Is Support killing off the deaf advance ?

No support please, no interpreters, no mentors, no social workers, get me effective communication instead....I'm deaf not helpless... As someone pointed out on this blog, using an interpreter, or a friend, or family to assist, is near always seen as dependency, and the deaf having 'problems'. Deaf called it empowerment, in an attempt to divert the view back toward the individual, but only they see empowerment for what it is, the whole care system is still defined as 'support'. It's a killer definition, as it doesn't recognise empowerment as a viable issue.

The use of social workers, mentors, charitable support set-ups, even rights and equality campaigns, all just seem to add to the mainstream view, of dependency on others, and people with real issues, deaf lose little time stating the difficulties they face and what they need from society, it's an ongoing message. But they forgot to state the access, the enablements, the equalities, are an empowering thing.... In the drive for less discrimations and more recognistions of need, you just concrete the view mainstream has, it's a no-win situation.

You will get Employers who baulk at the thought of employing deaf people, again because they may see deaf people require communication equipment, or assistance in other work areas, appear 'limited' in what jobs are really viable to them, 'Anything that requires hearing is no use to deaf' approach, or the deaf creating mayhem because a degree of hearing may be essential for some jobs.... "I am an employer not a damned social service !" That response rang in what was left of my hearing many years ago when I applied for one job.

So much for trying to present as you are, I did that because 9 out of 10 employers would not entertain me for a viable job if I turned up WITH support, they assumed I wouldn't be able to work without it. They were certainly unwilling to foot any equipment bill, I was supposed to be helping them make money, not them expected to foot the support bill for the state.... Come back when you can hear....Double-Jeapordy was applying for an interview and stating you can turn up with someone to facilitate to help, an 'Dear John' letter was speedily sent to you ! I was turned down flat because I asked my sister to telephone for an interview as I hadn't the means then, again the job had immediately been taken by someone else. He can't PHONE himself !!!

The UK used to have a 'green card' system (Maybe still does for all I know !), the idea is this would ID you as disabled to the Job Centre/agencies and to employers (disability is more recognised than deaf, there is no 'deaf card'!). I asked what the hell for ? as any deaf or disabled person showing such a card to a prospective employer or putting the registration number on a CV was automatically sent a 'Dear John' letter, or told the job had already gone... It was in the forlorn hope IF they took you on, then insurances were covered. It was all academic anyway.

Can deaf shake of the dependency label and convince mainstream interpreters are just 'tools' like a telephone or something ? This is a PERSON directly between you and them. Or young deaf escorted by hearing mentors seen as not enabling the deaf young, but showing yet again the deaf cannot hack mainstream on their own ? We are told deaf culture is the only defence against almost total isolation for many, perhaps the educational systems need a re-jigging and as for deaf awareness, we lost that battle at day one.

I can show them an audiogram chart....

Deaf Student Humiliated at Durham Uni

Against the backdrop of deaf and disabled people in the UK, continuing to fail to gain funding support for further education, it seems even when you get it, the ignorance persists.

Student Rosie Watson felt humiliated and let down when her tutors failed to take into account her deafness.

Although when she began her anthropology degree course at Durham University Watson was assessed and given the help of a note-taker and a laptop, she says tutors and lecturers humiliated her and failed to take her needs into account. When she raised the issue, she was offered counselling to help her adjust to university life.

"[One tutor] tapped on the loop [of her hearing aid system] and shouted down it "Rosie can you hear me, Rosie" and I was made to feel humiliated, especially when other students laughed at this," Watson says. "I asked the tutor if she realised just how upsetting that had been for me; her reaction was to say that she always shouted 'because her grandmother is old'.

"She went on to say 'Read my lips'. [It is] offensive to be made to feel that I am an old person and in some way slow in my learning, rather then just somebody who is hearing impaired."

He said...She said

It had to happen, deaf wanting in to trivial pursuit media-style lol... The most unwanted form of daytime TV shows now coming to a deaf channel near YOU. (Pity there is no-one remotely interesting in the deaf area they can cover here !). We could have Paddy Ladd roller-skating or something, telling us his favourite recipes, discussing the pros and cons of carrying that beard around...

Take me to your deaf leader..

Reading Holism, and his discussion on the representations of culture and deaf people via deafhoods, and its restrictive practices, I'd like to suggest that the best leaders of any community of the deaf, are those who can leave their 'baggage' behind them and adapt to changing circumstances.

I felt most of the current crop of deaf leadership, a sorry bunch really from the cultural aspect, have instead consolidated and celebrated the differences to the point of self-exclusion becoming the main point of it. It is obviously done because they believe culture will die unless 'protected' from everything else. This goes against history, and the lessons that were learnt here in Wales, a country and culture many British deaf say are similar to the deaf in defending culture from oblivion.

From the 15thc onwards English domination of language and laws, pushed Welsh language ever backwards, English inter-married with deaf and then ensured English was the primary means of communication spoken. English set up schools and banned Welsh being used, Welsh children that spoke the language were objects of ridicule, and made to wear wooden notices around their neck to identify themselevs as the ignorant Welsh, the welsh 'NOT'.

Now that is a real determination to erase a culture and language in action. Not assimilation, total erasure. Come back to 2010, the welsh language is still extant albeit only 3% now speak it daily, we have changed laws to still include welsh being taught and bi-lingual integration is the norm. It shows us the only real way to protect and nurture culture is to widen the appeal of it.... Integrate it into the whole, it's real inclusion....

Observe.....

Darllen Holism, ac yn ei drafodaeth ar y sylwadau o ddiwylliant a phobl fyddar trwy deafhoods, ac yn ei arferion cyfyngol, Id 'cyffelyb i awgrymu bod y arweinwyr gorau o unrhyw gymuned y byddar, y rhai sy'n gallu gadael eu' bagiau 'y tu ôl iddynt ac addasu i amgylchiadau sy'n newid.

Yr wyf yn teimlo y rhan fwyaf o'r cnwd presennol o arweinyddiaeth fyddar, bagad Mae'n ddrwg iawn o safbwynt diwylliannol, hytrach, cyfunol a dathlu gwahaniaethau at y pwynt o hunan-waharddiad yn dod yn brif bwynt ohono. Mae'n cael ei wneud yn amlwg oherwydd eu bod yn credu y bydd diwylliant marw oni bai 'gwarchod' o bopeth arall. Mae hyn yn mynd yn erbyn hanes, ac yn y gwersi a ddysgwyd yma yng Nghymru, gwlad a diwylliant byddar llawer Prydain yn dweud yn debyg i'r byddar yn amddiffyn diwylliant o ebargofiant.

O'r 15thc ymlaen arglwyddiaeth Saesneg o iaith a deddfau, gwthio Cymraeg erioed yn ôl, Saesneg rhyng-briod gyda fyddar ac yna sicrhau Saesneg oedd prif ddull o gyfathrebu ar lafar. Saesneg sefydlu ysgolion a gwahardd Cymru yn cael ei ddefnyddio, mae plant Cymru fod yn siarad yr iaith yn gwrthrychau o gwawd, a wnaed i wisgo hysbysiadau pren o amgylch eu gwddf i nodi themselevs fel Cymry anwybodus y, y cymraeg 'NID'.

Nawr bod yn penderfyniad gwirioneddol i ddilea diwylliant ac iaith yn gweithredu. Nid cymathu, cyfanswm ddilead. Dewch yn ôl i 2010, yr iaith Cymraeg yn dal i fodoli er dim ond 3% bellach yn siarad iot bob dydd, rydym wedi newid cyfreithiau i yn dal i gynnwys beingtaught Cymraeg a dwyieithog yn y norm. Mae'n dangos i ni yr unig ffordd gwirioneddol i warchod a meithrin diwylliant yw ehangu apêl ei .... Integreiddio 'i i mewn y cyfan, mae'n wir gynnwys ....

