Using deaf actors ? just another Gimmick...

A review of a new TV (BBC) drama series about a deaf girl who witnesses a murder, was panned as a 'gimmick' by this reviewer. Hearing only please......


It's interesting that in BBC1's new four-parter The Silence, the police are involved, but only tangentially, in the context of a family drama. It's about a deaf teenage girl who witnesses a murder, and she just happens to be the niece of the murder detective in charge of the case. Although there's a whodunnit element, there's also an exploration of what it's like to be deaf. And if that smacks ever so slightly of the gimmicky then that is a weakness, because gimmicks won't cut the mustard anymore, or at least not for long. Anyone for an autistic detective? Or how about one where the detective is a ghost? Oh, yes, we already had Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). Twice.

"If anything will slay the genre, it'll be the search for a new gimmick", says Neil Cross. "Once a sterile high-concept has been explored, put through all its permutations and reversals, the whole thing tends to sputter out pretty quickly. Eventually I grew a little tired of CSI , but those early series had found a genuinely fresh angle from which to revivify the whodunnit. And the genre will survive because people who love crime stories will hit upon their own ways of telling them."

Ok we'll change the story to a hearing girl, that's a novelty.... dare I say it has been done before ?

9 Million British pounds, for what ?

Reading here, Pioneering video telephone system accessible for all. I am amazed at the concept, will British deaf USE visual telephonic means like this ? Unlike Americans, we seem to have not adopted it or other 'talk by text' options (Which had virtually no profound deaf take up at all). Since mobile texting and computers zeroed the practicality of it.

How many times can you invent the wheel ?


Even some Americans are questioning the point of many 'national' text or sign systems, the blog "Is TTY dead ?" was one, yes it is ! Most of the problems are stemming from the fact, that there is no central base or collective area of deaf and HI People in the United Kingdom, OK we got 'groups/charities' none of them representative at all and few with any 'ear' to grass roots anyway. I can only assume Europeans require this sort of access and have demanded it, because nobody has consulted rank and file here at all. As these things are going to come at cost to deaf people where they have free or cheap options now, can anyone see it succeeding here ?

This follows on from 'access' being provided for BSL using deaf (Hand held displays), that had no captions, and wouldn't be viable in the sunshine, mainly because deaf were not consulted first and someone had said 'let's provide access for the deaf.' The first time deaf tried it, it failed. we know that a few systems recently tried to offer BSL over the telephone line has had poor if any take up by deaf.

The article:

People with disabilities and those who are elderly may find it hard to communicate using existing voice telephones. A groundbreaking telecommunications system, Total Conversation, is to be launched in the UK today [Tuesday 27 April], by the REACH112 project. This will provide both person-to-person communication and integration with all other telephone users.

This is a complete alternative to voice telephones and is aimed firstly at people who do not have easy access to voice phones. Total Conversation, which is a new national infrastructure, mandates video, voice and text simultaneously in telephone calls. Users will be able to sign up for free at www.myfriendcentral.com.

The €8.8 million European project is designed to provide visual telecommunications to deaf people who wish to use sign language or text communication, and to offer an integrated video and voice capacity for other groups who have difficulty with voice phones.

Users can make calls from home using supplied videophones, or using their home computers or when on the move with special free software suitable for the smallest netbooks.

Any integrated system from Europe, first has to have British approval too ! (Perhaps they are trying it now before we vote to opt out of Europe altogether...)

We the (deaf) people....

What is preventing deaf sign users voting ? lack of access primarily to politicians. Deaf voters are 'unheard' by politicians While debates on national TV have titles none contained any sign language. An estimated 90,000 deaf people in the UK rely on British Sign Language (BSL) to communicate - but only one political party has ever used it in its election broadcasts. E.G, Tessa Padden, a television presenter and BSL translator currently involved with the BSL:UPTAKE project at Heriot-Watt University, believes this leaves many deaf people excluded from the democratic process.

"When Nick Clegg (An UK liberal party representative), shot overnight from being the Invisible Man of British politics to being the Coming Man, it seemed to take the political establishment by surprise. But why? Once you engage in dialogue with people and actually listen to what they have to say, you can no longer ignore them. And too often "invisible" means just that - ignored. As we move towards May 6th British Election, the parties and politicians are doing all they can to persuade people to vote for them.

But how much of their messages will get across to the estimated 90,000 deaf people in the UK who rely on British Sign Language? Many deaf people believe they are 'invisible' to politicians Will any of the parties talk to BSL users in a language that they understand? Will any of them understand what deaf people are saying to them? The BSL:UPTAKE project, based at Heriot-Watt University, offers UK politicians a unique opportunity to engage with and understand the most ignored and invisible community on the political spectrum.

Do politicians care if 90K deaf vote or not ? not really.... the Welsh Assembly publishes videos of equality and diversity meetings, none carried captions or sign. Our MP's also publish youtube vids again none accessible, at every stage of the political process no-one considers deaf people. Two recent debates on national TV (Emulating the circus/razzamataz that started in America), dropped two questions put by disabled people and deaf as 'not relavant'. We know our place don't we ?

Marlee Matlin

At least got the name right this time ! At the extreme makeover gig...

Audism-ology explained.

Which we shall today call, isimologyism, hell why not ? I feel so paranoid being deaf now, I get this uncontrollable urge to ism everyone and everything, this hopefully will cement my identity and place in the deaf world, and give me a sense of camaraderie with culture, while clearly identifying everyone really does have it in for me. It is as I long suspected, EVERYONE does.

Hearing-ism, deaf-ism, ear-ism, language-isms, cochlear-implant-ism, hearing-aidism, lip-readingism, sign-ism, speech-ism, we stick it to everyone and at every level now. I think audism is on a winner, because it starts with A, and the first thing people will read. I am lobbying for the spelling to be changed to Aaaudism because then it will be the first thing anyone reads in any dictionary.

