New Video Messaging Site for UK Deaf

WinkBall, the UK's number one video website, has joined forces with Deafax, a charity that empowers deaf and hard of hearing people, to launch VIEWTALK - an innovative and pioneering new website that will allow members of the deaf community to communicate visually with one another, safely and securely. Viewtalk will launch on 4th May, the middle of Deaf Awareness Week.

Viewtalk allows deaf and hearing signers to communicate online by the use of video messages and live video chat - without the static jerkiness of other systems. Deaf and hearing people of all ages will be able to keep in touch with friends and family, learn visually while online and keep up to date with the latest events and news, in a safe and secure online environment.

Video messages will be delivered through the Viewtalk video messaging platform and can be accessed anytime, anywhere, making online communication freely accessible to the 9 million deaf people across the UK.

SOURCE

Independent Review to conduct Deaf School enquiry.

An answer to those demanding an enquiry into deaf children's abuse at Mary Hare deaf school. Sir Roger Singleton (photo above), is to conduct independent review following former pupil’s conviction for two cases of child sexual abuses of 12/13yr old deaf pupils.

Sir Roger Singleton CBE, Chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority, and formerly the Government's Chief Adviser on the Safety of Children, is to conduct the Independent Review of Safeguarding and Care at Mary Hare commissioned by its Governors following the conviction in April of an ex-pupil for serious sexual offences. Sir Roger, will conduct the review in a personal capacity and will start work on May 5. His intention is to complete the review by August. The Governors of Mary Hare are committed to publishing his findings and to implementing all his recommendations.

Sir Roger’s terms of reference are:

1. To examine the school’s management of the events which led to the former pupil’s conviction in April 2011; and to examine the school’s management of alleged sexual activity between pupils from 2007 onwards.

More specifically:

(a) Were there any measures that the school could or should have taken which would have prevented those incidents which took place on school premises?
(b) In relation to the events discovered by the school: did it react appropriately in respect of (i) the individual children concerned and their parents; (ii) the staff; (iii) informing and engaging with West Berkshire Children's Services, the police and other relevant agencies and (iv) learning and applying any lessons concerning the school's care and safeguarding policies and practices and the supervision of pupils?
(c) In the summer of 2010 when the school was made aware of the findings of the police and children's services investigations, did it react appropriately in relation to the individuals concerned and their families, the wider school community including the governors, the relevant agencies and the examination of care practices?

2. In considering all these matters, what lessons should be drawn and what measures
should be taken to apply those lessons?

SOURCE & MORE

Why I say NO to BSL in schools for Hearing.

The constant demand by BSL using deaf to have it included as an essential part of the curriculum of schools has to be the most pointless campaign the deaf have launched in current memory. It fails on a practical level given there are more schools in the UK than there are deaf people, and only 3 trained and professional BSL staff per 300 to even support them on the street.

Can we now drop these implausible demands for BSL in schools ? There aren't the staff, there are none being trained, or they are priced out of qualifying, and there is no coherent or inclusive awareness involved, since the BSL people refuse to include any other deaf except (Pardon the awful pun), by giving lip-service to the fact there are (Hold the mayo !), some deaf who don't actually sign (Lowest of the low obviously). BSL campaigners also insist no English qualification OR teaching qualifications should be applied to the BSL class tutors. Great for awareness... NOT !

Notwithstanding where do learners actually USE it ? (A fair question I think). The opportunity to interact with deaf is negligible. Unless the learner actively seeks out the deafie, and deafies start opening up their system to hearing, they are unlikely to meet them enough to hone any skill learnt or even use it, so learn BSL at junior forget it after, is the norm.

There is no logic to BSL demands. Adult learners reach stage 2 then stop unable to afford to go any further, if they wanted more BSL people then why not lobby the state to provide free training and underpin the costs ? Sign isn't a hobby course but essential to communicate to these people. However they will have to get in line with 35 OTHER minorities of disabled all wanting the same thing, where will hearing kids find the time to learn anything else ? One school refused to include BSL on the grounds it was taught to the exclusion of other deaf and was 'political'. Qualifications are dubious. Cash-strapped support systems have lowered (Along with the RNID), the qualification degree of sign needed, all you now need to get lucrative jobs 'supporting deaf people' is ABC finger-spelling, or at most Stage 2 whilst interpreters need stage 4 and up.

Deaf signers are actually being abused by the simple fact their support is amateur, and their groups support it ! Not enough people understand the sheer unwillingness of the signing 'Deaf' community to go half way, (Ya-boo why should we we have rights etc...), and the hostility to those who aren't part of their 'culture', even people who go deaf later or wear a CI are not part of their 'in' crowd and there are endless arguments and rows between them. They demand everyone signs to them and refuse to go that half-way to communicate or help the hearing, there is no will within the 'Deaf' community (It's important to state these are a very small minority of people who mostly are secular anyway), to make learning BSL worthwhile, and why would hearing get into that ? They know when they aren't wanted, they read enough online to see the deaf blame them for everything.