The language and culture has survived, yes it is still under attack, but we kept it going for 700 years despite opposition, it wasn't by fighting with our backs to the wall, if we had done that, we would have been annihilated, as it is welsh culture and language is still here, still thriving, and we are bi-lingual without sacrificing everything. The aim is preservation, not taking on the opposition direct. Given most of us are not linked to any cultural background it is utter folly for cultural deaf to alienate us. You bend with the wind, or get blown away. It's not enough to ensure a language/culture is 'protected' you have to spread the word, encourage future generations to keep it. Given 98% of all deaf come from 'hearing' families, the way awareness is done today is ensuring wholesale queuing up for cures....

I defy anyone to suggest this doesn't indicate as a welsh person, I have given up my language or culture... Adapt to survive, it's basics.

RNID capitulates to the Deaf lobby ?

Despite years of numerous attempts to block deaf opposition to the RNID policy, the RNID (R)eally (N)ot (I)nterested in the (D)eaf, has now admitted defeat, but wait a minute, it hasn't given deaf people work or any influence, but has discretely advertised for a new 'Re-Branding' of the charity to include a new name, perferably one that doesn't identify them as a deaf charity, so we win, we lose. Here is our chance to put the D BACK into RNID, if signing deaf unite to suggest a name then the RNID may be obliged to use it, we know the HI and hearing membership are too lazy to get involved, and we don't want the RNID itself to be sneaky about it.

All timed to avoid a protest planned for their 100 years anniversary ? Not that cynical surely ? We know they had attempted to undermine deaf by altering all campaigns and remit (3 times in 7 years), to HI and hearing, but they now want to cut ties that link them to real deaf people.

We had to search high and low to find it, because they didn't want deaf people seeing it and mailing their own suggestions as to what it should be, which would be a lot less flattering than a 'Royalty' approved charity for audiologists. The reason given for re-branding is said to be, "No-one recognises the RNID" does ANYONE believe that story ? The hypocrisy of inviting 'deaf' to help them, while hiding the form is atypical of what they are up to.

Type in deaf, and the google sage will put up no less than 260,000 links, it must be hard they are so unknown ! Ask anyone on the street to name a deaf charity, the RNID have that boxed up too. The real reason is they want a 'global' brand so they can put in for funding from the European area and widen it's influence, they have had years of complete opposition from UK deaf people, especially the cultural and signing sector, who had their only CEO kicked out by the hearing membership and executive there for putting the signing viewpoint, and wanting the RNID to re-focus on the deaf.

The knock-on effect of using the RNID open forum to express outrage, was wound down and then removed so people logging in to the RNID website could not see the opposition and concerns raised, e-mailing was the sole means, and they buried them and never answered, in public they stated they would re-open means for deaf to approach the issues of representation, and employment, (They pulled out of deaf support in jobs because it was unprofitable), then reneged on that too. Attempts were made to discredit the deaf as trouble makers and fellow abusers, and then kicked out 30 others who were advising people on support for no reason at all.

Still the opposition went on via deaf setting up other sites and still using other areas to push the point the RNID were still refusing to engage with deaf people.

The UK's largest deaf charity (Their claim not ours!), is now shifting the goalposts via a new name and new image, after 3 attempts to modify their website failed to impress and were criticised for being virtually impossible to negotiate. To get real information you had to use special search options, so deaf would have difficulty finding out what they were doing, they hired 6 media professionals to divert opposition away from themselves, and after deaf switched from lobbying at them, to lobbying those who gave them money. Do they think a name change will prevent that still going on ? It would only work if they removed the D.

New Name ? Will this mean they will now hand over the £10m they took for advancing the deaf ? They are not that Accommodating ! Suggestions for a new name please, no obscenity lol... Perhaprs the RNIPDI would be more accurate The Royal National Institute for the prevention of Deaf Involvement...

The note-taker Diaries (1)

Some real insight, into E-notetaking and the often unknown sense of humour some operators often flying in the face of political correctness, have displayed with us deaf clients.... The names have been changed, I kid you not, the rest is absolutely true, I have the transcript !

S&T Note-Taking Systems 2010......
Venue Clindale L Centre, Date: 26/2/10 "Care and Access Consultation Meeting"
In Attendance.. Ms B Kelly, Mrs C Johnson, Mr H Edwardson, Mr M Melow, Mrs T Winner, Mrs K Lewis (Chair), Ms S Barkworth, Mr L Downey, Ms N Brooke (Sensory support)..

Client M.Melow Ref: 253......

Time Start: 11:03am...

Op: HI ! my name is Nicola Brooke, I am your text operator for today..... can you check the font/size and readability before we start ? thank you..... It's OK, thank you.... (they are now starting I think, will we finish for dinner ? I'm starving...)...

Mrs Lewis (Chair).. Thank you all for coming here today, I'd like to start by asking each of you to state your Interest, and name for the record.... (God she wants a love in or something, I'm not white-water rafting for anyone lol...)...

Ms Kelly.. Hi my name is Barbara Kelly, I am a social worker with the S.I. team at Clinsdale Central Offices....(S.I. ? Oh right Sensory-Impaired ! I thought you were deaf ?)...

Mr Edwardson.. Hello my name is Harry Edwardson, (And his starter for 10 is...), I am senior Nurse at A&E at Clindale General...(Oooh wouldn't mind him giving me a bed bath lol...)

Mr Melow ?... (You're ON !)..... My name is Melow (With one 'l'), I represent a deaf interest, and report back to the local deaf community on access issues, hopefully a bit more positive this time...!

Mrs Johnson... erm yes....I am Celia Johnson, patient liason Officer at Clindale Hospital, it is my job to assist patients with impairments who attend the hospital. (I've met her, she's a right cow, good job she shaved today, she could have goose-stepped in, hahaha!).....

Mrs Winner..... My name is Tammy Winner... (Stand-by-your beds tralala lol !!), I am with friends of the hospital at Clindale general... (Perhaps the only way she can GET friends)...

Mrs Barkworth... (her bite is worse than her jobisworth lol).....My name is Shelia Barkworth, I am here on behalf of the PCT (She's having a day off at the tax-payers expense, she'd attend a fridge opening.....). PCT ? sorry.... Primary Care Trust I think...).

Mr Downey... My name is Laurence Downey.... I am with help the aged... (He looks it doesn't he ?), and sometimes help out with Friends of the Hospital (He wants to stay near, in case he needs it..)
------------------------------------------------
Mrs Lewis... Thank you all, the purpose of the meeting is to explore ways of improving the patient experience at the hospital, (Bloody awful if my experience is anything to go by, it's like a slaughter house, driven by an 4 hour per yard conveyor belt), and to lessen any anxieties/issues they may be getting.... (Probably with her clothes sense ! where DID she get those shoes ?)....This will all then be fed back to the relevant interests....Celia ? perhaps you can start off ?

CJ.....As patient liason officer it is my job to facilitate the patients and families with issues, and as Mr Melow is here, may I immediately start by stating we do everything we can to help the deaf access the hospital, and support their families, we provide a dedicated line/fax, and any enquiries re patient progress/appointments we can pass on for them, as we don't provide Interpreters for every patient, it's not financially viable, but we actively encourage families to assist as per the patient preferences.. Mr Melow has used the fax himself, and it worked OK ..yes ? Question Mr Melow ?

MM... My apologies for interrupting you, I think it is important to clarify the fax is only manned between the hours of 10am-3pm and Monday to Fridays only, this leaves us unable to call out of hours, or even weekends... Much as deaf people do not want to put the Hospital out , we cannot just be ill between those hours....

CJ... Often it is not responded to if we are out of the office, we are busy and short staffed... it has a recorded message system...

MM... It assumes all deaf people have a fax ...It would perhaps assist if the Hospital website printed the number too....perhaps a mobile/SMS contact would also be a help ? or even e-mailing ? deaf can utilise that too.. perhaps through the hospital site ?

CJ... Can't a hearing relative call instead ? The hospital has provided a line, a bit of give and take I think...