I'm a bit frustrated at present, Wikipedia accused deaf people of bias and unsubstantuated 'facts' via definition, I wasn't having that ! I immediately coined a new term wikipedia-ism, which is the negative attitude of dictionary compilers to the status of colloquialism, and the right of deaf to make up any word they want to, no matter how silly or fact-deprived the definitions actually are. Deaf demand, that fact and validated references have no place in a dictionary... if we say it is there, that should be good enough for them. If they won't accept it as a terminology for deaf abuse, it is still valid as a term of personal abuse.

Who makes up the words anyway ? WE DO ! Their function is simply to record them. If we want a new ism a day that's our right too, DEAF POWER ! I submit a few tentative isms for your deaf perusal.

Deafread-ism. A view that people who contribute to deafread are not really deaf at all but cochlear implant 5th columnists, audiologists, and hearing people, intent on world domination, and the downfall of sign language.

Ridor-ism. that no matter how valid your view, it won't count if you are straight, and everyone is wrong but you.

Deafcanadian-ism. An overwhelming belief in paranoia, allied with a total belief Audism is now not only the new opium of the deaf masses, but we'll soon all need a biometric card as proof of membership, and regular drug tests..

Attherim-ism. A view there is no deaf world, or community at all, it was a practical joke played on people in Milan during the 1880s, that got out of hand.

Vblog-ism. The system whereby dedicated sign using deaf people, use un-captioned vbolgs in sign so they can only communicate to each other, and are convinced this will broaden deaf awareness to those who haven't a clue what sign is. (It's alter-ism is caption-ism, whereby non-signing deaf people use captioned blogs because they believe Vblog-ism doesn't function that way).

Note: There is also an 'ism' for the total absurdity of both Vblog and captioned isms, but it requires 4 full pages of definition to clarify, and poses a serious threat of even more isms being created.



Every ism has its yin-ism and yang-ism. In less than a decade, deaf people have added no less than 85 new terms for being deaf, and 134 new isms, providing much needed work for dictionary compilers. Yep, they even have an ism for that too.

More isms you may have missed....

Deaf at Bristol Universirty

This is where most of the deaf history and deafhood is discussed...

BSL doesn't need qualified tutors.

Any old qualification will do apparently. Consider this response from here yesterday. (No comments on this 'teacher's own 'language' spelling at this time lol)...


"MM – You don’t need any langauge qualifications to teach langauges at primary so i don’t understand how the approval of BSL would lead to the consequences you describe.

I am staggered, not, that no qualifications are needed to teach a language, this was the POINT of my original response, the fact BSL was mooted in education via a system that didn't require any professional teaching qualifications, that, is what keeps BSL out, and, the ability of a BSL tutor to adhere still to the national curriculum so they are able to teach hearing as well as deaf children, this is paramount given that is where 78% of deaf children ARE, (In mainstream being integrated).

I put it to readers and promoters of ASL and BSL, to accept your declaration sign language does not require any degree of professional tuitional ability, is wrong. No wonder they complain of poor signing by others ! and no wonder extra curricular lessons in BSL are a farce with anything goes and a blinkered attitude to what a deaf person actually is. I'm more concerned teachers like you are still IN a school and in charge of teaching 'language' to them with no apparent or stated ability to do so that is accepted anywhere else.

I challenge you to show us where it says no language teacher is required to have language qualifications... Little wonder our kids are short changed then is all I can offer in response. I could see people like Carl Schroeder and others soon putting you right ! For the BSL People, I would see qualifications to a high standard as paramount, I would assume ASL would be much the same, they wouldn't want DIY lessons by half trained teachers. If there is any truth in what you say then we would need to kick out most teachers of foreign languages in our schools.

My own view that BSL teachers outside schools do not have ANY real and full qualifications to go anywhere near a school, appears 100% correct, let me have your school ID, I will pass your qualifications on the the National Teaching Standards people. It is reducing language teaching to poverty status, the net result would be, deaf signers being faced by rank amateurs. Worryingly our CHILDREN being taught by them.

Basics How many BSL tutors have these ? If no qualifications are required, can you get me a job teaching BSL lol..... My local Education Authority says "BSL qualifications by tutors does not qualify them for schools. If they want to teach children in mainstream schools and especially in DEAF ones, they have to have a degree in English too... night classes are therefore under the heading of 'hobbies' re sign language. BSL is not a course in the national curriculum."

Deaf marriage 'Historic' first for Rev Joseph.

Mr Wilson Mumo and Ms Cecilia Wanjiru, who are both deaf and dumb, exchanged vows in a colourful ceremony held at the PCEA Church in Nakuru West.


Outstretched arms waved ululations after union of deaf and dumb couple. When Mr Wilson Mumo and his bride Cecilia Wanjiru said “I do” in front of a packed church, very little human sound was heard from the assembly.

It was not that the congregation was not happy for the couple, but rather much of the crowd, including the bride and groom, were deaf and dumb. Indeed, the ululations were a muted gesture of outstretched arms with splayed fingers waving in the air. But the silent jubilation did not take away the obvious ecstasy displayed in the joyful faces of the friends and relatives of the couple who celebrated their union at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Nakuru West Church.

Rev Joseph Gichinga who presided over the ceremony, described it as “historic”. “Never before has this church witnessed the marriage of two deaf people, and it is a special day for us,” said Rev Gichinga. “I hope that there will be more similar weddings,” church elder Reuben Gitonga said of the union. That the day was a special one for Cecilia could not have been more evident. She was radiant, both from the smile on her face and her obvious inner joy.

She blew kisses and waved to friends, family and even total strangers at intervals during the occasion, and was inarguably the star of the moment. A touch of happy tears touched her shining eyes when, kneeling before the pulpit, Rev Gichinga finally declared the couple husband and wife. Wilson, the bridegroom who is a painter in Nairobi, was beside himself with joy as he kissed his bride, sending the crowd into a frenzy of hand-clapping and ululation.

“I give you this ring as an ornament and pledge of the promise I have made to you. “I am taking you to live with me in a bond of fellowship from today onwards in times of peace, in times of hardship, in times of prosperity, in times of poverty…so help me God,” they repeated after the preacher, aided by translators, as they slipped the rings on each other’s fingers. Three sign language experts helped to translate the proceedings to the deaf multitude who nodded or clapped at intervals to show that they understood.

When signing, can be bad for communication.

