Choices ? hell NO!!

No matter how many times you can demand it, using family or friends is an definite NO-NO in support terms. In the UK the 'system' (including the NHS), is telling deaf to bring family, friends or anyone they like to tribunals, diagnosis, and assessments for support or allowances. We know why they encourage that ! because 9 times out of 10 neither your family nor your friends have any qualifications in (A) Interpreting or (B) The system rulings, which results in the deaf losing out near every time. Notwithstanding (C) It costs the system NOTHING, and they don't have to comply with the law. (D) Any mistakes YOUR FAULT !

DO NOT USE relatives to translate, either at system assessment level or at GP's or anywhere where an personal decision is paramount, ALWAYS insist on the state complying with the law by providing neutral and professional interpreting. If you cannot use an terp you cannot use family either with any confidence. We should be banning relatives doing interpreting work unless they have professional qualifications, even then, NOT allowed to interpret for family members on the grounds of non-neutrality.

Refuse outright any assessment undertaken without professional support, and FORCE the system to comply with the law of the land, no interpreters, NO assessment. NO demand is why UK deaf are struggling with 3 terps for 200 people and, it's their OWN fault !

Do NOT be swayed by unprofessional deaf charities that assist the system to ignore professional support options, by roping in DIY terps of the street. In the UK 4 out of 5 deaf charities are actually denying deaf their rights, and allowing the equality law to be used to do that. There are also deaf charities who are willing to provide cheap and unprofessional help to deaf people, simply to keep their own charity going, and assisted the state to deny deaf their legal right, under the right of 'free choice', It's free all right ! the state doesn't have to pay either for the terp, or, for any mistakes you make !

Deaf people themselves have to wake up to the fact, the reliance on unprofessional help isn't an only option, and refuse to assist the state or anyone else, by providing their own, if they don't how the hell do they expect access to happen, or free choice to happen ? It's a sham. Never heard of creating demand ? We need a ban of choice of deaf support, the medical system is asking for it, insurance companies are asking for it, and deaf frankly should be complying. either they want choice or they don't, there is no middle road.

No deaf clubs please, we are welsh !

A sort of 'State of non-union' blog really.....First congratulations to Nottinghamshire re the launch of their new website, obviously an forward-thinking deaf area. We can only dream of an website here, we don't even use social sites that much, and the sole message board hasn't had an post of any nature for ages. A few years ago there was an feeble attempt, but it had no support and even less nous. The ability is there, the will certainly is not.

Be it the BDA or the charity not worthy of an mention, support is non-extant to an large degree. We've tried to encourage deaf clubs in Wales to take an more pro-active approach as well, since unless they start using their buildings, and expertise as Nottingham did to generate some income, they will lose them all. My area has already lost theirs, and deaf youth divided from deaf older people. This was apparently by choice too. Forget community here ! we've seen no deaf children nor ethnic deaf in clubs.

Deaf youth has moved twice in 6/7 months already and young deaf look like being nomads for the foreseeable future. Nearby Cwmbran seems to be in an different venue every other month, their facebook site is virtually unused as well.

I understand Cardiff is trying to save theirs too, after the Local Authority said it wasn't going to subsidise any more. Sadly there is little or no interest in preserving clubs at all. Our deaf youth are just not interested. The nomadic nature of deaf people who traverse the country to chat 'under the lamp' has meant there is no visible localised representation to preserve things. Local Authorities are now just looking to their own areas, and not paying for deaf from other areas to use facilities they pay towards. The strength of deaf in numbers was exposed as an myth, as each club depended on other clubs members to boost numbers.

This means that there is no numerical support in any local area to keep, or fight for what they have. I rather fear deaf culture in as much as there is one in Wales is on borrowed time. We've lost the dedicated buildings, and despite 36 years of free rent and subsidy my area enjoyed, members never bothered to save for that rainy day, the rapid capitulation to agreeing for closure was an shock to older deaf people, less than 8 years prior to that 300 deaf got together and blocked it, this time around no-one did.

All over bar the feeble shouting ? There is no drive to raise funds for an new one, or promote aspects of an deaf welsh culture. We are utterly dependent on the church providing an room for the elderly, who are certainly entitled to sit back a bit and let youth do some work, but it is not happening. Youth decided they didn't want prayers with their social free time, and went to the pub, I could suggest when they are older they will have nowhere to go either, but youth doesn't look any further than now. This follows the fact no deaf schools exist in Wales either, PHU's are decreasing, and those deaf needing specialist deaf education are being ferried to England.

Is Wales the future of the UK deaf community, or the exception ? Deaf have moved on to... where exactly ?

Sign On: Deaf Asians in the UK.

Turn up da Bass !

A conundrum perhaps, will HEARING still turn the volume DOWN to avoid ending up like deaf peers ? Consider:

" When music is too loud, it blocks out our other senses and we lose touch with reality. Our thinking and actions are changed and under a prolonged exposure to loud music, a moral apathy pervades."

Three types of damage that takes place in our bodies under exposure to loud volume.

(1) Excess volume slows down our ability to memorize and do other brain functions by constricting the flow of blood to the brain. How does volume effect blood supply? The blood vessels undergo a narrowing of caliber in the presence of loud sound. This narrowing decreases the flow of blood to the different parts of the body, including the mind.

(2) Loud music can cause a form of schizophrenia. When a person is exposed to high level sound, a chemical is formed in the brain that is normally found in schizophrenia patients in mental institutions. A music therapist, investigating the effects of loud music, gave an emotional stability test to 240 teenagers while they listened to music. A psychologist, who was unaware of how it was given, examined the results and determined that the test had been given in a mental institution.

(3) Loud music can cause ulcers. The Bass volume being an primary cause.... When susceptible individuals are exposed to loud sound over a period of time, certain stomach functions are disrupted and an increase of hydrochloric acid is released, causing ulceration of the stomach. Martin Polon of UCLA writes, “The continuing exposure to high energy sound creates a stress reaction in the body that significantly involves the gastrointestinal system. Certain stomach functions are disrupted by abnormal contractions of the abdominal area, and increased infusion of hydrochloric acid causing dyspepsia. Recurring activation of this syndrome will lead to peptic ulceration in susceptible individuals.