Many'Deaf' feel why should they make effort ? well, unless you do you won't get any back ! Sod's law.

Deaf awareness week will be ignored again this year too, the inter-action BY deaf has almost made it unviable. Any cursory viewing of online 'awareness' events during 'deaf week', will show hearing are doing most of it, hardly a showcase of what deaf are about. 'Deaf' tend to congregate together to the EXCLUSION of hearing, the rest do not USE BSL constantly or even daily, the main problem is the deaf school systems and PHU's encourage the isolationism that is prevelant within the community of 'Deaf' who are soon anyway to be replaced by the CI implantee. It's a very minor sector of the most disaffected deaf who are fighting a losing and bitter battle, and want to return to utopian deaf existence where they lorded it over everyone else.

Of course Hearing-deaf entente' is never going to happen until there is some willingness to interact involved. That means including everyone in the community to come together.

The Royal Wedding

This is all you will hear about it from me.

Irish Parents must pay for screening tests

Parents of newborns must pay €100 for a private hearing test The majority of parents concerned about their baby's hearing will have to go on a public waiting list or else pay €100 (About £90 sterling), for a private test, as a national rollout will take two years. Babies in Cork University Hospital became the first in the country to be offered free hearing screening, under a programme launched yesterday. But it will take time to roll out the scheme nationally, sparking concern from organisations representing the deaf and hard of hearing.

A recently published expert group review report warned that children with hearing difficulties were being diagnosed too late, leaving them with lifelong difficulties which can affect their education and social development. The report revealed that children here who are profoundly deaf are not being diagnosed until they are two years old. Those with moderate hearing loss can wait up to 60 months before they are assessed. They can also wait years to get a hearing aid. Now the 8,000 babies born in the Cork hospital over the course of a year will be screened by a trained hearing screener while they are settled or sleeping, usually at the mother's bedside.

SOURCE

The Village of the Deaf & Dumb

The Thar area of Sindh where a village of Gulsher Gorchani is also called the “the village of deaf and dumb” because half of its population is unable to hear and talk. Because of genetic mutation, illiteracy and official negligence, about half of the nearly 1,000 inhabitants of a village have become deaf and dumb.

The village of Gulsher Gorchani in deh 256, about 15km from Kot Ghulam Muhammad in Mir Imam Bux Talpur union council has no health facility, roads or nay means of communication. A dilapidated building houses the only primary school and about 80 per cent people of the village can not read or write. The villagers, worried over the increasing number of handicapped people, told this reporter that no government official, elected representatives or an NGO functionary had ever visited their village.

Haji Ismail Gorchani, Haji Muhammad Gorchani, Khair Muhammad Gorchani and Muhammad Ibrahim said that about 50 years ago there was only one deaf and dumb person in the village, but now the number has reached 500. More than 200 children aged between two and 15 years and 300 adults are unable to speak or hear and it was now known as the ‘village of deaf and dumb’. These people can work in farms but landowners usually ask questions about crops and these people are unable to say anything and are humiliated.

MNAs, MPAs and nazims promised to provide medical facilities, build roads, schools and colleges during election campaigns were never seen after getting elected, said Ismail Gorchani, a journalist of Kot Ghulam Muhammad town. ENT specialist Dr Ashfaq says there is hope for such people because an implant worth Rs1.7 million can enable children to hear and speak. Older people cannot benefit from the implant and a common hearing aid available in the market will also be of no help because it helps only those who have 20 per cent hearing ability.

SOURCE

ZULU !!

I'm depressed dispirited and disappointed, my fave welsh film of all time has been disputed as inaccurate. Bit Freudian there with so many small d's but...in mitigation one fact may interest us.

Gonville Bromhead (Played by Michael Caine in the Film), was partially deaf, a disability not mentioned in the film. All the characters in the film pronounce Bromhead's name as it is spelt. In reality it was pronounced 'Brumhead'. He was also significantly older than portrayed and like many Victorian gentlemen of the period sported substantial facial hair.

A typical Welsh iconic historical moment ? erm... maybe, like the Welsh flag at the Alamo I suppose.... but hey we signed their Independence Declaration.

The 24th Regiment of Foot is described as a Welsh regiment: in fact, although based in Brecon in south Wales, its designation was the 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. It did not become the South Wales Borderers until 1881.

Of the soldiers present, 49 were English, 32 Welsh, 16 Irish and 22 others of indeterminate nationality.

The song "Men of Harlech" features prominently as the regimental song; it did not become so until later. At the time of the battle, the regimental song was "The Warwickshire Lad".

There was no "battlefield singing contest" between the British and the Zulus. (Albeit it gave Ifor Emmanuel a spot).

The British infantrymen of the Anglo-Zulu War did not wear sparkling white pith helmets. They were stained a tan colour (with tea or coffee) without helmet plates.

Let us hope the English got the words right at least.... I'm still wondering if a friend I had in Merthyr Tydfil was right, in that he insisted a long lost ancestor was Davy Crocket...

