Under the Lamp with Julian...

New Brit BSL series first program with Paddy Ladd as Guest. Not on youtube, HERE.. (Ignore the first 5 minutes of inane crap at the start from the presenter.)

Swansea mother was champ of Deaf Mission

Tributes paid to deaf mother.

Florence Louvain Saunders, originally of Merlin Crescent, Townhill, was described by her daughter Sheila Nichols as a loving and jovial character. Mrs Nichols, aged 61, said her mother, who spent her latter years at Hengoed Court Nursing Home in Winch Wen, was a former member of Swansea Deaf Mission in Ffynone Road. She used to attend with her late husband Charles, who was also deaf and dumb, and they were nominated by their friends to represent the mission as mayor and mayoress of Swansea.

Mrs Nichols said she and her four brothers, all of whom could hear, used to attend the mission with her parents. She said: "It was very much part of our lives and I consider myself as part of the deaf community even today. "My mum and dad thought I was deaf when I was young because I started signing before I could speak. I just started copying my parents.

"I regard signing as my first language, and have taught my children and grandchildren how to sign." The grandmother-of-six said living with deaf and dumb parents was a happy experience, but also had its difficulties. She said: "My dad could not find work for a while and we could not afford a lot of things. "Also my parents needed somebody with them to converse with people. When my son was a child he had to take them on holiday.

"We had to look after them more. We were their mouthpieces, I feel lost as now I don't have anybody to look after. "My mum and I were so close, we always were, and I think her disability made us even closer — maybe more than a hearing mother and daughter, as we were always together. "I remember having to tell my mother what was on the news, there was no internet or Teletext or mobile phones like there is today."

Mrs Nichols, a receptionist at Sancta Maria Hospital, said her mother enjoyed going to the mission and socialising with her friends there. She said: "She had really good friends and her and my father loved being the mayor and mayoress as people knew who they were. They were really proud to represent the mission and used to show everybody their pictures. "It showed they were not these backward or simple people.

"People used to treat them as dull because they could not speak, when my mother was quite clever. "She was well known for her knitting, and I used to take her to the bingo at Castle in Morriston. "My friends would feel sorry for me, but in my mind I was proud because I could speak another language. "I felt they were the same, but we just talked through signing," she added.

Mrs Nichols said her mum had an infectious laugh and was an outgoing woman. "My mum always said she hated being deaf as she wanted to hear people laughing and join in with conversations," she said. "She liked mixing with people. Deaf people today have it much better. "They are also better educated. My mother had breast cancer 18 years ago but when she asked my dad he said it was nothing. So she believed him. Today people would have the internet to look at if they were worried.

"The Deaf Mission had its own church and social club and everything was done through sign. ''It was a community in itself." At Mrs Saunders's funeral at St James Funeral Home last Wednesday, her daughter arranged for a minister to sign the service. She said: "There was a good gathering of friends and it was nice the service was spoken and sign."

Goya's 'Black period' (Down to going deaf ?)

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and as the first of the moderns. Goya was a court painter to the Spanish Crown and a chronicler of history. The subversive and subjective element in his art, as well as his bold handling of paint, provided a model for the work of later generations of artists, notably Manet and Picasso.

Disease and deafness:

After contracting cholera and a high fever in 1792, Goya was left deaf, and he became withdrawn and introspective. During the five years he spent recuperating, he read a great deal about the French Revolution and its philosophy. The bitter series of aquatinted etchings that resulted were published in 1799 under the title Caprichos.

New Standards for Welsh Hearing Health

A new set of quality standards which will improve services for deaf and hearing impaired children in Wales have been published by the national Assembly.

In Wales, about 40 children every year are diagnosed with significant permanent deafness which will cause problems in developing speech unless they receive help. Most of these are found to be deaf early in their lives following hearing screening after shortly after birth.

Some are diagnosed later as deafness can occur at anytime throughout childhood and into adulthood. Many other children and young people have temporary problems and need hearing tests to help sort out the best treatment. Children and young people and their families need a high quality service and recognising this, the Welsh Assembly Government has supported the development of the Quality Standards for Paediatric Audiology (Wales).

