In Scotland, Scots is also deserving of support. And there are large groups of people speaking eg Urdu. In the case of Urdu, it is very sad to see this language (spoken by more Scots than Gaelic is) treated as a handicap rather than an attainment. I think it was David Blunkett who advised young people to stop talking urdu to their grannies and speak English instead!! We are going to look a bit sick when the high tech industries in the sub-continent really take off and we have no urdu speakers left! And we would be outraged if for example, Gaelic speakers in Nova Scotia were told to forget about their language and culture, because it came from thousands of miles away. So when it comes to supporting minority languages, we should be open-minded and even-handed. Judy PS Eid mubarak, by the way! ---------- >From: "Lavendersblue" <lavendersblue@ntlworld.com> >To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [D-G LIST] Re: Why Gaelic? >Date: 15, Mon Nov, 2004, 2:59 pm > > Scouse, Cockney, Geordie, > Cornish

Well, there was a BIG STRAMASH in dear auld Glesga toon a few years ago, when a wee lass answered "Aye" to a question asked her by the Sheriff in the Sheriff's Court in Glasgow. He admonished her to speak "proper English!" Pure out and out snobbery, because we from one end of the British Isles to the other know perfectly well what aye means. Maisie Glesga an prood o' it! ----- Original Message ----- From: "J A Olsen" <Copywriter@tesco.net> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 12:23 PM Subject: Re: [D-G LIST] Re: Why Gaelic? > In Scotland, Scots is also deserving of support. And there are large > groups > of people speaking eg Urdu. > > In the case of Urdu, it is very sad to see this language (spoken by more > Scots than Gaelic is) treated as a handicap rather than an attainment. I > think it was David Blunkett who advised young people to stop talking urdu > to > their grannies and speak English instead!! > > We are going to look a bit sick when the high tech industries in the > sub-continent really take off and we have no urdu speakers left! > > And we would be outraged if for example, Gaelic speakers in Nova Scotia > were > told to forget about their language and culture, because it came from > thousands of miles away. > > So when it comes to supporting minority languages, we should be > open-minded > and even-handed. > > > > Judy > > PS Eid mubarak, by the way! > > > > > ---------- >>From: "Lavendersblue" <lavendersblue@ntlworld.com> >>To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com >>Subject: Re: [D-G LIST] Re: Why Gaelic? >>Date: 15, Mon Nov, 2004, 2:59 pm >> > >> Scouse, Cockney, Geordie, >> Cornish > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > If your line involves the surname BRUCE why not join > CLAN-BRUCE-L@rootsweb.com and find out more. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >

I cannot resist responding to the most recent messages on the Dumfries and Galloway list regarding the common means of communication between peoples i.e. spoken or written language. The discussions have tended to concentrate on Gaelic. I think that I am correct that in the most recent census persons who spoke Gaelic were invited to indicate that fact so that it could be recorded and an assessment of need and appropriate services could be made. However people with hearing impairment whose means of communication is Manual Communication were not given any such opportunity. Similarly those persons with a severe (and in some cases life-long) vision impairment whose main means of receiving written information is a raised text method i.e. Braille or Moon had no opportunity to have that fact registered. Since it has not been registered there is (once again) no means of assessing the need for such provision. As such it is not likely to receive attention nor result in consequent funding for the provision of appropriate services. This is a particular shame to Scotland as in the very late 18th century Thomas Blacklock (himself blind from early years) who was born in Annan, grew up in Dumfries and for a time was a minister in Kirkcudbright was the inspiration for and instigator of services to the blind in Scotland. The Institution set up in Edinburgh (1793) within a short time of his death was the second in the UK country after a similar instituion was set up in Liverpool. The Edinburgh Institution was a model for many others. It was much admired in the UK and further afield and was compared favourably with that in Liverpool and other later establishments in its ethos and practice. This time was prior to the invention and development of braille. Blacklock was indeed responsible for bringing the first `raised text' into Britain. In the early 18th century many persons in Scotland were active in devising models so that the `blind' could receive written communications. There is currently a `Right to Read' charter promoted by The Royal National Institute of the Blind. This aims to bring to public attention how greatly those with vision impairment continue to be disadvantaged regarding access to written material. Similarly a development/offshoot of that 18th century establishment (Blindcraft) is presently facing the threat of closure or major loss of jobs. One correspondent has mentioned David Blunkett in relation to his comments re Urdu. Let us look forward (not too far) to the day when everyone has an equal opportunity to access and produce written texts. We on D&G list are interested in the past - let us make sure that we do everything that we can to make it accessible to everyone irrespective of the difficulties of communication. Please excuse this long message - it is an extremely important current issue. Eunice Smith Edinburgh, Scotland