Business not meeting deaf people's needs...

A DEAF bus i n e s s - woman has a loud and clear message to share — she wants to help hearing people better understand the needs of deaf people. Ruth Fletcher put herself through a tough online business management course so she could set up her own company.

Now, after being the first deaf person to complete the course with distinction, she has started her firm, How to Support the Deaf People Within Your Workplace. Miss Fletcher, aged 48, of Grace Street, Horwich, said she has been treated badly simply because she is profoundly deaf. She has worked as secretary and chairman of the Bolton Deaf Society and recently qualified as an accredited CACDP Deaf Awareness Tutor.

On a professional level, Miss Fletcher held a number of office-based jobs before being made redundant in October, 2010. She said: “I felt frustrated and wanted to do something proactive to highlight the needs of deaf people across a broad spectrum of settings, such as the workplace or in a leisure environment like hotels.” To help people understand the needs of the deaf, she will be using a range of teaching methods including discussion, role play, explanation, video and demonstration of equipment that supports deaf and hard of hearing people.

She decided the best way to instigate positive change was to set up her own business helping organisations to recognise and respond to the needs of deaf people, whether employees or customers. Miss Fletcher initially investigated training options at her local college but her deafness presented an obstacle to learning in a traditional classroom.

While researching other routes on the internet, she came across Home Learning College’s Certificate in Business Management. She added: “One of the biggest factors in my decision was the fact I would get one to one tutorial support, which could be delivered by email or via the virtual learning community.” Since finishing her course, she has attracted start-up funding and has set up her company website.

Her initial plan is to target local companies across the North West, offering an evaluation of their current compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

SOURCE

ASL Users... The hostile deaf ?

Clearly the issue is ASl users lack command of English..... An recent article on why American deaf aren't hacking it with sign language....... and need to master written and spoken English. even Blind and those with mental health do better ! Sign language is the problem according to employers....

"I knew at some level that American Sign Language is not the same thing as English. But I hadn't realized what that means for those who are deaf before language is acquired: Capital D "Deaf Culture" is markedly closed to the non-deaf, but even more surprising is closed and in many cases actively hostile to anyone, hearing or deaf, who promotes communication in any way but ASL.

There is nothing wrong with using ASL as a language, except for the fact that there is no written form. And Deaf people live and work and sign contracts in a world with written language and that written language is not ASL. Being fluent in ASL doesn't give one a command of English. Anyone using ASL to communicate must be bilingual to operate outside Deaf Culture.

Prelingually deafened children raised using ASL or another of the signed English systems (which keep trying to force ASL to be more like English) have roughly a 10% success rate at reading English (or any other traditionally spoken language) on grade level above the 4th grade. Reading the writing of the average Deaf adult is like reading an English paper written by a foreign student, as they are both writing in a foreign language. Imagine being raised speaking English and only ever learning to read in Spanish. Some do remarkably well, but the odds are stacked against them. It's extremely hard for them to succeed in standard high school and college courses when they are not fluent in English.

I've always wondered why the deaf were so poorly integrated into the standard workplace; it seems as if they should have much wider opportunities than, say, the blind, or people with mental disabilities. But of course in English, at least, reading is tightly connected to speaking; you don't learn to read a phonic language well unless you can also speak it."

SOURCE

Irish Tribute to Deaf Campaigner

A LASTING tribute was unveiled in Belfast yesterday to a Church of Ireland missionary deemed a “great champion” for the rights of deaf people.

Francis Maginn, who spent the latter part of his career in the city until his death in 1918, was honoured with an Ulster History Circle blue plaque commemorating the pioneer’s former workplace.

The unveiling was attended by representatives of charities supporting deaf people at Wilton House. Fittingly, the ceremony at the College Square North premises took place on the 150th anniversary of Mr Maginn’s birth in Co Cork. Mr Maginn – who lost his hearing as a child after contracting scarlet fever – worked to enhance the quality of life for people who were deaf in the British Isles.

He launched the British Deaf Association which championed the use of sign language in deaf schools, and later led the Ulster Institute for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind. Paying tribute to Mr Maginn, Brian Symington described the event as a “historic day for the deaf community in Northern Ireland”. He said: “Francis Maginn was a great champion of the rights of people who are deaf, and he showed great resilience and courage to fight for their rights. He lived and breathed his indomitable belief in the fundamental right of deaf people to have equality, education, employment and a rich quality of life.”

Majella McAteer, from the British Deaf Association, hailed Mr Maginn as an “inspiration”. She said: “To understand our own society, we need to be educated in our own local history. “Today, we celebrate the life and achievements of Francis Maginn who played a crucial role in developing key aspects of the deaf community, such as education and work. “As deaf people, we welcome this opportunity to share with others how important this person was in our history. As a deaf man himself, he is an inspiration to many of us, even after 150 years.”

