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Approved-By:  Bill McGarry <wtm@SHELDEV.SHEL.ISC-BR.COM>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.l-hcap
Date:         Fri, 16 Oct 1992 01:30:58 EDT
Reply-To:     Bill McGarry <wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com>
From:         Bill McGarry <wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com>
Subject:      Handicap Digest # 2974

                             THE HANDICAP DIGEST

                                 Issue # 2974

                         Thursday, October 15, 1992

Today's Topics:


                                ******


                                Deafie world
                         Re: How to get on other bbs
                               Re: S.i.g.n.s.
                               Re: Relay Texas
                           Re: speech recognition
                               Parents' Guilt
                          Floor grate break-through
                                   Survey
                               Presentation PT
                              Re: HELL or NOT?


                                ******


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                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
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Subject: Deafie world
From: Becky.Goldberg@f220.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Becky Goldberg)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:260/220 - Exit 47, LeRoy NY


[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

-> who have ability to use their speech with others who don't sign.  I g
-> mixed feelings as to where to I belong.  I wonder is there are others
-> who feel the same way I do.  I get annoyed when people say, but you
-> speak so well why do you want to call yourself DEAF?

Hi there again! I know the feeling about people ask why i consider
myself deaf while I can speak so well. One thing they dont know is
that what it is in our heart. My sister, Amy is technically hard of
hearing but she calls herself deaf by heart even thought people has
opnion about it. Speaking well is my survial in the hearing world, I
dont know about others but I know mine.

So you work for VR near Charleston. Isn't that related to what you
majored in grad school? As I remember that you mentioned that you were
intersted in working with kids for IQ tests physchologist? Are you doing
that?

Becky

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!260!220!Becky.Goldberg
Internet: Becky.Goldberg@f220.n260.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: How to get on other bbs
From: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/26 - SoundingBoard, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

 BH> Maybe the average hearing aid buyer just isn't very demanding.
 BH> When i got my first aid, my audiologist showed me the options,
 BH> i picked one that seemed good and i am still wearing it 12
 BH> years later.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have been a whole lot happier
with my first hearing aid - even tho the technology was somewhat more
primitive then than it is now.  (My first aid was a Zenith body aid,
when transistors were new state-of-the-art :-)

 BH> A good aid, i think, should not only give good performance but
 BH> also minimize the number of weirdies you need to deal with
 BH> everyday (feedback from something moving in close proximity,
 BH> using the telephone, exposure to bursts of noise, etc. ).
 BH> These things, if poorly handled, can cause stress which we try
 BH> to ignore but is there nontheless.

A true DSP (Digital Signal Processing) aid could do all that, and more.
But the dispensers continue to resist new technology.  I would bet that
most of the hearing aids sold end up unused - in the drawer with the
sox.  When people are disappointed in what the aids do, they will not
continue to use them.

Jack O'keeffe

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!26!Jack.O'keeffe
Internet: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: S.i.g.n.s.
From: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/26 - SoundingBoard, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

 SB> True, but remember all PSE and SEE is based upon ASL. ASL is
 SB> the true sign language. PSE and SEE techinally are not sign
 SB> languages.

I suppose that may be the viewpoint of NAD and some narrow-minded
Deaf cultists, Steve.  However, that doesn't make it correct.  Why
do you say that PSE and SEE are "techinally" (sic) not sign languages?
Can you support that statement?

PSE and SEE are based on ASL (plus a whole lot more).  ASL is based
on LSF.  LSF is based on the Latin alphabet.  Saying that a language
is not "true" because it is based on another language is ludicrous.
Every language I know of contains elements of other languages.
By your standard there would be no such thing as a true language.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!26!Jack.O'keeffe
Internet: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: Relay Texas
From: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/26 - SoundingBoard, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

 ST>   The PA Relay has been doing that for the past year; they type
 ST>   (m) or (f) after their CA number (Communications Assistant).

