Least favourite things....

Julie Andrews song for 'Modern Times' updated for the deaf....

My least favourite things.

"Deafhood on deaf blogs and Audism on web sites,
Confusing viewpoints, on rights and empowerments,
Facebook meanderings, deaf twittering strings
These are the least of my favourite things.....

Blogging and Tweeting, and vblogged sign language
My mode is better, than ever your own is,
Can't lip-read at distance, nor hear doorbells ring..
These are the least of my favorite things.

Online or offline, we talk without barrier ?
no need to be geeky, but could be much happier,
We have to skype- text, translate everything
Those are a few of my least....... favourite things.

When the mods bite !
When the comment stings (Grrr)
That's when I feel sad :(
I simply remember those people are dumb,
And then I don't feel so bad."

Apologies to Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers.

New York City will make you deaf.

New York ! New York ! So good you have to say it twice, (Or even 4 or 5 times apparently !!).

New York City can make you deaf: new study. The locals hate mid town, and you just got another reason why. It turns out that visiting the most heavily trafficked neighborhood in Manhattan could be hazardous to your health. Noise is the problem. Of course, it comes as no shock that parts of Manhattan can be quite loud. People, taxi horns and construction represent just part of the list that can rattle your ears and, eventually, cost you your hearing.

According to a study being released today at the International Conference on Urban Health at The New York Academy of Medicine, there are several neighborhoods where the risk to your hearing is substantial, especially for residents who become accustomed to it over time.

SOURCE

Cell Phone used in 1928....

A film festival organizer in Belfast may have just stumbled across concrete proof that time traveling is possible: extra scenes from Charlie Chaplin’s 1928 “The Circus” show a woman speaking on a cell phone.

Since word of what the footage may show got out, short clip has gone viral, causing quite a stir with people online, regardless of whether they are Chaplin fans or not. As NineMSN informs, the footage was discovered by George Clarke on a Charlie Chaplin DVD. It was shot in 1928. The short clip, which you can also see embedded below, at the end of the article, shows a woman passing in front of the camera – or a figure that looks like a woman, more exactly.

She’s seen holding her hand up to her face as if she’s holding a cell phone in her hand – and she’s clearly talking to someone. She’s also seen smiling as she moves away. There’s absolutely no doubt that she has something in her hand and that she’s speaking into the device. Plus, there’s no one else there for her to speak to, apart from a man who crosses the same frame seconds before her.

Because Mr. Clarke can come up with no possible reasonable explanation for what the woman is holding, he believes she’s a time traveler – and she’s actually having a conversation on a cell phone.


SOURCE

The Courage of Ingelore

Covering a film about the extraordinary life of a deaf Jewish woman, born in Germany in 1924. Released in 2009 and made by Ingelore's son, Frank Stiefel, the film tells a moving story, and is itself a potent reminder of why such stories must still be told.

Lacking a common language (signed or spoken) with her parents, Ingelore is desperately lonely for the first years of her life. It is only when she goes to a school for the deaf that she learns some speech and lip reading, and meets other hearing-impaired children. As the Nazis take power, she is the target of taunts by her schoolmates, and later is raped by Nazi soldiers. Her parents manage to secure U.S. visas for themselves, and Ingelore would have been denied a visa, were it not for a stroke of luck. A U.S. official in Germany makes Ingelore's visa contingent on an informal hearing test. He turns his back to her and says a word, which she must then repeat back to him. Naturally, she cannot hear him, but she reads his lips, reflected in the glass of the framed picture hanging over his desk. With great relief, the family makes it to America -- Ingelore's account of the arrival into New York harbor is a tear-jerker, a reminder of what a potent symbol the Statue of Liberty was for people fleeing persecution and being processed at Ellis Island. When she learns she is pregnant by one of the soldiers who raped her, she gets an abortion. In time, she gets married, has a family, and is truly happy.

SOURCE

Deaf Employee Made redundant..

Then loses his access to technology to find work...

NZ Deaf denied Hearing Aids..

Deaf community in New Zealand fights for better access to hearing aids.

Deaf people who say they are being denied such basics as hearing aids are stepping up their campaign to overturn ACC law changes.

