A Summary of SignWriting Publications
1974-1997


Fall, 1975
"Examples of Notation of a South Pacific Sign Language"
Author: Valerie Sutton. ISBN: 0-914336-32-0.
This booklet recorded mime-like gestures and home signs of a lone Deaf man, based on research by Rolf Kuschel. It included pictures with SignWriting illustrations.


Fall, 1976
"Examples of Notation of Danish Deaf Sign Language"
Author: Valerie Sutton. ISBN: 0-914336-03-7
This booklet showed Sutton's first attempts at recording Danish Sign Language in 1974, 1975 and 1976.

Summer, 1977
"Sutton Movement Shorthand; Writing Tool For Research."
First paper on SignWriting presented in the USA by Valerie Sutton, in Chicago, Illinois at the National Symposium on Sign Language Research & Teaching. Published in: Stokoe, William C. (ed): "Proceedings of the First National Symposium on Sign Language Research and Teaching." Chicago,Ill (1977) - pp. 267-296.


Spring, 1978
"Hørende Danskeres Gestus-Repertoire"
(Hearing Danes' Gesture-Repertoire)

Author: Jan Enggaard. This published research used SignWriting to record hearing person's gestures, with contributions by Valerie Sutton. The research was conducted at the Audiologopædisk Forskningsgruppe, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 1974-1978.

July, 1978
"SignWriting, Sutton Movement Shorthand, The Sign Language Key, Key 5"
Author: Valerie Sutton.
Textbook: ISBN: 0-914336-06-1; Audio & Videotapes: ISBN: 0-914336-07-X
First SignWriting textbook, with 8-hours of video and audio instruction. It is an historic record of how the system was written in the 1970's. No longer in print.

Fall, 1979
"NTID Technical Signs Manuals"
SignWriting symbols are used in a series of Technical Signs Manuals, produced at NTID in Rochester, New York, under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. In 1979, Valerie Sutton was a full-time consultant to the project for six months, and is the author of the second manual, which teaches the SignWriting symbols. Over 10 manuals have since been published. The movement symbols of SignWriting are blended with life-like illustrations, showing technical signs used in different professions.

Fall, 1979
"Sutton Speech Writing"
This booklet described and illustrated Sutton's attempts at writing the detailed movements of the mouth, jaw and tongue while speaking. It was written while Sutton was a consultant at NTID. Audiologists and speech pathologists at NTID stimulated the project. Sutton analyzed detailed videos of speech production, and developed a system for notating the mouth and tongue movements. Indirectly this was an influence on SignWriting, since some movements of the mouth are recorded when writing signed languages.

October 26, 1980
"A Way To Analyze American Sign Language & Any Other Sign Language Without Translation Into Any Spoken Language"
Paper by Valerie Sutton presented at the National Symposium on Sign Language Research and Teaching in Boston, Massachusetts.

Spring, 1981
"SignWriting For EveryDay Use" Textbook
Author: Valerie Sutton. Illustrations by Jayne Gunderson, Amy Blake and Ken Merchant. 450 pages. Spiral bind. Out-of-date. No longer in print. This was the main reference textbook for serious students of SignWriting during the 1980's. This book was replaced by a new textbook, called "Lessons In SignWriting".


Spring, 1981
First "SignWriting Literature" Series
This literature was "experimental" since there had never been a way to read and write American Sign Language before. Over the years, writers became more skilled at recording ASL properly. There is now a Second Literature Series written in ASL.

In this first Literature Series in 1981, there were 7 publications written in Signed English:

1. How's That Again?
Sign Language Poem Written In SignWriting by Paul Menkis

2. Pledge of Allegiance Written In SignWriting by Margaret Oliver

3. A Poem For Deaf People Written In SignWriting
Sign Language Poem Written In SignWriting by Tina Samper

4. Ecclesiastis
Passage from the Bible Written In SignWriting

5. Silent Night
Sign Language Song Written In SignWriting

6. Goldilocks & the Three Bears, Second Edition
Written in SignWriting by Nancy Ellen Woo (now Nancy Romero).
Other versions: First Edition by Betty Beekman at National Theater of the Deaf. The new Third Edition by Darline Clark Gunsauls, written in ASL in 1997, is now on the web.