Stu, I recall your comment when they first started doing this - that
some CAs who failed to add the (m) or (f) might be experiencing a
gender identity crisis.  I passed it on to Nancy Miller, the relay
manager.  She was amused, but I noted that the CAs became a bit more
consistant with the (m) or (f) thereafter :-)

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!26!Jack.O'keeffe
Internet: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: speech recognition
From: Jack.O'Keeffe@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'Keeffe)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89.0 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

 DR> Speech Recognition: is anybody out there experimenting
 DR> with this technology on their home computer? I know
 DR> that speech recognition has a long way to go yet, but
 DR> perhaps there are some rudimentary forms that would be
 DR> useful, especially for the hearing impaired, like myself.

Speech recognition may be closer than you think, Doug.  I attended
a conference last year in Cambridge, MA, sponsored by the Regional
Bell Operating Companies, on speech input/output.  Patricia Flynn
McKenzie of Dragon Systems told us that Dragon was now demoing a
continuous sppech recognition system with 10,000 word vocabulary.
Said they were waiting for faster hardware (which has since become
available).  She predicted availability in two years, and that was
almost a year ago :-)

Frank Whitney, who is active in the 'Abled echo, is a serious user
of the Dragon speech input system.  Post a message to him and I'm
sure he will give you more information.

Jack O'keeffe
--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!Jack.O'Keeffe
Internet: Jack.O'Keeffe@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Parents' Guilt
From: Linda.Iverson@p3802.f7014.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Linda Iverson)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:124/7014.3802 - The Soft-Ware Haven, Rowlett TX


[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Quoting Becky Goldberg to All:

BG>     One thing that I don't understand why do parents
BG> including mine
BG> who happened to have deaf child(ren) since birth or illness,
BG> tend to
BG> feel guilty about that. It is understandable if that is

Hi, Becky!

I found this thread of conversation most interesting, and as a
parent, hope I have something to share.  Let me begin by saying I am
mostly a lurker here.  I am not deaf and I have no hearing loss, but
I am totally blind and have been so from birth.  I attended public
schools throughout my education and have a college degree.  I am now
a parent of a 12-year-old son, who has no disability.

Public attitude toward deafness and blindness is very similar;
that's why I began reading this echo.  Besides, I enjoy learning
about different disabilities.

In reflecting on my own childhood I feel my parents did some things
very well, and others not as well with regard to my blindness.  Most
parents do the best they can.  Being a parent is scary, and having a
child with a disability is more so.  These parents most often don't
know anyone with that disability and truly don't know what their
children are capable of accomplishing.  Even before a child is born,
the parents have hopes and dreams for that child.  The disability
shatters those dreams.  Many parents don't know how to redirect
those dreams.

No, you wouldn't feel guilty if you had a hearing child, but most of
your friends are having hearing children.  You know deafness, so
that wouldn't scare you either, but what if that child had a
disability you knew nothing about?  Having a disability yourself,
you'd have an edge on understanding, and you'd know about the
disability echos, so you'd have a point of reference most parents
don't have.  Also, I suspect parents, some more than others, see
their child as an extension of themselves.  When that child succeeds
they are filled with pride.  When the child fails they feel guilt.
Remember, people congratulate parents for having babies, but noone
comes up and says, "Gee, that's great you have a blind/deaf/disabled
child", so from the first what people don't say sets a tone.  Many
people didn't know how to react to my pregnancy and I could sense
their unspoken concern.

Extremes in any area are tough, but I'd rather have parents feel too
much concern than not enough.  I've known some blind people whose
parents sent them to residential schools and had as little to do
with them as possible.  By the same token, some kids were extremely
sheltered, but they could see this happening and asserted their
independence.

I don't know what the answer is.  All we can do is show our parents
we do love them and our lives are full and we'd rather be here with
our disability than not be here at all.