MM.... Hardly ! asking hearing relatives would negate the point of a dedicated deaf accessible line,which is to provide US with the means to call..... As I understand, the Hospital did NOT pay either for the fax machine or line access, I'm sure Tammy will confirm the money was raised by them at my own request, after the PCT stated they had no money for this, running costs are raised via raffles and such and they are still paying the bill NOT The hospital.

Why is our access subject to charity ? If they cannot keep raising the money, our access will be gone again, it is a legal right after all, and the PCT should be covering that cost itself surely ?

Deaf Hate Crime ? PROVE IT !

This is an page from an UK (Home Office), official publication. Note no contact for the deaf, either via signed access, or effective contact, note also no mention of deaf as vulnerable to hate crime.

Read these:

WHY do you hate me ?
Hate Crime against the deaf-blind.

I've had real hate crime, (Not the fancy Schroeder academic and audistic kind but...), moved home twice to avoid it, the police could at the very least only act if I was physically hurt, it would even then, only be assault not deaf hate, there was no way to bring an action for constant harrassments, there was no actual way to prove it, as protagonists used the "He can't hear, I didn't say or do that..." We are damned by the fact we are deaf. Even the police doubted your word and said a court case would not be viable, they would see your obvious deafness and give the abuser the benefit of doubt.

What deaf person can prove he can understand every word someone else says ? Perfect lip-reading ? the abusers won't all be doing abuse to you via sign ! They make you doubt yourself at very base level. They know your weakness is communication. Keep records ? I did that too, compiled an almost daily record of street abuse as I went to the local shops, and even when youths stood outside my door throwing things at my house (In full view of neighbours who did nothing), and shouted me to 'Come outside dumbo', so they could attack me..

The police advised CCTV, kids climbed up my wall with a neighbour donating a ladder (!) and smashed it off in 14 hours, neighbours said they did it because I was 'spying' on them, yet the camera was positioned to cover only my front door and the service supply meters mounted outside, because youths had smashed the covers to turn my gas and electric off all hours., some of them tried to start a fire in the gas meter.... At that point a local paper stepped in and published the abuse on the front page, again no case was brought, what DO you have to do to prove hate crime against deaf ? If an legal action was considered it would only be that 'harassment', it would NOT be listed as 'deaf hate crime', there is no legal precedent set to define deaf people as having specific 'hate' aimed at them, it all comes under 'disability'. Deaf lost the deaf versus disability argument long ago. The page from the official publication makes no mention of deaf people.

Hate crime is on the legal statute, but deaf isn't. It's interesting your American statistics cover disability 'hate crime' I know of NO case ever being brought for specific crimes against deaf people. Carl Schroeder can pontificate the academics of it all he likes, you won't convince the system, deaf are not believed BECAUSE they are deaf (Is there some conundrum here !). I was only believed when bad neighbours tried to target my vulnerable autistic son, claiming he injured them with stones, the police turned up only to find we weren't there and were on holiday and had been the entire time of the alleged 'assault'.

Harassment was again ignored when the police took neighbours to task, unprovable ! The equal rights group in the UK, and despite the law existing for a few years already, doesn't understand HOW to bring an effective case to specific disabled areas, they are still consulting on HOW to get systems/police to LIST crime against disabled as 'Hate'. Just because someone mugs you e.g. that is not hate crime. Just because someone constantly vandalises your home, is not 'hate' crime either, it is clearly based on harrassments and because I am deaf, but it is still NOT hate crime legally. You can't prove it. You may prove the damage, NOT The reason it occurred.. Is this why Carl Schroeder and others want to use culture as a a specific criteria ?

Equality means ALL 'crimes' are treated the same, whether you are deaf, disabled or none of the above. Or is it ? Many cases are successful brought against homophobic crime, Race/colour, and even illegal migrants are reported as victims of hate crime on a regular basis, few if any of disabled crime, (Which includes the deaf), have ever reached court. Deaf and other disabled have no way of effectively reporting it, or know how to, the official guidelines ignored the deaf on a very basic access level, so how COULD they report it ?

The running joke is if we want to report hate crime against deaf first we tell the police we are black, or one-armed, migrant, homosexuals.... the police and human rights groups would then que up at the door to help us.

Oh Dear....

This youtube video describes how speech to text translation is done, what a pity they used youtube captioning instead, watch it for a laugh.... (why didn't THEY provide the access lol......) Go to youtube to select the 'CC' set up. An entirely inaccessible video from the access people.....

Hartlepool Council invest in Sign Video access

A COUNCIL has become the first in the region to use new technology to help staff communicate with deaf people. Amazingly deaf there had to wait two weeks before they could talk to their local authority, because an interpreter had to be hired first.

Hartlepool Borough Council has become the first local authority in North East England to invest in the state-of-the-art 'SignVideo' system.

It uses a special videophone at the Hartlepool Connect customer service area in the Civic Centre where deaf residents and council staff can communicate with each other through a live television link with a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

The service overcomes the cost and time delays that currently prevent sign language users from dealing with simple issues – such as applying for a resident's parking permit, meeting a benefits adviser or making an appointment with a social worker – while at the same time guaranteeing a high-quality interpreter.

Julie Howard, Hartlepool Connect manager, said: "We are absolutely committed to making our services as accessible as possible for everyone and we are very proud to be the first council in the North-East to provide the SignVideo service.

"Although several members of the Hartlepool Connect staff are trained in basic sign language skills, when we have received more detailed enquiries from deaf people in the past, we have had to arrange for a BSL interpreter to come to the Civic Centre, which can mean up to a two-week wait.

Link.

Elementary Deafhood...

The deaf sherlock, responded to Mike McConell, under attack for 'Taking on Deafhood', I'd like to offer some response as also somone very much against deafhood idealogies.. As I read it it, Mike is not angry with deaf PEOPLE or ASL, or even culture if it comes to that, but is obviously much against the idealogy of deafhood itself. So am I, and I am sure Mike can speak for himself. As someone who has experienced hate crime first hand, (they are well documented), I find the term audism banded about everywhere totally misused and abused in the context of this 'deafhood', it is probably due to the inability of Dr Ladd to explain himself properly, more likely it is the distortion of what he wrote by American deaf.

We know Dr Ladd was playing to that fear within most deaf people, regardless if 'Deaf' or 'deaf' or whatever, in that communication is an issue and is very isolating. Most deaf say "Why me ?" I am sad he used that means to sell his book. It must have occured to Dr Ladd, the 'everyone is against me' sector minority within the deaf would seize upon his opus as 'proof' they were always right, and the flagging 'Deaf' awareness was in imminent view of going the way of the Dodo. It validated that paranoia amongst some, who saw deafhood as a virtue and saving of culture. We have a signed dictionary, we have a deaf history of sorts,we have deaf academics, (Mostly those from the oral backgrounds they despise so much), but we don't have a community much any more that would hold it together.

My Background is I married a deaf partner from the cultural community, I sign, like yourself not brilliant but can hold my own mostly. I am almost totally oral because that is my background, I've attended deaf clubs for 23 years...it's ridiculous anyone should feel that background is bad for deaf people or the deaf image. Whatever that image was, dissapeared 25 years or more ago. There are young deaf today, who are shaking their head, and wondering 'What ARE they on about ?"

Mike also pointed out a factor that was highly relevant, communications have CHANGED, the community has CHANGED, you'll have to go far to see better examples of good ENGLISH too. What we see online mostly are people who would rather a return to the status quo of many years ago, whene there was the deaf club, deaf meet thing, and hearing were an irrelevance mostly. The earlier days of internet usage quickly showed them they had a fight on their hands as more and more got engaged with it, and fought against deaf-only sites. A fight still going on today.

Deaf studies currently has more hearing than any deaf involved in it. They aren't however using that knowledge to further the cultural advance at all. I have to say, I find it a little unsettling you are suggesting Mike needs counselling because he is against deafhood. If that was true, that would mean many thousands of cultural deaf would need it too. Probably most of Britain's deaf for a start, as we have no system set up for pursuing the finer points of it at all. Our premier deaf program asked deaf about audism and deafhood, and could not find rank and file deaf who knew what they were talking about..