The National Foundation for the Deaf plans to petition Parliament to reverse ACC legislation that introduced minimum claim thresholds for people with hearing loss.

It meant a person had to have at least 6 per cent hearing loss from sound injury before their claim would be considered by ACC - restricting people's access to rehabilitation and hearing aids. The foundation claimed the changes, which came into effect in July, affect 50,000 to 70,000 people, mostly older and on low incomes.

"We're going to take the petition out nationwide next year to get as many signatures as possible and present it to Parliament asking that they rescind the amendment," said foundation director Louise Carroll. "ACC, when they're most needed to step up to the mark, they're denying these people what they really need."


(The ACC 6%).

The ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) is denying support to people with noise damaged hearing if the person's total hearing loss is less than 6% with its enactment of the Accident Compensation Amendment Act 2010.

This is despite evidence showing total damage of much less than 6% having a serious impact on the professional and social lives of those affected. Noise damage typically attacks the high tone area of our hearing that is critical for deciphering speech, especially in everyday environments. The changes remove professional discetion from assessments, and the new law declares that hearing damage below this threshold is not an injury.

The "hearing sector" is united in its opposition to the threshold, with the National Foundation for the Deaf, the Hearing Association of New Zealand, the New Zealand Audiological Society, the Human Rights Commission and manufacturers and vendors joining other professionals, including university researchers and groups like Age Concern in protesting via submissions to Parliament's Transport and Industrial Relations Committee in November 2009.

An information paper outlining the key issues the hearing sector raised is available here. In June 2010 NFD also lodged submissions in response to the proposed regulations to operationally implement the law change. In October 2010 NFD completed a position paper for Members of Parliament on the changes to the ACC legislation. The paper has been prepared collaboratively with contributions from all perspectives of the hearing impaired sector, and gives precise and credible information on how these changes have impacted on consumers with noise induced hearing loss (sound injury deafness). Read the report here

You can support concerns by writing to the Minister of ACC, Dr Nick Smith, or to the National Foundation for the Deaf, who will pass your concerns on to the Minister. Many people have already written to the Minister opposing the regulations.

Source

Relative posts

Zippy masters sign language.

Despite being completely deaf, two-year-old Zippy has now received the Kennel Club’s highest award for obedience. Zippy follows owner Vicky's commands through a unique form of sign language

Owner Vicky Tate shows the sign for 'Walk towards me'

A favourite of Zippy's, is the sign for 'Play time'

To pass the gold award test, tasks included going to bed and staying there; walking by his owner’s side while ignoring another dog nearby; and walking at heel along a road.

AMONG THE COMMANDS THAT ZIPPY HAS LEARNED.

1 Lie down – point with right hand index finger to ground
2 Sit down – right fist in air
3 Stand – half turn with left hand clenched in fist at side of body
4 Emergency stop – flat right hand in air
5 Come slowly – hands together pointing slowly down to the ground
6 Come quickly – hands together pointing upwards quickly
7 Pick up toy – point to object to be picked up
8 Look at me – put left hand finger to him then touch nose
9 Don't move – left hand flat to nose
10 Walk towards me – left hand by side and fingers wriggling
11 Come to me, ignoring distractions (eg toy) – flap left hand on my thigh
12 Send away – right hand pointing to where he should go.

His proud owner, Vicky Tate, 65, who lives near Grays, Essex, said: 'A lot of dogs which can hear were were struggling with the exam. It was the first time the training school had given the award to a deaf dog and everyone was stunned when he passed. Retired hairdresser Mrs Tate, who also owns three boxer dogs, bought Zippy from a litter of five when he was seven weeks old but didn’t notice there was anything wrong until she brought him home.

He didn’t react to her calls, growled when she tried to put him to bed, and failed to respond when she whistled at him. A hearing test at an animal hospital confirmed he was deaf.

Source.