Ulster History Circle plaques commemorate men and women, born in or associated with the province, who have made a significant contribution to its history and development. Wesley McCann, from the organisation, said blue plaques have been unveiled across the country to honour local heroes “whose contribution to the fields of science, politics, the arts and academia have shaped our present”.

SOURCE

Deaf, not Media Savvy Enough ?

Do deaf people have to face the fact they are always second to every other disability sector and minority, in that they totally lack a decent or professional approach to their own image ? OK American deaf can wheel at a deaf celeb or two, but who else has enough media savvy to get messages and the images over ?

Deaf need to get media savvy or face oblivion in representative terms, or potter about on deaf.read talking amongst themselves. One deaf person took up an offer to get 'media' training, but only because he had a voice.... But speech is a minor requirement, in order to raise awareness, you have to show the difficulties, and diversity of the deaf experience with no punches pulled and no make over that isn't accurate.

I read a post from Australia where and first-rate deaf person up for an CEO Position was turned down because "Deaf have no fund-raising pulling power". Some charities refuse to include and promote deaf images, and this is discrimination by hearing people who were 'put off' by face-pulling deaf 'waving their hands about'... Being positive also went AGAINST deaf people, because public perceptions is, if you are a positive go-getter, with your own individuality, this suggests you don't need awareness, support, or any funds to do it, you look like you are doing OK thanks..... They want misery, lots of it so they can feel better when they give...

Deaf have never managed to portray success and still raise money for support. America has an star celeb and she does, but the UK doesn't understand success and how to make the most of it.... An UK charity used saatchi & saatchi (A top professional advertising media business in London), to plug itself, They advised them (A) NOT to use deaf people as images... and (B) to alter their remit to another sector who can evoke more pity with joe public.... eventually to remove 'deaf' from their charity title, all because 'deaf 'didn't mean anything to anyone (?!?!?), go figure... They also used sound effects and verbal oral approaches, with sign never mentioned. 'Deaf' are too independent for their own good" was one response to complaints. So we promote failure ?

Deaf also cannot use media messages effectively with the conundrum of independence and the issue of support/empowerment to do that. As it stands the sectors of loss are deeply divided in approach, and going seperate ways in portraying their needs and rights for equality, sometimes by attacking each others' ! Deaf charities are run be hearing people, the leading one in the UK pays 6 professionals full time to get the message over hearing loss IS the end of the world and they DON'T welcome 'Deaf' challenges to that at all... and money will find a cure eventually. which is going to make life for THEM difficult if it happens... hence little real impetus. Jobs for life, why rock the boat ?

Lest thing they want joe public to see, is a positive deaf person quite happy to hear nothing... and find many hearing people a pain in the arse.... Deaf do NEED funds, translators and access don't come cheap.... they NEED awareness raised, and the deaf charities are not going to do it if it means the message is positive about deafness, OK they will pull at the heart-strings for some deaf kid that manages something, or a dog helper (Always guarantees lots of funds if you include something with fur and four legs), but adults are a lost cause.

Do we use 'shock tactics' ? Suggest joe public's negative perception to positive imaging, detracts from the basic need for support ? Identify where the public is practising real discrimination whether it realises it or not ? Hell NO !!! is the response from support areas, this will alienate people, so we stay discriminated against and hope the charities can find enough people who are 'suffering' with loss to keep going ? Over the last 10 years deaf influences with supportive charities has almost zeroed. Speaks for itself.

Charlie's LR Challenge

Put ALL deaf on a central Register ?

On an BBC site we were discussing issues of 999 (911 is the American equivelant), and how they would know if you were in an accident/fire or medical emergency, that you were deaf. It went on to fire alarms for the deaf which whilst an excellent move forward, in an actual fire the fire brigade would not know the occupant/s were actually deaf there is no register of deaf people the 999 services could access.

My response was (as per usual), tinged with annoyance with many deaf people who have steadfastly refused outright to register the fact they are deaf with essential services, even with free mobile text access direct to the police, they campaigned for ! No complaint then when their house burns down ! Whilst they are still demanding the emergency services are trained in deaf communications. The comment from me was:

"I have a specialist alarm too, smoke, carbon monoxide, but as you say, apart from the installer who knows there are deaf people here ? One means of doing it is for manufacturers, retailers, social services and others who install or sell alert systems for deaf should automatically forward the address to an central dbase emergency services can access, much the same as if you buy a TV. It need not contain names just the fact deaf people live there.

E.G. the person could be incapacitated physically (In a wheelchair or something), so all this info would assist 999 services to avoid fatalities and to understand the persons at x address may not hear, see or be able to come to you. Deaf are their own worst enemy, and seem to assume as you have rights you then also have a right to attack people who have no idea you are deaf because you refused to inform them. Explain the logic of that.

I'd also like to see car tax discs etc with an indicator the driver is deaf too. (I also expect self-righteous indignation from deaf who still won't go with it !). But how else will the 999 services know ? and how can they be expected to provide communication support ? Why train 999 services to communicate and still deny them the fact YOU are the one they will have to communicate to ?"