Deafhood appears to have an online 'life' but exists rarely anywhere else. Dr Ladd on a recent BSLTV 'show' admitted Brits were not interested in what he had to say, we're a much harder nut to crack than the Americans ! In my last blog I pointed out he should dissociate himself from deafhood extremism and, the Americanisation of his understanding deafhood opus, which has taken the fear factor he used and the terminology he invented and quoted from elsewhere, to back it up, to regail against anyone who opposed, and the focus of dissent although targetting hearing as public enemy number one, the dreaded 'Oralists', has in fact been used to mostly target fellow deaf who questioned the point of it.

We are talking of a minority within a minority of deaf extremism using the deafhood thing as a blunt tool to forward the cultural message against all comers, because the system of cultural awareness and communications has mostly failed to convince anyone we need isolation as a means of preserving deaf culture, and to understand the school system is diminishing, It is down to 31 here from over a 100, 20 years ago, ACCESS has created that change.. Americans recognise schools for the deaf were the central areas of cultural advance. Whether it can be sustained socially online, I would disagree, and is surely a topic for discussion here too with the pointless facebooks and twitter approaches to culture, and since the sector has attempted to develop 'enclaves' of cultural purity to keep most out.

Dr Ladd in suggesting main streaming is just a means to erase sign and culture and introduce robotic deaf who must speak, is so far from the reality it is not worth me wasting my time trying to correct it. I think rather than Mike apologising to the extremist deafhood view, he should take them more to task for the many divisions deafhood has created amongst deaf people of all types. Hearing can stay well out of it, I am sure they are more than happy to ! What they must think of the 'hate' appearing to emanate FROM deaf toward each other, is more and more apparent every day.

Deafhood is based on fear, and on exclusivity, you either face up to your fear or it takes you over and isolates you and prevents you from moving forward. Do you think culture can advance at all in carefully selected and highly regulated and repressively-moderated 'Deaf' areas ? pardon me if I think in 2010 it has little hope of any success. I think perhaps you could apologise to Mike. Disagree by all means, I'm sure anyone would welcome your point of view, you don't need to suggest there is some 'mental' thing going on or anger management is needed.

That would be 'Audistic' and certainly disrespectful of a fellow deaf person, under the deafhood credo actually, most deaf I know get angry, it is part and parcel of poor communications, caused mainly by frustrations, it's a clinical fact too, so would apply to most of us. Deafhood driven by a minority within culture cannot work. Unless we are all included and involved it just divides. I thought people emigrated to the USA to get away from all that..... The definitions of a culture would seem to be in flux at this time. Back to the future was a movie, but it cannot be the basis of a new deaf reality.

In Defence of Deafhood..

Before world war three commences and deaf/Deaf/hearing are pitched into an endless and un-winnable battle.. as me old mate Berty Russell used to say, "Nobody minds a war once in a while if it doesn't last too long, and isn't in our neighbourhood, but it tends to annoy people...."

Now look here people, if someone wants to make a cult from a disability it's their RIGHT, OK ? It's not as if our deaf world has a plethora of inspired academics writing about about how spiritual and historical never hearing actually is, we had to have some answer to Beethoven. Put yourself in the deaf place, we don't hear things, which rather takes the fun out of Classical or popular music (OK not ALL popular music), and we can't just walk up to hearing people and pass the time of day like everyone else, without responding half past two, and how-de-doo most of the time.

We are constantly under attack from the Audists, and I have to level some criticism at Mr McConnell (Sorry Mike in the interests of fair play), if they want to raise an army of deafies to take you to task, that is their right too, albeit I see some issues when the shooting starts, as they might miss the 'DUCK!' warning and it tends to limit offensives somewhat, (I noticed political correctness doesn't seem to apply either), I have this image of a thousand marching deafies aka Chairman Mao all waving their copies of Dr Ladd's 'red book' at us, and then taking over the deaf world inoctrinating us all with more isms and ologies than you can swing a deaf cat toward...

Special classes in understanding why there is a need to destroy equality in the greater cause of protecting 'Hoodism', and why one-armed deafies only get half the message, while banning bionic arms as communication and cultural cruelty.. (With dispensation for the Brits as they tend to use two hands more than the Americans do), we went stereo some years ago... Without the red book of deafness, we would have no discourse at all really, people would accept each other, not notice if you had an implant, would not really care if you spoke or used your hands at all, and never worried, that you never attended the University of Extreme deaf views at Gallaudet, which has spawned more terminology, than Shakespeare, albeit heavier on the English, and much more waffle. I thought English wasn't their bag, but I don't want to nit-pick.

No opposition to CI's ? or even Genetics !! where would deaf.read get input ? there is no mileage in deaf awareness....Deaf-only signing areas ? why suggest they are counter-productive ? where would we have any basis to suggest they want to be alone if they went ? Have a care Mr (Dr?) McConnell, (Have to keep this respect thing going)...I put it this equality nonsense you keep suggesting, is the thin end of a very large wedge which would make deafness really boring, do you want us to be equal to everyone else ? I suggest you would get opposition to this view....Unity is a double edged sword, whatever next ? You would have us all singing the Coca-cola classics ? Walk a mile in their shoes (I recommend 3 or 4 really in the opposite direction)....

Why Mainstreaming is good for you..

Surely one deaf person who did that has had HUGE successes in the deaf and hearing world, so why did he bite the hand that fed ? Was Dr Ladd indoctrinated by extremism at Gallaudet ? To clear up the disrespect I am accused of in referring 'Dr' Ladd as a mere Mr, I Offer the background as per official purposes. Of course 'Dr' Ladd is an renowned academic and intelligent man, even if a few of us are in disagreement Understanding Deafhood was an advance deaf-wise.

I would also like to add that Deaf Studies (Covered at some length at deaf.read recently via the UK), is not an UK included necessary qualification for:

(A) Being a deaf teacher.
(B) Being a Deaf social worker.
(C) Being an BSL sign-language interpreter.

It is an academic pursuit.

Biography:

Dr Paddy Ladd was born Deaf and mainstreamed. Once he found his way to
the Deaf community at age 22, he then worked with Deaf young people and their families. On seeing the damage done to them all by Oralism, he then helped to found the radical Deaf group, NUD.

The NUD's successes included winning TV programmes in BSL and changing Deaf education towards bilingualism, along with the work of the BDA. He then worked on that TV programme for 3 years as presenter, researcher and director, before finding it impossible to get Deaf views across to so many hearing people entrenched in higher positions. He then founded the London Deaf Video Project for Deaf people to develop their own filming skills and to establish the idea of using BSL videos as a way to translate Govt information. After this, he decided to switch to researching Deaf culture because the concept needed some serious work to develop it into a genuine academic and political tool.

He held the Doctor Chair in Deaf Studies at Gallaudet from 1992-3 as part of this process, and obtained his PhD in 1999, and is now trying to find ways to earn a living!! He was also a founder member of the FDP, the successor to the NUD, in 1998, devised the Blue Ribbon ceremony at WFD 1999 and has also written many articles and signed songs. The latter is his passion, but Deaf work still keeps him from being able to develop this.


If mainstreaming is so bad for the deaf, then this certainly did no hurt Dr Ladd any.

Inside the Velvet Prison of Deafhood...

Kokonut Pundits recent blog raised a smile with those of us, mostly at despair at the ever-decreasing circles this deafhood is taking many. Really speaking we should be aiming our concerns and such at the architect of all this misery, a Mr Paddy Ladd.

The nature of the beast, is the the philosophy such as it is, is based on ridicule and discriminations, albeit 200 years ago, and transposed to the 20-21stc, as an academic pursuit, so any humour/opposition, or satires aimed at it, re-enforces the paranoia of "everyone has it in for them".

To skin this particular cat you will need to get Mr Ladd here to face his critics, like he is going to do that. Simply him stating he does not support any sort of select or closed shop approach, and we are all in this together, would take the ground from under the extremists. However AMERICAN deaf hood is not based on the 'teachings of Mr Ladd, and the UK has no following. Like Mr Frankenstein's creation, this monster has developed a life of its own and is now evolving, into a very annoying beast!

