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From:
Valerie Sutton Date: Sun Nov 25, 2001 3:40 pm Subject: Celebrating Different SignWriting Styles | |
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SignWriting List November 25, 2001 Dear SW List members: I am writing an article called "Celebrating Different SignWriting Styles", which will demonstrate how SignWriting is being used differently around the world. I feel so honored, when I realize that people are using SignWriting at all. When one thinks of the different cultures and languages around the world, and when one thinks of the different kinds of professions that are using SignWriting, such as Sign Language researchers, linguists, teachers of the deaf, Deaf adults, Deaf children, psychologists, mentally-retarded people who are not deaf but who use a signed language, and yes...even movement notators (grin), it is quite amazing how well we can read each other's documents!! I remember awhile back, Stefan brought up the history of Louis Braille, the blind inventor of the Braille writing system. I am not an expert on Braille's life, but I believe, after he died, that Braille users argued with each other. They could not come to an agreement as to how to use Braille. I believe it was called "the war of the dots"...and they never came to an agreement - instead there are at least three different ways to use Braille around the world today. There are two ways to look at that story. You could say that is a shame that they could not get one way to write Braille. OR... You can take a different more positive attitude, and one that is true....namely that each way of writing brings joy to someone - and that is all that matters! If people are benefiting from a particular writing style, then those differences should be celebrated, and they should be made available to everyone around the world. So I choose the latter attitude. I hope my web article will be of use to people. The only problem is time...but in time it will be finished! And I will be starting a series of email messages now, showing how a SignWriting sentence is written in Denmark, and how I personally would write it, and how the same would be written differently in another country and so forth... The amazing thing about all this is that we can read each other's writing anyway! The differences are quite minor... I also need to complete the writing of one hundred Swiss signs...the team in Switzerland is waiting for my feedback! I have started a new service called "SignWriting Services", where research groups with funding can hire my time to write signs for them...but I will tell you more about that later... For now, have a wonderful Sunday! -- Val ;-) Valerie Sutton SignWritingSite: https://www.SignWriting.org SignWriting List Archives: https://groups.yahoo.com/group/sw-l/ To post a message to the SW List: |
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