Lormen
The Lormen or Lorm alphabet is used for communication of deaf-blind with non-deaf blind or deaf-blind people to each other. The “speaking” touches the palm of the “reading”. Individual fingers and certain parts of the hand are assigned certain letters.
story
The Lorm alphabet was developed in the 19th century by Hieronymus Lorm (pseudonym of the writer Heinrich Landesmann) for his own use, possibly on the basis of a similar system by the English philosopher George Dalgarno. Lorm's wife Henriette and his daughter Marie mastered his system and thus established a connection to the outside world. After Lorm's death in 1902, however, it was in danger of being forgotten, as he had never had contact with other deaf-blind people and had always tried to keep his way of communicating as secret as possible. However, friends and acquaintances knew about his “finger language” and some of them learned it.
H. v. Chlumecky, also deaf and blind, took over the Lorm system after contacting Lorm's daughter Marie Landesmann and ensured awareness and dissemination - even against initial resistance from educators for the blind and deaf. This form of communication opened a gate to the outside world for deaf-blind people and freed them from isolation. It prevailed in Germany because of its easy learnability and efficiency.
ABC for deafblind according to Lorm (German)
A. = Point on the tip of the thumb B. = Short smear on the index finger C. = Point on the wrist D. = Short smear on the middle finger E. = Point on the tip of the index finger F. = Lightly squeeze the tips of the index and middle fingers G = Short smear on the ring finger H = Short smear on the little finger I. = Point on the middle finger tip J = Double tap on the middle finger tip K = Point with four fingertips on the palm of your hand L. = Long smear from the tip of the middle finger to the wrist M. = Point on the root of the little finger N = Point on the base of the index finger O = Point on the tip of the ring finger P. = Long stroke on the outside of the index finger Q = Long spread on the outside of the hand (little finger side) R. = Light drumming of the fingers on the palm of the hand S. = Circle on the palm T = Smear on the thumb U = Point on the tip of the little finger V = Point on the ball of the thumb, slightly outside W. = Double tap on the ball of the thumb X = Slash across the wrist Y = Cross stroke over the fingers in the middle Z = Oblique line from the ball of the thumb to the root of the little finger Ä = Double tap on the tip of the thumb Ö = Double tap on the ring fingertip Ü = Tapping twice on the tip of the little finger CH = An oblique cross on the palm of the hand NS = Lightly gripping fingers II – V ST = Long spread on the thumb, outside
execution
It is standardized in the recipient's left or right hand.
The individual letters are represented on the fingers and the palm of the hand with touch. According to the specified Lorm alphabet, the respective points or locations on the palm of the hand are touched or swiped over with the finger of the “transmitter”, and the corresponding fingers for the F and SCH sounds are covered together. A smear, whether short or long, always runs in the direction of the fingertip-wrist, a smear in the opposite direction.
- The end of a word can be signaled with a light tap in the palm of the hand.
- An answer “yes” is signaled as a double blow in the palm of the hand.
- An answer “no” is given with two opposite strokes in the palm of the hand.
- Errors or corrections are indicated with a swiping motion on the palm.
- The question mark can be indicated by a double 'K'.
use
The Lorm alphabet as a means of communication for deaf-blind people is used particularly in German-speaking countries, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
Lormen is relatively easy to learn for people who are literate, because you don't have to learn a new language, just a language system. Therefore, it is possible for many people who come across the Lorm system for the first time to communicate immediately (slowly) with the deaf-blind person after brief explanations. However, it makes high cognitive demands and is therefore not suitable as a communication system for all people with sensory disabilities. It is used particularly successfully for deaf people who have become blind late or for those who have acquired deafblindness late. For communication with a group of non- sensory people, a speaking "interpreter" must be available who can master Lormen. The mother tongue of the deaf-blind is usually not Lormen, but a modified form of sign language , the tactile sign language , in which the deaf-blind person feels the gestures of the sign language with his hands.
There are other tactile alphabets, such as the Deafblind alphabet in the English-speaking world , a modification of the two-handed finger alphabet .
See also
literature
- H. v. Chlumecky: A word about Lorm's hand sign language for the deaf-blind. In: Der Blindenfreund (magazine) 1908, pp. 171-183
- Peter Hepp : The world in my hands. A life without hearing and seeing , Verlag List, Berlin. ISBN 3-471-79534-0
- M. Landesmann: The Dr. phil. Heinrich Landesmanns (Hieronymus Lorms) easily comprehensible and easily executable finger sign language for the deaf and mute, deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing. Brno 1908
- Christian Schnaus: Efficiency of hand-held alphabets as communicative systems for deaf-blind people. Homework for the first state examination for teaching at special schools. Hamburg 1995
- J. Straub: Hieronymus Lorm. Dissertation, Freiburg / Br. 1959
Web links
- The tactile alphabet
- This is how the Lormen - Stern TV works
- The Lormer as an aid for deaf-blind people
- Pros and cons of Lormen
- Lom-alphabet, to be learned online
Individual evidence
- ↑ Eugen Isolani: “Hieronymus Lorm. On the eightieth birthday of the poet, August 9 ”. In: Innsbrucker Nachrichten , No. 180 of August 8, 1901, p. 2. See also the information on Lorms tactile alphabet by Ina Niels in the Neue Wiener Journal , No. 13.833 of May 26, 1932, p. 11 ( ANNO )
- ↑ a b The Lorm Alphabet, "General"
- ↑ see Der Tagesspiegel of October 5, 2013, p. 18
- ↑ http://bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft-taubblinden.de/?page_id=200