Some are aware I have a child with autism, he has never really acquired extensive speech usage, and what he does orate is barely within the range of anyone's hearing. Conversation is pretty much not an option, there are yes, no and single word responses to everything. AT every stage of his education so far, all professionals involved have advised against any sign tuition in the school itself.

The National AUtistic society puts the reasons as:

Disadvantages of using signs.

Although most studies have shown a facilitatory effect of signing on speech, none would claim that learning to sign invariably leads to speech. There is some experimental evidence (Oxman et al., 1979) that signing does not interfere with speech production and all the observational evidence supports that view. Nevertheless, it is a common and understandable fear among many parents, and some professionals, that once a child has acquired the easier sign language s/he will not bother with speech. It can be pointed out, of course, that a proper sign language such as B.S.L. (The British Sign Language - the natural language of the deaf) is just as valid a language as English but that is of small comfort when the child is living in an English-speaking community. Sign languages have low status in our community and are thought of as peculiar or as signifying stupidity; it is not surprising if parents are reluctant to add what may be regarded as another odd feature to their childs behaviour.

Obviously, speech must remain the ultimate goal so that signing is not embarked on as an end in itself, although it may turn out to be so for any particular child. But this attitude leads to the teaching of sign only as a last ditch measure, when all attempts to teach speech have failed, and this mark of failure may make it even more difficult for parents to accept it. This is another reason for adopting signing as augmentative to speech training, rather than as an alternative.

This recently flew in the face of my son's school that has refused to adopt sign use in any form to supplement speech. They went as far as to say we should not use it at home because that could adversely affect how they teach. While I tend to agree sign should NOT be used instead of speech (Because there are still sign tutors who adopt the no speech rule in tuition), why they aren't using an holistic approach is of concern. Recently they suggested we use P.E.C.S, which is a 'card' system like maketon ? Which at this time I find ludicrous at this stage frankly.

That a major charity of deaf and HI here has now started lobbying autistic groups suggesting perhaps most autistics really might have hearing loss (!) is only adding to the confusion, suggesting autism isn't the problem hearing loss is. It proves one thing, most professionals are convinced sign delays and seriously affects speech acquisition. especially if utilised early on. Would readers advise I ignore professional educational advice and start taking my child to a sign class ? and, (For the Brit area), have ANY sign tutors any experience in teaching autistics ? Most are only teaching hearing adults and not children at all.

Raising Deaf Awareness

I read of yet another 'awareness' book being launched today. It is designed to help hearing loss sufferers come to terms with their condition and adapt their lives to overcome a number of challenges (Like reading books that state the bloody obvious usually), if it aint for us, it is to glean sympathy we don't want from others..

I thought, oh god, NOT another one. Google (which is the font of all knowledge, if your search options are formated correctly), had already thrown up 2,490,000 site links doing the same for the HoH, (Boy, have THEY got issues !), 386,000 links for the deaf (who need less information or help obviously), which was rounded off with 149,000 full time courses being run by disability/deaf groups/colleges, and various social depts and charities who churn out this guff 24/7.

Look, if you log IN to a deaf or HoH charity site or support system what ELSE do you expect but the cardinal 10 ways to avoid deaf punching you in the mouth ? (Which is MY Next publication, my usual advice is give me money or I'll thump you anyway). Deaf awareness areas now use professional advertising groups, Deaf used Saatchi and Saatchi here who advised burger franchies on how to make us all as fat as Americans... albeit their last campaign "I'd rather be fat than deaf..." which used a talking burger with a hearing aid glued on it, didn't do all that well.

That, and using charity money to pay them huge sums to make hearing people talk slower, and face you and learn the ABC and XYZ of some sign language, now and then, with a bit of frosted glass, gives some impression of what we face, it is a pity health and safety do not allow deaf people to carry this glass around with them, and make hearing really work at it.

There is a whole INDUSTRY of people determined to lecture mainstream on how to communicate to us, so why isn't it working ? I could suggest as most is aimed at us, we haven't heard the message.... Perhaps hearing have all gone deaf as well ? The book promotes understanding of deafness/loss and contains information about how hearing people can support others with hearing difficulties, if I had money for every time we all here raised the issue, we would not care what mainstream does, but would have retired to the seychilles on the book proceeds, and given a cut to build a deaf town in Nova Scotia, or extra funds to Gally to annoy the sh*t out of people instead. Why publish a book on awareness ? surely the only people likely to gain any awareness (seeing as the book is only advertised to us), are:

(A) Those who buy, and those who sell the publications, and those depending on sales being about 10 more than your family... I don't see deaf awareness book sales at the top of the best seller lists do you ? When did WE last see the pulitzier go to a deaf awareness tome ' (If Paddy Ladd can't do it.... what chance do you have ?). I can think of easier ways to make money than going deaf first then writing a book about it. I'm going to write a book about how I was never deaf at all and all the problems I had when I was hearing... (people talked slow to me then as well...).

(B) Professionals/students in the care system who may need it as part of their job, but who really should have been aware before they were hired to do it.

Ditto training courses, which is a part of some teaching course, or 'gravy train' for the deaf/disabled and hugely self righeous. It's these people who churn out terminologies around the clock we all despise. Those who usually cannot get employed doing anything else, so decided patronisation at £15 a hour, and free transport, will do nicely thank you. You think it is only hearing that patronise, now you know differently, I'd back deaf any day. Deaf and HI do not WANT to read awareness publications we've got the t-shirt already, it wouldn't be so bad if we had a percentage...

Consider some advice (Most found in 99% of the awareness thing).

(1) Speak slowly (Or fast, my lip reading still will most of it!), And then consider the deaf or HI Person will feel totally patronised and maybe cannot follow you anyway, because most people who talk are poor communicators even to their own kind.. we haven't all got media advisors like Obama and George Brown, on how to fool most people all the time......

(2) Don't shout. But, they will anyway because they haven't read the awareness book and assume you have an aid or can lip read anyway, mostly they will assume your batteries have had it, and will impersonate every form of sea life they know about. Do they think deaf people are aquatic and have gills instead of ears or what ?