Matt Hamill not offended by Tito comment

Tito's Comment:

"He's been babied his whole life coming from being deaf of course and he's going to be babied after when I knock him out. He's slow; he's like a big slow ox. I'm going to pick him apart and I know his corner can't really tell him what to do and show him the mistakes he does. I've noticed he's deaf, so he has a soft head, you hit him with more and more shots. You people don't know this. Watch how Franklin knocked him out quick. You hit them with soft shots because their equilibrium, they don't have no equilibrium. And you hit them with shots and you hit them with small shots, I'm not looking' for big shots. I'm looking' for small shots. Little small shots and by the second, middle of the third round you're going to see someone going to sleep and I'll snuggle him."

Deaf Chat Rooms (A cause for concern ?)

A number of deaf sites also offer chat rooms for 'after hours' and 'adult' discourse that would not be allowed in usual forums/boards. Increasingly I am reading that deaf women are being approached at these chat sites, by people with less than honourable reasons for so doing, even hearing people logging in hoping to 'pick up a deaf woman' who they think will be 'Easy'.

Some sort of 'Adult Grooming' is taking place where it is hoped a deaf female can be lured into situations that make them very vulnerable, possibly to rape. Are there any others put there who have experiences of deaf chat rooms where some people taking part are quite deliberately using sexual and other comments to appeal to deaf women, you thought was uncomfortable reading ? In the world drive to rid ourselves of paedophiles online we are maybe forgetting deaf people isolated can become prey to weirdos too.

Have you been approached online at deaf chat rooms and felt something isn't right ?

Related post 1

Related Post 2.

Bullying by proxy, how the cyber bully manipulates innocents.

Are you helping a cyber bully succeed ?

How do we bring down the cyber deaf bullies ?

Most of us get it at some point, some of us deal with it on a regular even daily basis, even Carl Schroeder has identified a sector of Deaf/Hard of Hearing are stalking deaf bloggers and vbloggers with the aim of undermining them topically, culturally, language-wise, and casting doubt even on their sanity. They chip away at an individual until they crack or have to block 90% of inputs. They are adept abusers, 'The Spoilers" fully trained in the art of destroying people online any way they can, they then move on to the next victim.

When did all this 'In house' stalking and personal abuse start with the deaf ? Has online universal access triggered some mass envy status ? some mass jealousy of people being more widely known and thought of than they are ? Sad people totally isolated and friendless, who want to bring everyone down who isn't ? Little cliques of hardened deaf people,who feel the community is going away from some point, no-one really identified anyway.

So they take the option of attacking advances, and the people that advocate them ? Anything that means someone might miss some view they have in it all ? Where we see deaf sites set up that utilise the membership to undermine or attack other areas and campaigns, and especially any deaf person with an highly individualist slant on anything. They are not content with ostracising individual but will follow them from site to site (Stalking them), to post anonymously to attack and undermine anything the individual might say or do, even use their own sites to poke fun or worse. A little bit of truth, a whole lot of lies...

Deaf Stalking is a very individual sort of abuse, and is aimed directly and very personally. 4 British leading deaf sites have a hard core of these people,who follow you around and try to attack how they can, having unsuccessfully tried to ban and gag. Is it time for world deaf to publish a 'Hit List' of:

(A) Hate sites ?
(B) Individual sites and deaf bloggers we Id as doing this ?
(C) Blogs used as 'cover' to allow banned people still to disrupt via comment ?

The whole point being we all then send them to the oblivion they deserve. What is the legal position online via a Hit List ? Can we name and shame people who bring the deaf world into disrepute ? and attack the deaf vulnerable or those with different modes ? It was only a year ago we saw a British site ID'd as so anti-CI they posted 47 blogs alleging all sorts of 'facts' they invented. Ridor has been sent off, but still goes about his hateful abuse of people. We need to find an effective way of ridding us of these people, while maintaining the free speech they are so adept at exploiting.

A British First...

For the first time ever the leading deaf group in the United Kingdom has lobbied the British Government for a Lottery of its own alongside the National Lottery. The idea is to add a 25 pence cost to lottery tickets, and all prize money left after a weekly (Suggested), £100,000 cash prize goes towards deaf services, the BDA, and toward deaf cultural events, and to assist the British contributions to the Deaflympics, since the UK Sports council cut their funding. We are told the UK Government is seriously considering to accept the suggestion, and a scratch card option too.

