THE QUESTION: D20: I am an American Sign Language student and would like to know how deaf people really feel about hearing people becoming involved in their culture. POSTED AUG. 13, 1998 Lesly B., 30, Arrowbear, CA To respond BACK TO TOP THE QUESTION: D19: Is it true that a larger percentage of people with mental disabilities have oversized and …

THE QUESTION: D30: Why does it seem the Entertainment Industry has little interest in using closed captions for movies and television for the 30 million hearing-impaired, yet wants to make movies more enjoyable for the hearing public? There are non-intrusive ways to provide close captions (and descriptive captions for the visually impaired) for a film so it will not interfere …

THE QUESTION: D35: Why do people with Down Syndrome look the same? POSTED MARCH 4, 1999 Ashley L., 14, female <EmeraldAsh@aol.com>, Houston, TX ANSWER 1: As the mother of a 14-year-old with Down Syyndrome, I can tell you that the reason people with it have typical characteristics is that they have a extra No. 21 chromosome (thus the name trisomy …

THE QUESTION: C10: I know someone who is from a background of the “working poor” (I hope that term is all right). She has a regular job and works hard but is always struggling financially. She is about to buy a $15,000 car on credit. I am from a middle-class, educated background and have trouble understanding this decision. Why would …

THE QUESTION: C13: To people who are homeless, have been homeless or are experts on the topic: What types of class and power structures do homeless communities institute and follow among themselves? This culture must fend for itself, so I imagine its members follow some unwritten codes for survival. What are they? POSTED MARCH 11, 1999 Ed V., 37, white, …

THE QUESTION: A10: I am an 18-year-old female dating a 25-year-old male, and we are not sexually active. He’s a great guy and I get along with him better than with guys my age. Why is it that so many people have a problem with our dating? POSTED MAY 14, 1998 Jaynia <jaynia@hotmail.com>, N.C. (Similar question posted May 14, 1998, …