The standards have been designed to work in conjunction with existing guidance, covering all aspects of service including access and the journey through the service whether it is a simple hearing test or full support for a family with a deaf child or young person. Health Minister Edwina Hart said: "These new standards aim to improve patient care and ensure the help and support available for children with hearing difficulties is consistent across Wales.

"The implementation of these standards will encourage close working between NHS professionals and external agencies to deliver the best services for the children and young people of Wales." Dr Sally Minchom, audiology standards project director at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: "The standards emphasise working together, as paediatric audiology services are delivered by a health team with important links to education, social services and the voluntary sector.

"This project will ensure that Wales is at the forefront of quality assurance of Paediatric services."

Make the Pope Resign ?

"The Pope knew for many, many years of catholic abuse of the deaf in their care, said Arthur Budzinski alleged Wisconsin child abuse victim, speaking through sign language."


He said through an interpreter: "It goes all the way up to him - he was in charge of these types of cases."

Victim Arthur Budzinski says Vatican members knew about the scandal, yet we see the Vatican media machine trying to blame the medias for reporting it !

The Vatican has attacked the media over charges that the Pope failed to act against a US priest accused of abusing up to 200 deaf boys two decades ago. A Vatican newspaper editorial said the claims were an "ignoble" attack on the Pope and that there was no "cover-up". Archbishops had complained about Fr Lawrence Murphy in 1996 to a Vatican office led by the future pope, but apparently received no response.

One victim told the BBC the Pope had known of a cover-up "for many years". Arthur Budzinski, now 61, said Pope Benedict XVI should confess about what he knew.

AND resign surely ? His last job was to cover up over 6,000 reports of child abuse by his minnions.



FULL BBC ARTICLE HERE...

Pope KNEW of abuse, did nothing...

Deaf Blogger response

While the Pope's media section is trying to back pedal, there is another abuse scandal of deaf children starting up in Italy too.

Deaf in the Pool...

Forget Deafhood this bus WILL take you somewhere.

As Spock says "Jim it's downright illogical..." It is why I have lobbied for an inclusive and holistic 'pool' system for the UK deaf and others needing communication support. I am constantly being frustrated by deaf groups uncoordinated in anything they are doing to make things easier for themselves, or for others.

My last blog was yet again another hurdle I was forced to overcome regarding signed access for my deaf partner, I am fighting battles for a mode I don't use myself, because deaf groups are sat on their backside in front of a computer slagging each other off.

The issue: If you need communication support for health, police, fire, education whatever, then it is an horrendously complicated system which entails the deaf person (Or their carer, as is the position I have been put in because my partner cannot use the present chaos that passes as an deaf access system), means we have to have an endless list of contact points, because all these 'systems' operate apart from each other now.

Devolving responsibility to local systems that haven't the wherewithal to provide them, so hope in desperation some charity might turn up and offer 'some', for a few months before their funds dry up and it goes again. My main hospital access is funded by 'friends of the hospital' not the law... that is private individuals holding charitable raffles and whatever to raise funds to provide access for me.

My NHS has 15 separate areas and each one can have an separate contact to notify when you need support to access them, multiply that by all the systems we might need to access including local authorities, politicians whatever, then it is hopeless in the main any deaf individual can get what they need.

Its why we end up with deafies asking mum, dad, their own kids, neighbours, anyone to make that call, often to find they are fobbed off with "Why can't you do it !" because nobody can, or wants to pay the access cost. My campaign for a 'one stop' contact where deaf can just engage with and say "I need to attend wherever, and I require this or that type of support," and gain immediate access to an area 'pool' of support staff available 24/7. As I told my local hospital and Doctor,"Sorry I cannot arrange to be only ill between 9 am and 3.30pm during Monday to Friday, much as I would prefer that !"

I am convinced such a scheme would be welcomed by the services too, and, cost, which is the main thing they care about (!) can be shared by all systems, which must make it a more, and much cheaper and attractive proposition for them and us. I am fed up with this and that charity and deafie wanting piecemeal access based on handouts. Or ignoring the access issue and say "Mum does it, I don't need it..."

It's not fair, not practical, not inclusive, it's not logical, and it's inconsistent. By and large access is a joke at our expense, no-one has any idea what they are doing. The one-stop system, empowers almost totally, which means no more well-meaning charities inventing stand alone systems that work for a select few, then playing catch up every 6 months, then the funds run out either.