7. Cinderella, First Edition
Written In SignWriting by Nancy Ellen Woo (now Nancy Romero).
This was published in the "SignWriting For Everyday Use" textbook, as well as in a separate booklet. Illustrations by Jayne Gunderson. No longer in print. A Second Edition of Cinderella, written by Darline Clark Gunsauls in ASL in 1997, is now on the web.


Summer, 1981
"What Is SignWriting?"
Four-page visual description of SignWriting's uses. Cartoons by Frank Allen Paul


Fall, 1981 First Issue
"SignWriter Newspaper"
First newspaper written in Sign Language by Nancy Ellen Woo, sent to 41 countries.


1982 First Edition
"NTID Technical Signs Manual Two: Reading Technical Sign Diagrams"
by Valerie Sutton and the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Two teaches the SignWriting symbols used in the Technical Signs manuals.


1982 First Edition
"NTID Technical Signs Manual Three: Mathematics"
by the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Three teaches signs used in Mathematics. SignWriting symbols are used in the illustrations.


1982 First Edition
"NTID Technical Signs Manual Four: Communications"
by the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Four teaches signs used in Communications. SignWriting symbols are used in the illustrations.

1982
"SignWriting For Research Use"
Textbook by Valerie Sutton teaching the way SignWriting first developed at the University of Copenhagen in the 1970's. The writing is "very detailed", geared to researchers. Actually, SignWriting has improved so much since then, that today's writing is just as detailed without all of the complication.


1982
"SignWriting Shorthand For Sign Language Stenography"
Textbook by Valerie Sutton teaching Shorthand. At that time, a new profession called "Sign Language Stenography" was "under development". Experiments were made with recording signs at speed in classrooms. Stenographers learned how to write without looking at their hands. This book taught that system. Since then, the Shorthand has been adapted for use as a daily handwriting for everyone.


1982
"SignWriting Basic Teacher's Certification Manual"
This was a training manual for educators to become qualified SignWriting Instructors. From 1981-1984, teachers received certificates after completing training. There were 31 instructors who received certification in the 1980's. The Teacher Certification Program ceased in 1984.


1983 First Edition
"NTID Technical Signs Manual Five: Career Education"
by Brenda Liebman Aron and the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Five teaches signs used in Career Education. SignWriting symbols are used in the illustrations.


1983
"Sutton's Sign-Symbol-Sequence"
This was the first publication describing and teaching Sutton's system for looking up signs by SignWriting symbols in Sign Language dictionaries.


1983
"SignWriting Card File Dictionary"
ASL Dictionary on 3" by 5" cards. New cards were sent to members monthly. This forced students to learn how to put the signs in Sign-Symbol-Sequence.


1983-1984
"SignWriting Bilingual Dictionary Project"
The Danish Sign Language-American Sign Language, American Sign Language-Danish Sign Language Dictionary written in SignWriting. If this dictionary had been completed, it would truly have been historic. There was no spoken language in the dictionary. Everything was written in two languages, Danish Sign Language and American Sign Language, including the foreword and introduction. The work was compiled by Karen Albertsen, Annegrethe Pedersen and others at the Deaf Center For Total Communication in Copenhagen, Denmark, collaborating with Valerie Sutton and her team in the USA. The work was halted when it became apparent that a typing program for SignWriting was greatly needed. Writing the whole dictionary by hand with ink pens and transfer sheets became too much work. The SignWriter Computer Program could easily type the dictionary now, and someday, with funding, the DAC hopes to start the bilingual dictionary project again.


April, 1984
"SignWriting Updates"
Document reporting Deaf Americans skilled SignWriting request to write from the "Expressive Viewpoint".


Spring-Summer, 1984, Final Issue
"SignWriter Newspaper"
Featured an article by Bernard Bragg.


1985
"NTID Technical Signs Manual Six: English"
by the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Six teaches signs used in teaching English. SignWriting symbols are used in the illustrations.


1985
"NTID Technical Signs Manual Seven: Religion"
by the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Seven teaches signs used in Religion. SignWriting symbols are used in the illustrations.


August, 1985
"Learn Signing With SignWriting Video & Booklet"
Bernard Bragg and Valerie Sutton teach SignWriting to hearing people who want to learn basic signs. Also included Patty Duke, William Schallert, Meredith McRae and Stephanie Edwards.


Spring 1986
"Four Ways Of Writing SignWriting"
by Valerie Sutton. Detailed SignWriting, SignWriting Printing, Handwriting, & Shorthand.