An Overview of the RNID Re-Brand..(I)

We must first congratulate Chris White and a few others at the RNID, for providing the variety of access many deaf people have wanted to the Charity for a considerable time. This includes youtube posts in BSL, with accurate captioning to follow. We are nervous as deaf people still, and while we must applaud the access given, access online to an online talk in, is only a START, it must not end there, and Twitter feedback is still not suitable for us to go in depth with question/answer/ or invovlements and inclusions at the RNID.

An open forum must re-emerge at the RNID site, no more diverting feedback to dead zones, since unless this access becomes a norm and in extended detailed format, deaf may still see it as a sop to access, but with no real inclusion still. Notwithstanding, we must examine the recent re-brand talk in (Covered in depth via the 'Page' links to the right).

We must be churlish and point out a lot of targeted questions did not get through at the twitter talk in, time was far too short, and the timing of the twit in was also not entirely suitable for all. There was other access offered, not everyone knew about. A complaint RNID time and money was being wasted putting up deaf access by one caller.

EG "David G Jones May I add!... That a scripted response would have been FAR cheaper and EASIER to produce, it would also reach a far greater audience quicker than a BSL video! Someone needs to do some serious head scratching as to where you went wrong here RNID. The video's could have waited....... Prioritizing needs readdressing in this instance, if finances are tight!"

So not an BSL supporter then !

Access apart, were deaf people convinced the re-brand was neccessary ? or even researched properly ? No we weren't, I don't think many were convinced the consultation process was underataken with any real member-led view or rank and file deaf to any degree as to it counting.

As we read the re-brand was instigated via an survey by the RNID to associated online groups and areas generally asking the question, "Do you know what the RNID actually does ?" Obviously they would NOT ask the deaf or those with loss, because they would already know. The deaf questions were not about involvement in that, but with representations, which are more politically focused in line with cultural and individual aspirations than "which way around does my hearing aid go....?" The Deaf can more use focus groups like the BDA, was one comment I read, erm no, the BDA does not claim to represent 9 million people, the RNID does, and the RNID has no intention of giving up this claim nor the £10m a year or so it gets on the deaf behalf, they want us to join the BDA while they keep that money ? and keep that claim legitimate ? Deaf won't buy that.

As we read via the media description from the RNID, only 4% could actually associate the RNID with it's core sector service sector i.e. those deaf and with hearing loss. It is obviously vital for fundraising purposes people know what your charity actually does. Questions asked really, did not adequately describe the position deaf people were coming from, nor, why there were huge variances of support, and the way that support is given. The RNID are obviously a sub contractor of some sort now, intent on saving the hearing world from ending up like us, a worthy aim in the scheme of things, if not tending to make deaf people look negative. We AGREE those with hearing loss otherwise ARE the majority, this does not surely mean as a minority we should be elbowed out for expediency.

It is of concern we would see HI pitched against the deaf community. These 'them and us by decibel' groups have to be erased from the charitable picture. It is not in keeping with the law on equality at all or fairness. However we ask the RNID, there are 43 other charities with this end remit already in the UK, is there a point in yet another duplication and remit ? or is this an RNID attempt as a national charity to put itself as number one ? To consolidate its national status ? and then assett strip the smaller ones after ?

The change of brand to 'Action on Hearing loss' has annoyed many deaf people, who see this as a 'cutting of ties' with the deaf community, already hugely concerned the systematic focus on non-deaf, was already freezing them out, was the re-brand the final nail in our coffin ? Will we never bury the damage to the deaf community the RNID and Doug Alker did ? that has prevented anyone from moving forward again ? We also cannot believe the amount of time and effort spent on this re-brand title could not have been done in-house, and in 5 minutes with no cost at all. The title does not seem to have been researched as viable at all....

The worst aspect was deaf interpreting the re-brand as a sop to those at the RNID and elsewhere to stop the focus on deaf people, as this was detracting from the Hearing loss majority, and they know 'cures' and researches for deafness, are a political hot potato to deaf people, had the RNID ever got engaged to sort this out ?