SOURCE

Loud music also gives deaf charity job security. So OK guys have fun, but turn it down a bit. Now read on.....

First there was Death Disco, now there is deaf disco. Or, more accurately, a "multi-sensory club night for both the hearing and hearing-impaired". A groundbreaking event which has earned a loyal following in the Netherlands, Finland, South Africa and Australia is arriving in the UK, hoping to bring together deaf and other revellers.

The attractions at Sencity London 2011 will include a vibrating dance floor, aroma jockeys who pump the air full of different scents to accompany the music, as well as signing dancers who interpret tracks for hearing-impaired club-goers. There will be a host of other non-audio sensory stimulation on offer to augment the music, including hair dressers, masseurs and make-up artists.

Also playing will be deaf rapper Signmark from Finland,



who uses sign language to communicate his lyrics, as well as DJ Chinaman from the long-running Deaf Rave. The event at IndigO2 at the O2 arena in London is organised by an eight-strong team of deaf and hearing-impaired young people. They are hoping to attract 1,500 people, aged between 18 and 35, in October.

VRS ?.. OK but only for 30 minutes a month !

OFCOM still not convinced re VRS systems. First twitter confines you to 140 characters, now deaf are confined to VRS for half an hour a month... maybe ! OK guys keep it short. Deaf people have been urged to make their views known, following the launch of a major Review of Relay Services for Deaf people by Ofcom. The Review recognises the importance of introducing Video Relay Services (VRS), giving BSL users ‘greater equivalence’.

VRS allows BSL users to communicate in Sign Language to hearing people through an interpreter, via a webcam or video phone, allowing them to communicate in their first language. By law, communications providers must provide ‘text relay’ services for disabled consumers.

However, Ofcom proposes introducing VRS on a restricted basis, which would allow BSL users to access the service for just 30 minutes per month, and only on weekdays between 9am and 5pm.

The British Deaf Association (BDA) is appalled by Ofcom’s proposal and the BDA’s Policy and Campaigns Team is currently constructing a detailed response to Ofcom.
BDA’s Chief Executive Officer, David Buxton (Deaf) commented: “What Ofcom is proposing, to allow Deaf BSL users only 30 minutes of VRS on a monthly basis is outrageous and highly unacceptable.

“This proposal would not give Deaf BSL users equality to accessible services or bring them on a par with the level of telephone communication access which hearing people have.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Deaf people to finally catch up with the hearing in terms of telecommunications. We are not seeking special treatment, we are asking for equality. Deaf sign language users should be able to call colleagues, friends and relatives in the same way that hearing people take for granted every day.

“The BDA are now preparing a strong response to these proposals and to ensure that Deaf people’s voices are heard and acted upon.”

Ofcom is encouraging Deaf people to respond to its consultation by providing a BSL video translation of the consultation on its website and inviting responses by email or through a video response.

The suggested link included at the site doesn't appear to work !!

SOURCE

Deaf culture & Sign Names

So now we get the hearing promoting the d/D thing too...

Deaf ? life is to blame !

It is not fun being deaf is it ? however I'm a bit despondent about the reasons there are so many deafies about, some I read about, (and some very impracticable advice) below, seems no way you can avoid going deaf really.

(1) Sex via Viagra (You have to use your imagination for other reasons). OK so just hold hands and save your hearing, or stick to cyber sex, less STD's too...

(2) Swimming, you can get water-born infections and if you dive into water it can create an vacuum that will deafen you, so OK, just admire it's wetness. Wash in it, not swim in it, you know what fish do in it.

(4) Smoking, if you smoke too much or near me I'll clip you around the ear go away you anti-social person.

(4) Loud music, yeah yeah ! better to be deaf than old.

(5) Sticking stuff in your ears, apparently everything from cotton wool and pencils are stuffed in people's ears. Just as well they can't lift scaffolding pipes.

(6) Flying in an aeroplane with an heavy cold, if the air pressure doesn't do it, the legionnaire's will or DVT. Toss a coin, boat ? plane ?

(7) Living in the city, or near industry/traffic, don't work, don't travel, don't live in the city, sorted.

(8) Ear infections like glue ear, who puts glue in them ?

(9) Using power tools, I don't get these issues, I let others do the DIY.

(10) Riding a motorcycle, mostly it's the wind whistling around the helmet. Wear an turban instead and say you are an Sikh and its your religion..

(11) Too much volume on sound in cars, MP3 players, ipods, smart phones, ANY phones, just get a life, no-one under 30 is going to take any notice and they may well lock you up as strange, assuming they aren't waiting for an text response......

(12) Genetic susceptibility, it's your parents fault, why not just sue them ?

(13) Playing golf, every time you hit the ball it destroys cochlear hairs, try using the tee or play football instead...

City Council forced to stop cuts to deaf support.

The High Court has ordered Stoke-on-Trent City Council to immediately halt its planned cuts to educational support for deaf children while the Court considers the National Deaf Children’s Society’s (NDCS) legal challenge of Council decisions that have put the future of the city’s deaf children at risk.

In response to an application the NDCS made on Monday 22 August, the High Court has granted vital temporary protection for Stoke-on-Trent’s 200 deaf children, which means they will return to school with their support from last term intact. NDCS was very concerned that next week the Council would cut one more Teacher of the Deaf, which would have meant a reduction from six to three visiting Teachers of the Deaf in less than two years.

Jo Campion, NDCS Deputy Director of Policy and Campaigns, said:

The High Court’s decision will be a relief to parents of deaf children in Stoke who have been in a constant state of uncertainty about their children’s future for months. Deaf children across the country are being left behind in the classroom and particularly in this case the council’s decisions to make cuts have been reckless. It is great news that the High Court has recognised the need to urgently protect these deaf children whilst it considers whether the case should be granted a judicial review.