Stoke on Trent worst UK area for raising a deaf child.

EIGHT specialist workers who support disabled children are being axed due to council cutbacks. A team of 30 staff at Stoke-on-Trent City Council help children with hearing impairments, sight difficulties, autism and mental and physical special needs. But the authority is currently restructuring its workforce and the new team will contain just 22 workers. The changes are being introduced as the budget for integrated services, including the team which working s with children with special needs, has been slashed from £5.04 million to £3.4 million.

One of the slashed positions being lost axed is believed to be a teacher of the deaf, causing a national charity to name Stoke-on-Trent as one of the worst places in Britain to raise a deaf child. The city council has already axed four teachers of the deaf since January last year prompting worried parents and the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) to launch a campaign calling for on the posts to be reinstated.

A petition on the city council’s website has so far been signed by 505 people worried about how the job losses will affect deaf children. But despite the campaign, further cuts have been made. Now the charity claims there are just three visiting teachers of the deaf, please don’t change wording – this is what they are called to work with the city’s 200 hearing-impaired children. The remaining teachers, who work with children and their families from the moment they are diagnosed, will now each have to juggle the caseloads of around 70 children each.

NDCS has now written to Education Secretary Michael Gove, calling on him to intervene. And the charity is considering taking legal action against the authority as it believes the council failed to consult parents properly and did not properly assess the impact of its cuts on equality. Jo Campion, NDCS deputy director, policy and campaigns, said: “We are absolutely appalled to learn that yet another cut has been made to the support team for deaf children in Stoke-on-Trent.

“The city is now one of the worst areas in the country to bring up a child who is deaf. “Without the right support, deaf children and young people are vulnerable to isolation, abuse, bullying, poor self-esteem and low levels of achievement.” “NDCS is calling on the Secretary of State to directly intervene in these cuts and use his legal powers to ensure that deaf children in Stoke-on-Trent are getting the essential support they need.”

Katy Evans has a three-year-old son Charlie, who is deaf. The 26-year-old, from Stoke, said: “I am furious that another teacher of the deaf has been cut – I am losing sleep over it.

SOURCE & MORE

AGM of the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People.

Something for the non-deaf cultural community at last ! Some spelling errors on the captions but .... perhaps Brits will realise how lucky they really are compared with the rest of Europe... (apart from the appalling TV shows they put on, and rigged voting on Eurovision !)...

Deaf BSL Access to legal Services confirmed ? NOT SO !

Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk, Labour):

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what facilities his Department provides for British Sign Language users to access legal services.

Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 22 March 2011, c972W)

Jonathan Djanogly (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (HM Courts Service and Legal Aid), Justice; Huntingdon, Conservative):

British Sign Language (BSL) users in England and Wales are able to use the Community Legal Advice (CLA) telephone helpline or the CLA website to access legal services. CLA is funded by the legal aid scheme which is administered by the Legal Services Commission (LSC).

BSL users may access the helpline by using a text or web based 'call me back' service, and can then use web cameras to communicate with legal advisers who are fluent in BSL. This service is currently available at specialist level in the categories of Debt, Housing, Employment and Welfare Benefits.

BSL users may also search through the directory function on the CLA website to find a face-to-face legal adviser local to them that provides BSL translation.

This LINK with the CLA does not actually offer any signed access... so where is it ?

In Denial ?

Ex-pupils launch support petition: Would you sign this petition ? given the court has found abuse (Indeed legally rape as they are under age), of 2 girls under 14, and the school admits things have gone on, but they 'dealt' with it, to whose satisfaction ? Already ex-pupils are online stating they were NOT monitored or prevented from interacting at night or alone with other pupils, pregnancy did happen, and babies aborted on the quiet, I have to point out, that legally this is unsubstantiated hearsay, but is all over twitter and some facebook sites.

Is it right this petition should be launched given the crown court has already declared findings and sentenced the culprit ? Also ex-pupils, mitigating the person sentenced deaf because there were questions he wasn't compos mentis, i.e. aware of his actions ? I wouldn't buy it personally given this is the highest mooted deaf school academia in the UK.... Is this misguided support and closing of the 'deaf' ranks ? In fairness I am publishing the school side of things, and because at the BBC site, comments from an ex-pupil has been removed who supported the school....

NOTE: Mary Hare is also a charity, in fact two charities linked to the school).

THE PETITION:

Support for Mary Hare School for the Deaf

In light of what we deem to be sensationalised unfair press coverage of Mary Hare, ex-pupils/supporters of Mary Hare have come forward to refute such accusations against the school's reputation. We will not allow the media and a judge to formulate a bad reputation of Mary Hare. We offer our support to Mary Hare School as an outstanding place of education for deaf children in the UK. Like any other school across the UK and most certainly outside of school, underage sex happens, but it is not common place at Mary Hare as has been reported. Pupils who have been caught are dealt with with suspension or expulsion appropriately.