My recent issue was because the access straddled two areas, again my preferred system would be a lot more feasible than the rubbish that passes for access at present, you would think BSL people would see the logic in such a system, but they are too busy faffing about, and fail or do not want to see the bigger picture. We need area systems, because the chaos that is BSL via regional sign is prohibitive too. The answer is there for an effective system, too simple for them to implement ? Access isn't rocket science, but you would think they needed quantum mechanics first to think about it.

Subtitling blue-ray videos.

The following article will show you an easy-solution to rip Blu-ray movies with closed captioning for people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing via Moyea Blu-ray Ripper which is powerful to convert Blu-ray to MKV, FLV, 3GP, VOB, MPEG, MPG, AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MP3, AC3, AAC or other audio/video formats at high fast conversion speed and excellent output quality. What’s more, it can rip Blu-ray with open captioning and closed captioning (subtitles) and audio track languages with ease.

Are you ready? Here we go.

First of all, free download Moyea Blu-ray Ripper here, install and run it. The main interface will pop up as below:

1) Add your Blu-ray files into this program by clicking “DVD Rom”, “DVD Folder” or “IFO/ISO”.

2) Select output format you need from its drop-down list “Format” and set destination folder from “Output”.

Hint: this Blu-ray Ripper supports a large range of audio/video formats to meet almost users’ demand. It is easy to choose your desired output format by customizing the format profile for your own. In addition, batch conversion is also supported.

3) Choose closed captioning (subtitle) from “Subtitle”

For instance, there are two English subtitles in this picture. One is the open captioning of the Blu-ray while the other is closed captioning. Just try them one by one to find the closed captioning (subtitle) you need when previewing.

4) Click the “Convert” button to start Blu-ray ripper

PS: This Blu-ray Ripper enables you enhance your Blu-ray movies by adjusting bit rate, frame rate, codec, size, sample rate and so on. To certain extent, it is really a good time-saver.

Access, a right or a favour ?

As some may be aware, MM has an autistic son in a special school. Recently I had two notifications regarding an autistic consultant attending my child's school who invited parents to discuss aspects of autism and how best to approach them, the other was 'Parents Day' where the annual and twice yearly meeting was arranged so that we could discuss with the teacher aspects of our child's progress.

I duly contacted the support services for my partner who needs sign support (They have never provided support for me, so I rely on lip-reading, or note-taking), but she was turned down for support on both points on the grounds "These appointments are optional and non-essential ones, we can only provide support for essential appointments such as annual reviews which we as the Local Authority are legally obliged to attend."

Looks like another battle on my hands ! The fact they DID support us last year makes it really look like a cost saving.. What is 'essential support' in support provision terms ? certainly in the UK it ONLY applies via system meets and only then at their discretion, surely this must make access an unfair lottery for the deaf parent, and not a right at all ?

Not Audism but hate crime certainly.

Keith Shortman: "They just decided to pick on a disabled person"

An BBC news item this morning finally decides to address the issue of why hate crimes against disabled/deaf people is not working. But an early televised interview with an legal expert, reiterated the law ,but then in explaining it, said "The difficulty is in giving evidence, the person subjected to hate crime must be able to HEAR, so can accurately explain how verbal abuse is discriminating against them, or, the system may just assume there is no case to proceed with."

So in one sentence disconnectes the deaf from complaining to the police of harrassments unless they are physical. This raises the issue could an abuser use the uncertainty every time if a deaf person claims 'verbal' abuse (Name calling, stupid deaf etc), was not what they said ? Would deaf be 'tested' to see how effective their communication was ?to be relied on ? The legal response threw up more questions than answers, then there was waffle regarding police support etc, which as we know in the UK does NOT Happen because they turn up unable to understand deaf either.

If I was to lip-read "I hate deaf people, they are stupids and should be locked away in institutions.." the chances of proving that was said are 10-1 against. It just suggests to deaf people more uncertainty they would ever be believed. My area saw 3 such cases, the police took none to court, clearly thought deaf 'misunderstood' everything, even suggested it was their fault for not attempting to 'get on' with hearing better, creating distrust, and keeping yourself to yourself, which most deaf tend to do and keep low profile, was self-defeating as 'loners' make themselves targets by so doing.

