I'm unaware thank God...

Xpressive handz puts perspectives simply, and makes the point about deaf awareness, perhaps not as singular as I do but..... I'm not in the business of live and let live, whilst I can see the reality is people pay lip service to that as an opt out, then get irate when put on the spot. If the internet has done one thing, it has enabled deaf/Deaf and whoever, to 'do their own thing'. That is destroy the myth of an community united, to expose what individuals really think. These same individuals will then socialise and keep schtum for fear of backlash, or ostracism. I find that sad.

If you are really interested in advancing the deaf/Deaf and whoever experience and rights, you cannot adopt the cest la vie attitude, you will look foolish. Mainly because this would allow the very divisive views and opinions and hateful posts as an right too, and force yourself and your sector into enclaves for self protection from them. Ignoring it until it goes away won't cut it. Even metaphorically sticking your fingers in your ears, is just pointless. The problem with turning your back on the negative and divisive, is they can then more easily stick an knife in it, or chip away at your confidence and your 'community'. I don't understand deaf community as an identifiable entity, because there are too many of them, perhaps an deaf/Deaf nation with an collection of warring states would be an fairer assessment.

Whilst some deaf in the UK have noted yet another assault and ridicule on deaf access here,the underlying issues as I saw them was the total disunity of the deaf/Deaf whoever sectors, has undermined seriously an concerted approach to raising deaf awareness. The only thing it really exposed is it caught the hearing voices that decide on our awareness approach, on the hop, and they had to play catch up. Xpressive Handz applauds those paid to raise awareness where deaf can't be bothered, and suggests "At least they are trying.." which is basically accepting we as the deaf/Deaf whoever, are not, and to leave it to charities, to hearing, to anyone prepared to say "Deaf people have an hard time and can't hear so don't wear an mustache, have the light here, speak slowly, or use sign language.." you get the drift. Whilst basically common sense, it is the most boring message ever, I don't buy it. We need an angle....

With all the technology and skills deaf possess, we can't do better than that ? What we are missing is the current messages are MEDICAL messages of deaf people, they suggest negatives constantly, charities want misery, because nobody donates for an happy story, so positives about hearing loss people and deafness don't cut it, only we can do that, OK we take an pay cut (!), but at least the messages going out, are the messages WE want to go out, it is not enough to criticize those doing the opposite, then go back to doing nothing. Perhaps we should abandon the concept of deaf, and charity. either you have an equal right and the state recognizes this, or you don't, let's put clear water here, between deaf/deaf whoever, and the constant need to rely on handouts to enjoy an law that is supposed to make that concept redundant.

Recently the twitter thing with Sara Cox has shown us, deaf haven't an clue how to use media to promote deaf awareness, and are (As deaf do!), using social and other medias to talk about everything BUT the issues we face. We are engaging with each other to a social point, NOT engaging with the people who we need to make aware. I've been kicked off message boards for sticking to that issue, because deaf did not want reminding about the issues they faced. "We know ! harping on is negative and depressing.. go away loser and whiner..." So to avoid facing realities they attack the message bearers as well. How fragile is their world ?

So ignore it and it goes away, form a small clique online, somewhere the world turns, we are still losing access and suffering assaults on the medical, and on the social model aspects of loss. Under pressure from an very dedicated few (Getting fewer all the time), we get laws on discrimination on the statute, then it is felt there is no more to do, until you find when you want to use these laws, you find they don't do as you need, YOU Have to make laws work, the state just puts it to paper. In the United Kingdom only 2% of the deaf community campaigns on awareness, compared with charities or hearing, who do the rest. We can complain until hell freezes over, but they are just not placed to do that awareness job properly.

So we sit back and attack THEM when it doesn't work. Time we took responsibility for ourselves, our older deaf did that there were no laws to help them, no internet, no access as we have today, so we are complacent and demanding of everyone but ourselves. There is an term for that, it isn't an polite one. With deference to Xpressive Handz, I'm fed up with the 4 way approach to awareness (5 if you count the PC hearing one), that just goes on about their own little corners. We've no idea how to use media, and just because deaf.read does an pretty good job or putting many of us in the same place (Braver than me !), doesn't mean mainstream are going to tune in and think, these people need our awareness and support and acceptances, because they don't look in. If they did would they like what they read ?

Whether it is lack of subtitling, lack of sign access, not enough hearing aid access, CI's, we have to unite and approach medias in an more professional way, use comedy, use seriousness, use what the hell it takes to get that message over, but NOT use the current system of promoting our helplessness and misery. Deaf have equal access to most online, but aren't using it for awareness. We need NOT to lecture on how nasty hearing/deaf or whoever are to each other, we need to bury these issues in the common cause. When did you last see an deaf signer, and hard of hearing aid user, and CI wearer, or lip-reader on the same promotion video NOT funded by an charity prompting them what to say ?

It seems first we need all these 'live and let live' people to get off the fence first, because they are NOT accepting of each other, or accepting differences, and that is what denies deaf people equality and fairness, their own reluctance to accept each other, unless we do, why would anyone else ?