There is no way anyone perusing his opus can associate that with the sect that has crept up around it over the last few years. It is a back to the future approach in that if discriminations didn't exist we would have to invent them or something. Deaf cultures are based on discrimination and ignorance, so obviously wider awareness, and integrations is seen as the thin end of the wedge to these 'hoodies'. Obviously to a certain sector of signing deaf you have to be a certain kind of deaf person first, ignoring obviously 50 years of advances, and the almost total fragmentations of the base that formed the original cultural concept. Can we exist without that discrimination ? of course we can, or the fight has been a waste of time.

It is sad to see, that the most vociferous supporters of deafhood, openly display issues with understanding it and have to organise areas to have it explained, it seems not to be an issue they haven't understood the basics, we must attach blame to Mr Ladd for failing to make himself clear, and introduction 20th and 21stc discriminations as something different to 19thc discriminations, ignoring at all points, many advances in support/choices, occasional using choices such as CI's etc as an direct attack on people deaf as he sees them.

Understanding deafhood was very cleverly written to appeal to the fears many deaf have, not cultural, but getting lost in the very fast pace of society change. They take deafness away, integrate deaf people, close deaf schools to enhance interactions and awareness, why, it's all an elaborate design to erase deaf culture of course.

"We want to be left alone..." NO we don't, that is the 'Velvet Prison' where all 'Deaf' things reign whilst the world carries on without deaf outside it, this prison is comfortable, the inmates don't have communication issues, then again, they have very little contact with anyone else either, but hey, bars can look the same from both sides. The excuse is society is keeping us out.. really ? or if society opens the door to let deaf out, the deaf are complaining they are being marched to deaf row oblivion.

They seem to have taken the "Everyone is out to destroy deaf culture" tenet the book is based on, and using it to strengthen the fight against the fragmenting deaf community of today, which is simply natural advance. Not getting universal support for restrictive choices and options to preserve culture, they have reverted to the isolation that drove most of the issues before, except this time, it is a comforting and velveted prison developed for sole 'Deaf' use. AN elitist approach is not actually new at all, Wales uses it as well, and many other societies do to try to fight the relentless globalisation that is a real threat to individual cultures and languages, can the deaf do what other cultures could not ?

The lesson learned, was that you can only delay the inevitable, and have to be careful when they lose, that it doesn't ALL go, we learnt that integration was the only way to preserve the language and culture, NOT opposition. We should be taking Mr Ladd to task, if not for him not reading and learning that lesson. But again, it just gives credence to his view, we are all out to get him and culture again. The world is too small now Mr Ladd, why make it smaller still ? When your sector emerges, as they must, they will be swamped.

The real issue is the huge divisions it has caused, if not BY Mr Ladd, by his refusal to 'come out' and justify himself. Moral high ground ? or just a clever twisting of the facts to preserve a culture which main issue seems more to be an inability to cope with real access.

Man is God (Official)

Will they NOW try to recreate a decent ear ? It is already being described as "one of the most important scientific achievements in the history of mankind" - a new, entirely artificial life form created in a laboratory. It is not a clone, or a genetically modified organism, but a synthetic living cell. It is being hailed as a huge scientific step, but some are saying it is a step too far. The cell was created in the laboratory of American scientist Dr Craig Venter, who told Newsnight that it was a breakthrough that would benefit humanity.

More:

"Deaf will Marry Deaf and have deaf babies.."

Mock trial deals with issues for the deaf in Kansas, (Oz it aint..). Are we really all going to marry other deaf and have deaf children ? Statistics do not bear this out at all...

Kansas School for the Deaf sophomore English class, along with other secondary students hosted a "mock trial" in order to tie in with the novel, To Kill A Mocking Bird, at the Johnson County Courthouse on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010. Students at the Kansas School for the Deaf considered the issues in a case and rendered a verdict.

Kester Horn-Marsh, their English teacher, said he intentionally set up a controversial situation to teach the issues and the law.


“They’re going to marry other deaf people and many are going to have deaf babies and they’re going to face this,” he said.

The scenario Tuesday:

The mother and father of 5-year-old Brooke Harper have divorced because of irreconcilable differences, and they originally agreed the mother would decide all educational and medical issues.

Brooke attends preschool at KSD, communicates with sign language and is happy there.

Her mother is somewhat hard of hearing but speaks and does not use sign language. She got Brooke cochlear implants but the child has not learned to use them and speaks poorly. The mother wants to put her into a school for hearing children so she can better learn to use the implants and function in that world.

Her father, who is deaf and uses sign language, however, wants Brooke to stay at KSD. He wants the jury to rule that he has equal say in Brooke’s education and to keep her in the deaf school.

The issues that came out Tuesday in testimony by real experts and are not easy to deal with, Horn-Marsh said. At the deaf school, students learn the curriculum and speak with sign language, he said. At oral school, “there is less time spent on core curriculum issues and more on practicing speaking issues.”

Not all those with the cochlear implants succeed in the hearing environment and can suffer problems with self confidence and identity issues, he and experts said.

Things must be decided case by case, they said.

The jurors deliberated an hour and announced a verdict for the father and for the daughter to stay at the school for the deaf. They recommended the mother learn sign language.

Alfonso Torres Jr., a ninth-grader and 15-year-old jury foreman, later gave the jury’s reasoning: “Because we are deaf and also because we live in a deaf world; we didn’t want that student to go through the pain of going to an oral school.”

Other students in the courtroom cheered the verdict.



It's why all-deaf juries are suss, the outcome in many respects would be pre-determined.

LINK

How to be deaf...

So now we know.... if he just went deaf, he learnt sign pretty quick lol..

Children Worldwide being deliberately deafened by noise...

More proof if any was needed what a noisy world we are now living in, and is creating millions of future deaf as we read. Should we e.g. take Apple to court for ipods not having volume limitations as a norm ? the UK thinks so, or TV sets with 140 db potential output, MP3 players with excessive volumes, home cinema system that exceed 160db ? remove the free for all on volume output ? Should deaf campaign to prevent children being deafened even if this challenges the right of hearing to listen as they want ? I am assuming most young people would blatantly ignore volume limitation so we would have to oppose them, indeed as stating better dead than deaf ? then queuing up for communication help at age 40...... undermining deaf support for deaf people who didn't ignore warnings... Would the deaf community welcome those who ignore warnings and go deaf by default ?

Why are manufacturers not forced to provide 'db' controls and not just unregulated and random 'volume' ones ? so we know if the output is excessive and ignoring health and safety guidelines. we know what constitutes excessive db output, but no idea what we are getting sold in equipment.

Childrens' hearing loss becomes an epidemic:

Dr Martin said children like to listen to loud music, play computer games with the volume turned up. Dubai: A disturbingly large number of children around the world are losing their hearing, and by the time they are 30, most will have the hearing capacity of a 60 year old, an expert warns.

"The epidemic of hearing loss in children is not from diseases or inherited genetically or because of trauma, but due to noise exposure," Dr William Hal Martin, professor of otolaryngology said. "It's a very noisy world we live in today and all of our toys are noisier than ever. The consequences [to our hearing] are permanent," Dr Martin, a professor of preventive medicine at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, said. Giving a preview to Gulf News of his talk, Kids and Noise, at the Zahra Hospital in Sharjah, Dr Martin said children like to listen to loud music, play computer games with the volume turned up. All this noise reduces the life of their hearing, he said.

"There are many, many types of sound exposure and much of it is because children go where their parents go to [which include] noisy activities [such] as sporting events and concerts ...." He added that one cannot ask children to stop listening to music. The issue is not to stop them, but to give guidance on what are the safe levels, what sounds are dangerous when exposed to and how to protect themselves," he said.