We’ve been proud to support parents throughout this process. Today we have passed the first hurdle and we will continue to represent deaf children’s best interests until they get the support the Council has a duty to provide.

SOURCE & MORE

Being deaf is a class act...?

Recent blogs by the rebuttal and grumpy, suggest technology is all very well, but deaf shouldn't have to adapt to an hearing society,they should adapt and accept us. All very idealistic, but is it practical ? or even deaf accommodating of others ? The history of campaigning is littered with an mix of idealisms and impracticality.

Basically Cinema and TV is overwhelmingly driven by what hearing people want, the deaf do not keep these things going, hell they don't even support their own deaf-made programs here.. Early campaigns wanted captioning and subtitles too. When we succeeded, and I can still remember when we had no titled TV or colour TV, or indeed access to the telephone, I was first in my area to campaign for telephonic access via minicom. Few understand this wasn't something that has always been there. I recall too when we achieved titled Television. It wasn't ultimately down to pressure from deaf people, despite years of lobbying. It was instrumental in raising our awareness.

The reality was technology became available, and was cheap enough to be viable. If deaf had just demanded BSL we wouldn't be accessing TV now. Today that is still the case, when they get it, they will still be arguing over the format,and still many signers won't be able to access it. That was an straight demand for an single means of accessing televised media TEXT, the glasses are still TEXT. In regards to cinema access, the deaf are not united, neither are manufacturers, on what system would suit the most. You are not going to make everything accessible for everyone, there will always be someone left out.

While deaf have an right of acceptance,it has to be driven by practicalities and costs. This isn't an popular view, but it is one that drives the access we get. Taken to extremes, rights apply equally across the board. We know that isn't the day to day reality, and mostly compromise has to be arrived at. It is not deaf bowing to hearing, but the systems having to please all the people all the time. It doesn't happen, it's not POSSIBLE.

Compromise for me is STILL having access to films, but via an DVD, it's not as if I will never have access to an film. Compromise for me is having '888' on my TV set that I can access without that access being an issue for someone else. Compromise for me is being able to use text via telephones, not so much compromise as the plain fact I won't hear anyone the other end. Technology has provided my access, and I understand it was primarily never developed for my use. It proved an lucky thing for us...

There are I suppose dozens of minorities, including blind people who no matter how much technology they get will never 'see' an cinema film or the TV picture, but they still have other access, they don't insist the films have to be visible. Not only deaf people go to cinemas, hard of hearing the vast majority, do as well, and still can't get loops working ! Access is like the deaf cure, tomorrow ! Only deaf people assume the hearing society develops things so the deaf can't access them. Deaf can't agree on what systems they would use, even when the minicom came out and was used, it didn't take long for technology to make it redundant again. 3D glasses mooted as today's vogue are actually an system of some age, people are sitting there with these glasses on.

Deaf annoyances are with each other and with other loss areas, annoyances with themselves. We are still split down the middle. These glasses are going to have to do more than subtitle.. or deaf again complaining about other access they haven't got. When they can translate hearing-deaf in real time, SHOW OVER.

Maybe there won't be glasses, we'll get another implant.

The success story is '888' here in the UK. We accept it, it's great ! but only because mainstream suffered no inconvenience, and the price was right. What these blogs are stating is not really about cinema, it could be the bank, the railway station, whatever....but about mainstream accepting deaf in general, should we not campaign for that and not welcome with one arm technology then grumble, because it is some 'sop' to hearing, I'll take what I can get !

The glasses are just one means used, there are others. My last blog I stated I wouldn't personally sit in an cinema with an huge pair of blinkers on. Deaf want unobtrusive too ! we don't want to stand out in a crowd, it is anathema to acceptances anyway. Like it or not we have to work with hearing,and yes adapt too, we've always had to adapt. What do they think we did before technology came about ? Be it hearing aids or Cinema we don't want highly visible means of access, and today even hearing aids are still an touchy subject aren't they ? else why are users still trying to hide them, and, manufacturers still trying to meet those demands to make them invisible ? Even if mainstream was more accepting there would still be many hard of hearing who would NOT want their issue to be identified.

Deaf people are highly uncertain about high profiles on them too. Why aren't ASL/BSL vblogs captioned ? here is an case where deaf deny others access on the basis or cultural right, it isn't hearing who have issues with us, other deaf do too ! The next illogical step are demands for in-vision signed access, which would simply cause uproar amongst.... US. Deaf are too mixed up and still more than an little paranoid, not everyone is out to demean us and keep us 'out of the loop'. IN terms of real access, deaf in the UK have had more than most in the western world, we should take care not to be so demanding we alienate others.

You cannot demand acceptance, it has to be voluntary.
Clearly some deaf want access and do not care what anyone else wants. There is an dangerous ambiguity there.

Tania Aces it !

A profoundly deaf teenager moved a step closer to her dream of becoming a crime scene investigator after receiving her results.

Tania Bonello, 16, from Collindale, north London, took exams in Japanese, double science, British Sign Language level 2, English, performing arts, maths and RE. However she owes much of her success to the support of a teacher of the deaf, who sat with her during lessons and made sure she understood everything. Tania, who goes to Hendon School, said: ''I find it hard because I have to work harder and focus more than the other children just to be sure I get all the information and work done. It is a great help.'

The teenager, the only deaf person in her class at a mainstream school, wants to study forensic science at university. She added: 'My favourite subject taken in GCSE is double science. I really love chemistry. I also enjoy watching CSI. And my favourite is Horatio Caine in CSI:Miami. I hope to become like him. My dream is to become a CSI.' That ambition hinges on being given learning support at university, and the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) has expressed concern that government funding cuts could put education for people with hearing difficulties at risk.