(3) Don't talk with your back to people with hearing loss, or even sign, (just thought I would throw that in to help the signing users). Even if they can't read your lips accurately when you face them, they will get a better sense of what you are saying, I wouldn't, even full on the concentration can drive me to glaze over and develop the deaf 'nod' again, (which usually works with everything, but always take a friend with you just in case).

(4) Shave regularly (? a new one on me but..), if you have a moustache, please trim it so that it does not cover your lips. I wonder does it affect signing support ? or work on women ? Or if hearing bearded wonders carry a shaving kit around with them ? Why not just ignore them ? Give them a pencil and paper ? and then poke fun at their spelling...

(5) Agree on a signal that you can use in company if the hard of hearing person's or deaf voice is getting too loud. Telling them to shut UP ! is rude apprently. They attract my attention by either blowing air at me (!) throwing things that bounce off my head, or pushing me in back (Which I can suggest is an awareness faux pas, and more likely to promote a bunch of fives in response).

(6) Believe deafies when they tell you they can't hear something...don't ever tell them "they are not listening hard enough"... surprising the amount of people who think you are taking the piss, and looking for a fight, anyway...

The UK has 69 million people last count, (ignoring the 2 million who came here under a lorry, don't speak English even, and via a forged student pass), and google stats suggested most of them are not aware and not interested in being deaf aware. Personally I never support deaf awareness in any form because I know it has never worked and run by so many self righteous people I'm glad I am NOT made aware of them. Give me an ignorant hearing person any time, at least they have an excuse.

It would seem despite major funds being poured in to awareness projects the good old British Public is blissfuly happy being as unaware as they can be. Deaf awareness is actually HI awareness, not deaf at all, mainly because cultural deaf cracked it years ago, by deciding to ignore mainstream altogether. What's good for goose etc... I lost count early on of the 'guides' I was expected to give hearing people, and recall how they gave up after 40 seconds, after they assumed you were imposing on them or determined to be obstructive.

You must tell people to face you so you can lip-read/sign, wave flags whatever... how to do that without getting your face punched is the issue. We need to take a leaf out of the American book and get ourselves an Marlee Matlin to make a film, where deaf people actually shout differently instead.... or get elected president, or even win Britain's Got Talent, which provides a platform for so many inept losers, deaf, MUST be in with a shout.

If they can vote for a hoodie that does break dancing backwards, and so obnoxious his own family can't stand him, or a young girl who believes the Blitz is still on, and the 2nd world war is still going strong, it will be a walk over for us... forget deaf awareness, act the idiot for money.... "Here, have you heard the one about...... ?" NO !!!! "Have you heard THIS....? " NO NO NO Again ! (Hysterical innit)... We need an unawareness day, just stop hearing people in the street and say "I'll give you a quid if you are polite to deaf people...and fine you 5 if you cannot display a working knowkledge of BSL in 5 seconds from...........NOW ! "

Undeaf awareness starts here............. all donations gratefully received...

My other Identity is...

In response to this blog. I've been totally depended on lip-reading since I went deaf, and being looked at as a badly dressed circus clown for 15 years prior to that, despite LR being only 30% effective at my very best, and not even having access to a lip-reading CLASS until 5 years in to profound deafness, or a sign class until 8 years in to it. The experience has obviously not been a fun one. As you get older people are more patronising to you so that makes it easier, or they might just assume you are a born miserable person anyway.

No doubt I have developed weird and not so wonderful ways to access the hearing world ! I've never had a deaf ID, because I don't know what that means, you read so many obscure descriptions it is impossible to nail any of them down and say YOU are a deaf cultural person. Obviously from a medical viewpoint, my ears don't work, but other than that I am still a -non-hearing person and individual, who to all intents and purposes isn't, go figure. Personal/family/system circumstances have never allowed me to 'explore' what an alternative ID could or would be for me, or even if there was a need for one. Sheer survival has been the main issue. I have my own ID, which is as an individual who cannot hear, hanging on the hearing world with my fingertips really, but obviously influenced by the fact I am deaf now.

Often I never tell anyone I am deaf at all on the street, it isn't really necessary is it ? If you go to a shop or supermarket you can do that for an hour and nobody will talk to you or you to them, the old problem of asking 'How much ?' has gone with extensive pricing and displays. This is what is mooted as 'access' and which I call nothing like it. It may be much easier, but it does nil for communication. When I was hearing I could go to the shop and pass the time of day with the owner, who I met socially too, that has gone.

Another aspect is when I shop I NEVER carry loose change ! (Are other deaf like that too ?), why ? because if we are unsure of how much something is, we don't want to engage others at length in discussion, we might struggle with, so we hand over notes etc and wait for change ! I usually get home with a pocketful of loose change everytime ! Another aspect is I avoid fast food shops and Coffee places like Starbucks/Nero/Macdonalds, because again you cannot just ask for a coffee or a burger can you ?

Some foetus behind the counter rattles off an an entire list of coffee varieties, I won't lip-read, lattes ? skinny/fat ? what are they ? I still don't know nor care now, and 50 other versions of it. I usually ask for tea and get a dirty look, or they dish it up in a disgusting plastic cup or something so it is undrinkable, mostly I leave it I never drink it. I hate coffee now ! Ditto fast food, or other shops, because being deaf now, I despise variety, it means you have to struggle to understand what they are trying to sell you, and demanding you have cards for being loyal to them whatever, and both they and the growing que behind you are getting irate, or WORSE, some want to HELP you by gathering around you and shouting what the counter assistant is saying, so you are completely isolated as a 'deaf' person, and I've known friends run out of the shop because of it.

Most deaf I know plan shopping like a major invasion of a foreign country down to the last detail. Deaf are great planners ! we try to allow for all scenarios so we don't get caught out and subject to the third degree and unwanted attentions of less patient others. Most like me view ourselves as the "3rd option" in this 'deaf' and 'Deaf' thing, mostly viewed as an irritating and damaging aside to the real issue of communication access. When the chips are down the individual is the ID, there is no collective ID for us because we don't assemble as a group. Having a remote connection to my erstwhile hearing life is all that matters. Hearing people are the main sector I am in daily contact with, work with, engage with as I can. English my primary means of language use. A deaf culture is a luxury, communication loss prevents me from in-depth exploring, albeit now and then I try, I find a deaf culture lacking in vital areas I need. I feel communication with the world isn't their bag really...