Dr Martin advised that everyone must learn to be aware of the sound they are exposed to, not only the volume, the loudness, but also how long they are going to be around that sound. He added that sound pressure is measured in decibels. If a sound reaches 85 decibels and over an extended period, it can permanently damage hearing. "The safe level for an iPod is 80 per cent on the volume slider. If you listen to music at that level, you can safely listen for 90 minutes a day," he said.

He added that if you cannot measure the decibels, stand next to a person at an arm's length. If you need to take out your head phones to hear him or her, then the noise level is too loud. Dr Martin said loud sound has two effects — it physically damages your ears and it can lead to an affliction called Tinnitus. "It is very debilitating. You cannot sleep. You can't sit and enjoy a book, because of the constant hissing, buzzing and ringing sounds in your ears." The doctor said Tinnitus can be cured, but in many cases there is some damage done to the ear and brain that creates that sound and cannot be treated.

Are the deaf wannabees, or being deliberately abused ?

Ovingdean Hall to close in July.

A message from Father Martin Morgan, Chairman of the Board of Governors.

"Sadly Ovingdean Hall School will be closing in July 2010. In recent years we have experienced steadily declining pupil numbers and unfortunately we are now no longer financially viable as a business. Many deaf children are now placed in mainstream schools and it has become increasingly difficult for families to persuade their local authorities to fund a place at a special school. We hoped to merge with another school but sadly these plans have fallen through.

The staff’s management team are working hard to ensure all of our current pupils are found suitable alternative placements at other deaf schools or at specialist units. As you can imagine it is a very emotional and difficult time for pupils, parents and of course all staff who will be made redundant when term finishes in July.



The site will be sold and the monies transferred to the trust. Although the school will close, the charity itself will continue as a trust which will be used to benefit deaf children and young people. If you have any questions about the trust, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01273 301 929 or email appeal@ovingdeanhall.org.uk by 16 July 2010.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our donors for their support in recent years. Our community of friends have helped us to provide our pupils with excellent care and facilities. The pupils, past and present, are a true credit to the school. Thank you very much for playing a part in their progress.

With many thanks and very best wishes

Father Martin Morgan
Chairman of the Board of Governors "

Link to past and present pupils.

For reference.

How many deaf schools now remain in the UK ?

Wales: No deaf schools
South West (England): 2.
South (England): 11 (will now be 10).
Midlands (England): 4.
North (England): 7.
Scotland: 6.
Northern Ireland: 2.

Total Now. 31.

What ARE deaf studies ?

Deaf Studies a brief explanation.

An excerpt here:

(A) "There are many jobs that deaf studies can lead into, although I must stress that having a deaf studies degree is NOT in itself a qualification for certain types of work. For example, if you want to become a teacher of the deaf or a social worker with deaf people, you would still need further professional qualifications."

(B) "A deaf studies degree gives you a knowledge of deaf people that you can take with you into your working life, and deaf studies degrees from UCLan are highly valued by employers. This is shown by the fact that several of our students have been offered jobs in their final year of study, even before they knew what level of degree they were going to be awarded. Over 90 per cent of deaf studies graduates at UCLan have found work or gone on to further study in the first year after graduating."

So initially a degree in deaf studies cannot even get you a job as a teacher to deaf people ? or a s a social worker to deaf people. Secondary, a degree is definitely and advantage as a degree, but that's all ? does the Deaf Studies degree carry any real clout outside the deaf area or is being used as a stepping stone to better jobs outside the deaf area ? We are not actually informed how many hearing people who take this degree ever work in the deaf field.

Cure for deafness nearer..... ?

Offering hope to acquired deaf.......A cure for deafness could be on the horizon after scientists created specialised ear cells in the lab. Grown in their thousands, the delicate hairs could one day be transplanted into the inner ear, restoring hearing to millions. The breakthrough comes after ten years of painstaking research.

It may also allow some balance disorders to be eased and aid the search for drugs to prevent people from becoming hard of hearing. Age-related hearing loss affects half of Britons aged 60 and over and there is currently no way of holding it at bay. Hearing aids amplify sounds but nothing can give sufferers back the hearing they once had. In the latest research at Stanford University, California, scientists perfected turning stem cells - blank cells which can turn into other cell types - into the delicate hairs found in the inner ear. ones.

The linch-pin of hearing and balance, thousands of these hairs help convert sound vibrations into nerve impulses which are decoded by the brain. Ageing, noise and general wear and tear make them wither away and, until now, there was no way of replacing them. The hairs made in the lab from mice looked and acted like the real thing, the journal Cell reports. Researcher Stefan Heller said: 'We knew it was really working when we saw them in the electron microscope. 'They looked more or less like they were taken out of the ear.'


Read more:

10 of the best

Here are ten questions to put to your interpreter/interpretress next time you see him/her. (Many thanks to the Bristol University, for supplying and validating the input).

(1) Name (A) 6 people who signed the treaty of Milan, and (B) how many were left-handed ?

(2) Describe 'Audism', who originated the term, and what the deaf community recommended we do to them ?

(3) What fundamental errors were written in Paddy Ladd's 'Understanding Deafhood' in the glossary of terms section, was it (A) Basic spelling errors? (B) Completely ignoring 85% of the deaf/HI population ? or (C) It was written as a joke....?

(4) Who are the acquired or deafened sectors ? Should we care ?

(5) Give a brief description of what 'Deafhood' actually means and who it is applicable to ?

(6) Abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée contributed what to deaf culture ?

(7) Who created the British Sign Language dictionary ? and, Why ?

(8) Which is correct (A) There are 9 million BSL users in the UK or, (B) Probably less than 5,000 regular/daily users, and the rest are of no consequence until we need their numerical clout..... ?

(9) What mode would you use to someone who does not sign ?

(10) Deaf awareness..... what is all that about ?

I'm rather concerned my regular terp is not going to know the answers to any of these questions.... do I sack her or what ?

The healing of Harvey Lillard

How a chiropractic healed a man who had been deaf 17 years. Precious ƖіttƖе іѕ known аbουt thе man whο wουƖԁ mаkе history аѕ thе first chiropractic success ѕtοrу, Mr. Harvey Lillard. AƖƖ thе information thаt іѕ recorded fοr posterity comes down frοm hіѕ benefactor аnԁ healer, Daniel Palmer, thе father οf chiropractic medicine.



Daniel Palmer.

It іѕ ѕаіԁ thаt Mr. Lillard worked аѕ a janitor іn thе general vicinity whеrе Mr. Palmer kept hіѕ office. Aѕ a manual laborer during thе time οf thе industrial revolution, іt іѕ easy tο extrapolate thаt hе engaged іn hard work thаt οftеn took рƖасе іn less thаn safe аnԁ favorable work environments.

According tο Mr. Palmer, Mr. Lillard became suddenly deaf whеn hе wаѕ working іn a small space thаt demanded аn awkward tilt οf thе back аnԁ shoulders. According tο thе janitors recollections, thеrе wаѕ a feeling οf shifting іn hіѕ back аѕ well аѕ a pop, аnԁ immediately thе mans hearing diminished tο thе point οf deafness. Fοr 17 years Mr. Lillard remained іn thіѕ state аnԁ wаѕ unable tο receive аnу relief οr cure fοr hіѕ ailment.

It fascinated Mr. Palmer tο hear thе ѕtοrу аbουt thе aggravation οf thе spine аnԁ hе assumed thаt a vertebra hаԁ slipped аnԁ perhaps pinched a nerve οr decimated thе blood flow tο areas vital tο hearing. Wіth Mr. Lillards consent, іn 1895 Mr. Palmer sought tο undo whаt hаԁ happened 17 years prior, аnԁ figured thаt іf thе vertebra wаѕ рυt back іntο рƖасе, thеn thе nerves thаt wеrе pinched οr thе blood flow thаt wаѕ diminished wουƖԁ bе restored tο normal аnԁ hearing wουƖԁ return. Upon realigning thе spine, Mr. Lillards hearing returned.

