"Speech Therapy serves to discover
the small percentage of deaf students
who can attain the ability to speak and
read lips. But, for the majority of the
deaf students who fail . . .
To consume deaf student's limited
educational time with the same
failing therapy is an act of being
irresponsible!
There is another method with the use of
their own natural language that will
allow deaf students an easy access to
education."
- Dr. Bernie Hale, Dactylologist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To: DMI Board of Trustees
June 24, 1969
After two weeks of observation and questioning the educators . . . It is obvious that the
approved teaching method used by the Educational system of Colombia is strictly speech
therapy.
The Colombians are many years behind the US and other developed nations who recognize and
incorporate the language of the Deaf "manual-language / Sign-Language / Dactylology" into
their educational system. The teachers expressed that they received courses In psychology but
no course In the psychology of deafness was offered. This explains the reason they were
screaming to frighten faces of little deaf ears "dece asi (say it like this)!"
As little hands were also spanked . . . the proud Government official who brought the old method
from abroad . . . stated that the spank trains the children not to make jesters like monkeys.
Although the statement and what I have observed disturbed me . . . I maintained a diplomat
composure and kept my observation to myself.
During the last week, I observed the sub-culture and found that the Language of the deaf is
different from that of the deaf people In the United States. Here I will share two examples of many:
- The US manual language for the concept "child" In Colombia means "animal".
- The Colombia manual language for the concept mother In the US means breast.
For the sake of the estimated 2,800,000 deaf children and adults to have a better education
than just learning to repeat a few words, we do have the ability to develop the needed materials
and we can provide special lectures to the educators that will assist to improve their educational
system."
We have an invitation from the National University to provide the lectures. With your permission,
my assistant Pastor "Dr. G. Campbell" will assume my position as Senor Pastor as I assume the
responsibility to lecture at the University and continue the educational research and development
In Colombia South America.
Respectfully in His service,
Bernie E. Hale, Senior Pastor
|