As ex-pupils of the school we are best placed to know the workings of the school. We will continue to work with Mary Hare in providing support to deal with this situation, and prevent this happening again. We believe in Mary Hare's capacity in providing the best education, social opportunities, cultural and spiritual understanding, and of course, its well being for deaf students that cannot be equalled anywhere else.


- We refute that Mary Hare is a fee paying school, it is largely LEA funded.

- We refute that there is a promiscuous culture amongst pupils. Pupils behave like any other boarding school across the country, deaf pupils are no different.

- We refute there is freedom of movement at all hours unsupervised. Carestaff and teachers work very hard to maintain our health and safety and well-being, but they are not able to guard our movements 24/7 like hawks, like any other boarding school in the country.

- Relationships between pupils of large age differences are actively discouraged.



PRESS STATEMENT FROM TONY SHAW, PRINCIPAL OF MARY HARE SECONDARY SCHOOL, 13th April 2011
----------------------------------------------------------
A statement by the Principal, Tony Shaw

I have been responsible for the education and care of more than 750 hearing impaired pupils at Mary Hare over a 19 year period. Before this court case there have never been charges brought against a pupil of the school.

Mary Hare works closely with Social Services in West Berkshire and is inspected annually by Ofsted Care. Our inspection reports are published on the web and confirm the quality of our work. Our Ofsted Care Inspectors knew of the court case when they inspected us in January. They rated us as Good for safeguarding which we are proud of.

After pleading guilty, the defence team made statements about Mary Hare to the Judge in mitigation. We do not know who made these as we were not involved in these proceedings. We were not given an opportunity to challenge them in court. Complaints of this nature have never been made to the school by parents, raised by West Berkshire Social Services or identified by Ofsted Care through their confidential surveys of both pupils and parents. In July we announced that an independent review of our work in care would be undertaken when the court case was over. The outcome of this review will be shared with all the relevant agencies and stake holders.

In this matter, the leadership and staff of the school have the unequivocal and unanimous support of the Board of Governors.

Tony Shaw

Principal

12/4/11

Promiscuous culture at deaf school.

Sex education not an issue at this school then ! UNDER-AGE sex between boarders as young as 12 was commonplace at a top grammar school for the deaf, a judge revealed yesterday.

The £35,000-a-year school allowed a “promiscuous culture” and let down its pupils, Judge Richard Parkes QC said. One parent, who asked not to be named, said bed-hopping was rife. She claimed: “A culture exists of pupils hopping in and out of bed with each other, willy nilly. There is freedom of movement at all hours of the day and night, unsupervised.

“This has been going on for a very long time. I have spoken to pupils from 20 years ago who say it was the same back then.” Former pupil Aeron Mazija, 20, was yesterday jailed for three years for having sex with 12 and 13-year-old girls at the Mary Hare Grammar School for the Deaf when he was 18. Judge Parkes told him, via a signer: “All of the victims and yourself were at a school where consensual sexual ­relationships between underage pupils was commonplace. Sexual relationships were the norm.

“You had no appreciation or awareness of the implications of having underage sex. Relationships between pupils of different ages was not discouraged at the school and there were many examples of underage sex. It is fair to say that pupils were rather promiscuous. Underage sex was not that seriously treated at the school.” The judge was told yesterday that Mazija had once been caught having sex with a 16-year-old girl on the stage in the school hall when he was just 14.

Teachers found them but no action was taken, Reading crown court was told. Mazija, of Woking, Surrey, admitted having sex with a 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl in 2008 and 2009. The school in Newbury, Berks, educates 230 pupils aged from five to 19. Its principal Tony Shaw yesterday denied underage sexual relationships were rife.

He said: “All the pupils who are 16 or below live in single-sex accommodation which is separate and distant from each other. The main thing that was said by the judge was that relationships were commonplace and we were naive if we thought they weren’t sexual. “We reject that. We don’t think we have a greater or lower number of relationships than any other place.”

SOURCE

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Are Deaf an 'ethnic' group ?

Should the Deaf Be Considered an Ethnic Group? and where do YOU fit in ?

Bailey Rice (SED’12, CAS’11), Michael Bruffee (CAS’11), and Jeanine Pollard (SED’11) chat in ASL with Sophia Bucci, daughter of SED instructor Bruce Bucci, at Deaf Deaf World, an SED-sponsored event held in the GSU last month to raise awareness about deaf culture. Photo by Kalman Zabarsky. Deaf Americans who sign share much more than a language; they comprise a common culture with its own ancestry, art, and humor. A recent book titled The People of the Eye, co-authored by Richard C. Pillard, a School of Medicine professor of psychiatry, goes further, offering a compelling argument that the deaf should be recognized as a distinct ethnic group.

Subtitled Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry, the book’s other authors are Harlan Lane, a hearing professor of psychology at North eastern University, and Ulf Hedberg, a deaf-from-birth archivist at Gallaudet University, the nation’s oldest college for the deaf. Published recently by Oxford University Press, the book grew out of a 40-year friendship between psycholinguist Lane and Pillard, a clinician captivated by genetics. “We won’t call deafness a disorder; in fact we never use the word ‘deafness’ in the book,” says Pillard (below), who hopes the slim, heavily footnoted volume will help convince hearing people that not only is being deaf not a catastrophe, but “deaf people get along perfectly fine in the world and they have for centuries.”