It іѕ uncertain whether Mr. Lillards hearing returned аftеr one visit tο Mr. Palmers office, οr іf іt took several. Similarly, іt іѕ nοt quite clear іf thе hearing returned suddenly аnԁ аƖƖ аt once јυѕt аѕ іt appeared tο hаνе bееn lost simultaneously wіth thе displacement οf thе vertebra during thе hard labor performed οf іf іt wаѕ a gradual process thаt took рƖасе wіth increasing measure whеn thе nerves wеrе freed frοm thе vertebra thаt hаԁ a stranglehold οn thеm. Yеt thе еnԁ result іѕ clearly undisputed.

Of course, thеrе аrе detractors tο thіѕ ѕtοrу, ѕοmе οf whοm аrе actually quite close tο thе patient himself. Yеt іn spite οf аƖƖ those whο wουƖԁ mаkе fun οf chiropractics, none wеrе quite аbƖе tο disprove thе fact thаt once Mr. Lillard wаѕ deaf, bυt аftеr being treated wіth thе means οf chiropractic manipulation οf thе spine, hіѕ hearing returned. In modern circles today thеrе іѕ ѕοmе speculation thаt thіѕ ѕtοrу mіght perhaps bе a myth οr mаԁе up ѕtοrу thаt іѕ аn amalgam οf many different healings іn whісh Mr. Palmer hаԁ a hand, bυt thus far, іt appears thаt thіѕ theory іѕ incorrect.

Aѕ аn aside, thеrе hаνе bееn studies bу those whο sought tο duplicate Mr. Palmers success wіth thе hearing impaired man, аnԁ іt wаѕ found thаt thеrе аrе actually studies οf patients whose hearing improved upon having thеіr spines manipulate.

Why I wouldn't sign the Save Deaf Studies petition.

I fully accept this will annoy and maybe infuriate some, I speak as always from an individual and acquired deaf aspect. I was reading emerging media coverage, and an increasing number of 'Save Bristol Studies' blogs, and basically thought (I've no doubt some will be annoyed by this), well, what was in it for me ? either before or, if it is saved ? If you consider each aspect of why they moot it should be saved we should perhaps dissect and exlpain it in context.

Deaf History: The studies almost totally exclude acquired deaf or hard of hearing to all exclusions but sign used. A negative from where I am standing. If it is about deaf people, then include ALL deaf people.

Sign Language: (From yesterdays medias).

"One proposal is that the Deaf Studies Centre, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, would withdraw its undergraduate degree programme, which includes British Sign Language, the social contexts of its use and awareness of deaf culture. Teaching staff would also be at risk of redundancy. Although current students would complete their studies, there would be no new undergraduates and the course would close in 2013."


Social context ? it is not social with hearing people, they don't know it. I would have to stay in the deaf area to get maximum benefit, so the context seems restrictive to me. I do not depend as a deaf person on sign use, was not born into it, have never been to a deaf school, my only link is a once-weekly attendance to a club that caters for mixed hearing loss and profound hearing loss, a proportion of whom are born deaf cultural. That was after many rejections from the dedicated cultural area because my sign was at basic learning stage. Do I support a mode and a sector that I have bare affiliations with ?

The Numbers Game: (Again taken from yesterdays' media).

"According to local groups there are about 60,000 deaf or hard of hearing people in Bristol and the surrounding area."


This is 'creative accounting' by activists. Only 70K deaf are mooted to reside in all Britain using BSL, this suggested 69K of them were at Bristol. Worse they included 69K Hard of Hearing in that, who have not signed any petition for BSL, or have been asked.

Why save Bristol ?:

"Dr Mike Gulliver, 37, a research collaborator at the university, has a PhD in deaf studies. He said: "This is a vital course. There is already a crisis in the deaf community caused by a shortage of interpreters. Every year people leave this course with those skills and, not only that, they learn the importance of the background and legacy behind deafness."


There is indeed a crisis of lack of interpreters. The jury is far from agreed the reason is lack of training or accredited courses. It is part due to considerable high fees to gain the higher requirements, few can afford, and a lack of demand from deaf people who are still using family, friends, and not creating the real demand that would lead to more terps. They defeat demand by exercising their own choice. Interpreters are also unregulated by the deaf community itself, they are free agents mostly, with a right to pick and choose who they support and how much to charge, this too has undermined demand by the system being unwilling to pay up. Trained terps cannot be sent to areas with no interpreters available, they follow the money. Unless deaf live near them, they will still struggle.

'Backgound' to deafness: Again agreed some progress has been made into that, the medical side is actually better addressed by the RNID not Bristol. Options presented for cures/alleviations are usually low prioirity by the tuition on the grounds of respecting culture, so far from unbiased. This left many thousands of deafened and acquired deaf with no access or understanding from "Deaf awareness" they teach, it's a different sector entirely. The 'legacy' taught is not historical for most of us, but mainly medical/environmental/accidental or genetic. 3 out of 4 would not be taught as vital to the part of understanding the "Deaf" because of political-cultural bias. I Accept that bias is there, and even respect some of it, but there is deaf and there is Deaf clearly.

I could sign any petition that addressed the nitty gritty of being deaf and how it would become totally acceptable for us all to campaign to get rid of it, while still respecting the born deaf view. I feel there are still some issues of deaf-centric areas, in that it tends to become cliquey and elitist in nature, even Gally is suss on this. If these BSL and cultural things wouldn't campaign/include solely on the 'Deaf' basis, and not continue to suggest we are all in on it, it might produce more support. There is no Bristol course work for the deafened alone sector, surely amongst the most deprived and misunderstood ?

When the crunch comes cultural deaf ALWAYS quote the non cultural deaf as numbers and as discriminated against, we aren't i.e. discriminated against via sign language or culture, because there is no such basis in the HoH/deaf majority. They are justly proud of how strong they are as a minority, but fully aware minorities can carry more clout by quoting other areas, which, mostly they have little time for as a rule.

I wish them luck with their campaign, but please do not suggest I or thousands of non-cultural deaf support it. The petition does not ask for deaf people to sign either, they ask for anyone to sign, even other countries, is BSL so relevant in America ? or in Australia or New Zealand ? I suggest it is the "coming together for the common good" thing, which is admirable, but how many delve into the real issues of culture versus deafness, or culture versus disability ? where most issues really lie, or can see that singular BSL studies is for the very select few. Who suffers the most from lack of access ? or support ?

I doubt Bristol knows.... does anyone ?

My view is my own, I still offer a link (Opposite), for those who prefer to sign it anyway.

The 'Silence' to get 4 day prime spot exposure on Brit TV.

The Silence.

A deaf girl witnesses a murder...

Gimmick ?

The broadcast date for Dearbhla Walsh’s latest television drama, ‘The Silence’, which filmed on location in Dublin, has been moved to a prestigious “Event TV” primetime broadcast slot following a preview viewing of the first episode by BBC Scheduling head, Jay Hunt.

The latest drama from the Emmy award winning Irish director was scheduled to start its broadcast on Monday, May 10th on BBC1 but the head of BBC Scheduling, Jay Hunt watched the first episode of the series last week and was so impressed that he wants to broadcast the four parts on consecutive nights as ‘Event TV’ - similar to Stephen Butchard’s ‘Five Daughters’ which received the same style of broadcast in late April.

Dearbhla Walsh voiced her delight at the move, telling IFTN: “It’s brilliant in that it’ll go out on four consecutive nights,” before adding, “but it’s a pain that we don’t know when because it was too late in the day to make that decision and all the broadcasting slots were full for next week.

Deaf Survivor speaks

Deaf are not political.

As the UK is in the middle of a political election, I spent a lot of time (solely in the interests of deaf awareness naturally !), perusing deaf and other disability sites for signs(No pun intended), of a political awareness and some savvy of the issues being debated by the various political parties. Sorry to report I found very little. Holism raised a few points I agreed with, in that deaf, know deaf things, but are politically inept and unaware of what it takes mostly.

To be political and raise issues, you need to be politically aware, not just shout "I am deaf, what are going to do about it ?" and expect much of a reasoned answer. There is a que of disabilities and variations of deaf people too, all spouting much the same at politicians, but simply told to get in the line with the rest...