My spoof blog page satirising 'hearinghood', it is just one way to attempt to express the whole thing a pointless diversion (Seeking an ID), as I see it, when I already have one. To think I might have wasted a few years of my life believing I had a deaf ID, was time very much wasted. AD's are not privy to an social network or back up, important things like accessing our daily lives is the primary thing, here, lip-reading could determine some 'ID' pertaining to them. Maybe I will start a lip-reading culture or revert to my original view of an ID as the 'Undeaf'. 30% lip-reading is still 100% an improvement on a total sign dependency, that's the reality. It's about access.

Why we kept our adopted children from Russia.

Hot after the news of an American couple who sent an adopted child back alone to Russia,


read this about a Scottish couple who adopted and kept two, both had hearing loss, and now want to skate in the deaf Olympics.

Deaf sign language classes and support to close.

Happening in my area too, deaf club to close in the Summer and deaf 're-distributed' to 'disability' areas. These are real impact stories that the banking induced financial recessions are making on vital deaf services.

A VULNERABLE group which helps deaf people is being forced out of its Yate headquarters, leaving it with a financial mountain to climb.

South Gloucestershire Deaf Association has been told it must move out of Frome House, on Cranleigh Court Road, by the end of this year as South Gloucestershire Council prepares to demolish the building. The group, which provides sign language courses and support to more than 200 deaf and partially deaf people, said it is in ‘turmoil’.

Service co-ordinator Barbara Martin said: "Everybody is in turmoil about it all. There is quite a deaf community in Yate and this is going to have a big impact."

Misunderstanding Hearinghood

It is time to offer up an academic response to the book by Paddy Ladd "Understanding Deafhood." Every yin has its yang and I put myself into the firing line and offer up my academic responses to it, in FULL. The book will be written as and when, and will be viewable on page TWO of my blog, happy reading ! and of course any questions I am only too happy to answer in depth or even shorter bits. This is an academic venture, no slanging please....

Look for the link to the pages on the sidebar...... ------>

MM 2010.

Another Deaf school to close.

A highly-rated school for deaf children is to close because of a lack of funding.

Ovingdean Hall School has been teaching pupils with severe hearing difficulties for more than 60 years but will close at the end of the summer term.

Pupils, parents and teachers have been told that the school in Greenways, Brighton, will close on July 19. Ovingdean Hall is a non-maintained special school, meaning it receives funding for children with special needs to attend from across the country.

However changes to government policy have seen more children with special needs being sent to mainstream schools and the number of children at Ovingdean Hall has fallen drop. The school received outstanding results in its latest Ofsted inspection but does not have the money to continue running next year. There were hopes that the school would be able to merge with another school for deaf children.

Trustees from Hamilton Lodge School for Deaf Children in Walpole Road, Brighton, had spent months discussing a possible merger until a decision was made that it should not proceed last month, leaving the future of Ovingdean Hall in question. The 28 pupils - aged ten to 19 - will have to find alternative schools before the end of the summer term.


Reference Link

Empowering Survey of Parents with deaf children (UK)

University of Nottingham survey.... how do parents assist in a deaf child's education ?

Deaf Men 4 times more likely to be abused.

Relationship Violence in Deaf Community

The RIT study compares incidences of relationship violence between Deaf and hearing students, and also delves into the experiences of gay and lesbian students.

But the most dramatic finding relates to men. Researchers found that of the four types of relationship violence that they studied, Deaf men were more likely to experience all four. Deaf women were only more likely to experience one category of abuse more frequently than their hearing counterparts.

Laverne McQuiller Williams started the study back in 2000.

"I think it's very important to highlight, especially these findings in males, because a lot of the research and previous literature simply ignores males as victims, especially victims of dating and relationship violence."

McQuiller Williams don't know why Deaf men are reporting more relationship violence. It could be because of efforts to raise awareness about what actually qualifies as abuse, or it could be that women experience abuse more before college, skewing the results. But either way, the data shows that Deaf and hard of hearing people, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, are more often targets of abuse.

Erin Esposito can testify to that. She's the executive director of Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims ... she's a Deaf abuse survivor, and she says that the rates that the RIT study found are actually lower than national statistics that she's seen. Esposito speaks through an interpreter.

"It sounds a little bit extreme, but I feel like it's a form of domestic terrorism in a way."

Californians, OPPOSE AB 2072!

Magnificent Obsession ?

Or a less than magnificent Obsession ? I wonder what Paddy Ladd really thinks of debates online regarding his opus "Understanding deafhood" ? Did he ever envisage it would be taken out of context ? misunderstood ? used as a weapon of deaf divisions ? or even touted online as a form of 'TF' (Terminological Fascism) ? An alternative dictionary for the deaf ? I notice he is conspicuous by his abscence in debates, having thus started all this, I feel he should come online here and explain to the deaf who slavishly follow his writings (despite showing considerable confusion as to what he actually said !), and explain to them what he actually intended to say, and not allow minority deaf extremists of the paranoid variety, to use 'Deafhood' as a blunt instrument to 'get back' on people whom some may feel have long abused them. It is totally incomprehensible an younger deaf person of the 21stc can use a 200 yr old edict as 'proof' of modern discriminations.

British and Americans live in the most open and supported deaf accessible areas in the World second to none. Yet seem to have more to complain about than any third-world country does. This is because western world deaf are spolied for access and not struggling any more, so they need to develop a struggle ? The whole concept (Whatever it is !), of 'Deafhood' is now tainted with deaf in-fighting and areas set up by devotees of it, ranting at everyone who they are convinced, that because 'Deafhood' didn't impress them, have accepted oral means, implants, hearing aids, support genetics whatever, they are as some enemies from within, the 5th columnists, the 'colonists', wannabees even, hell-bent on destroying what actually has never been defined. If it quacks it must be a duck.