Are people were being put off by the word Deaf ? We felt strongly that is what was going on... i.e, the RNID bowing to an ignorant, but significant majority who see deafness and deaf people as a nuisance, a drawback, an inconvenience, and by far a sector of hearing loss that wanted too much say in what a national charity was doing. We did not choose to be deaf. But we are not going to apologise for it. Deaf were too individual and political for the RNID to sectionalise and organise, they had minds of their own.

CTD....

SEC Freezes assets of Group that targeted deaf.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said today that it has gotten a court order to freeze the assets of Imperia Invest IBC, a company that: 1) falsely guaranteed 1.2 percent daily returns on investments but really just stole the money; and 2) for some reason appears to have disproportionately targeted deaf people.

The SEC says that Imperia Invest raised $7 million from 14,000 investors, more than half of them part of the U.S. Deaf community. According to regulators, Imperia said that investors could only get their money by buying a Visa debit card for a few hundred dollars. That, apparently, was a lie:

MORE

The Final Sell Out...

The RNID 're-brand' dumps the deaf. So they have finally removed the D from RNID at last ? Could it be this charity is now fessing up to what we have ALL known for the last 15 years, they want out of deaf involved and to join the more lucrative hearing aid sectors instead ? Its after all what they have been doing anyway, now, can we have our name and money back ? Why is it keeping the RNID as a legal front ? Royal Kudos and for celebrity spin ? what ?

"Jackie Ballard, its chief executive, said the new name "had more relevance and more reach" because the charity helped people with all levels of hearing loss.
She said some profoundly deaf people would be upset about losing the word 'deaf' from the name, but added: "We have to see the much bigger picture, and this will lift a barrier for many people."

Obviously mentioning deaf people in the charitable name is a loser, thanks for the confidence vote ! This is pandering to the misguided hard of hearing fraternity who "don't want to be seen as deaf people" Deaf is negative.. They spent £1,000S OF FUNDS TO GET this ? What a waste of time and money, and there is a charity Action on Deafness as well, so, which one is the real ex-RNID ? and will the RNID now hand over the money to them ?

What a load of tosh. They are just admitting they prefer to follow the hard of hearing money instead.... after recently dumping support for deaf to get work. Deaf want the small print not the hype and sound bites. What they promised:

(1) The forums re-instated.
(2) Public access and voting given to ALL users of RNID services.
(3) Weekly grilling of the executive, (Not twitterings for their insipid followers via some perverse 'fanzine' site).
(4) Equal votes on all RNID campaigns so deaf get equal treatment to the hearing aid sectors.
(5) The cessation and/or removal of the hearing professional hearing spin doctors at the RNID who are disparaging deaf people, and using their minions to name call them..
(6) An real and positive image that actually INCLUDES the deaf.
(7) Accepting the social model of deafness and culture.
(8) Access for deaf people to the 1 in 7 magazine they front, and no censuring.
(9) No CEO elected who hasn't deaf awareness.
(10) Removal of veto from the Trustees, as this zeroes membership votes.

None of it has been delivered yet. Action oh Hearing has NO visible link to deaf people.

100 years of the RNID but the last 20 they have wanted us out, they started with a signing CEO, thrown out because he wanted cultural deaf recognised and higher profile, then turned on those members that supported him. "Action on Hearing Loss." ? what the hell is that about ? The RNID is conning the deaf and the general public, REMOVE the D and at least put up an honest front. Less than 4% have a clue what they do anyway, will any MORE know what AHL is ? See their recent 'Impact' videos, with signed access to the hard of hearing, but no deaf profile.... They have less than a few months to deliver what they have promised to the deaf community. I say they WON'T put up.

And the RNID started so well a 100 years ago too.... now its trivia,twitter, and cupcakes.. where did it all go wrong, not hard to id is it ? Not a single deaf person in the executive... not a single campaign aimed at or fronted or empowering the deaf, not a single job training scheme AT the RNID for the deaf, and 88% of their membership virtually hearing too.


AHL ? Audiological Hearing Lobby.....
LINK

Matt Hamill Movie taster

Positives are Negatives ?

