December 8, 1997
MESSAGE TO THE SIGNWRITING EMAIL LIST
SUBJECT: SignWriting Down-under
From: Henry Blackmore <habla@newton.dialix.com.au>
Subject: SignWriting Down-under
To: DAC@SignWriting.org
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 06:28:17 +0800 (WST)
Hello Valerie,
Thank you for the correspondence regarding SignWriting and for
the videos explaining the technique. My students in Deaf Studies
have been intrigued by this method of representing sign language
in print. They found the videos very helpful and clear in describing
SignWriting, and enjoyed "deciphering" the BSL alphabet
script you prepared into English text. ("received"
BSL manual alphabet is the same as AUSLAN, apart from a few minor
regional and individual idiosyncratic variations).
The next step of trying to compose passages of AUSLAN sign into
SignWriting script will have to wait until next year, when classes
resume after the long Christmas/New Year vacation. This year's
studies conclude this week. In the meantime, I would like to
obtain the next training videos and books in preparation for
involving the students again in 1998. All agree that SignWriting
offers an interesting way to preserve sign language and an exciting
means of communication in sign syntax other than by face-to-face
contact. It would be hard to devise a more elegant or simpler
method. Whether it will be enthusiastically adopted by the Deaf
community here is yet to be tested!
The CD-ROM version of the AUSLAN dictionary, "Signs of Australia",
was launched this past week. It has some 4000 signs dynamically-
presented and, when it is available shortly, I will send you
a disk.
I wish you all the best of the season's greetings and the hope
for a prosperous and peaceful new year.
Harry Blackmore
Dr. Harry Blackmore
habla@newton.dialix.com.au
Tel: +61 8 9245 1474 Fax: +61 8 9245 1430
Mail: 43 Newborough St., Scarborough, Western Australia 6019