1987
"NTID Technical Signs Manual Eight: Theater"
by Keith Cagle and the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Eight teaches signs used in Theater. SignWriting symbols are used in the illustrations.


Fall, 1987
"Computers In Sign Language Education"
Paper by Richard Gleaves and Karen van Hoek, discussing the use of the SignWriter Computer Program for teaching language to Deaf people.

 

February, 1988

SignWriter // Computer Program

For The Apple //e and //c computers. This was an historic little program,

because it was the first time in history that SignWriting could be typed. It

was a true "word processor" for signs, including automatic word wrap, Find

and Replace, and other features. Considering the small amount of memory

used in those days, it typed signs surprisingly well. This can be attributed to

the excellent and clean design by programmer Richard Gleaves. The

keyboard design and packaging design was by Valerie Sutton. Richard

Gleaves wrote the Reference Manual that came with the program, which was

packaged in a royal blue folder with disks and keyboard cards. This was the

forerunner to the SignWriter Computer Program used today.

 

May, 1988

SignBank I Desk Accessory for the Macintosh for "Word-Sign"

Dictionaries

programmed by Michael Ogawa, this Desk Accessory, which is a small

"mini" program on the Macintosh, inlcuded a wonderful storage system for

signs in a dictionary, plus specially designed SignWriting Fonts, designed by

Valerie Sutton. SignBank I created "word-sign" dictionaries. However, it

was not a true typing program like the SignWriter Computer Program. In

SignBank, the fonts did not rotate or flop the symbols. To use the fonts, you

had to type a symbol in a Paint Program and then change it manually, dot by

dot, and then copy the whole sign and paste it into the SignBank dictionary.

Once it was pasted in, then you could print the dictionary which looked quite

nice. But SignWriter, the "sign processor" ended up being used more,

because the symbols are manipulated for you. And SignWriter has the same,

if not better, dictionary capabilities.

 

November, 1988

SignBank II Desk Accessory for the Macintosh for "Sign-Word"

Dictionaries

programmed by Michael Ogawa, designed by Valerie Sutton. This was an

"experiment" to see how the computer could "look-up" signs by the

Sign-Symbol-Sequence, instead of looking signs up by English words. The

user had to know what they were doing. Each symbol category was

represented in a box. Before the sign was pasted into the dictionary, the user

had to "establish" what sequence of symbols he wanted to use, when looking

the sign up in the dictionary. He would click on the symbols in the boxes, to

establish the "Sequence" and then paste the sign into the dictionary.

SignBank II would then print the dictionary in Sign-Symbol-Sequence. This

was an important program, since it help everyone think through different

issues. The new version of the SignWriter Computer Program, version 5.0,

which is in progress, will include a "Sign-Word" dictionary, and that new

program will be based on what was learned from SignBank II.

 

1988

NTID Technical Signs Manual Nine: Social Work

by the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Nine

teaches signs used in Social Work. SignWriting symbols are used in the

illustrations.

 

Spring, 1989

SignWriter PC Computer Program, version 1.0 For The IBM PC & Compatibles. Designed and programmed by Richard Gleaves, with contributions on the progamming of international keyboards by Barry Demchak at Torrey Pines Software. This program was transported from the older SignWriter // for the Apple //e and //c. It was then improved on the IBM PC. More symbols, a Dictionary Manager program, laser printing, and many more new features were added. It is the forerunner to the SignWriter Computer Program, version 4.3, which is in use today.

Spring, 1989

SignWriter Newsletter Begins

Written by members of the Deaf Action Committee. Mailed to 7000 people.
April & September, 1990

Lessons In SignWriting Textbook, First Edition (no longer in print).

This First Edition was the forerunner to the textbook used today, Lessons In SignWriting, Second Edition.

February, 1991

Lessons In SignWriting Workbook, First Edition (no longer in print)

Students learn to read and write ASL, based on the Signing Naturally Videotapes, published by DawnSignPress. This workbook is no longer in print, but a new version is in progress.

September, 1991

Sutton's American Sign Language Dictionary, First Edition

850 ASL signs written in SignWriting. Paper Cover Bound. 56 pages. Written by members of the Deaf Action Committee. Prepared with the SignWriter Computer Program. This First Edition is no longer in print. It is the forerunner to the dictionary used today, the Second Edition.

1991

NTID Technical Signs Manual Ten: Science

by the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Ten teaches signs used in Science. SignWriting symbols are used in the illustrations.