Just when we thought barriers were coming down, due to the internet revolution, we find some deaf sectors re-erecting barriers because they could not cope with the freedom of expression that the net gave them, some even reverted to sign only means rejecting the text access as protest, what they will do when Google develops sign translation online free, will be interesting to watch..... The list grows month on month of members of online deaf areas being given their marching orders for challenging things. Deafhood is about the singular 'journey' to self awareness, does any deaf person on the planet NOT know they were deaf ? The opus opened with pages of the definitions of division, the die was cast. Others are still determined there is only one 'real' definition of a deaf person, and take pot shots from the safety of their own boards or areas, or even Universities...

Identification by decibel/lifestyle and language was back on again with 'Deafhood', now they had an academic validation for saying you aren't a real deaf person, you weren't in Milan, (neither were they !). All that is important to any deaf person on planet earth, is effective communication. We are already, INDIVIDUALS, we always were, we are not a reflection of 200 years ago, or even 10. It is a totally new scenario, and I cannot help feeling those who are touting deafhood aggressively, like some form of new religion are seriously misguided people, and worse intent on dividing deaf people by their intransigence of accepting others. They cannot see this is what they are complaining ABOUT, acceptances. This 'zeal' is misplaced.

We cannot really blame Mr Ladd for writing as he does, but it was a blinkered and obscure viewpoint from my view, not aimed at deaf, but as a form of awareness to hearing. It is in MY view, hugely biased and playing to the gallery of the dissafected and frightened deaf. If he has any desire for deaf unity and acceptances he will explain what the hell he is talking about so these deaf people, cease struggling to put their own spin on it. American Deafhood already exists as entirely different from what Mr Ladd wrote, that's the thing with vague ideas and writing, people will read into it what they want to read. As a 'milestone' of deaf writing it has to put in serious perspective. Speak up Mr Ladd, stop the rot. I feel he should put his ego aside for the sake of re-uniting ALL deaf people again. Understanding Deafhood ? A Pilgrims Progress it isn't......

Marlee Matlin at Google

Titter (for deaf use) is Here !

Deaf Chatterbox !

A girl who was born deaf is now speaking and has advanced language skills for her age after a life-changing operation. Ava Pearson was nine months old when she became one of the youngest people in Britain to have cochlear implants. Now aged three, she has language skills months ahead of other children her age and is doing well at nursery school. Ava Pearson (pictured with her mother Lauren) was only nine month old when she had a cochlear implant. Within weeks she was saying 'mama'.

Her mother, Lauren, 31, from London, said: 'It was amazing to see her reacting to noise. I was so excited and felt such a sense of relief. Her hearing is improving every day and she has become such a chatterbox.' Mrs Pearson, a book publisher, and her husband Chris, a 31-year-old finance manager, first realised Ava was deaf when she didn’t react to routine hearing tests when she was three weeks old. After researching treatments on the internet, the Pearsons decided cochlear implants might give their daughter the chance of a normal life.

One week after the operation, she started dancing to music and four weeks later she said her first word, “mama”. Mrs Pearson said: 'When she started babbling it was amazing - before that she only made guttural noises.' A cochlear implant is placed through surgery in the inner ear and activated by a device worn outside the ear. The implant functions like an artificial inner ear and takes over the job of the cochlear. Doctors at the Portland Hospital in the West End carried out the treatment and also put Ava through a course of speech therapy.

Speech therapist Natalie Opitz, who works at the private hospital, said: 'Ava is the youngest baby I have seen have the operation in this country. This is a remarkable case.'

LINK.

I'm not a Nut, nor ignorant...

FOR Michael Sanders, just walking through a door can lead to an argument – and going to the theatre is more trouble than it is worth. The 74-year-old has been struggling with hearing problems for the past 30 years, making daily life increasingly hard. He has faced a whole host of difficulties, from following conversations to confrontations with strangers angered by him closing a door in their face because he failed to hear them.

But Michael's first-hand experience does have one major advantage: he knows exactly what people are going through when they seek help at a clinic run by the Campaign for Tackling Acquired Deafness. That is why he has proved an important asset to the charity for 17 years. In return, his work with hearing-aid users who understand his difficulties has given him a boost. Michael, of Garth Crescent, Alvaston, said: "Being among people with similar hearing problems to my own, or even worse, has helped my confidence.

"It's still difficult for me after all these years. " The biggest problem is that people don't realise you're hearing impaired. "It's not like carrying a white stick. "People just think you're a nutcase, or ignorant. "A lot of people have a habit of talking to the wall or facing in the other direction during a conversation, which makes it difficult because I rely partly on lip-reading. "And I can hear things but I don't [always] know which direction the noise is coming from."

Michael has been a volunteer with the campaign for 17 years; he got involved eight years after it was established by Derbyshire social services employee Helen Bojanowski. She was asked to help people who had acquired hearing loss by setting up a range of services including community awareness schemes, information services, home visiting schemes, lip-reading and lip-speaking services and self-help groups. Volunteers began by visiting residential homes, to show people how to clean and maintain their hearing aids, before gradually establishing clinics.

Now the charity runs 29 clinics across Derby and South Derbyshire. The main purpose of these is to clean hearing aids and give out replacement batteries, but general support and information is also available. Michael said many were grateful for the service. He said: "Some express great gratitude for what we have done, often in triplicate, and a few give a full embrace and thanks, sometimes leaving the odd sweet on the table. "But we do get complaints, ranging from how long people have had to wait, or why they were never shown how to fit their hearing aid, or what the buttons and switches do."

Michael joined the charity after retiring from a 40-year career in the railway research offices, in London Road. He was encouraged to do so by his wife, Valerie. She thought it would suit him because of his own experience of using a hearing aid. He attended training and started visiting residential homes before volunteering at a clinic in Ilkeston, where he stayed for eight years. Now, he helps at two clinics a month in Long Eaton and Alvaston, as well as making the occasional home visit.

He has helped hundreds of people with a surprising array of problems. He said: "One client came to me in tears because her daughter was getting married and she said she must hear everything that was said at the altar. "Unfortunately she had never worn her hearing aids and did not know in which ear they fitted. "It took about 10 minutes to remove the rigid tubes from her ears before they could be replaced. "Some people will come to have their aid cleaned and re-tubed but, on asking them to remove it, they realise they have left it at home."