Tania said: 'I want to study forensic science at uni. But I also need help from my supporters (teacher of the deaf) and I cannot get there if the government is going to take them away. That's my dream down the drain.' Jo Campion from NDCS said: 'Although deafness is not a learning disability, government figures show that 65 per cent of deaf children in England fail to get five grades A* to C at GCSE, including English and maths.
'Tania's success shows that, with the right support, deaf children can achieve anything.

'We hope that the Government is inspired by students like Tania and will ensure that all deaf children are given the opportunity to fulfil their potential.'

Tania has acted as a mentor for younger deaf children and says that they should not let their disability stand in their way. Tania's mother Caroline Bonello explained that her daughter received a cochlea implant in 2004 at the age of nine, which vastly improved her hearing. Before the operation, she spent six months completely deaf, and was in 'a lost world', her mother said.

She added: 'She works very hard, a lot harder than I used to. She's always studying. Other children with a disability might think 'I can't do that', but Tania doesn't see it that way.' Tania received seven GCSEs, all at grade C or above, her results showed.

Read more

Cinema Glasses,would you wear them ?

Click HERE to watch captioned video, with Chalie Swinbourne in the test pit..

"People who are deaf or hard of hearing have long complained that going to watch a film can be an unsatisfactory experience, with subtitled films on at unsociable times and often suffering from technical problems.

But a solution could soon available in the form of special glasses which allow the wearer to see subtitles directly in front of their eyes, giving them the freedom of choice afforded to hearing people."

Personally they aren't for me, they'd probably look better on a horse

really, and would make deaf stand out like 'Brains' from an puppet TV show. Like most I have no great urge to attend cinema showings of the latest film or even old films, I am an DVD fan, so it makes no difference if I see the latest film the same day as hearing do, or 6-8 weeks after, and, it's an damn sight cheaper to rent a DVD than attend an cinema anyway.

Who drives the demand for deaf access at prime time in cinemas ? It would appear the hard of hearing are the ones driving it as averse to the deaf. Would Charlie need an loop as well ? Reading twitter (Always good for an nonsensical opinion on anything), we see demands for 'the same access as hearing get'. So, ATTEND cinemas and create demand then ! The cinema people stated open captioning is an non-starter in cinema viewing, surveys conclusively proved hearing would vote with their feet, they hate subtitled films, and cinemas would close from lack of an audience... so, no chance of that happening.

Given so many other campaigns are more urgent, I can't help feeling I now understand why Sarah Cox and others couldn't see the point either... she only said what 90% of hearing did, I feel the same about in-vision BSL.. The sole advantange of these glasses is NOT cinema access, but an possibility of the 'holy grail' of real access we would all die for.

I.E, an pair of glasses that we could wear that provides titles about our daily life, instant translation to text of two-way communication with hearing people, now, THAT is worth wearing blinkers for.... NOT so keen it may access e-mails and texts and all that gubbins 'though ! We'd all end up cross-eyed. However we are still awaiting what the Japanese developed 4 years ago, an radio that had an captioned output, we could use, whatever happened to that ?

The film appeared to be 'north by north west' (?) I know the screenplay by heart Charlie, it's been on TV 63 times.... the butler DID do it.

SONY SUBTITLING GLASSES

If the deaf person wears glasses anyway, will they have to wear TWO of them ?

Marlee Film Not available in UK .. WHY ?

Recently (Again !) reviewed 2008 film that strangely is still not for viewing in the UK. Is it that bad ?

This movie tells the story of a young boy who begins going deaf in childhood and the struggle between his parents, one who can hear played by Jeff Daniels and one who is deaf played by Marlee Matlin, on how to handle their son's impending not-being-able-to-hearness.

Laura and Dan Miller (Matlin, Daniels) have been happily married, as well as best friends, for many years, but their relationship begins to change when their only son, Adam (Noah Valencia), loses his hearing at the age of four. Laura, who is deaf herself, sees this occurrence as a minor problem, something that she has dealt with her whole life. Dan, on the other hand, at first agrees with her but starts to realize that, with the cochlear implants surgery, his son could regain his hearing and live a more normal life.

Deaf Men Dancing

From Manchester England..... need a new tailor by the look of things....

China's first dictionary for the deaf

A disabled couple in Hefei of Anhui Province has compiled and written a 200,000-word dictionary for the deaf.

The first of its kind in China, the dictionary will be published this year, according to its author Cui Jiping. Since 2006, Cui and his wife have spent over 300,000 yuan on research by experts and scholars for the dictionary. Designed as a reference for those who work with and educate the deaf, the dictionary includes over 1,000 related phrases.

Cui Jiping was born in a remote village in Anhui's Nanling County in 1969. His disability was caused by poliomyelitis at 11 years old. He was enrolled at Changchun University in 1991 and quit his job to start his own business in 1996. His current company was founded in Hefei in February of 2007, and is focused on the development, manufacture and selling of products for the deaf and elderly.

In 2009, Cui was awarded with the National Model of Self-improvement. His current goal is to create the best brand in the service industry for the disabled. Cui said it was his deaf wife that gave him the idea to develop special devices for the disabled. One of his inventions is a wireless doorbell system that alerts the resident through a flash or vibration.

Cui told CNS his dream is to help as many disabled people as possible.

SOURCE

American Deaf Socials in Food store

Wonder if Tesco's is an go ! Innovative ways to meet up when your deaf club has gone. An issue now facing Many UK deaf. AKA:

(1) If you are under 30 deaf are in the pub,
(2) Over 30 still drinking but slowing down !
(3) Over 50 struggling to find anywhere to have an meet or talk-in.
(4) Up to year 2003, an deaf club closed every week in the UK.

Item Report: They sat in a comfortable silence, broken only by sporadic laughter. They didn’t need to voice their thoughts to communicate.

Carla Vacca, (Above), has a conversation with Jennifer Gordon during a social gathering for hearing impaired people at Giant Food Store in Camp Hill. This was an American Sign Language social. About 20 people get together at the Marketplace Cafe inside the Giant Food Store in Camp Hill the first and third Fridays of every month.