1991

NTID Technical Signs Manual Eleven: Legal

by the NTID team under the direction of Dr. Frank Caccamise. Manual Eleven teaches signs used in legal matters. SignWriting symbols are used in the illustrations.

1991-1997

SignWriter Newsletter.

Written by members of the Deaf Action Committee. From 1991-1996, the newsletter was printed and mailed to around 7,000 people twice a year. Then in 1996, mailings ceased and the newsletter was posted twice a year on the World Wide Web at https://www.SignWriting.org.

Summer, 1992

"Written ASL From Deaf People's Perspective"

Poster presentation by Lucinda O'Grady Batch. Article discussing writing signs "down the page". Presented to an International Sign Language Linguistics Research Conference at UCSD, in La Jolla, California.

1993, 1994, 1995

Sutton's American Sign Language Dictionary, written in SignWriting.

This Second Edition includes over 3000 ASL signs. Comes in a three-ringed, hard-backed notebook with 5 sections: 1. "English-ASL" 2. "ASL-English" 3. "About This Dictionary" 4. "About Sign Language", which includes lessons in reading and writing ASL grammar using SignWriting and 5. "About SignWriting", which teaches SignWriting symbols. Authors: Deaf Action Committee and Valerie Sutton. ISBN 0-914336-56-8.

1993, 1994, 1995

SignWriter Computer Program Package, version 4.3.

Sign Language Processing Program. With SignWriter, the signed languages, fingerspelling, and spoken languages from fourteen countries can be typed by switching country codes. Commands can appear on the screen in one of eight spoken languages: Danish, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish. Fingerspelling keyboards and signed language dictionary files are available for fourteen countries: Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the USA. The USA dictionary includes over 3000 entries.
SignWriter is designed for MS-DOS. It can be used on the Macintosh with SoftPC or VirtualPC.

Requires 640K bytes of internal memory, CGA, EGA or VGA graphics, and about two megabytes hard disk space. Documents can be printed on US letter and A4 sized paper. Three kinds of printers are supported: Epson-compatible dot matrix printers, Hewlett-Packard compatible inkjet or laser printers, and Postscript laser printers. Includes a SignWriter Instruction Notebook with five manuals, seven disks, and full technical support. Designer and programmer: Richard Gleaves. Richard is also the author of the SignWriter Reference Manual, one of five manuals in the SignWriter Instruction Notebook. Shareware version also downloadable from the SignWriting Web Site at: https://www.SignWriting.org. Program Package ISBN:

0-914336-63-0.

1994

Deaf Perspectives on SignWriting Video and Booklet

Available in all video formats. 17-minute video featuring four Deaf native ASL signers discussing opinions on SignWriting. In ASL with voice interpretation in English.

Includes booklet with transcription of the video. ISBN 0-914336-71-1.

 

1994, 1995

Lessons In SignWriting Textbook & Workbook

by Valerie Sutton. For the serious SignWriting user. Lessons In SignWriting is a

practical textbook that serves as a general reference book for writing the movements of

any signed language in the world. Illustrations, diagrams and photographs are in

American Sign Language. It teaches every symbol in the SignWriting system, plus

offers practical applications for reading and writing. This Second Edition includes

fifteen lessons in a three-ringed, hard-backed notebook. A separate workbook is

included, entitled the "Symbol Workbook". Textbook ISBN: 0-914336-55-X. Symbol Workbook ISBN: 0-914336-57-6.

 

Spring 1995

Lessons In SignWriting Video Series & Booklets

Available in all video formats. Learn SignWriting at home or in the classroom with

these two educational videos. The Lessons In SignWriting Video Series has been

shown on USA cable television as educational programs. Two Deaf native signers,

Lucinda O'Grady Batch and Kevin Clark, teach the basics of SignWriting in American

Sign Language (ASL), with English voice and captions on the screen. The series

includes: Video 1: Introduction to SignWriting (21 minutes) and Video 2: SignWriting

Basics (31 minutes). Each video includes a booklet with a transcription of the English

voice plus a review of the instruction. Series ISBN: 0-914336-72-X.

 

Spring, 1996

SignWriting Greeting Cards. Card designs: "Hello!", "Thank You!", "Get Well!"

and "Happy Birthday!" written in American Sign Language in SignWriting.

 

Spring, 1996 - Spring, 1997

SignWriting Workbook Series.