Is total and positive imaging of deaf people an entirely good thing ? I'm not knocking most of it, but the constant stream of , "Us deaf are not disabled", "deaf can do everything except hear" (And get accepted !), and attacks on deaf BY other deaf, on those who have complained deafness is still hard for them and they need more support, to get called names by the deaf who appear to have never had a single issue in their lives, does this not distract attention away from the deaf and others with loss, still sadly struggling to cope with their issues ?

I'm in positivity overload recently, but curious to see, how my sector was bearing up, when I attended an acquired deaf' meeting recently, for the first time in some years, it was one that had a high number with hearing aids, (And a lot that were so obviously DEAF, I didn't know how they couldn't see it!), were raising quite serious issues of finding difficulty to cope, get help, and struggling with communication too.

One woman said:

"I went online recently, I thought I would join an board with other deaf in it, to get support and maybe make friends, hard of hearing here, really, I can't follow a lot of them either, my husband had left me, he had no patience, and was shouting at me all the time, it was awful, when I joined a deaf site, and I wrote about my problems and asked for advice, It was awful, I got responses to 'Quit moaning, be positive !', and then get a life, 'this is a happy and social (Really !!!), deaf board, we don't want to read moans all the time, go see a social worker or something', so I left, and now I am more isolated than I was before, and communication classes all failed I just was so depressed and struggling to follow, there was no way to progress... deaf people are not nice people, they do not seem to want to know if another deaf person is struggling or care.."

I had to write everything down for her, then tried to assure her, and pointed her to sites to AVOID, especially some facebook and twitter sites, as she was obviously too vulnerable to the responses she would get there, and she joined an UK site I am a member of that has people in it who actually care and know the score, and was surprised this AD group had little direction at all, selling loud telephones to people that can't hear them etc...and were aware so many of the people there were REALLY struggling and didn't understand each other half the time, I mean this is BASICS for an AD group isn't it ?

She is still struggling, but there are signs she is becoming more positive again. She needed to express what was happening to her, and wanted people to be considerate and advise without preaching, and, without arrogance and uncaring replies to her questions.

She didn't want to talk to charities or such, but to people who had gone through the same as her, would not be judgemental, (And deaf SO are !), so knew and understood, if she sounded off, got angry quickly, or was taking time out to re-gather her thoughts and energy. These are natural reactions for people who lose hearing, anger, depression, sadness, denial, even hate to a point..

Far too many deaf sites these days are ones to avoid frankly if advice is what you seek. I'd want a blacklist of deaf sites you would be better off not logging in to, those that preach harmony by keeping those that struggle out.... The plight of the newly deafened is considerable, and it is NOT 'whining' or negative, to say "Hey, I am struggling here", to then told to get a grip and be positive by people who are either not deaf at all, or in denial themselves. Is positivity a façade for most of those people ? perhaps they preach overmuch....if we don't always state we are positive, then we accept it is the opposite ? zut alores !

Statistically, for most it is, and always will be an issue. Is it actually TRUE born deaf and cultural deaf have never had an issue in their lives ? don't believe it. Online is clearly stating that they do, so have more consideration when you see someone struggling please, and keep your politics for the appropriate occasion.

There is a growing cynicism and arrogance with online deaf and a growing callousness of how deafness and loss affects other people, it isn't moaning or complaining, it is a statement of real fact, if these people come to deaf sites, and us first, then what transpires as belief after is entirely dependent on how we respond, and how they will view deaf people after, and we often get only ONE shot to show we care. If you have never been there,it doesn't mean it has never happened. So, no lectures on positivity, the road to that is a long one with many.

Lies, damned Lies, and Equality Law...

The deaf take on the latest law, and the state obsessions with sex.....bull manure..... It has been hailed as a landmark move to harmonise discrimination legislation and to strengthen the law to support progress on equality. But what will the Equality Act mean in practice for employers and employees? The Act will have a big impact on employers and they should ensure that their equal opportunity and recruitment policies are compliant. (It will make money for the state, it will NOT assist minorities into employment, as employers will have to employ translators of the obscure bumpf)).