“We don’t have the comfort of picking up the phone to talk,” said Lori Sadler of Harrisburg. “It is very important for us to get together. Signing is a way of life, an integral part of deaf culture.”

Sadler is not deaf nor does she have a hearing impairment, but can sign fluently. She became interested in signing after meeting one of her husband’s colleagues who has been deaf since birth. She learned to sign at her church and helped others learn as well.

Like Sadler, not everyone who attends these socials is deaf. Some have partial hearing loss while others can hear well. But they do all consider themselves members of the deaf community or culture.

It is a mind-set, Sadler said, used to describe anyone who can sign as well as, or better, than they can speak.

Brittany Lentz of Chambersburg and Sarah Rutt of Lancaster are studying sign language at Goshen University in Indiana.

SOURCE & MORE

Community pulls through to help Vandalised deaf school...

Community comes through to help vandalized... by LocalNews-GrabNetworks

Background:

A new playground at the Utah Schools for the Deaf & the Blind Salt Lake Campus was vandalized less than a week before the start of the new school year.

The playground, at 1655 East 3300 South, was paid for by student fundraisers. About $55,000 was raised to pay for the playground. They sold gift cards. They sold popsicles in the cafeteria. They brought in their piggy banks," said PTA President Crystal Hess of the fundraising effort. On Monday night, vandals spray painted profanities on sections of the playground. A playhouse was stolen from the scene as well.

"We're not going to allow other people to ruin our celebration," said Jill Radford, Principal of the Utah Schools for the Deaf & the Blind. "Our kids have worked too hard and they deserve the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishment.

The school's insurance policy will help to pay for the pieces of the playground that need to be removed and replaced. The new school year at USDB begins Monday.

Sadly does not appear to have captions....

Deaf in the Military ? PC nonsense !

29-year-old teacher Keith Nolan is determined to achieve his lifetime dream of working in military intelligence. After a decade of applying repeatedly, Keith Nolan was finally accepted into the Army's Reserve Officers Training Corps' (ROTC) program, after a commander agreed to let him sit in on the classes.

Keith Nolan was rejected from an ROTC program countless times because he is deaf. Nolan became a top performer in the program at California State University, and his instructors were so impressed they let him wear a uniform.

But military policy requires cadets to pass a hearing test to be commissioned by the Army. Nolan was distraught when he had to say goodbye to the other cadets when the course ended in May, Fox News reported. He said in sign language: 'All I really want to do is join the Army.'

Some commentators didn't agree with him:

Comment (1): A soldier is a soldier, whether in a combat or a non-combat role. A deaf soldier is a liability to himself, but more importantly, to his comrades around him.

Comment (2): What's next ? blind people demanding to drive a car. This Political Correctness must end, there are jobs that these people can not do. What would happen if here was an emergency, how would be know ??


SOURCE & MORE

DeafYou ? get a life !

Unbelieving hypocrisy from DeafYou, having had to retract their stance on allowing commentators (anonymous), to abuse deaf people, they attack MM for raising the issue, WHO are YOU ? DeafYou retracted the offensive comments re rape and at me, now they turn on me for raising the issue ? even to cutting and pasting from my original posting (Link Below). True to form, they posted the criticism then banned the response !

REF

To accuse MM of cyber bashing is ridiculous. Americans are I am confident, quite able to ignore, or have an go, or disagree with me or anyone else. I came to deaf.read because the UK was incapable of operating or moderate an deaf site in the UK. But I still do more to raise deaf awareness than most of them.

What does DeafYou tube want ? my name ? for what purpose ? I have responded to numerous posters at deaf.read AND given my real name to them, sorry there is no great 'mystery' to the MM addy, it is simply an progression online that has followed me for years, it's just an easier addy to remember than Englebert Humpredinky the thirty ninth from Oxford on thames..... I am quite willing to give my real name to DeafYou or anyone else assuming they can give an valid reason for requesting it.

I may call upon DonG with whom I have swapped opinion (!) and who also asked who I was and how the MM addy originated, he was given my name and reason. I am NOT anonymous in the UK, my real name was 'outed' by the UK SEE HEAR deaf program some years ago in an fit of bad temper, after I offered criticism to one of their shows. (Hell hath no fury than an deafie scorned or something). That was despite open advice to NEVER reveal your name or address online by the BBC (No you let THEM reveal it!) Personal attacks sadly appear to come FROM the UK at me, I don't agree with a number of views deaf in the UK express, a few in the Americas raise my eyebrows too ! I gave my reasons.

The looney deaf/Deaf/HI/whatever sector of UK deaf responded by spoofing my blog, it's still viewable at deaf.read, (and they set up an bogus twitter account recently). If you are an individual, with your own slant on things, some deaf don't agree with that, 'community = conformity'.

Ergo an recent UK deaf twitter post.... "In UK deaf circles, pre condition is not necessarily freedom of expression, rather conform to the status quo and don't rock the boat." (One of the people incidentally who banned someone for being individual !). Welcome to loony tunes UK.

I would have thought Americans sympathetic with that point, given freedom of expression is their cornerstone.

The UK is about 10 years behind the US of A in on-line moderations, I wasn't made welcome for showing up the UK reality of that. I am not Hard of Hearing, but have profound and total deafness in both ears, for 40 odd years. I sign a bit, swear a bit, lip-read a bit, guess a lot, who doesn't ? It's no issue of mine you still cannot accept such people as deaf enough. I don't follow ASL vblogs, asking for access would appear heresy, and audism is for the birds..... I could draw attention to DeafYou copying my vblogs and news but... Life goes on, just go with it....

If you are an responsible 'aggregate' of deaf visually, then you need to be (A) Neutral, (B) On top of moderation, and (C) NOT Biased. I don't have bias,I have an personal viewpoint.

I'm an majority of one, what I see, I say, apologise ? never ! get real. AM I biased against DeafYou, not a bit, I need all the laughs I can get....

First ever all black deaf SEE HEAR program ?