More recent challenges have included getting used to changes in technology, including the introduction of digital aids. Michael said: "A major disadvantage of the digital aids is that you have no idea how loud they should be, or indeed to be sure it is actually on. "You have to rely on the wearer to be certain that it works." Along with the clinics, the charity has a resource centre at London Road Community Hospital where people can get information and try equipment including loop systems and specialist telephones. It has four paid staff and a team of 44 volunteers; Michael is one of the longest-serving.

He said: "You meet people of all ages and walks of life, from young people to others coming dashing up to the table saying, Can you help me? I am 94 and have difficulty cleaning my aid! "It takes all sorts to make a world. I hope to remain part of it as long as I can get about.."

LINK

Surviving Deafness (Part 2)

The concluding part reflecting on groups/technology.... Both the NADP and Hearing Concern, (an historical aside and remnant of AD representations), now have 'Deaf' weeks, unheard of in my time, they would just have told deaf to go back to their clubs or wherever the came from....but mostly would have stood either side of the street glaring at each other.....now realise if you add 'culture' on the end of things it's as good as an extra few quid funding in the bank so to speak. The circle is pretty much squared in communication terms, we aren't Hearing Impaired any more, we've all gone deaf, (but only biologically via minus db terminological reference), and discovered you really do have to talk to the hand.

The ultimate insult presumably is wearing odd gloves when you do.... or worse wearing them on the wrong hand to deliberately confuse. Golden oldies can well remember when all we had to show if we thought people offensive, is get angry if they shouted "good luck !' to us. Gone are those happy and carefree days when you could respond to that age-old question “can you tell me the time ?”, with “I feel fine”, they expect the complete bloody timetable, and a short lecture on Understanding Deafhood now.

How well I recall the heady days, when we had our hands smacked for trying the finger-spelling alphabet by our LR teachers, and there were 5 vowels on the 5 fingers A, E, I, O, U, I could only manage E, and I, and it got me in no end of trouble. Lip-reading teachers insisted we seek and master the holy grail of lip-reading, i.e. the Manchester speed lip-reading test, in the vain hope at least ONE individual in the UK can do it, (It was probably an in-joke or bet, because no one ever did), or, if we were heading toward elderly status, and couldn't hack it, were politely told the door was thataway, "Don't slow the rest down dear, go find a social worker, another 50 db's, slit your wrists outside, and find someone else to annoy." All hanging offences these days of course, where a full knowledge of BSL, and a BSc in awareness of 19thc Milan is a must, or they make you sign/"sing a rainbow.." until you throw up. Why, are all lip-reading teachers hearing ? or all students ? Hardly role modeling is it ? do as I say not as I do... If you see it, read it, if you read it, see it, but I couldn't hear or lip-read it...

We mustn't forget the loop, which was the most useless invention since the triangular spokeless wheel, on canoes, a device guaranteed to isolate you from everyone else if the hearing loss and all else failed to do it. Few people except a bunch of research scientists sworn to secrecy, knew in fact they had no ON switch, they were a technological placebo invented by business/commerce so they could overcharge you when you couldn't hear what the price of goods was at the counter, switching to the T position was just painful, and got me no end of stares at Tesco's, so if anyone wants 15 tins of sardines in brine, at the knock-down price of £2.50p a tin.... The laugh bottom line, is no-one ever plugs them in, and they are put behind plate glass, and people shout at you instead.

I gather Loops can double up as conversation pieces, but fashion has changed according to Flog it, and you'd be lucky to get VAT back these days, unless you have the 1956 de-lux copper one in it's box. We got Minicoms too, OK, if you couldn't type, had arthritis, or never had a telephone line, it slowed use down a bit, but weren't they fun, when someone picked up at other end, and said "Is this a wind up or what ?", or “Feck Off”, and hung up again, or more interesting still, some ancient octogenarian on life support responded "hello dearie would you like a good time...?". Have Zimmer, will travel.... Of course many of you may have missed that because there was no-one at the other end with a Minicom most of the time, or you couldn't hear them anyway, so it was rather a novelty and elitist pursuit open to only a select few. The rest had to wait for the price to go down.



For the first few years, SKSK was so much fun to type, I could never understand the hyper-driven [sdghjlfsdjhsdhj dfhjh ** %%% %%! ghhhh], and GA just didn't cut it, if you typed it twice you got funny replies, or fans writing in thinking you are an badly dressed pop singer, who has been dragged through a hedge, and then some.......... I put mine on auto-dial and talked to myself for 6 months, which was great fun, and I was able to learn serbo-croat as a third language as a result, but then I got bored.

You had Typetalk too, a HoH relay thing, which was fine if you had a few days/hours spare to make a 2 minute call and like a challenge but..... If you're REALLY at a loose end, try calling a utility company via TTY, and marvel as the TTY operator blows her top, while going through the press 1 for this, 2 for that 3 for Lola, or 4, for an enema, while trying desperately to figure out why Vivaldi is deemed our favourite composer, we thanked god he only did 4 seasons, and didn't do the enigma variations too...

We could have had Holst and been there for years, or even had Wagner and set ourselves up for the duration. UK record so far, is about 7 hours 36 minutes 41 seconds to ask for a bill update from the Scottish gas board, unless YOU, know different. We could compile a top 10 of useless phone numbers, I'll start with 999, my bank, and my GP's. We watched TV, saw 'Miracle' hearing and 'invisible' hearing adverts, mine was invisible for sure, an electron microscope would never have found it, or a team of bloodhounds, that WOULD have been a miracle. Hidden aids were all the rage, although you had to be careful when having candle wax removed from your ear, or you blew your nose, or you lost it, and it was all yours for just £6,000, and your first two children, or you could buy an imitation ear trumpet for about £15 and 4 tins of beans, and get money off your next prescription for Valium. Neither provided more than an odd decibel here or there, but hey, who is counting anyway ?

