Monday, 28 June 2010

RNID abuse of Deaf week.



We are in the deaf awareness week starting today, and supporters of the RNID (The Brit A G Bell), are doing awareness via deaf children, always guaranteed to evoke sympathy and thus cash for their dubious charitable causes, and blatantly suggesting the RNID support the 'Social Model' of deafness, do they ? watch their CEO on Brit TV state completely otherwise, so why do we allow them to use deaf children and sign language to promote the MEDICAL model ? This isn't deaf awareness, this is RNID awareness two totally different things. Meanwhile the RNID has backed out of helping the deaf into employment, why is the NDCS allowing deaf children to be used this way ? A group that will desert them once they grow up.

Does ANYONE really believe showing a few hearing people some sign language is real deaf awareness ? or, that deaf awareness has worked since its inception ? RNID deaf awareness 2010 read their site advertising it via "Help us and other deafness organisations.." (CHARITIES surely ?), not DEAF organisations, we know that, they dropped out of that 10 years ago..... when will the D go ? when it no longer pulls in cash ? As we see in the Vid, the RNID still feels the deaf 'cannot do' things.... who says ? a Deaf charity that cannot empower deaf workers ? won't hire them ? won't train them ? Obviously leading contenders in raising deaf awareness....

Perhaps reverse psychology, how NOT to raise deaf awareness...
Posted by MM at 00:41
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14 comments:

  1. 生存乃是不斷地在內心與靈魂交戰；寫作是坐著審判自己。.................................................................　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
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  2. "why is the NDCS allowing deaf children to be used this way ? A group that will desert them once they grow up."

    Entirely unfair. The NDCS is the National Deaf CHILDRENS Society; when children grow up they become adults and it would not then be the remit of a Children's group to work with them. Claiming that a children's group would 'desert' these people as adults is poor attempt at unnecessary criticism.

    From the NDCS: Our mission is to remove the barriers to the achievement of deaf children throughout the world.

    'Desert' - ridiculous.
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  3. Not only does the RNID back 'out of helping the deaf into employment,' (because it's not enough money for them) but they have also brutally axed their benefits casework team in a spiteful 'scorched earth' policy. They do this at the time when the casework team is needed the most, with the mad axeman George Osborne hatefully targeting disabled people on IB.

    Nobody deserts the people that they are paid to help as badly as RNID.
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  4. The RNID is a cynical fund raiser, a group that often only exists in 'deaf' terms online and has little or no grass root support from them. They latch on to the NDCS, to the Tinnitus charity, to the autism charities, anyone who can help THEM make more money, they are parasites in the main, deaf awareness RNID style is a never-ending plug for its 'services' and wares, most services NOT for deaf people, most 'wares' for non-deaf. It's time the NDCS stopped allowing the dubious RNID from riding on the awareness of deaf children, whilst denying deaf adults. It misleads. The NDCS claims neutrality, it is open for debate, they are guilty by RNID association. Even when they see the evidence in camera they still back this dire charity.
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  5. Chris White, PR Officer, RNIDJun 28, 2010 07:07 AM
    Each year, Deaf Awareness Week grows in size and this year we want to be in touch with as many people from the hearing, deaf and hard of hearing communities to help raise awareness with the general public and businesses. Simple key messages are at the heart of our campaign, and it’s directed towards for the people in the UK who are simply not aware about the different experiences of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They may read a story, hear a talk, or in MM’s example be taught the basics of sign language, this will all help to engage them to take their interest further. For charities, promotion campaigns and tools like Deaf Awareness Week are vital to engage people to find out more about different issues. We think it’s great that lots of organisations, people and charities are working together to promote this week.
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  6. Publish the proof, how many DEAF adults take any part in it ? You aren't a charity except in name. Look up your OWN definition on your OWN website. Awareness doesn't work, yours certainly doesn't. Why did you refuse to support deaf into work ? refuse to allow feedback by deaf to your site ? Attack deaf people concerned you want out of representation if it means you have to listen to them ? Are changing your remit and brand to exclude ? that you are anywhere near influencing deaf children or their parents is a HUGE cause for concern. I don't think the deaf community wants it's future members dependent on people like you. Did you even WATCH your own CEO rubbishing the NDCS ideal of promoting the social model ?
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  7. I think that what you see as "using" is what others would see as two charities working together and collaborating to ensure that the voice of ALL deaf people - young/old, oral/BSL, social model/medical model, hard of hearing/cultural deaf - are seen and heard during Deaf Awareness Week.

    During the week, we'll be encouraging ALL deaf people to speak out about what's important to them and their most important deaf awareness tips. We are also hosting a parliamentary reception wherey deaf children and adults will meet MPs and peers and talk about their OWN experiences.

    At NDCS, we see too many examples of deaf children not getting the support they need or being unable to access services because of a basic lack of simple deaf awareness. We're pleased to work with RNID and any other organisation that helps us further the goal of increasing deaf awareness in society.