We delve into the UK's deaf pioneering deaf program history, (now sadly on the skids.... and trying to find genuine deaf people !). How the mighty access has fallen.... Despite this 'ground-breaking' program for deaf black people, SEE HEAR has NEVER done an similar program on Islamic deaf, who appear to be the dominant people deaf these days, producing BSL videos. I blame bin looney personally he has done it for Islam.

Has there been progress since ? not really, Islamic and black deaf still operate apart from the white deaf community, (Jewish deaf too), we are still as far apart as ever, oh well that's another deaf myth blown out of the water... Not only has sign failed to unite deaf minorities, it has failed to raise awareness of deaf unity or world deafness..

I think deaf people are probably the most hypocritical of barriers not existing... my deaf club has only two black people in it, and NO Islamics, I can only assume they have their own areas and clubs, is this an BAD idea or an acceptance of reality ? Whichever way, the concept of an deaf community is an myth, alongside that boasted by hearing.

Bristol decides to zero the Deaf

From clubs to care, the Bristol council cuts are targeting the deaf. Some examples which will make serious reading for those who are relying on funds to promote culture.

Centre for Deaf People: Core funding 16,152.00 soon - 6730
Centre for Deaf People: Environmental Equipment Service 97,002.00 soon - 40418,
Centre for Deaf People: Special projects 7,983.00 soon - 3326
Centre for Deaf People: Rental of office accommodation 15,306.90 soon - 6378

Since the tories came to power Deaf clubs and support areas have suffered an massive 45% average cut in funding and finance. Notwithstanding, the Bristol University's funding for deaf studies is under serious review and may be removed. So, no more support for Paddy Ladd's opinions ? and forays into defining Audism ? can only be an good thing ! Could have saved MORE money if they asked us first. Empower deafies to make up their OWN minds.

We don't need these cultural time-wasters at Bristol flogging dead horses.

DeafYou site Biased ?

It would seem so with subversive anonymous comments being predominate and personal attacks being allowed on contributors. The site appears to have no moderation or at the best seems selective ! An recent vblog asking if males appreciated the female's view on rape, we saw anonymous spoilers ridiculing the vblog and religious creeps stating men and women ASK for rape because they are sinners.

If we are to have an decent aggregate at deaf.read is it not time to clamp down on these crazies, and, sites that encourage their outagreous and hateful comments ? It is clear the worst extreme aspects of the deaf/hearing area are homing in on Deaf You and, being allowed to attack deaf contributors.

It is one aspect to encourage debate, another to encourage deaf sites to be used as an platform to attack people concerned about female and deaf rapes. Even my own comment about an gang rape on an male, in my area by drug-crazed men (And a Woman!), resulted in personal attack, suggesting I live with 'scum' and in an 'scum,' area.. where one lives has surely nothing to do with anything. Because I reported homosexual rape ? You really do NOT Have to live in any ghetto to get raped, 9 times out of 10 women get raped by people they know, and their area of residence has no bearing at all on that. Men can suffer just as equally, and more likely to say nothing too.

To call the vblog owner an fake only added to the injury. Rape is REAL ! In support of women and of course MEN who have been raped, deaf.read needs to keep an closer eye on the moderation (Or lack of !), that exists on people they list. It's well-meaning to suggest people self moderate, but the boast of free speech will fundamentally undermine it here, but it's not good enough when people stand by and allow sites like Deaf You to publicise anonymous hatred.

No platform for these people. Setting up an site for all deaf to express an view is an great idea, but take care how it can, and is, being exploited by blogs and vblogs that ignore basic respect and anonymous crazies who hate everyone.

86yr old Arctic Veteran Jailed for being Deaf

On the eve of a 70th Anniversary service on 20th August 2011 at Loch Ewe in Wester Ross, paying tribute to the World War II Arctic Convoys and the now veteran heroic crews who sailed on them, an English Judge has performed an astonishing feat of crass loss of judgment.

These convoys were among the most dangerous wartime operations, with heavy loss of life among both the Merchant and Royal Navies. Their success at this heavy price, however, kept the Russian people able to survive, to defend themselves and to stay in the war – a serious contribution to the continuing freedom of the UK.

Judge Jonathan Rose of Bradford in Yorkshire has just jailed Arctic Convoy Veteran, 86 year-old Norman Scarth.

For what?

Mr Scarth has been imprisoned or attempting to record a court hearing on an audio device – because he is hard of hearing and hearing loops were not provided by the Court. Another judge had previously allowed him to do this.

It is hard to believe but Judge Rose had Mr Scarth immediately arrested by police, taken away in handcuffs and imprisoned in Leeds Prison for serious offenders – which has the highest suicide rate in the UK.

We understand that Mr Scarth is denied his prescription medication for serious muscle cramping; and is being kept in tortuous conditions in solitary confinement.

He has actually been sentenced to six months imprisonment and denied court access for one year.

SOURCE & MORE

FREE NORMAN PETITION

Survey of Scottish BSL users

AN brand-new survey that shows deaf are still struggling, and have to re-learn their language every generation too. From this set of quantitative data, we can see a simple pattern emerge of Deaf people in Scotland today.

Most have learned their preferred language later than is usual for hearing people and it can be predicted that this will have effects in the use of the language within the community later in life. Since most Deaf people are born in hearing families and have hearing children, many of the gains in learning the language are not re-inforced from one generation to the next.

The community does not pass on its well-developed language, but succeeding generations have to re-learn the language in less than ideal circumstances. Language uncertainty and variability in competence in the use of the language are likely outcomes which directly affect provision of services through the language. More understanding of Deaf people's use of BSL will be needed if meaningful access in BSL is to be provided.

Younger people, professionals and semi-professionals are more likely to have used interpreters. Older people are less likely to have used interpreters even though hospital appointments are a common location for interpreters. Overall, interpreters have been used much less than one might have imagined. This is likely to be a function of the lack of availability of trained interpreters.