The reality really is, deaf people would find it almost impossible to bring a case of hate crime to a court as it stands. The legal advisor went as far as to say "Those with learning difficulties." would probably not be believed. I can well understand that with a newspaper printing the abuse, records kept and given to the local authorities (Registers of abuse over time), just counted for nothing, all deaf could do in 3 cases mentioned, was move away. In itself proof enough of the continued abuse they were getting, the hate crime law is not viable we need something else. Perhaps videoing abuse, photographing them ? this was said to be 'invasion of privacy and inadmissable !' Even when a CCTV camera was installed and promptly ripped off the wall of a deaf family's house 26 hours after it was put up on police advice, was not followed through.

Here is the printed (Shortened version), of the BBC news item, why am I still unconvinced the hate crime law is viable in the deaf case ?

The Crown Prosecution Service should do more to help disabled victims of hate crime, an official has admitted. Joanna Perry of the CPS's equality and diversity unit said the prosecution service for England and Wales needed to "raise its game" over the issue. She added that it must secure more successful prosecutions against those who target people with disabilities.

The CPS has issued new guidelines to the police which it says will help increase the number of prosecutions. The police and prosecution service have had marked success in tackling race, religious and homophobic crime, but admit they have been less successful in combating disabled hate crime.

More

The First Deaf physician...

The Deaf man who defied the odds to become a physician.

When doctors deliver babies, most of them can hear the first life-affirming cries of the infants as they enter the world.

Dr. Philip Zazove can't.

In 1981, Dr. Philip Zazove became the third certified deaf physician in the history of the United States. Now a specialist in family medicine at the University Hospital, he has spent more than 30 years in the medical field. When asked why he chose medicine, Zazove replied, "I like to help people. I like medicine. I like relationships with people."

But obtaining his dream job was no easy task.



Now 58, Zazove was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at age four. Though Zazove can't pinpoint the exact moment he lost his hearing, he recalls the frustration he felt when he couldn't hear what his father was saying as he helped him organize books on a shelf one day. "I said, 'Daddy, you have to turn around so I can see you, so I can understand you,' " Zazove recalls. Zazove could only understand his father by reading his lips, a task that could not be achieved when his father's back was turned to him.

The Zazoves recognized something was wrong with their son and took him to doctors who evaluated him and diagnosed his deafness. "They said I had a profound loss, and I would never be educatable," Zazove said. "And I should go to a deaf school, and I would be lucky if I got a job as a janitor." But because Zazove had already learned to speak English before losing his hearing, his situation differed from children born deaf who have never learned to speak.

MORE:

The Times they are a changing.. for the worse !

Knowing how respected the British TIMES newspaper is around the world, it was sad to read an article by columnists Caitlin Moran, taking a swipe at deafness.

"What other charities won’t I donate to? Ones dealing with heritage (posh people can take care of castles), maritime (I don’t hold with yachting), wildlife (donkeys, budgies, pandas – you’re all the same to me: very poor dinner-party company), and the deaf (is it really that bad?)."

Abi's response put the true perspective on this, albeit Moran ignored complaint from the deaf community.

"You clearly have no idea. I googled deaf mental health statistics and came up with a bunch of statistics for your perusal. By the way, I'm profoundly deaf and it exhausts me so much. Until you have put with with mainstreaming, never fitting in, struggling to socialise at Uni and coping with the demands of employment then you can say whether you think it is that bad.

70% of deaf people believe they have failed to get a job because of their deafness

64% have experienced communication difficulties at work and over 50% are unable to communicate with their hearing colleagues

60% were looking for another job because of their treatment at work

19% of deaf people are unemployed compared to 5% of non-disabled people

52% of deaf people felt they had been prevented from pursuing further training or education because of their deafness or lack of communication services

74% of deaf people said they were prevented from progressing at work because of their deafness

In 1999 8% of deaf full-time employees survey reported deaf earned less than the minimum wage compared to 1.1% of full-time workers in the general population

Research shows that the biggest barrier at work for deaf people is lack of understanding by employers of their communication needs."


Let them eat Cake Caitlin ?

We'll Always Have Milan...

Answer all questions truthfully.

