PAH! PAH! PAH! ASL GETS MORE RESPECT!

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Now the news are out that American Sign Language is the rising star in the community!

According to NY Times, that colleges see 16% increase in Study of Sign Language. More information can be seen at this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/education/08language.html

And USAToday mentioned about it being the 4th most studied foreign language. More information can be seen at this link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-12-08-1Alanguages08_ST_N.html

Thinking back the last 50 years, I remembered how oppressed the society was towards sign language. I grew up in an oppressed environment where signing was NOT allowed. It was embarrassing to sign in public with rude people staring and making faces. I thought sign language was the answer to communication. It helps understand what is said and be expressed in ways we visually understand. It makes two way street communication. A person sends message and the other person receives it and responds. It is a communication process.

This positive step in the right direction is a blessing and I am delighted that ASL is gaining respect like we had in the 19th century. We thank Laurent Clerc for starting it in 1816. We have come a long way and we can be persistent in our belief of American Sign Language.

We ought to celebrate 200 years of ASL in 2016. It is soon arriving and what will you do about it? I have plans and ideas to herald everyone from sea to shining sea to celebrate 200 years of American Sign Language. Watch for August 19-22, 2016 for ASL BICENTENNIAL 1816-2016. We need to start celebrating on August 22 every year in recognition of the birth of ASL in the new world. This was when Laurent Clerc arrived at Hartford on August 22, 1816. We can witness the boat with Clerc and Gallaudet arriving 200 years later as part of celebration.

I am looking for partners and sponsors for this exciting event in 2016! Here is link for information about being ASL BICENTENNIAL Community Partner. http://www.deafimages.tv/custom9.html

Thank you,

Paul Kiel

ASL BICENTENNIAL 1816-2016 Coordinator

www.deafimages.tv

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CONFRONTATION AT GALLAUDET

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Dr. Edward C. Merrill, President, Gallaudet College 1973 from Tower Clock 1973

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He quoted,

"Confrontation has been and is prevalent in our society. It has made its mark on college and university campuses across the nation. It would be unfair to say that confrontation is no way to do business.

Frankly, I think it is fundamentally an expression of a basic right, and I am pleased that confrontation is the theme of the Tower Clock for 1973.

To me, confrontation means facing the issues. It means bringing problems to the surface for all to see. It means providing opportunities for everyone to participate in achieving a solution, permitting all points of view to be expressed.

It is only when confrontation takes the form of coercion, intimidation, or is directed toward individuals on a personal basis that it loses both its value and effectiveness as a means of bringing people together and arriving at decisions. When it deprives individuals and groups of an opportunity to deliberate, it is in violation of basic rights and is no good.

It is my hope that Kendall Green can become increasingly an open forum where issues that are vitally important to people and when causes to which individuals are committed can be not only discussed but pursued actively. Thus, confrontations will continue to be one of several valuable procedures by means of which we relate to each other and work toward improving Gallaudet College as an institution of learning and as a setting where we demonstrate important values in our daily lives."

This was in 1973 and it is 2010 now. Confrontations continue and Gallaudet learns to grow and improve. ASL is the sacred language and should be respected as a form of communication on the campus.

Dr. Merrill has this quote whenever he presented Gallaudet on his travels. I try to remember something like this, "Hiring hearing teachers for deaf classes is like hiring Japanese teachers with no English skills to teach English classes.

That was something then and this is something now!

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Deaf Santa

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A video about Santa and Mrs. Claus sharing holiday stories.

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* Captioned for the Signing Impaired *

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