Access to text based information is commonly reported through daily newspapers, through teletext services and through subtitle support to television programmes. Deaf people dislike in-vision signing and seldom watch hearing interpreters provision on television. In contrast, they are likely to watch the Deaf weekly magazine programme in BSL. They are unaware of the resource material with BSL signing prepared by public organisations.

Use of textphones is on the decline and videophones are almost unknown in Scotland. In their place, Deaf people use text messaging (more younger people) and fax (more older people). Use of the Internet is predictably more common among younger people, but overall, half of the population do not use the Internet.

Terp sacked for making up the News.

Light relief, spoof, or abuse of trust ?

A prominent BBC News sign language interpreter has been sacked after complaints from deaf people revealed that she was ‘sometimes embellishing, sometimes just making stuff up.’

Leslie Grange, 32, has been a sign language interpreter for seven years. In a statement today she cited ‘personal difficulties – particularly a crushing professional boredom’ as to why, over the past six months, she had started deviating from what was actually being reported, giving deaf viewers an often ‘wildly different version of events’. “Questions started to be raised around the time of the Japanese earthquake when several viewers emailed us to complain about our reports of radioactive zombies sighted near the nuclear reactor. We dismissed them as some sort of organised hoax.”

“However, when there were similar numbers getting in touch to ask if Rebekah Brooks was really in trouble for raping a monkey, and why the BBC was claiming that, as a special summer treat, the Prime Minister had told the nation’s teenagers they didn’t have to pay for anything any more, we realised something was wrong.” “I would like to apologise to everyone in the deaf community,” Grange told reporters today, “though when I had Cameron tell Obama “your statesmen-like profile leaves my willy plump” – well, frankly I don’t think that is so very far from the truth.”

SOURCE

And even MORE here.

New '101' service for the Deaf.

On Monday September 19 Avon and Somerset Police will be changing its non-emergency number to 101. Although 999 is a well-recognised number to report emergencies, the 2010 British Crime Survey found that only half of the public knew which number to call if they wanted to speak to their local police about policing, non-urgent crime and anti-social behaviour issues.

Part of a national programme, 101 will provide the public with an easier and more memorable number to contact the police. Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said: “The new 101 number means members of the public will find it simple to contact us; 101 is easily remembered and will be used across the country. “101 is a straightforward number, and I believe that, together with all the other ways people can contact us, 101 will help us provide a better service to the public.”

Calls to 101 will cost 15p per call, irrespective of how long that call may last and applies to landlines and mobile phones. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired will be able to textphone 18001 101. 101 will replace the existing non-emergency number for Avon and Somerset Police. (0845 456 7000. Avon and Somerset Police can also be contacted by email at www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/contact or in person at Have Your Say meetings, beat surgeries and personal appointments.

101 or 999? 101 will not replace 999.

999 should be used in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened. 101 should be used for all non-emergencies such as: reporting a crime, contacting local officers, getting crime prevention advice, making an appointment with a police officer or making us aware of policing issues in your local area.

COMMENT: Wonder if they are aware how much deaf people hate the textphone 18001 101 option ? or how annoying it is to connect that way ? If it's typetalk it's an no-no. I have direct SMS access and would NEVER use the typetalk options.

SOURCE

Beethoven was Deaf ?

I've often wondered about that....

Local Authority 'Reckless' with support cuts.

A deaf children's charity has said it is taking legal action against Stoke-on-Trent City Council for "reckless" cuts to support services. The authority has halved the number of specialist teachers, the National Deaf Children's Society said. It claimed if further cuts went ahead three specialists would be left to cover more than 200 children.

The council said it would be inappropriate to comment on impending legal action. The legal action calls on Stoke-on-Trent City Council to reverse its decision to cut educational support for deaf children. Four of eight posts for specialist teachers of the deaf in the city have been cut over the past two years. Another teaching post will be removed in September due to restructuring.

The charity said the council was in breach of the law on at least two fronts - by failing to properly assess the impact the cuts would have on deaf children and by bringing in changes that risk putting deaf children at a greater disadvantage..

SOURCE

Including the deaf (II).

More good news. Keeping deaf in the loop.... OZ-style. Now the UK plays catch up.....

Access in real time

His workmates are learning sign to help....That's the way to do it ! Daniel Lethcoe is just like all the other guys in his automotive class except for one difference -- Daniel is completely deaf. He joined the automotive class at the Tennessee Technology Center because he was having a hard time finding a job. "Deaf people can do anything they want," he said. "I wish people would be more open in hiring those who are deaf."

Daniel isn't the first hearing impaired student in Jacky Livingston's classroom. "We work through an interpreter to communicate, relay instructions or questions," Livingston said. "But there is no difference. I don't treat them any different than a hearing student." He had two deaf students in his class about four years ago. This year, there are three students including Daniel. "We're able to be around each other, communicate with each other. It's so nice not to have just one deaf person," said Daniel.

After school, Daniel goes to the Phil Bachman Toyota where he practices what he learns in the classroom. That's why other mechanics here are learning sign language to help communicate with Daniel. "We're learning words we use most of the time back here in the shop," said Bill Patrick, shop foreman. Patrick supervises Daniel at the car dealership. He said in some ways, Daniel has an advantage. "He might be able to feel vibrations that I can't feel," Patrick explained. "Even though he may not hear something, he can feel it better than I can."

When Daniel does need to listen for something, he isn't afraid to ask to help with the diagnosis. "I can't hear the slightest little thing. But I can also ask someone who can hear to come over and listen for me and explain it." Daniel said he is okay with his co-workers lending an ear. "A long time ago I used a hearing aid, but it didn't help me. So, I stopped using it. But I'm perfectly fine with being deaf."


SOURCE

I wanted an hearing dad ?

CODA not having an fun time....a very sad commercial re life insurance, not a dry eye in the house :( but positive for deaf people ?

To Cure or not to Cure, why question ?