(1) Are you are born deaf or as near as you can get.
(2) Do you despise written access and english grammar, perhaps feel it is an oralist means of destroying sign language and culture.
(3) Are you Deaf but prefer to not talk as well.
(4) Really beilieve CI's are the devils tools.
(5) Do you think endless campaigns for sign access as opposed to any other, are the only way ahead.
(6) Do you think all deaf should be in deaf schools, and inclusive campaigns are a secret ploy to eradicate the deaf idenity.
(7) Totally convinced genetic research is designed to eliminate specifically deaf people.
(8) Does your preferreed means of communication (Or the only one you have), mean you cannot effectively converse with anyone unless they can sign too.
(9) Convinced Hearing aids are pointless, and just intrusive on your silence.
(10) Understand what Audism is, and accept it's definition fully.

If you answered most with a 'Yes' option, you are now officially the smallest minority in the entire deaf world, but you are NOT paranoid...! everyone really is out to get you. Everything from a hearing aid to genetics to implants to signed english IS a direct attack on every deaf person, and if all else fails there is always Milan isn't there ? If I query deaf acdemic output I am an audist, if I support better hearing aids or oral teaching again I am an audist, there seems very few areas that hasn't been closed off by these audistic terminological terrorists...

If it isn't the select few embarking on the road to nowhere via Mr Ladd's wonderful switchback railway, we get the latest glut offering of Deaf Canadian and American blogs extolling end of the world is nigh output, and promoting audism as the new super or secret weapon to defeat those naughty hearing people, while others drag up similarities from Harriet Beecher-Stow's 'Uncle Tom' as an extra aside to hammer home how awful hearing people are to them, poor old Harriot must be spinning in her grave at the interpretation by these deaf. Surely any declaration of an hearing need is ample evidence of audism ?

The audistic focus is now pretty global in the terminological wars, it may leave McCarthyism standing. Talk about 'Les Miserables'......! McCarthyism was the politically motivated practice of making indiscriminate accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without any proper regard for evidence. At least McCarthyism was claimed to be pro-American, audism seems anti everything, and a new swear word as well. They will soon have ducking stools to determine if we are deaf enough.

These pointless accusations and endless search for even more terms and definitions has reached a ridiclous state of affairs, we yearn for the days when the only problem was access or lack of captions, not as is now needing a dictionary to find we have been re-classed as a 'lower caste' or something while we were away..

It's long since recognised audisms have been applied to everyone on the planet deaf or hearing, it must be a hell of a lot of fun (NOT!), at their meetings.. I fully expect this response on my blog to get labelled audism or even MM as an Audist, it would be a bit late I got that label in the UK 5 years ago, so the UK created it as a form of abuse years ago, another thing to get annoyed about as well as sending Mr Ladd to the US of A and obscurity, only for him to coin it there. I knew it should have been Australia, no-one ever makes it from there.....

These days I claim S.E.S. (special expemption status), and opt to be a 'passive' audist, that is someone who supports hearing things and encourages hearing people as support, but is deaf as a doorknob so has some insight into what being deaf is all about. My very own get out of deaf jail free card. Anyone wanting an A.E.C. (audist exemption certificate), can apply to me direct, and has to prove they had hearing at some point, but are not STILL hearing, with or without an aid or implant. The last thing we need are wannabees.

Hello ? are we in the 21stc or the 19thc still ? The inisidious advance of audism as a term, is spoiling everything for every other deaf person, sowing the seeds of suspicions everywhere, that anyone who doesn't side with the view is an audist too. Audism is a term typically used to describe discrimination against deaf or hard of hearing people, although it could also be expanded to include anyone with a difference in hearing ability. This discrimination (Now we need a term for pro-audist supporters who falsley accuse others of being audists).

It can occur in a number of forms in a range that includes both physical, cultural, and linguistic variants. Further complicating the issue is the existence of intra-group discrimination, which can either mimic the pathways of inter-group discrimination or take entirely new forms (That's the rest of us, the majority basically). The term Audism was popularly originated by author Tom Humphries in 1975, after he found spelling audist was easier than spelling discrimination, and more likely to be picked up by an online search engine quicker..

Let's note 2 Wikipedia responses to Audism.

(1) The neutrality of this audism description article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (April 2009).

(2) This Audism article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.

Sorry audism doesn't exist, discrimination does, as does a misplaced sense of camaradie...

The Deaf Shakespeare

And you thought you had to be deaf a few hundred years first to talk obscure....

