Foreword / by Harlan Lane -- What is ASL?. How ASL and deaf education began here (a reasonably brief history) ; The presidential connection -- Is there one sign language for all countries? -- Is there any similarity between Braille and ASL? -- Wasn't French sign language invented by the Abbé de l'Epée? -- Why isn't American Sign Language like British Sign Language?. The British connection ; Making headlines, and friends -- Can you explain the structure of ASL? -- Is ASL a written language? -- How do deaf people learn sign language? -- Can born-deaf people appreciate puns and jokes involving homonyms?. A slight digression ; Fake and real ASL humor -- Are there such things as accents among signers from different regions or countries? -- "I heard that there are new, nonracist signs for Korean, Chinese, Japanese that don't involve reference to slanting eyes" -- "I want to learn bigger signs" -- Some of my deaf friends react with dismay to the "ILY" sign: don't they like it? -- "How can I improve my fingerspelling?" -- Should all hearing people be required to learn signing, and if so, what are the absolute essentials? -- Are there any home correspondence courses in Basic Sign? -- What is Pidgin Sign English? -- How do I know if someone is using ASL or signed English? -- What is Total Communication? -- If ASL is the third most widely used language in the U.S., why don't all universities accept it as a foreign language? -- How do deaf people feel when a hearing person approaches them in public using sign language? -- Is it bad manners to interrupt signers to tell them you're taking a course in ASL? -- I'm always getting asked where I learned sign language: do all deaf people do that? -- What's deaf people's real attitude towards hearing people who learn sign language? -- Why do so many deaf people have trouble with English?. Winning the "invisible war" -- Why don't some deaf people like to read? -- Doesn't closed-captioning help deaf people improve their English?. A captioning mini-primer -- What were the old schools doing right?. The charter-school option -- Why is there a movement to close down residential schools for the deaf in this country?. "'Hearing parent' is not a dirty word" -- What's the best clearinghouse for information about deafness? -- Is there any information on deaf children's learning problems? -- Can't all deaf people read lips?. Speechreading protocol: a few words of advice -- "Most speech pathologists I know are nice: why don't deaf people like them?" -- "A deaf woman works in my office: is it wrong to want her to verbalize"? -- "If you're deaf, how come you can talk?" -- What do you call a deaf person who doesn't speak? -- Is is OK to use the terms "deaf-mute" and deaf-and-dumb"?. A note on "politically correct" terms ; "Silent" overkill ; What do others call us?: and what do we call ourselves? -- Can "deaf" be used as a noun (as in "the deaf") or as an adjective only? --
When I use the word "handicapped" my deaf friends get angry: why is that? -- Why do deaf people use the term "hearing"? -- Do all deaf people benefit from hearing aids?. The cochlear-implant controversy -- Isn't it possible to have the best of both worlds: ASL and a cochlear implant? -- Why are deaf people against universal infant hearing screening?: isn't it a good idea to detect hearing loss as soon as possible? -- When deaf people meet deaf parents of a new baby, they always ask if the baby's deaf or hearing: why? -- Why do most deaf parents raise a hearing child better than hearing parents a deaf child? -- "Parents of deaf children have been telling us what they think is best for their children when they really don't know them: how come? -- Do deaf parents breed deaf children? -- "Is hearing loss common in my family because of heredity, or because my grandmother fell down during her pregnancies?" -- How do people become deaf? -- Is deafness "bad karma?" -- The deaf community includes both "deaf" and "hard-of-hearing": what other categories are there? -- What's the difference between "hard-of-hearing" and "deaf"? -- Are hard-of-hearing people part of the deaf community? -- What are some of the biggest problems faced by late-deafened people? -- What is deaf culture?: has anyone studied it from a sociological perspective? -- Should a hearing person write about deaf culture?. Yours and ours (a few words to prospective researchers) -- "How did Alexander Graham Bell almost succeed in wiping out deaf culture?" -- Isn't deafness a disability?: if it is, why do deaf people consider it a culture? -- The deaf community has been compared to a "ghetto that is disintegrating": do you agree? -- Is the Internet going to destroy deaf culture? -- Are deaf people still stereotyped? If so, how? What kinds of stereotypes are still popular? -- Is there a deaf literature? -- Which films have guaranteed appeal for deaf viewers? -- Can all deaf people dance beautifully? -- Can deaf people appreciate music at all? -- Do signsongs make sense? -- "Do deaf people show a slight difference in their facial anatomy?" -- Don't deaf people have to wear dark colors? -- Is it true that most deaf adults from a residential-school background cannot sleep with lights on?. The "darkness quirk": universal? -- Are deaf people visually sharper than hearing people?. Living with Usher's Syndrome -- What difficulties do deaf people have when driving an automobile? -- Can deaf people be pilots?. A deaf pilot gets grounded -- Aren't deaf people more prone to accidents? -- How can deaf people be bothered by noise if they can't hear? -- "Why do some deaf people want or need hearing dogs? -- How do deaf people use telephones?: what about doorbells and alarm clocks? -- Why do deaf people live where they do? -- Why do so many deaf people work in printing, post-office, and factory jobs?. NTID and the "techie" option --