Jason Norman agrees. A sign in the School of Education Deaf Studies program offices designates the area as an American Sign Language–only zone. A curriculum and teaching instructor in the program, Norman says, through an ASL interpreter, that for him, being a deaf person trumps any other aspect of his identity, and he and other ASL speakers share deaf jokes, deaf ways of attracting attention, and a powerful cultural bond. “It is not a disability to me in any way to be deaf,” says the ASL poet and storyteller, who joined SED last August. Born to hearing parents who learned to sign, he’s “very accustomed to interacting in a hearing world,” he says.

“I feel quite comfortable among hearing people. But when you can’t sign for days on end, you feel like you’re going to go out of your skin without the oasis of ASL.” Norman has attended both deaf-only and mainstream schools.

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Deaf Faker 4..

Lip-reading is so erm...........

People of the Eye, a case of cultural Myopia ?

Harlan Lane.... His deaf world, not mine. For adults who lose their hearing, deafness is an obvious disability, a physical problem that impairs their ability to communicate with family, friends, and the rest of the hearing world. But that is not how the hereditary deaf in this country understand not being able to hear: Deafness is, instead, a key to their identity and a point of pride.

In “People of the Eye: Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry,” Harlan Lane, Richard C. Pillard, and Ulf Hedberg argue that the rest of the country also needs a different perspective on deaf culture. The half million hereditary deaf in this country, they say, should be understood as an ethnic group, with many of the same qualities that define more commonly recognized ethnicities: A common language, shared ancestry, common stories and artistic traditions, and a community that perpetuates cultural norms through the generations. Key to deaf culture is American Sign Language, a robust language with a complex vocabulary and a grammar distinct from English. For the community that the book’s authors call “Deaf-world,” that language is the basis for shared artistic and cultural traditions, and the basis for much of the deaf community’s isolation from mainstream American culture.

Lane, a psychology professor at Northeastern University, has been studying deaf culture and linguistics since the 1970s, ever since he witnessed a deaf duo conversing and was stunned to learn of the depth and complexity of ASL. He said his studies have shown him the surprising degree of richness in deaf language and culture — and the deep fissures between the way the mainstream culture regards deaf people and the way they view themselves.

He spoke to Ideas by phone.

IDEAS: Nine out of 10 deaf people marry other deaf people. Why is deaf marriage so common?

LANE: Deaf people marry deaf more than any other minority. I think that’s very significant. It just shows you how inept the concept of disability is for these people, because people who are blind as a rule do not want to marry other blind people. People in wheelchairs do not seek other people in wheelchairs. I mean, there may be individuals who do, but as a cultural norm, it tells you that something is up here. And what’s up is the value placed on being deaf.

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Pittsburgh Landlords say no to deaf tenants..

Even when the potential renter meets all the typical income and residency requirements for leasing a house or apartment, a startling number of Pittsburgh-area landlords are still inclined to reject inquiries made by people who are deaf. In a year-long test conducted by the Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh, researchers found 28 percent of landlords contacted by deaf people either hung up the phone, gave false information or used some other illegal means to deny the deaf person a place to live.

The Fair Housing Partnership on Thursday announced its findings from the project, which involved using both deaf and hearing people to call 200 area landlords who had advertised homes and apartments for rent on the online classified site Craigslist between 2009 and 2010. Test reviewers found 11 violations were so severe they filed complaints against the landlords with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Seven of those cases have been settled and those landlords have undergone training in fair housing law. The other cases are pending.

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Harry Potter Actor in complex Deaf Radio drama.

Miriam Margolyes is to star alongside two deaf actors in a radio drama that will be accompanied with online video content featuring a signing of the production, designed to allow hearing-impaired audiences to access the play.

Shall I Say a Kiss? is a Radio 4 play that dramatises the love letters of a deaf Jewish couple in the thirties, Eva and Morris Davis, played by deaf actors David Bower and Emily Howlett.
The drama explores the pair’s relationship after Morris returns to the USA when his visa runs out and follows Eva’s efforts to join her fiance. Margolyes will play Eva’s mother in the drama, which will be broadcast on Radio 4, alongside a specially-filmed video featuring a signing of the production. This will appear on the Radio 4 website to coincide with the drama’s transmission.

The script of the play will also be available for audiences to access online. Producer Polly Thomas described the different elements of the production as “complex and unusual” in radio drama, but added that signing of audio content is something deaf artists want to see more of. “It’s something a lot of deaf theatre makers and artists I work with are keen on - particularly if the story is about deaf experiences. There is a natural logic to it,” she said.
The couple’s letters have been adapted into a radio drama by Vanessa Rosenthal, who worked with Thomas on the BBC radio series Writing the Century, which was also based on existing letters. Thomas said that Eva in particular had a “strong style and voice in her letters which make them very interesting”.