To sign, or not to sign, is that a question ?
Whether tis nobler to use A/BSL, or, to suffer
the ignomity of signed or supported english
else, take arms against the turbulent seas
of total communication,
and by thus opposing, end all controversies.
To speak ? perchance a dream ?
that heart-ache of misled sound,
railed as yet, 'gainst unhearing drums,
for in those murmurs, protesteth the deafie over much.

when mortal coil is shuffled, as judge ye may be
by school and style of life select yet,
choice, that foul, unearthly ghoul of fate,
despoils by false countenences shown,
that undiscovered land where surpitiouce silence
claims nirvana for itself,
that mode that makes a life it's own,
yet, makes access vague and craftily anon,
as face, opposes mirrored face.

Thus sound and sign makes martyrs of us all,
and battles bloody, rage as heretical waves against the shores,
Where an iliteracy of discrimination, defeats us all,
smashed, like diaphonous glass against dark rocks,
Oh unfair ! that damsel of universal aplomb and joy,
that in cruelty demands, make martyrs of the few,
to regail, against the many.

On the Deaf Cure Trail

The internet is reputed to be the access media of most of the known world, although Aunt blodwyn still can't wind her digital watch, or get BBC 2 with a coat-hanger, on hers. It's mysteries, and all it's wonders are there for our perusal, knowledge is power , (but plug it in first). I'm feeling being deaf now ain't the fun it used to be, so suggest we all combine our odd bits of spare time, and surf the the net to discover a cure for deafness, painlessly, I hate the sight of blood, especially my own.

Over the weekend I surfed a few sites via keywords like 'Miracle Cure' and 'deaf cure' '50 ways to avoid audism', (And is it true Bugs Bunny IS gay ?). I found quite a few 'cures', although a Korean version of eating some disgustingly obscure orange gastropod for an immediate cure, stretched my faith a bit, and I wasn't sure if the bloke was real, or No 21 on the take away menu.

A real cure IS reputed, to be 'out there', can we find it ? I came across some very weird and wonderful sites like' Getting rid of deafness in 6 easy lessons'. It entailed chanting, "I want to hear, I will Hear, I CAN hear !" (Or I am suing the hospital), every second of the day until you die (that's about it really, so it looks like you may have a wait).

Then TM, (Transcendental Meditation). I put a lot of horizontal effort into TM, but dropped off to sleep, which no doubt is the reason why I cannot hear yet. I was dissapointed with some religious approaches, partly because they viewed deafness as evil, and some wanted to spit in my eye. Hearing is a real pain I agree, akin to making politicians appear likeable, and not wanting to punch them, it is a burden we all bear, but I doubt exorcism is much of a cure, especially when you tend then, to vomit in their face when they talk, and your head faces backwards all the time, people will think you're just being rude, incontinent, or worse, a labour party supporter.

Deafness is a 'blight'. Jewish religions advocate this description, and won't let deaf people become Rabbi's, but I can live with that, I'm not letting anyone near my norty bits, with a razor-blade, not even for a few extra db's, a free beard and a funny hat. (I should Oh Vey). There is the catholic approach (Saints and Lourdes etc), but MM being a raving atheist, tree worshipper, and carling black-label devotee, doubts whatever God (Or this mum), would take him seriously.

These days you have to prioritise as you know. They do dress better than the Anglicans 'though, and know how to make a funeral go with a swing, and the coffin in-house, doubles as a drinks table as well. There was another version via a crank yank site, (Begging our colonial's pudding), but it was a bit hit or miss, it meant I would have to sit on some obscure mountain top in Colorado waving crystals, and chanting Mantras, (which I thought was a bit excessive, as I hate spiders), then, offer myself up to aliens.

MM thinks there are enough in the deaf world without wasting his hard-earned air-miles to go there, maybe I'll try Ben Nevis, failing that, I can borrow a tall ladder from next door, there's a few rungs missing, but it's near enough.. The quest for the holy grail of hearing, needs deaf or recently implanted Knights and Ladies of diminishing hearing true, are you game ? Perhaps, you are waiting for genetics to catch up, and grow an ear on your bum ? Probably give a new meaning to talking through your .......

Your own deaf card

They ignored the first one, the second one got more attention...!

