ASL, why keep embracing it

cdaigle430

cdaigle430

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I know I will ruffle some feathers with this post and please understand it is not my intention.

Why does the deaf community hold ASL so dear and not embrace the future? To me ASL is useless in my surrounding world so I embrace technology as a whole. I have even been a contributor of improvements to some of the technologies that are out and are offere by Harris Communication.com.

I think its more important we look ahead and embrace new technologies and medical break throughs rather than hold on to an obsolete culture that only continues to isolate us from the rest of the world.

I do understand there are some who will never let go of the old culure of ASL like the Amish to the Englishmen but I also know there are others who can see the benefits and wonders that are down the road.

If we embrace it as a whole, we can help escalate new technologies and medical break throughs by giving our input at every corner of the Deaf DEAF and HOH world.

What are your thoughts? Please keep this civil and respect everyones opinion.
 
What technologies give permanent, 24/7, full-range hearing, speech comprehension, and speaking ability at birth to all deaf and hoh individuals?

Why does it have to be an either/or proposition? Why can't both be used?
 
Reba said:
What technologies give permanent, 24/7, full-range hearing, speech comprehension, and speaking ability at birth to all deaf and hoh individuals?

Why does it have to be an either/or proposition? Why can't both be used?
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It is in development, my main point is, as a community-if we embrace and contribute to new technology medical break throughs we may be able to expedite its development and at least see it happen in our lifetime.

It can only be ASL if everyone is tought a common language in schools like ASL. For example, I am late profound HOH and cannot benefit from my circle even if I learn a complex language skill like ASL. I do not want to limit myself and waste time with ASL because I would also have to learn PSL (Portuguese). Even if I learned it I would have to sever all ties with my current world because aint no way in hell are they gonna learn it for little old me.
 
Why do Welsh speak Welsh useless language but if you tell them then prey to see another day.Latin dead.Sign is not dead don't forget not only deaf who use it.
it quicker to the point and visual technology breaks down and human element not there
I appreciate with medical break throughs etc not so many deaf as use to be but that don't aply to everywhere.also As Bot said another thread shared experience Many deaf not verbal sign at speed talk.It proven that children do far better if sign
Good luck.
 
caz said:
Why do Welsh speak Welsh useless language but if you tell them then prey to see another day.Latin dead.Sign is not dead don't forget not only deaf who use it.
it quicker to the point and visual technology breaks down and human element not there
I appreciate with medical break throughs etc not so many deaf as use to be but that don't aply to everywhere.also As Bot said another thread shared experience Many deaf not verbal sign at speed talk.It proven that children do far better if sign
Good luck.
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Far better than not communicating at all? I will agree there but, they can do even better when you open communication up to the rest of the world rather than the 2 million or so of the 360 million Americans for example.

I am certainly not putting ASL down because it is a tool used to comminicate when there was no other way-like the horse to the automobile. I would never put someone down for using a horse as a conveyance either. Try riding a horse from New York to California-it can be done, it has been done- but why now?
 
cdaigle430 said:
It is in development, my main point is, as a community-if we embrace and contribute to new technology medical break throughs we may be able to expedite its development and at least see it happen in our lifetime.
Click to expand...
Why can't one embrace new technologies without abandoning their language?

It can only be ASL if everyone is tought a common language in schools like ASL. For example, I am late profound HOH and cannot benefit from my circle even if I learn a complex language skill like ASL. I do not want to limit myself and waste time with ASL because I would also have to learn PSL (Portuguese). Even if I learned it I would have to sever all ties with my current world because aint no way in hell are they gonna learn it for little old me.
Click to expand...
My question was about why it has to be all ASL or all technology. Why does it have to be either ASL or technology? Why can't both options be available?

If you don't want to use ASL that's your choice. For those who do want to use ASL, they should also be allowed their choice.

Communication isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition.
 
Reba said:
Why can't one embrace new technologies without abandoning their language?


My question was about why it has to be all ASL or all technology. Why does it have to be either ASL or technology? Why can't both options be available?

If you don't want to use ASL that's your choice. For those who do want to use ASL, they should also be allowed their choice.

Communication isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition.
Click to expand...

In my mind its quite simple-if you cant let go of the past how can you make it in the future? As long as ASL is worshipped and hailed as the only way or the way to communicate in our community, how can you devlop new things? Seems like the only ones who want to make our lives better are the ones who can profit from it and make money. We should be doing that or we should be contributing to research and development.
 
cdaigle430 said:
In my mind its quite simple-if you cant let go of the past how can you make it in the future? As long as ASL is worshipped and hailed as the only way or the way to communicate in our community, how can you devlop new things? Seems like the only ones who want to make our lives better are the ones who can profit from it and make money. We should be doing that or we should be contributing to research and development.
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Contributing to research and development in any area isn't for all people. That doesn't mean they live in the past.

Also, just because people revere the past doesn't mean that they can't also excel in the present and future.

Researchers and developers would probably get more community support if they showed more respect for that community's past.
 
ASL is not only used by deaf and hoh people , people that have autism use ASL .This sometime the only way you can communicate some people , ASL is used to communicate with babies that are deaf or hoh . ASL is not a dead language .
 
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I'm more worried about living in the HERE and NOW. Whatever happens in the future- could be 5 years could be 50 years (in which case it wouldn't benefit me anyway unless I live to be 100). So in order to live NOW ASL is a means for me to get through life chatting with my deaf friends, using VRS (well when the program WORKS...different rant), using some signs with my family (even my mother!). The future is still unpredictable.