The new law is likely to have a greater impact on smaller organisations as they are less likely to have comprehensive anti-discrimination and harassment policies already in place. Wrong, small firms are more likely to take on disabled works, it is larger organisations that put up barriers..

The Act requires organisations of all sizes and types to promote equality and avoid discrimination in the workplace. (Assuming you GET employed in the first place). It also aims to tackle the pay gap between men and women. (This is an aside and diverts attention AWAY from discriminations aimed at disabled). The new law consolidates and clarifies the existing discrimination legislation concerning sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief and age, (they are obsessed with sex aren't they !), and seeks to adopt a single approach where appropriate. (It doesn't, as it is vague on sign language access and support, and still allows, 'exceptions' to the equality law regarding deaf people..)

It also contains a number of important changes to the law. Here are the key measures:

Direct discrimination

The definition of direct discrimination has been simplified to less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic, for example sex, race, and disability. (They keep using the term disability, but the EHRC has nothing concrete to act on.)

It has also been made clear that discrimination based on association and perception is unlawful across all strands of discrimination. (This is a law to recognise parents or carers of disabled NOT the disabled themselves, what it will mean is an extra question on your CV, 'do you care for someone else ?' if yes, then a negative on your job application, sorry you've blown it !). For example, if someone is treated less favourably because one of their relatives is homosexual, (here we go, priority 'sectors' again, and how does having a homosexual relative affect how YOU do you job ? is homosexuality an issue of your family, that needs your constant care and attention ?). this will amount to direct discrimination. Equally, if they are treated less favourably because of a perceived characteristic, this will be covered, but still not if they are deaf. Deaf can't hear, so having someone that can is perfectly reasonable (DDA UK 1995).

Indirect discrimination

Protections from indirect discrimination is extended to all protected characteristics, such as age, marriage and civil partnership, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, disability and gender reassignment (So that if 3 out of 5 are with sex issues then they will get back up ?). They keep mentioning disability without addressing the fact employers offer barriers so you can't work, it's called the glass ceiling, this law will NOT prevent this being used, unless you get work FIRST.

We've had 15 anti-discrimination laws (And no doubt a few dozen more from the clowns in Strasbourg), not one of them has enhanced the deaf ability to stop the discrimination against them. Time for a spcific anti-DEAF legislation ?

Put it this way, if you are (A) Female, (B) Homosexual, and (C) NOT deaf, you got it made !!!

Deafness destroys marriages

A new survey about the social consequences of hearing loss (SAT English version not available yet Brit link HERE), has indicated that deafness can lead to heated arguments between couples and even marital breakdown.

The hard-of-hearing partner often feels upset that their spouse does not understand what it is like to suffer from the condition, the poll found. But the deaf person’s reluctance to recognise their condition and do anything about it is also a major source of stress. A third of respondents to the study, which questioned more than 1000 people with deafness over 40, said their inability to hear properly had led to arguments with the family.

And one in 16 said their partner had even threatened to leave or divorce them unless they got their hearing sorted out.



Joan McKechnie, an audiologist with the firm HearingDirect.com, which carried out the survey, said the problem was that many people were “in denial”. “It can be a real shock for many people in their middle age who begin to experience hearing loss, as they do not like the idea of wearing a hearing aid, which has a real stigma associated with ‘disabled’ and old people,” the Telegraph quoted McKechnie as saying.

“Instead, they battle on in denial trying to cope as best they can,” she added. (ANI)

Source.

On the other hand....

What hearing use for sign....Underwater...





When wrestling...



With flags...


Stock Exchange Hand signals.

Hands out in front but pulling towards you: I'm buying
Hands out in front, palms out, pushing away: I'm selling
Combination of finger signals indicates the buying/selling price (a closed fist indicates a zero). Then,
Touch the face: signals the amount to buy/sell
Finger to chin: multiples of 1
Finger to forehead: multiples of 10
Fist to forehead: multiples of 100

Horse Racing tic-tac signs.