Linda
--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!124!7014.3802!Linda.Iverson
Internet: Linda.Iverson@p3802.f7014.n124.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Floor grate break-through
From: Jeffrey.Vandyke@f14.n279.z1.fidonet.org (Jeffrey Vandyke)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:279/14 - Project Enable, Dunbar WV


[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]

  Anyone live in a trailer house? It just occurred to me to share
this with everyone. We live in a trailer house, and the heating
ducts come equipped with very cheap floor grates. It takes about
a day and a half to destroy one with my electric chair, and that's
while trying to avoid them! Sound familiar, anyone?
  Well, I finally found a place that makes registers that can take
the pounding. The're from the Reggio Register Co., and they mostly
make this stuff for restoration-type work. We replaced 2 of our
grates a year and a half ago, and I haven't managed to even crack
one yet. They are made of cast iron. The company also makes solid
brass and solid aluminum ones, among others. The reason we only
replaced 2 grates, was to test out the product, and because they
were the 2 grates I run over the most.
  Anyone wants to have the phone number, I'll look it up.
                   -- Jeff

 * SLMR 2.1a * Member, Off-Road Wheelchair Association

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Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!279!14!Jeffrey.Vandyke
Internet: Jeffrey.Vandyke@f14.n279.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Survey
From: Joe.Chamberlain@p1.f175.n150.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Chamberlain)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:150/175.1 - Busted Flush BBS, New Castle DE


[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]

In a message to All <02 Oct 92 17:41> Derek Juntunen wrote:

 DJ> Do you feel you are less emotional now
 DJ> than the first year follow the injury?

     Yes

 DJ> Do you feel you have noticed that your emotional excitability has
 DJ> decreased since your injury?

     No, I love, hate, cry, and laugh with just as much gusto now as I did
 before my injury.

 DJ> What has benifitted you since your injury?

     education

 DJ> What is your injury level?

     C5-6

 DJ> What was the date on which your injury occured?

     7/4/59

 DJ> What is your age?

     51

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Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!150!175.1!Joe.Chamberlain
Internet: Joe.Chamberlain@p1.f175.n150.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Presentation PT
From: Luis.Garcia@f323.n135.z1.fidonet.org (Luis Garcia)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:135/323 - Latin Connection, Hialeah FL


[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]

Hi, I'm Luis a Physical Terapist that arrived USA just a couples of
months ago. I'm working at the OUTPATIENT department in a
rehabilitation hospital here in Miami, if I can help in anyway just
leave me a msg. I belong to that Kind of people who torture the
patients in the rehab gims but I'm not dangerous by modem thanks
God !.

Hopfully I will join this conference for long time, I'm planning to
learn a lot from you, people I'd like to hear about your histories
and discuss wathever you like. I'm sorry about the mistakes that I
will write on this and  my future messages but I'm just learning
english.

Waiting...

...-Luis.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!135!323!Luis.Garcia
Internet: Luis.Garcia@f323.n135.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Re: HELL or NOT?
From: Tim.Syfert@f15.n114.z1.fidonet.org (Tim Syfert)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:114/15 - St Joes Hospital, Phoenix AZ


[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]

 AH>> P.S.  Quadriplegia is no gift.  Quadriplegia with pain is hell on
 AH>> earth.  Dependence and discomfort - what a combination!

 DJ> It isn't that bad and you know it.

Careful Derek,

I know Alan has got a lot of problems with pain, and when you mix it
with quadriplegia, as he put it, it's gotta be hell on earth. I haven't
had the pain problem, but after almost 20 years as a quad it comes
close to hell. It may not seem bad to you now <which seems hard to
believe, cause it seemed bad to me at 2 years post>, but wait another
18 years then think about it, you eventually get tired of all the crap.
It becomes a day to day mental challenge. It has helped to stay busy
with different things as Joe and Keith had mentioned earlier, AND a
sense of humor is always a plus.

                                Another day,

                                                Tim

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!114!15!Tim.Syfert
Internet: Tim.Syfert@f15.n114.z1.fidonet.org




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                                ******

                  End of Issue # 2974 of the Handicap Digest

                                ******
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