The Miracle Worker

A new play.



Helen Keller, who at 19 months old was felled by a disease that made her both deaf and blind, and to Anne Sullivan, a young woman who had herself been blind until her sight was partially restored after nine surgeries, and had grown up in an orphanage. Anne Sullivan was hired to be Helen Keller’s teacher.


“Here’s a houseful of grownups can’t cope with the child,” exclaims Helen’s father, when 20-year-old Anne Sullivan first arrives at the Keller’s Alabama home. “How can an inexperienced half-blind Yankee schoolgirl manage her?”"

British reject bi-lingual juries ?

Here raises an interesting point, that may well reflect on any case that involves the deaf and sign language using person. If the evidence is all given in sign language, then you cannot insist the jury is au fait WITH sign language so can follow that evidence ? Will a terp relay vocally to the jury ? and who checks THAT is correct ?

Quote:

Mr Straw ruled out selecting jurors based on their ability to speak Welsh because it could have a negative impact on "social inclusion and justice’

Inclusion ? Whose ?

Welsh language version, because deaf believe in accessibility:

Yma yn codi pwynt diddorol, a all fod yn dda adlewyrchu ar unrhyw achos sy'n cynnwys y byddar ac arwyddo defnyddio iaith unigolyn. Os bydd y dystiolaeth yn cael ei rhoi i gyd mewn iaith arwyddo, yna ni allwch fynnu y rheithgor yn fait au  iaith arwyddo felly gallant ddilyn y dystiolaeth? Bydd ras gyfnewid terp vocally i'r rheithgor? ac sy'n gwiriadau BOD yn gywir?

Dyfyniad:

"Diystyru Mr Straw yn ddewis rheithwyr yn seiliedig ar eu gallu i siarad Cymraeg oherwydd y gallai ei gael effaith negyddol ar "cynhwysiant cymdeithasol a chyfiawnder "

Cynhwysiant? Pwy?

Le Laugh !

We love ze French Humour.. non ?

où sont les sous-titres?

The Finger-spellers are Here !

Don't miss it ! LINK

Auto Captioning in action.

UK Deaf Charity shamed (Says deaf are unprofitable).

It's not often I print anything to do with this despicable anti-deaf charity in the UK, but here, it speaks for itself.

"The RNID has confirmed that its benefits casework team is to be axed, despite what it refers to as “some opposition” from inside and outside the organisation. The move will mean the loss of a unique source of representation for deaf and hard of hearing people who will now have to rely on often inadequate local facilities.

Benefits and Work revealed last month that RNID was consulting, but only internally, on a proposal to axe the casework team. (See: RNID to axe benefits casework team).

We understand that staff have now been informed that the proposal is to be implemented in the near future.

The move, and the failure to consult more widely with service users, will leave the RNID open to criticism that it appears to be placing corporate income above the needs of its members.

The loss of the specialist knowledge of the team will also raise question marks about the ability of RNID to ensure that current and future benefits and employment legislation does not discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing claimants and employees.

The introduction of ESA has led to a rapid increase in the need for benefits advice and the current recession leaves all disabled employees at greater risk of discriminatory redundancy decisions. Meanwhile, funding cuts are reducing the number of welfare rights workers available in mainstream advice services.

To close such a highly regarded and uniquely specialist service at this particular point will seem to many people to be verging on the perverse. It is highly likely that many deaf and hard of hearing claimants will be disadvantaged as a result
RNID confirms welfare rights team to be axed

RNID has confirmed that its benefits casework team is to be axed, despite what it refers to as “some opposition” from inside and outside the organisation. The move will mean the loss of a unique source of representation for deaf and hard of hearing people who will now have to rely on often inadequate local facilities.

Benefits and Work revealed last month that RNID was consulting, but only internally, on a proposal to axe the casework team. (See: RNID to axe benefits casework team).

We understand that staff have now been informed that the proposal is to be implemented in the near future.

The move, and the failure to consult more widely with service users, will leave the RNID open to criticism that it appears to be placing corporate income above the needs of its members.

The loss of the specialist knowledge of the team will also raise question marks about the ability of RNID to ensure that current and future benefits and employment legislation does not discriminate against deaf and hard of hearing claimants and employees.