Why is employment for deaf people limited? -- "Should my office clerks be given different, lesser duties because they are deaf?" --Can deaf and hearing people work together, or is it better for deaf people to work only with each other? -- If a deaf worker gets laid off because s/he can't use the telephone, isn't that plain discimination? -- What are some of the problems deaf people have with telephones? -- Do deaf people face discrimination, and how often? -- Why are successful deaf persons put down by other deaf people?: can't they appreciate successful achievers? -- Should I buy a manual-alphabet card from a peddler?. The plight of the deaf Mexicans -- Do advertisers recognize a "deaf market"? -- Aren't deaf people complaining too much about being mistreated by salesclerks? -- "What concerns, problems, or suggestions do deaf people have that are directly related to law enforcement?". Jury duty: no exemptions requested -- Why don't some deaf people trust hearing people? -- What do you mean, "An interpreter is a person who earns money off deaf people's language"?! -- What exactly is the interpreter's role? Who does the hiring? Who pays? -- I plan to hire interpreters for my deaf employees: what are the do's and don'ts?: what do I need to know? -- If I take one or two sign-language classes, will that make me a qualified interpreter? -- Is it important for interpreters to socialize with the deaf community? -- What are some of the difficulties faced by deaf people in mainstreamed support groups? -- Are deaf people more prone to AIDS and other diseases because they don't understand how to protect themselves? -- Are deaf children more apt to be abused because their abusers assume they can't tell anyone? -- Why does the younger generation of deaf people have such poor manners compared to the older generations? -- In our city, churches are beginning to reach out to the deaf community: is this the case in other parts of the U.S.? -- Do deaf people understand boycotts?. A sidenote on boycotts -- Do we need another "deaf president now" revolution? -- Should all deaf institutions and agencies be headed by deaf people?. White hats, black hats -- "What problems, difficulties, or challenges would a 'hearing and deaf' couple face as they relate to one another (i.e., dating, marriage)?" -- "My wife is deaf. I'm hearing. When we enter the deaf community, why do I feel I'm from an alien nation? I want to fit in, but how?" -- "If there's a hearing person with minimal or no signing skills in a group of deaf individuals who all are skilled signers, should they write notes back and forth?" -- Is it polite for a hearing family or group to talk among themselves when there's a deaf person there?: is it okay for a deaf guest to read a book at the table? -- How do deaf people cope in situations where they're with hearing people who can't sign? --
When dealing with strangers, how upfront should deaf people be about being deaf?
What are some of the differences between "deaf" and "hearing" etiquette?
Are all deaf people really so tactless?
"Why don't people use terms like 'Ms.' or 'Mr.' when addressing people?"
Why do deaf people always tell me what they're planning to do? Why do they go into lengthy explanations of their plans, complete with details? And why are they always telling me their life stories by way of explanation for showing up late?
Why do deaf people always hug each other when they greet? Why do they always pat their friends on the shoulder just before they leave?
"Is a kiss on the lips for goodbye part of deaf culture?: if so, why?"
Deaf audiences clap for a hearing speaker and wave for a deaf one. What should hearing audiences with no background in deaf culture do?
Why do deaf people always hang around after a play (or any other event) and stand together and talk?
If two deaf people are having a signed conversation, is it OK for a hearing person to walk between them?
I've noticed that deaf people stare. Why do they do that? Don't they realize that this makes hearing people uncomfortable?
How do deaf people get each other's attention if they can't yell?
Is it normal for a deaf person to whack another person on the shoulder during an argument?: isn't that abusive?
Why are deaf people always asking "follow-up" questions: "Did you do this?" "Did you finish that?": it drives me nuts!
Why are deaf people so nosy?
When I have someone coming in to repair office equipment, my deaf employee always stands nearby and watches. If I ask him to move off, he gives me a dirty look. Why?
What kind of summer program is best for a deaf teenager?
Why do graduates of schools for the deaf hold reunions every other year?
I've noticed that deaf people travel a lot, more than hearing people. Why? And how can they afford to? Where do they get the money?
Do deaf people ever wish they were hearing?
Are things better for deaf people now, or did they have it better in the old days?
What things said by hearing people do deaf people hate the most?
What bothers a deaf person the most about hearing people?