    If you have any constructive suggestions on how we can work to achieve this goal, I'd love to hear them.
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  8. You are ignoring the big picture that is real empowerment and knowledge of the 'services' that are receiving or, their ability to challenge or alter them. The RNID is your albatross. They are not promoting acceptance of deaf people, children or adult, they are promoting the dependency they hope to gain for life from them. http://www.guruonline.tv/rnid/rnid-accessibility/779/video-relay-services This link takes you to RNID awareness videos, no sign, no titles, no access and a total emphasis on the medical model of deafness, there is fundamental differences in how that 'charity' is applying 'help'. Catch 'em young, got them for life ? How you can separate deaf children from deaf adults beats me. This is how the RNID does it. The NDCS does great work, but the associations it needs to be more choosy with.. Don't use deaf children to deny deaf adults a rightful concern. It is no secret deaf adult involvement with both the RNID and NDCS is minimal you may well ask WHY that is so...
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  9. Here's what RNID do to help those deaf people out of work:

    http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/latest-news/1191-rnid-confirms-welfare-rights-team-to-be-axed

    RNID stand by and do nothing while this is happening:

    http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/blogs/2010/04/13/thousands-will-lose-benefits-as-harsher-medical-approved/

    "Claimants with speech problems who can write a sign saying, for example, ‘The office is on fire!’ will score no points for speech and deaf claimants who can read the sign will lose all their points for hearing."

    RNID desert deaf people looking for work:

    http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/news/archive/938108/Why-charities-withdrawing-government-contracts

    Please stop pretending, RNID and just admit it - you just want to make a living out of deaf people.
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  10. NDCS is a parent led organisation. Given that 90% of parents of deaf children are hearing, this is obviously where NDCS focuses its limited resources.

    However, over the past five years, NDCS has worked hard to give deaf children and young people a greater voice within NDCS and to empower them to play a greater role within society. This work is ongoing, but I'm pleased to have been able to support deaf children and young people in raising their OWN concerns directly with MPs and Government Ministers over the past few years. I'm also pleased to have led a training weekend for deaf young people on how to campaign effectively and lobby media.

    I understand that deaf adults form around half of NDCS's active volunteers for events with deaf children and young people.

    Finally, I myself am deaf and would not work for an organisation that didn't allow for genuine participation from deaf children and young people.

    Separately, I see that elsewhere you suggested that nothing was happening in Wales for deaf awareness week. This is untrue. Please see: http://www.ndcs.org.uk/about_us/campaigns/wales/campaign_news/deaf_awareness_week.html

    Again, if you have any constructive suggestions on how to increase deaf awareness in society, it's be great to hear them.
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  11. We know these 'government ministers' two of them voted against the Disability Discrimination Act Draft (13 times) ! It's now law, and a law that would have given deaf children a LOT more rights than they have now, but for the RNID reneging on it. Where was the NDCS then ? or the RNID ? Or the BDA ? I was there on my own at the launch... I just do not think you can address the needs of deaf children while at the same time ignoring what deaf adults are going through.

    Children need to be taught that a lifetime of helpers/mentors/service providers/social workers/carers and the like are neither inevitable or desirable. Also mainstream is NOT accepting of them as adults too. You do sterling work, the RNID/UKCOD and others are working against in the long term.. I understand in part, the desire to keep children away from the issues deaf face, but is it helping them ?

    Unless a charity has a bottom line of making itself redundant, then it is no use to anyone. I still maintain deaf awareness doesn't work too, there is little tangible from 15 years of it, and the BDA opted out to do their own, after the 'week' was hi-jacked by vested interests. Hence why we have TWO. One for charity to slap itself on the back, the other awareness raised by real deaf people.

    No I don't have any suggestions for raising awareness, simply because a bit of sign and wheeling deaf children out every year is not what we are about. I thought we had moved away from that ploy years ago...We could tell the deaf kids the reality...
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  12. PS I've wondered why the NDCS are using an American aggregate to push Brit deaf awareness ? surely at home is the best place... do Brits really read here ? Pity the NDCS et al never supported the British aggregates. I did they got snooty and then folded...
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  13. I agree with you that NDCS needs to work to empower deaf children and that NDCS should be working to ensure it's no longer needed in the future. I certainly don't want to still be campaigning on deaf children's education in 15 years.

    But my work at NDCS in doing this is made all the much harder when misconceptions and inaccuracies, negativity and cynicism about this work is spread on blogs like this. It potentially undoes a lot of the positive work that NDCS is doing, including in Wales.

    PS Are you referring to blog aggregates? I'm not familiar with any British aggregates and I'm not an expert on blogs - if you know of any, I would be really keen to learn about them. Just a reminder that it's not a NDCS blog, it's a personal blog about my work at NDCS. It's an important distinction.
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  14. The only problem is the alliance with the RNID. THEY Produce negativity by promoting dependence and medical models of deafness, in fact the opposite to what you are doing.

    When you can get a declaration from then to quit denying deaf access we might get somewhere. It's what you get when you hire dog charity personnel and railway people to run a deaf charity, all they know about is accounting.

    As for the aggregates (Brit ones), they lacked the wherewithal to run them, despite doing it before the Americans did, the Brit disease (deaf), was the clique, it folded because they ran the aggregates like a private club for themselves, and did not allow political debates, unless they ran them.

    I owe nothing to these people. I think you do great work on deaf kids behalf but rather naive as to thinking you can separate deaf issues according to age. I could suggest you might contact people like Grumpy or J G Jones who ran the original aggregates in the UK. Maybe deaf-uk is still going ? I think the problem now is blogs are not the way deaf do things in the UK, they are (So I am informed), on facebook or twitter, perhaps your best bet UK-wise. I have no interest in either,mainly because THEY are not interested in deaf issues, they are social things in as much as talking complete rubbish 90% of the time can be called socialising.

    Quite obviously if this was on an British Aggregate I would have been banned, your face fits or it doesn't, it's a very typical British thing !
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