The introduction of ESA has led to a rapid increase in the need for benefits advice and the current recession leaves all disabled employees at greater risk of discriminatory redundancy decisions. Meanwhile, funding cuts are reducing the number of welfare rights workers available in mainstream advice services.

To close such a highly regarded and uniquely specialist service at this particular point will seem to many people to be verging on the perverse. It is highly likely that many deaf and hard of hearing claimants will be disadvantaged as a result."

"
We are not a charity, oh YES you are, Oh no you aren't, here's the proof... Give the deaf back the £10m you took for their support..

Hearing run deaf groups better ?

It must be true as near all deaf charities in the UK are run by them, and it's not the UK in-isolation either but across the world deaf are not interested in running their own show any more. Is it not time to stop moaning hearing are running things when:

(1) No deaf are actually applying for the job positions.
(2) Few deaf have the qualifications to run a deaf group.
(3) Very few deaf want to work in 'deaf-only' set ups.

Ask any deaf job seeker where they want to work, and in a deaf oriented set up is bottom of the list usually. Most job aspirations are to do what hearing are doing and getting access to that. Most deaf 'support' comes via charities, and unless the deaf person has the kudos to bridge the hearing-deaf divides and can raise money via corporate means they haven't a hope in hell of getting the job regardless if it is there for them to apply for.

The rewards ARE worth it, corporate hearing running our two major charities here, oversee near £60m a year turnover, and can demand wages in excess of £100K a year too. So why aren't the deaf interested in going for these jobs ? We are told none are actually applying for them.

It cannot be the money isn't good enough.
It cannot be because as deaf people they have no idea what deaf need, It cannot be because deaf applicants would have more difficulty relating to the people they offer support to.

The issue is they lack the corporate know-how to raise money, lack the experience to carry support forward, and have no connections to corporate areas to raise that money. Is this the 'glass ceiling' ? or the deaf view what's the point ? or even deaf don't want to be involved in 'charity' ?

For those that want in to lucrative jobs serving their own areas, then the total lack of job experiences and training is a major drawback. Little wonder the hearing running these set ups are reluctant to empower the deaf by offering such training schemes. One arrogant deaf charity said "It's simply the deaf haven't the wherewithal to interact with hearing... which is essential if they want to raise funds for support, they are poor advocates of their own need, indeed portray themselves as having no needs and opposing support networks that say they do."

Deaf can't run their support set ups as good as hearing can, it's that simple, they don't even take interest in campaigning any more, hearing do that for them too. Just what is going on here ? is it that fabled deaf apathy ? an martyred defiance we are fine just as we are ? or a concerted attempt and design by hearing to keep us in our place ?

I rather fear the jury is still out.

Can Aspirin/Paracetemol make your hearing worse ?

From an British, newspaper item.

Common painkillers 'increase risk of hearing loss' Regular use of common painkillers like aspirin and paracetamol can significantly increase the risk of hearing loss, according to a new study.

Millions of Britons are thought to take aspirin every day in the hope of warding off a heart attack, because of its blood thinning properties. Men below 60 were a third more likely to have hearing problems if they regularly took aspirin, the study found.

Vitamin D supplements 'can reduce chance of a fall in the elderly' However there was no greater risk in those over 60, the findings suggest. For paracetamol users the risks were even higher. For those under 50 the chance of hearing loss was effectively doubled, while those in their 50s were 38 per cent more likely to suffer problems. The risk, however, continued to fall as volunteers got older.

Those aged 60 and over were 16 per cent more likely to have difficulty hearing than those of a similar age who did not regularly take the drug.

For the class of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include Ibuprofen, they were found to increase the risk by 61 per cent for the under 50s, 32 per cent for those in their 50s and 16 per cent for those aged 60 and over. The findings, by researchers from Harvard University Brigham and Women's Hospital, Vanderbilt University and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston are published in the American Journal of Medicine.

More than million people in Britain are thought to suffer from some kind of hearing loss, making it one of the most common health problems in the country. Experts warn that even mild hearing problems can lead to social isolation, depression and poorer quality of life. Previous studies have shown that regular use of aspirin can lead to hearing problems.

However, the researchers say that paracetamol and NSAIDS were not considered to cause hearing problems. They warn that the effects of the drugs is an important public health issue.

The study followed 26,000 men every 2 years for 18 years.