You could also get pretty colours on them, or stickers on them saying "I'm deaf", "Fly Colchester airlines", "Whistle if you're HI", or "My other aid is crap too...." on them. The more savvy aid users now sell advertising space and are coining it in for Bob Martins cat worming powder. The ads we saw on TV were by rather dubious, mostly creepy and heavily moustached male presenters, nobody would want to meet on a dark night, probably extras from Dracula the Undead, or I Married a Zombie from Kircaldy, filling in time between movies, working in focus groups, and awaiting transfusions of Ribena. We had no idea what they said because the ads were never captioned or signed....

Wearing an hearing aid became cool, and an underground thing as a result..... "Look ! no-one will know you are wearing an aid !" No, they just think you are stupid mostly talking at cross purposes to everyone else...

Aficionado's of these ads, will notice they have diversified into flogging Stanner chair-lift flight plans, double glazed spectacles, and DIY BAHA assembly online now. Today we have all the biz, BAHA's, CI's, Digital Aids (postcode permitting), but most of us still live in dread the batteries will give up the ghost, that, or we'd be permenantly tuned in to Channel 5, a fate far worse than death, and our heads will start leaking all over the place, but there were bound to be other side effects apart from listening to Radio 6 through your teeth, and finding you are now able to microwave beefburgers in your mouth.

I've gone deaf now, so I just plug the aid in, turn it on full blast, and find it's an excellent cat/dog deterrent, my roses have gone from strength to strength since, I can recommend the Bosch model T-BE63, without reservations, next door's cat has cleared 2 and a half metres with it.

I was given a mobile for Xmas, unfortunately with my eyes, galloping arthritis, and size 10 fingers, I couldn't see it, let alone use it, still, the colour is nice, so they tell me, although last time I saw that colour was in 1987, after 15 Lagers, and a very nasty vindaloo surprise, talk about ring of fire.... The book said it texted, or did SMS, but I'm too old for all that stuff now, It's not much fun on your own anyway, and I can only just get my leg into the bath as it is. My nephew said he installed ring tones on it, because mindless and repetitive moronic bleeps and whistles are all the rage now, wish they were in mine, I could have saved on all the therapy and support when my tinnitus went to town on me. I could create a new musical format based on what I can 'hear', make a mint...

Me ? I'd rather he left the mobile or ipoo under the table leg, where it is providing a much more practical service. When it comes with a 50 inch screen, large print, a hover motor, a direct line to the hospital, and a giant keyboard, it'll come into its own, I'm sure... But it could be worse... I keep telling myself that.

Surviving Deafness (Part 1)

As a short break from my one-man attempt to reduce the deaf community in Britain to total subservience, I offer this short interlude....I speak in hushed tones, well, text quietly anyway, it is time to reveal, in true x-file format just what is going on, and hope we can still save the acquired deaf from total asssimilation. 1 in 7 people (About 9 million UK residents), have suddenly vanished without trace, one minute they were there, the next ? shazam they were gone... should we be alarmed ? Yes we should ! Over the last 10 years, those with various degrees of hearing loss and their groups, were secretly being sidelined by an explosion of political correctness, and an upsurge of hearing loss now attributed to, and fully described as, a deaf cultural status. So if you never quite managed losing 90 or 100% of your hearing, never learnt sign-language, thought deaf clubs were something to do with hearing impaired golfing, you suddenly found you were an unsuspecting victim of a world-wide major identity theft scam.

Somewhere in far flung remote areas of the UK someone profoundly deaf is passing themselves off as you, feeding your cat mustard, and claiming your battery allowance. The positive side, is that for those of us who for years suffered with those cliquey, and chintz-framed, legendary 2 hour classes secreted away in pokey rooms hidden in some 3rd age block, where history, salsa, thermonuclear dynamics, and flower arranging ruled, while putting up with whistling aids, and enduring twee middle-class, lip tutors and who extolled the virtues of BT's latest and mostly useless and expensive telephones, (the immortal HI Tupperware parties), can now rest uneasy, that is all in the past.

I mean, there's hardly any Lip reading classes any more since sign language replaced it as a viable communication option, despite less than 10 people ever being dependent on it, and it's not as if anyone near-deaf had a look in anyway is it ? Validation had to be via how much hearing you had. You could buy anti-tinnitus tapes, of whales doing something pretty revolting and rather noisily under the sea, but I always failed to see the point being deaf, I can't swim all that well, and all that salt can't be any good for your blood pressure can it ?

Where have these 9 million gone ? It's like the entire population of London has done a bunk, no bad thing in the scheme of things as most are not understanding English anyway but... Have Martians landed and replaced us all with deaf clones, like some latter day invasion of the body snatchers ? I should point out anyone reading who HASN'T understood the (D)eaf or (d)eaf terminology, better get with it, before some European directive, or ill-defined equality law, forces you to wear concrete ear muffs under pain of death, and you are forced to take intensive tution in fish speak...

We've all got rights and things now, not better hearing, not proper communication classes, not access to the social support services, and not even workers being trained for your issue, while all of mainstream seems determined to practice their favourite windmill or goldfish impressions on you, but damn, we got rights, just like the Americans, (mostly to stay silent....... as if we didn't do that anyway), so what's changed ? we can't complain any more, it's not politically correct to do this, as it indicates (A) You can't cope, (B) You're a right moaner, or even (C) Casting doubt on the cultural aspirations of the dedicated sign user, who has announced to the entire universe hearing loss no longer exists, and it's all been replaced by Beethoven conventions, Milan nights, the Trivial pursuiters on Facebook, and the Twittering masses, whose language is clearly alien in origin.... I defy anyone to translate it so it makes sense....

Catholic church in Ireland has "Lost all credibility"

Williams criticises Irish Catholic Church 'credibility'

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost "all credibility" over the way it had dealt with paedophile priests. Rowan Williams said the problems, which had been a "colossal trauma" for the Church affected the wider public. The interview will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Start the Week programme. BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said Dr Williams' words represents unusually damning criticism from the leader of another Church. It is the first time Dr Williams had spoken about the scandal.

More foot in mouth comments from Rome

Criticism of child abusers is anti-Semitism ? We have a German from Hitler youth complaining about that ?