Five workbooks designed to encourage students to write SignWriting on their own.

Series ISBN: 0-914336-58-4.
The series includes...
1. Short Story Workbook

A person flying in an airplane, a clown, a ballerina dancing, a family of four, etc.

Students are inspired to write a short story about the illustrations. Illustrations by Amy Blake.
2. Cinderella Workbook

The complete story of Cinderella illustrated on 30 pages. The students write the story in

SignWriting in their own signed language. Illustrations by Jayne Gunderson.
3. Geography Workbook

Illustrations of maps inspire students to write about geography and their own country,

culture and history.
4. Marine Workbook

Illustrations of marine life, fish, shells and ships.
5.USA Photo Workbook

Photos of items used daily in the USA.

August 7, 1996

Teacher's Report, SignWriting In Nicaragua

by Darline Clark. Darline describes her experiences teaching Deaf children SignWriting

in Nicaragua in the summer of 1996.

 

September 20, 1996, First Posting of

The SignWritingSite on the World Wide Web.

Special features demonstrating written signed languages are posted on the first and third

Mondays of every month.

 

1996, 1997

Who Uses SignWriting?

Detailed reports and illustrations explain how SignWriting is used in ten countries. This

booklet is updated on a regular basis.

 

1997, 1998

Second SignWriting Literature Series.

The series will include, when completed....
1. Childrens Stories written in ASL (see below)

2. Poetry written in ASL

3. Deaf Culture & History written in ASL

The SignWriting Children's Stories Series is an exciting new collection of

colorful booklets written in English and American Sign Language. Well known stories

come alive on the page with numerous color illustrations and SignWriting symbols

showing the movements of ASL.

1. Goldilocks And The Three Bears Third Edition

Written in ASL by Darline Clark. Illustrations by Tom and Robin Christ. Posted on the

SignWritingSite, April, 1997. Available in book form September, 1997. ISBN:

0-914336-40-1.

2. Humpty Dumpty

Written in ASL by Darline Clark & Dave Gunsauls. Illustrations by Lisa Moore. Posted

on the SignWritingSite, September, 1997. Available in book form September, 1997.

ISBN: 0-914336-41-X.

3. Cinderella, Second Edition (in progress)

Written in ASL by Darline Clark. Illustrations by Jayne Gunderson. Part One was

posted on this web site November 3, 1997. Will be available in book form January,

1998. ISBN: 0-914336-42-8

4. Snow White (in progress)

Written in ASL by Darline Clark. Illustrations by Ida Candelaria.

5. Sleeping Beauty (in progress)

Written in ASL by Darline Clark. Illustrations by Ida Candelaria.

July, 1997

ColumnMaker, Add-On Program For the SignWriter Computer Program, v.4.3

Richard Gleaves created this small "additional program" that converts horizontal writing to vertical writing. The user can print files in either format. ColumnMaker now comes with the SignWriter Computer Program Package (see above).

August, 1997

SignWriter Computer Program, version 5.0

Richard Gleaves, who has been the sole programmer and designer of the SignWriter Computer Program for 11 years, passed the baton to programmer Richard Kadel, at DTAI, Inc, in August, 1997. Kadel, and others at DTAI, will be creating a new version of SignWriter in the Java computer programming language. Sutton is redesigning and adding to the symbol set, expanding the program into a more sophisticated "sign language processor". It is hoped that a test version of SignWriter 5.0 will be ready in 1998. The program will be "cross platform", available on the Macintosh and Windows.

September 22, 1997

Sutton's American Sign Language Picture Dictionary written in SignWriting.

First posted on the SignWritingSite September 22nd, 1997.

November, 1997. ISBN: 0-914336-50-9.

This First Edition is a "first attempt" at a special dictionary for Deaf children. We hope it will be useful, for both parents and teachers, as a language teaching tool. The signs are written on one side, the words on the other, with pictures inbetween. You can "cover up" the words to remember the signs, or "cover up" the signs, to remember the words. Vocabulary can be "looked-up" by word or sign.

Note: Publications 1998-2000 are not included above. They will be featured in a new list, which is still being compiled.

SignWriting is published around the world. Our textbooks have been translated into several languages, such as German, Norwegian, Danish and Spanish. Translations and other publications using SignWriting have not been included in the List above. We hope to compile a more complete list in time. 


Other Listings On The Web

University of Hamburg Library Online
1. Listing of Sutton SignWriting Publications

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