enewsletter

Volume 3, Issue 5
October 2008

In this issue:

He said, she said
Importance of Deaf writers
Did you know? Readability levels
Ask TSW!
Spotlight on…Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans

Let us take care of your words.

HE SAID, SHE SAID
If you have ever seen captioned versions of the original Star Trek television series, you might remember that each episode always started out with this line: "…to boldly go where no man has gone before" (emphasis added). Then when the Star Trek: The Next Generation series began, that line was revised to: "…to boldly go where no one has gone before." The first series assumed that only men were out there exploring outer space, but the new series included everyone. That is the goal every writer should aim for: to be all-inclusive as much as possible.

Another example of gender-free (or unbiased) writing is:

Biased: Each lawyer sent his assistant to the meeting.
Unbiased/gender-free: Each lawyer sent an assistant to the meeting.

The first sentence assumes that the lawyers are all men. By replacing "his" with a neutral "an" makes the sentence better. Making the sentence plural will also work as well: The lawyers sent their assistants to the meeting.

For more information, take a look at http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/style/genderbias.html or http://agcj.tamu.edu/howto/AvoidingSexism.htm.

IMPORTANCE OF DEAF WRITERS
Pictures in the Air

We know, we know…writing isn't one of people's favorite activities. However, if you are Deaf, consider writing a book covering a segment of Deaf history or Deaf-related activities. It is famously said that winners write their histories. One of the best ways to assume ownership of Deaf culture and Deaf history is to write about them, as well as helping to chart their course.

For inspiration, check out these books by Deaf authors: Jack Gannon's Deaf Heritage, Deborah M. Sonnenstrahl's Deaf Artists in America, Pictures in the Air by Stephen C. Baldwin, and Deaf Proverbs by Ken Glickman, just to name a few.

DID YOU KNOW? READABILITY LEVELS
Did you know that most newspapers in the U.S. are written at a sixth-grade to eighth-grade level?

Newspaper reading levels can be measured by using a variety of tools, but the most common is the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tool. You can even use this tool for your writing; select TOOLS in Microsoft Word and choose Spelling/Grammar, then Options.

http://juicystudio.com/services/readability.php is an informative website that assesses the readability of any website by using three different measurement methods.

Source: Various Internet sources and
http://csep.psyc.memphis.edu/cohmetrix/readabilityresearch.htm.

ASK TSW!
The Questions You've Always Been Too Embarrassed to Ask

A reader asks:

I sometimes struggle with word choice. I understand that words hold a lot of power but I don't always know the best words to use. Could you give me examples of what words could be considered negative, and how to make them positive?

You're right that words hold a lot of power, and can cause a lot of grief – or happiness. Below are some common words that have negative connotations, but can be easily edited to have positive connotations.

NEGATIVE: Blunt (He's a blunt person.)
POSITIVE: Straightforward (He's straightforward.)

NEGATIVE: Hyper (That child is so hyper!)
POSITIVE: Energetic (That child is energetic.)

NEGATIVE: Over-sensitive (He's over-sensitive.)
POSITIVE: Empathetic (He's quite empathetic.)

NEGATIVE: Used car (That's her used car.)
POSITIVE: Previously owned car (That car is a previously owned car.)

The bottom line is you always want to strive for a positive choice of words, even when sharing opinions and/or feelings. A great option is to use a thesaurus, such as at www.thesaurus.com.

Have a question about American Sign Language or English that you're too embarrassed to ask? Send your question to us at news@tswriting.com. We'll try to answer your question in an upcoming issue. All questions will be kept anonymous.

SPOTLIGHT ON... COMMISSION OF DEAF, DEAFBLIND AND HARD OF HEARING MINNESOTANS
Each month, TSW profiles one of its clients. This month, in honor of Election Day on Nov. 4, we talk with Mary Hartnett with the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans.

If you ever want to feel important, just take a stroll through the Minnesota Capitol with Mary Hartnett, the executive director of the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MCDHH). State senators and representatives don't only say hi to Hartnett – they also run up to her and give her hugs and chat with her as if they've known her forever. That's because during legislative sessions and in between, Hartnett spends hundreds of hours lobbying, advocating and educating people about the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities' needs and rights. She often works alongside community members, encouraging them to share their experiences and perspectives that more often than not help pass legislation.

In fact, Hartnett, who is hearing, is renowned for saying, "Let's ask the deaf community first" whenever asked for her input on anything related to the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing communities. She has long insisted she is not a spokesperson nor representative of the deaf community; rather, she is a facilitator – one who brings with her a wealth of knowledge, experience and profound respect for the achievements of the deaf community.

Among MCDHH's achievements over the past few years are the implementation of DeafBlind VoteRide 2008, a program that helps deafblind individuals get rides to the polls, teaching people how to advocate for themselves at legislature, and the creation of a video about voting. The video, presented in ASL and open-captioned, is a joint effort between the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens and the Secretary of State's office providing an overview of the voting process.

MCDHH has also made great strides in its work since Hartnett started her job in 2001, such as increasing its budget from $95,000 to over $300,000 (the budget of $95,000 had remained the same for 15 years), passage of an early intervention/hearing detection (EHDI) law, insurance coverage for hearing aids, and captioning funds for rural Minnesota. "We decide which issues we support by conducting one on one interviews with key stakeholders, surveys of members of the community and focus groups with special interest groups in the community," Hartnett explains. "We do this every five years. Then on a yearly basis, we receive requests from community members to work on specific issues. We discuss the pros and cons of each issue and then the commission votes on the legislative agenda for each session."

MCDHH strives to utilize deaf-owned contractors and businesses for various projects, such as its voter registration drive and website design. T.S. Writing Services provides newsletter services for MCDHH; the newsletter is available in both electronic and print formats, along with text-only versions for deafblind individuals. "This newsletter is sent out to the community, and is read by legislators and constituents alike, so it's really important we do a high-caliber job with each newsletter," Hartnett says. "That's why we work with T.S. Writing Services, which has a proven reputation for thoroughness, quality and timeliness."

MCDHH newsletter cover

The latest MCDHH newsletter is a special edition focusing on voting. Each election year, MCDHH conducts a statewide voter drive to encourage citizens who are deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind to vote. MCDHH has been so successful in its voter registration drive for two election years now, due in large part to MCDHH's ability to organize community alliances and events. In 2006, MCDHH recruited over 500 deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people to register to vote, in addition to co-sponsoring two candidate forums.

"Everyone should vote. Your one vote has just as much power as Bill Gates' vote," Hartnett says. "By voting for candidates who support issues that are important to the deaf community and hard of hearing and deafblind people, we are a powerful force that makes the world a fairer place."

To view the You Decide! voting video or to learn more about MCDHH, visit www.mncdhh.org.

ABOUT TSW
T.S. Writing Services, LLC, is a Deaf-owned company that provides writing, editing, design, and translation services for American Sign Language and English users. For more information, visit www.tswriting.com.

If you have suggestions or questions about this e-newsletter, e-mail the editor at news@tswriting.com.