Right fist above left fist: 50-1
Arms crossed, hands flat against chest: 33-1
Fists together, right thumb upwards (like a 10): 10-1
Right hand on top of shoulder: 5-1
Both hands on top of each shoulder (left on left, etc): 9-2
Hands in front, wave right hand above left: 4-1
Both hands on face: 5-2
Both hands on top of the head: 9-4
Right hand on shoulder: 7-4
Right hand to left ear: 6-4
Right hand on left wrist: 5-4

Are you 'Normal' ?

Not me thankfully ! Apparently I am told if you are just interested in the politics of deafness, you aren't. Does this mean 90% of deaf.read readership and input is by people out of the deaf loop and not even members of the deaf community ? I thought most of them WERE at the cutting edge of what is going on and NOT in the pub or online talking cobblers on social and chat sites ? After issue was taken up with an very obscuring banning of this deaf individual from an UK site, (I've been banned twice now), because 3 people got bored with my political ramblings on a 'social' message board, I was told I was dissing deaf people, then later got a notice "Sorry, the site was for 'normal' deaf people who don't do politics.." EVERYONE does politics ! (Or perhaps they are so tied up online they can't spare time to vote).

Should I:

(A) take offence
(B) see a trick cyclist to get anti-political therapy or
(C) Punch them in the mouth ?

Currently, no UK deaf site is worth logging into message-board wise, and the view facebook or Twitter will change the deaf world for the better hasn't really arrived has it ? More crap for more readers to look at basically.... Only 2% of it is relevant and we're still looking for it. Even some deaf.read bloggers wanted me to join facebook to respond, do they get a percentage or what ? Don't want it, don't NEED it.

Political issues are a no-no, or a turn off, agreed not everyone wants to read it all the time, but no-one is twisting their arm, or forcing them to read my view or blog. If it is good enough for the BBC who are they to say different ! My blog tends to be mostly political or newsy at times, or I just comment, whatever, I don't do socialising online, I prefer face to face. I have a small select amount of people who are my friends that suits me. I value them, I don't attach ANY value to 'followers' (Stalkers by any other name).

I also abhor clique's or groups of old mates, because they limit advances, if I disagree they will know it.. Having been kicked out of all of them lol there is none to join now anyway, which I actually found very liberating an experience, I could be myself. I'm proud of the fact these boring people could be motivated enough by me, to get off their backsides and do something really, except talk crap, and post notices of events no-one but a select few of them living nearby are ever going to attend anyway, why do that ? I'd feel 'included' ? So I'm part of the deaf community by proxy ? I think some deaf spend far too much time on Facebook to any longer understand what it is, or isn't.

The face of the deaf community has changed drastically, instead of deaf sites run by a few individuals for their own private amusement and ego-tripping, they've bluddy gone global and after world domination. Power corrupts, absolute power they still have no idea about but are conned into thinking as social sites have world coverage everyone and their cat is listening to them. Instead of the reality no-one does mostly. 4 billion blogs, how many outside deaf.read will read this ?

I was amazed to discover (Not really), nearly 90% of ALL UK deaf sites socially were run by the same 12 deaf people. Unfortunately for MM he has annoyed them all..... RESULT ! A footnote was the largest deaf charity they all supported want a re-brand because only FOUR PER CENT of the UK had any idea what they did.

What's the bus fare to LA ?

Deaf Teen can play 5 instruments...

A talented teenage girl who plays five instruments has won top marks in her latest music exam - despite being unable to hear a single note. Aimee-Louise Paddock, who is totally deaf, was inspired to take up the saxophone after watching the cartoon character Lisa Simpson play it on TV's 'The Simpsons.' The 18-year-old from King's Lynn in Norfolk also plays the flute, keyboard, piano and the guitar to a high standard. She has applied to study a four-year music degree course at the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff.

Doctors are mystified as to why Aimee-Louise Paddock went deaf this May. Despite her condition she continues to excel playing five different musical instruments. Aimee-Louise lost her hearing in the left ear aged just 16 and became fully deaf in May. Doctors are mystified as to what has caused the sudden hearing loss after an MRI scan showed no sign of tumours or blockages. The A-level student can only understand speech by lip reading but despite this she is a member of several orchestras including the West Norfolk Junior Youth Orchestra..

British DM LINK...