Deaf people in this country have had a troubled, misunderstood, and overlooked history.
Largely controlled by hearing people who told them what and how to learn, how to communicate,
what jobs to expect, how to raise their children, and even who to marry, Deaf people for many
years accepted the labels they were given of “impaired” or “handicapped.” Many Deaf people
were put into institutions after they were diagnosed as mentally retarded. Some are still there.
Others were cloistered in their houses and never taught to communicate. Again, some are still
there. But Deaf people aren't putting up with these injustices any more. They're no longer letting
themselves be labeled, and they're not letting hearing folks tell them how to live.
The Deaf Revolution started quietly, then erupted in 1988, at Gallaudet University in Washington,
D.C., it continues today. Deaf people are demanding fair treatment. They are demanding to be
recognized as a minority, not a group of handicapped people. They are demanding respect and
dignity. They are also demanding that their language—American Sign Language (ASL)—be
recognized as complete and creditable.
http://rapidshare.com/files/247919774/SS_The_Complete_Idiots_Guide_to_Learning_Sign_Language.rar