by Thomas K. Holcomb and David H. Smith, Editors

Yep - This looks very exciting.

As the ASL-English interpreting field has become professionalized, there is a growing disconnect between interpreters and the Deaf consumers they serve. Whereas interpreting used to be a community-based practice, the field is growing into a research-based profession that begins in a classroom rather than in the Deaf community. Despite the many gains being made in the interpreting services profession, with an emphasis on the accuracy of the interpreted work, the perspectives of Deaf individuals are rarely documented in the literature. Opportunities for enhanced participation and full inclusion need to be considered in order for Deaf people to best represent themselves to the hearing, nonsigning public as competent and intelligent individuals.

Click for more on the Gallaudet website.

The Cornell Daily Sun reports:

The Student Assembly unanimously voted to call upon the University to expand course offerings on American Sign Language and allow students to place out of their foreign language requirements using ASL proficiency in a Thursday meeting.

If approved by President Martha E. Pollack, the resolution will “allow for American Sign Language to fulfil a foreign language requirement” by expanding ASL course offerings and hiring the faculty necessary to evaluate ASL proficiency of students seeking to opt out of their language requirement.

Eighty-two percent of the student body said that ASL should “satisfy the foreign language requirement at Cornell” in a 2016 S.A. referendum, while a 2016 poll conducted by Cornell University Deaf Awareness Project indicated that 57 percent of the respondents would want to take an ASL course according to the resolution addendum.

Whatever happens next, it's  brilliant to see that big a vote in favour.

Sign Language Week, Day 5. Ian Sanborn again... I could have put up something from Dorothy Miles. She was so important to the genesis of BSL poetry. But.... It doesn't speak to me in the way it very probably does for deaf people. This is "Caterpillar". Ian has published a newer performance of this poem, but I really like this one. The use of black and white, speed, and his flat expression all really add to it.

Sign Language Week, Day 4. Owl by Richard Carter is my favourite of his. I love his sulky schoolboy, and the overall message of course is right on the nail.

Sign Language Week, Day 3. This is Unexpected Moment by Amina Ouahid and her twin sister whose name I can't find out! You can't move online for signed car crashes, but this one I particularly like because of the two people as one. Creative.

Sign Language Week, Day 2. Ian Sanborn is a genius and this is my favourite of his poems. I can't say I understand all of it as it is ASL, but it is powerful and beautiful nonetheless.