ASL is not obsolete- it has thrived even with the implosion of the new technology we have now with texting, the internet, and in fact video calls is actually a PLUS for those who do prefer ASL! I can see ASL still thriving in years to come because as Reba noted in another thread- advances (medical or otherwise) are not a one-size-fits-all solution. There will always be some who can't use such technology, don't fit the criteria or in some way would not benefit from it at all.

I echo what Reba said. There's nothing wrong with having both- ASL and technology. The world ain't so black and white anymore.

Edit: In addition to ASL being used by some with autism, some folks with speech disability (or no voice for that matter) and even some developmentally delayed folks use ASL. My first job out of college, I worked with both deaf AND hearing with communication disorders mentally delayed clients in teaching them sign-- not necessarily full ASL, just enough sign for them to grasp and use on a daily basis.
 
Great post, DeafDucky. You echoed much of what I was thinking too.
 
cdaigle430 said:
In my mind its quite simple-if you cant let go of the past how can you make it in the future? As long as ASL is worshipped and hailed as the only way or the way to communicate in our community, how can you devlop new things? Seems like the only ones who want to make our lives better are the ones who can profit from it and make money. We should be doing that or we should be contributing to research and development.
Click to expand...

I wonder how it is that you have determined that ASL is "worshiped and hailed as the only way to communicate"?

The Deaf community has the challenge of using numerous types of communication options. Such as: Using ASL with someone else who speaks ASL, using relay with a hearing party, using TTY when calling businesses and Government entities, text, messaging, software programs, etc. All of these are viable communication tools. Why abandon them if they work?

Technology drives change. There have been and will continue to be new products and services brought to market that simplify communication, but one does not preclude the other. The users will adopt what works best for them in any given situation.
 
cdaigle430 said:
Far better than not communicating at all? I will agree there but, they can do even better when you open communication up to the rest of the world rather than the 2 million or so of the 360 million Americans for example.

I am certainly not putting ASL down because it is a tool used to comminicate when there was no other way-like the horse to the automobile. I would never put someone down for using a horse as a conveyance either. Try riding a horse from New York to California-it can be done, it has been done- but why now?
Click to expand...

I think you have put out there and let people decide,married people friends sibs it lot easier and proberly cheaper.
Like reb says there place for both and many people use sign for other reaso than deaf
 
Our OP wrote "I know I will ruffle some feathers" BUT those ruffled seem to have done some good in making people come up with ways to express how they feel and why they feel that way!
 
to advocate for the extinction of ASL <which is what happens by default when ASL or other sign languages are not included in certain educational and industry circles> is to advocate for the destruction of a culture.
 
When is man going to stop trying to wipe out very culture they don't agree with ? This was done with Native American and no good came out of this . One thing that was great about America is that a melting pot and taking away one more culture could lead to more cultures disappearing . Not everyone like to deal with technology
 
Well, I was deaf when my son was born 2010. My wife was afaid to go to work and me being a stay at home dad, deaf at that, to take care of a newborn baby. We got a monitor that lit up and vibrated to his noises and cries, ( great technology):dance2:

Then we took ASL I together for me to learn as well as my wife, since we lacked any form of communication other than pecking on the laptops back and forth. BUT
BUT..... as my son got older we used ASL with him while very young ( those minds are like sponges and soak it up well ) he wasnt very old, couldnt talk or walk still a rugrat, but he could tell me he wanted milk, to eat, if he was done, if he pooped his diaper and more... Something technology will never do for him to me at that age, yet it bonded us and gave him a foundation to learning to talk as well. ASL is a lot more advanced in many ways that a machine can never do, technology will never do ( understand where thats coming from) He could communicate with us before he was ever able to talk... and all the monitor did was alert me to noises, any noise either him or a knock...ect... I did well as a deaf stay at home dad and Im proud to say ( so is my wife, she was amazed at how well I could care for our son while she was gone all day at work ) I will never let go of ASL and still learning, sometimes I think I just want to go full deaf again ( I am now bi-laterally implanted in case you didnt know ) ASL is beautiful, but not something easy to learn as you get older and I was never introduced to it as I was mainstreamed.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
When is man going to stop trying to wipe out very culture they don't agree with ? This was done with Native American and no good came out of this . One thing that was great about America is that a melting pot and taking away one more culture could lead to more cultures disappearing . Not everyone like to deal with technology
Click to expand...

Im trying to remember but basically same concept like the Navajo Talkers ( think thats the correct name) used their language as code to talk so the Japs couldnt break the codes.... Same concept, language is only as good as someone wants to make it. It is a dying and not so dying art. There is the Hawaiian Sign Language, and I believe there is only 1 or a handful of people left who actually knows it... sadly if they dont teach it and keep it alive it will die with the last who knows.
 
cdaigle430 said:
I know I will ruffle some feathers with this post and please understand it is not my intention.

Why does the deaf community hold ASL so dear and not embrace the future? To me ASL is useless in my surrounding world so I embrace technology as a whole. I have even been a contributor of improvements to some of the technologies that are out and are offere by Harris Communication.com.

I think its more important we look ahead and embrace new technologies and medical break throughs rather than hold on to an obsolete culture that only continues to isolate us from the rest of the world.

I do understand there are some who will never let go of the old culure of ASL like the Amish to the Englishmen but I also know there are others who can see the benefits and wonders that are down the road.

If we embrace it as a whole, we can help escalate new technologies and medical break throughs by giving our input at every corner of the Deaf DEAF and HOH world.

What are your thoughts? Please keep this civil and respect everyones opinion.
Click to expand...
Whats it matter to you
What we Deaf do,
What we Deaf embrace?

Who the hell are you anyway?

Best advice i can give you
Dont bother with us, what we do, what we think, how we communicate.

Leave us alone
Thank you
 
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