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From:
Valerie Sutton Date: Thu Feb 3, 2000 8:13 pm Subject: Re: Shorthand | |
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>I think James mentioned that in Bluefields he only knew one family that >had a flush toilet (?) It has always seemed to me that a writing system >that requires an investment in expensive high tech equipment is hardly >worth the name. I know, I know, if it wasn't for the Web, .....Hey, I'm >biased, yes.--- but the point is that the reliance on technology >(computers) makes the system less accessible for the very people who stand >to benefit from it most. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SignWriting List February 3, 2000 Hi Joe - Of course no writing system should be dependent on computers - and SignWriting most definitely is NOT! People write SW by hand everyday...as Cecilia Flood from Albuquerque so eloquently explained in her message...it starts to happen naturally as people learn to read ...they start to write notes with pencil and paper as an automatic extension of their reading experiences...I have another photo of one of Cecilia's students, age 7, reading his handwritten notes - it is a darling picture and I am looking forward to posting it on the web - it is the one that didn't get posted! As you know, back in history, before the development of the SignWriter Computer Program, we published a newspaper written by hand with ink pens from 1981 -1984...so SignWriting technically has nothing to do with computers... Our world is just "computer-hungry" right now, that's all...so publishing the SignWriting Printing by computer is a very nice addition to the daily lives of SignWriting users...but computers are not a requirement at all. Ironically, you mention the poverty in Bluefields, Nicaragua, which certainly continues to be poor and I am sure most people in Bluefields do not have computers.... ....but even so, James and Judy Shepard-Kegl, who founded the school in Bluefields, have been using the computer to type books written in Nicaraguan Sign Language - so the computer was still there...and on top of that...arrangements were made to send computers to the school in Bluefields, so some of the Nicaraguan students have learned to type with the SignWriter Computer Program anyway, even though it is poverty-stricken around them.... So I guess you can't escape computers, Joe! But that doesn't mean you can't learn the Handwriting and Shorthand too - So I am going to write to Karen and maybe we can start posting some Shorthand to the SignWriting List so you all can learn it sooner rather than later... PS. Talking about the web - I have not forgotten your web posting of the Stokoe-SignWriting comparison :-) Have a great day everyone - I am hitting web design again and it gets very time consuming...so I will be online again tomorrow morning - Many blessings to everyone - Val ;-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Valerie Sutton at the DAC Deaf Action Committee for SignWriting SignWriting https://www.SignWriting.org Center For Sutton Movement Writing an educational nonprofit organization Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038-0517, USA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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