller.com
Another director/screenwriter is brainstorming with me and others on dramatic film possibilities for A Man Without Words or a documentary on languageless people.
September 28th, at 4:00, a presenter is introducing me and the advocacy work of the Deaf Bilingual Coalition. If you're in Berkeley, find the Arlington Café on the Arlington, a mile above the Marin Avenue circle. If you mention this blog, I'll give you a free DBC shirt.
The new academic year has begun and deadlines for papers and conference registration have begun to pepper my calendar.
I have an invitation to present in England, and hopefully, will be busy rewriting my book for publication.
In conclusion, contact me now if you, your class, university or bookstore would like to add to my calendar art.
Write me with any specific questions, comments or requests for a denser blog entry!
yours for language rights,
susan from www.susanschaller.com
Sunday
Summer School
Teaching disadvantaged inner city youth took over my summer. I taught beginning ASL to a wide variety of struggling teenagers. I don't know if I taught anything, but I learned an amazing amount.
I will be back soon to my website and blog. I have an almost overwhelming writing job that I will tell you all about - some other time.
soon
susan@susanschaller.com
I will be back soon to my website and blog. I have an almost overwhelming writing job that I will tell you all about - some other time.
soon
susan@susanschaller.com
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