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Details: Shall I say a kiss? BBC Radio 4, Tuesday 28th June, 2011 1415 and 30th March 2011. A New radio drama starring two Deaf actors and bringing to life a moving true story. The cast includes David Bower, the leading Deaf actor, Emily Howlett, up and coming new Deaf actress, playsEva and Miriam Margolyes. Alongside the radio drama, we will put a signed version of the play and the transcript on the BBC website, for the transmission and a week after it, making the play accessible to new audiences. We will work with award winning Sign Dance Collective, artistic directors David Bower and Isolte Avila on the signed version. David Bower, Isolte Avila, Deaf actor Jacob Casselden and Laura Goulden, will perform.

Remark TV, the Deaf lead media company, will make a short programme about the project for broadcast in its own internet channels, and the British Sign Language Trust website.

The Impossible dream ?

As ever Kokonut Pundit continues to raise interesting questions about deaf and language perceptions. One reads lots of "it is about ALL deaf together regardless of mode", it's a thrust of my blog, I like to think I put certain realities forward to show we have a long way to go yet. We then tend to see the immediate polarising of views that show many deaf/HI sectors are travelling quite quickly in the opposite direction to every one else. You cannot have a deaf community unless people work together.

Language has overridden 'communication' as a priority in acceptance terms, on;ly the deaf could discuss the case that language and communications tend to be diametrically opposite things. This is because 'Language' defines them differently, and as a culture, whilst multi-communicational approaches define jack of all trades, not really one thing or another. All deaf accepting and being together, yes, the impossible dream of most of us, without us believing it is possible then awareness and equality is going to be hypothetical, most issues abound from the fact, we celebrate difference, more than we celebrate diversity.

Are deaf aware of that reality ? We churn (Sorry PROMOTE!), this message year on year, and day by relentless day, we strive via various routes, to spread the word, quite often in an evangelical fervour in the earnest hope it may become a reality, we HAVE to believe it is not impossible. For those not born with silver spoon of born deafness, yes this credo and earnest desire to level us all off on the same playing field can be driven by a fear, and the uncertainty of our own status, if we cannot bring the mountain to Mohamed, we will just assume mountains are merely obstacles to be climbed over, built on, or simply flattened.... As homo sapient it is in our genes to change environments to suit us, and not allow environments to dictate. Not always for our betterment.

There may be diversity of communication but little acceptances for some, if you are blind, no amount of pictured art, is going to heighten your appreciation of colour and light..... Diversity like multiculturalism, (Another impossible dream), are just words and aspirations. There is no coca-cola happy ending, I've always found that American dream a real paradox. I think acceptance of communications of us all takes priority over language, since language is what divides deaf. There are also still many racial, gender, and ethnic deaf divides that go on regardless if they all sign or not, they have their own deaf organisation, own beliefs, own schools, and congregate together, so whilst communication is common the will to bridge other divides isn't.

Should we all accept these divides as a right ? Multiculturalism is as much a Myth in America as here in Europe. It is the American dream after all, but look how it makes it so much harder to gain real equality, whilst we strive for that with mainstream we are on a fast track to the opposite amongst each other. Equality laws in reality validate non-inclusion in many areas. My other blog about Wales, distinctly states it is of welsh interest only, it doesn't really include deaf welsh interests as such outside that area, am I contributing to divides ? sectionalising welsh deaf from English/Scottish or Irish deaf ? I just trying to focus on an area I am familiar with, but other deaf logging in will find.. there is less interest and inclusion of them,just like Americans would.

You see images of 'all' deaf people signing e.g. black, Asian, Japanese, whatever, what you do NOT see are these people in the same rooms or clubs much. Now and then we see a multi-racial deaf thing and think yes we are succeeding where hearing aren't, what we do not see is after the photo shoot they go each their own ways... go online to see the plethora of these stand-alone deaf areas. Deaf TV even.... of course in that respect access means colonising culture... we all want level playing fields, but we all want the teams looking the same too.

I think deaf ignore many realities and try to promote an unity via communication and language that doesn't really exist in many areas. It seems the more we preach the less we really believe... All deaf sign, all hearing speak, and the damned in the middle, how do we include them ? Dic Jones an welsh poet and Archdruid wrote "Being able to cry is what makes us human.." maybe its the only thing that unites...

Deaf Fakers scamming in Ohio

Hearing-impaired equipment used in scam. Con artists are posing as deaf consumers and communicating with businesses, pretending to be interested in making a purchase. Then they commit check fraud or use stolen credit cards in completing the transaction, the AG's office said in a statement. Consumers and businesses were warned to be wary of anyone who asks for money sent via wire transfer or who overpays for an item and asks for money back.

To report a scam, call 1-800-282-0515 or go to www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov.

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Spacehood (A new vid game)

A new slant on an old game....... for the deafhood fans..... Also in 3D !!!