Consider you want deaf as an Senator/Member of British Parliament, whatever. You have to have that clout, or rely on charity and others to shout in the wilderness, hoping someone may be listening. First thing you have to do is display a fair knowledge of local issues, NOT just deaf ones, but what affects your day to day Taxes, transport, education etc systems too. Oops that puts most deaf out straight away, it means (Shock/Horror), they have to find a way to join hearing groups and parties and work with what they want to. It makes sense they are many we are few. Who is your representative ? do you know ? how many times have you made him work for you ? does he provide access etc ?

If like me the answer you read is mostly 'None of the Above', you begin to realise why we don't get as far as we need to.

If we don't get them onside we can never swing the vote in our favour. I found a marked reluctance by some deaf to have anything to do with 'inclusive' areas, they 'preferred' deaf areas, so were duly ignored politically. I read 'surveys' online, god did I ! most agreed only about 18% of deaf had a clue politically, and 70% couldn't care less. The UK had enough statistics to last a few lifetimes, but disability and deaf issues were never mentioned at ANY point in the election process., not even on Britain's first sop to the Americas of putting the main contenders on a TV screen so we judge who had the best image or face... Not a single issue of ours was raised via a question, mostly deaf did NOT put one, and then disabled did, and found the BBC said it was not relevant.

There was a brief ray of something when one or two party politicians actually had provided signed accompaniment to their policies on youtube, but the deaf did not take actual part. We are political dumbos really. We insist we ARE political, and rights is a prominent feature of what we care about, but, nowhere to be seen politically which let's face it, is the only place it can count. We need to get out there, participate, make our voices known, take an interest in NON deaf things, or hearing won't support you. Perhaps the deaf community IS the barrier, not our access to the hearing one.

We did moot an alternative vote system, whereby deaf and disabled people who lived in a fragmented and isolated fashion (Most of us really), had our own voting system. We would use the internet (Under proper safeguards), to join all of us instead of 10 turning up a polling station to vote for someone we know hasn't any care of deaf issues or not the colour of party you support anyway. We could then put up our own reps and vote for them that way, and demand the mainstream government uses them to consult and inform and not hand out jobs to hearing boys and gals of their own, who just see our area as a stepping stone to go somewhere else, and to get at least a much more accurate picture of what we need, this would surely benefit the 'system' who want to apply support and empowerment where it will work, as charity has failed to do it, and sees us as a meal ticket, while grass root representation at them has zeroed. It could simply be added as an extra option on the voting form even.



We are not going to get a voice regaling in isolation at the system, or by putting up with the piecemeal "I was here first.." approach that we have to put up with now. Our geography prevents a real gathering in force, but the internet can unite a lot more of us online. Why let hearing run the entire show ? The deaf world is very fragmented on the street, online may succeed in halting the total disintegration of a deaf community in real time.

Lies, damn lies, statistics and the RNID

Consider: * All dogs are animals * All cats are animals * Therefore, all dogs are cats.

I feel duty-bound to respond to this blog and on the many misconceptions of the claims within it. A statistic is usually an fact-based event, none of the RNID statistics quoted, are based on validated surveys, because none have been undertaken. Like all charities they use 'guesstimates' (estimated guesses, some intelligent, some far from it). Likewise the 11 million disabled in the UK have been declared, have never been verified, there is no system in the United Kingdom for determing accurate statistics, except via the audit office/DWP who pay out financial support based on disability claims, and they don't publish them in any detail.

There is actually no system for determining how many deaf people use sign language on a regular or nil basis, or daily/monthly in the United Kingdom, this question has never been asked. Social services in the UK stated

"If you take an x amount of deaf people, e.g. 100, then, less than 5% would be deemed as in need or requiring help, we base the support we offer on that basis, those figures we CAN validate, it is impossible to support on the basis of statistics alone, it is also now, a question of degree, and also, 'quality of life' (which is unquantifiable, and impossible to validate, as it varies via an individual..)."

Charities also have finite amount of people to support, evidence suggests there are not many more people to help than they have now, certainly not in the millions being claimed. I suggest the basis of RNID statistics are false, they cannot show us a basis for the fact, their claim to be deaf representative is certainly false, as mostly they work with hearing people, not deaf ones who they have abandoned, and HoH, who make up 93% of their membership, why they use the term deaf we do not know, other than it brings them an extra £10m a year in funds.... to be spent on HoH and hearing people in jobs and in campaigns. I am not saying HoH do not need help, but I do challenge the RNID claiming they are DEAF people.

Their current campaigns are health and safety based, which already HAS a government department dedicated to doing that. Should we question why they need spend millions warning hearing people to turn the volume down on ipods ? Logic suggests they take the manufacturers to court for creating disability....the fact remains people are not taking own responsibility, so will not heed warnings so warning is wasted effort. "I'd rather be deaf than turn it down" was one typical response from a youth who had it stuck in his ears full blast 8 hours a day. God, they are heading our way too.....

The amount of HoH or deaf that 'use' them must be minimal ! We should also point out the declaration of 50,000 to 90,000 dedicated BSL-using deaf, (Paddy Ladd used this stat too), is also a 'non' statistic, it may be more, it may be considerable less, they don't know, again no survey has been done or is currently possible.

Social services in my area, which offer support to deaf and HoH people, when I made an freedom of information inquiry, said there were 326 DEAF people in my area, I specifically asked for DEAF statistics. Perusing the numbers I initially found 35% of people were in fact DEAD ! the stats had gone back 25 years, boundaries had changed, computer info not shared, and never been updated, a further 17% had actually moved from the area. Of the remaining and on the actual question of deafness, they could not STATE how many WERE profoundly deaf, it was all in with sensory/physical/multi disabilities and Hard of Hearing.....

Current belief/opinion has changed the definitions of deafness, near anyone wearing a hearing aid is now 'deaf' to some degree, it is impossible, the criteria I asked for was based via SS, and on people asking them for support, surely a true definition of need ?

I do know a local deaf club can ONLY Muster 30 maybe 40 people on a regular basis, that is a hell of a change from the 326 they declared, but people like the BDA and RNID use these stats. More need, equals more funds, it's not rocket science, it is a considerable aid to the charities demanding more money, the fact they can quote massive figures no-one has stats on, every charity on the planet uses the same means. Tip of the iceberg ? or out of control claims ? you decide.... If someone has not asked for help, then do they need it ? But the RNID/BDA is saying, they do anyway.... it's an impossible task.

Unquantifiable statistics are just that, but deaf culture and HoH are more than willing to quite the highest numbers they can.. If you take all stats into consideration as valid, there is not a single person in the UK who isn't disabled, man that is sick. Here's how they do it....

Some listen....

Gloucester candidates take questions from deaf voters


A major complaint of UK deaf people is the total lack of inclusion in many areas of the current UK election campaigns, with no party leaders discussing or talking about deaf or disability issues or inclusion at all, we are told where we can vote,that's it ! Here we read Sign language interpreters were used to help with communication in one area, Gloucester, England.

General election candidates for Gloucester have been taking questions from deaf people in the city with the help of interpreters. The panel included Conservative Richard Graham, the Liberal Democrat's Jeremy Hilton and Parmjit Dhanda, who is defending the seat for Labour.

Organisers said deaf people were among the most hard to reach groups because of the difficulty in communication. People of all levels of hearing impairments were taking part. A British sign language (BSL) interpreter and speech-to-text operator helped with the communication. 'Huge problems' Jenny Hopkins (see picture below), from the Gloucestershire Deaf Association, said:



"One in 800 people is born profoundly deaf in this country and one in three people over 60 years of age suffers some level of acquired hearing loss. "They are as interested in the forthcoming general election as anyone, but are unable to follow much of what is going on because of their hearing impairment.

"Deaf people have huge problems with access to information and often the communication solutions presented by government and local authorities - such as 24-hour telephone helplines - simply exclude them further from services hearing people take for granted."

Over to Gloucester deaf, what happened ?