Being non-partisan (Much !), this vblog took my eye. It's what arty Americans of the deaf persuasion do best really, and fair enough they don't want a cure, but I'm puzzled they are concerned the 'cures' are being pursued and are taking it personally. After all, and as I am aware, not an single person has been dragged to an hospital and forced to take an implanted CI or potential 'cure', just say no, that's it. The A G Bell thing seems to rumble on too, rather than treating the whole thing as us versus them and engaging in endless argument, simply ignore, and hone your own viewpoint in an less confrontational way. You cannot win an debate based on who can shout the loudest.

I've found mainstream not stupid, and fully capable of separating fact from fictions. I've followed arguments for years in that research into cures, welcomed by most who are late deafened or have severe loss, are also contributing to putting deaf culture down, by supporting these researches. Basically late deaf want the cures, cultural deaf perhaps not, we are realistic it isn't going to happen today, but tomorrow ? who knows ? The vblog makes much of 'I am not disabled, I am deaf', from what I read on deaf.read and most other areas disability is exactly the term and means used, to promote deaf rights. Surely posting an minority view on an minority web aggregate will influence no-one outside it ?

This creates more confusion, not just with the system, but in understanding who they deaf are. Late deaf would mostly consider the disability angle 100% valid, it is defined by their loss. The major issue is mainstream I agree, they cannot tell one deaf person from any other, there is the black and white assumption deaf don't hear, and deaf people belong to some culture and all sign. An stance much pursued via cultural deaf rights itself. Even an reluctance to include late-deaf in their campaigns (Or vice versa), has not explained to the system who is whom. Late deaf ARE an intrinsic part of deaf culture, one doubts cultural deaf alone, would get much profile at all without late deaf support, which paradoxically includes pushing for deaf cures.

Deaf culture KNOWS this, they don't know how to address that, so they instead turn their ire AT mainstream/hearing, because they cannot face the real fact support for cures can come from within its own ranks, it needs to fess up to the issues as they are, and either unite with late-deaf or cut loose in an very direct way. This may now not be possible.

Obviously this ISN'T the case, and probably never has been, even less so since late-deaf sign well, belong to, an involve themselves in deaf culture too, yet still pursue the hope of a cure. We can perhaps forgive mainstream/medical people for not knowing who belongs to what. Yet, we are divided amongst ourselves. whilst the cure isn't here yet, the many false dawns show us it may only take one breakthrough to offer many late-deaf an real chance. Can deaf take comfort in the fact it will never cure everyone deaf ? Maybe they can't, because it could still leave the 'community' with hardly enough members to be viable. Already deaf schools and clubs are decimated. Should we take hope away from the late-deaf ? to protect cultural identity ? Should Deaf attack late-deaf for cure support ?

The large majority of deaf people are non-cultural. By definition ASL/BSL deaf cultures are an minority. We've had surveys done should we ALL be labelled as cultural, should we all welcome each other to our blogs/boards/websites ? with no variations, the vote went down the middle. Culture is here, non-culture is THERE, and the twain doesn't often meet without some heat being generated, yet Deaf people want equal recognitions/rights, but they want their 'special' status retained and others to comply with them and their languages.

You cannot legislate that, it has to be by mainstream/hearing wanting to get involved, then the onus is forever on cultural deaf to make the first, second or final move to make that contact viable. Life is unfair and then some ! However demands will get nowhere, you want 'out there' you can't stay 'IN here'. I feel a kind of sadness worthy art/cultural blogs no matter which culture they eminate from, are in reality for private showing really. Don't post culture here, post it out there. with very few exceptions mainstream don't log in to deaf sites at all, you know what they say about people who talk to themselves....

Why learn sign ?

Some deaf with attitude.... (With CC for the deaf). from New Zealand, really, what IS in it for hearing people ? Interesting view, hearing people lack an ability to focus on communications !

Infrared Light To Help the Deaf Hear?

Infrared light is neat. We all learn that when we go to the science museum as kids, or at least play with old-school remote controls or 16-bit video game systems (ahhhh, Super Scope, you were ridiculous but awesome). It’s a pretty standard medium for sending short-range communications signals. It might also be the key to making the deaf hear more easily and clearly than ever before.

Scientists at the University of Utah have been testing optical methods of stimulating cells for a while (read: they’ve been spending years blasting animal cells with lasers to see what happens.) Their discoveries, especially lately, have been dramatic to say the least. The theory is that the diode transmits sound vibrations to the cilia of the ear, which in turn react as they should, transmitting the noise to the brain.

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Marlee Matlin Sings...

Like erm.. DUH ?

Marlee Matlin sings the National Anthem. Lyrics below Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? (I’m deaf) Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? (I love you) And the rocket’s red glare, (still deaf) the bombs bursting in air ,(real deaf) Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. (I won an oscar) Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Senior practitioner shortlisted for national award

Jersey's senior practitioner for deaf and hard of hearing islanders has been short listed for a national award.

Angela Goddard is the island’s only social worker for the deaf and hard of hearing. She's been nominated for the Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for Outstanding Contribution at the Signature Annual Awards. The awards have become a major event in the calendar for deaf and hard of hearing people. It was the Jersey Deaf Partnership Board, that put Angela forward. The Board is a group of professionals, parents, service users and charities whose remit is to improve awareness, access, information, inclusion and communication for Jersey’s deaf and hard of hearing community.

Terp confusion complicates Court Case...

Michael Sherman sat for an hour in a St. Paul police interview room after his arrest on suspicion of murder. He was waiting for an interpreter. Sherman is deaf.

As the minutes ticked by, Sherman "talked" to himself -- sometimes he made facial expressions, gestured in American Sign Language or finger-spelled words. In some of the "talk," which was videotaped, he incriminated himself, a prosecutor argued. The state called a deaf witness familiar with ASL to tell the jury what Sherman was saying.

But the people interpreting the deaf witness often paused and talked among themselves, apparently unclear about the testimony, which a Ramsey County jury heard Monday and Tuesday during his trial. "I am very concerned that it takes three very qualified court interpreters, one of whom is a CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter), to simply interpret what (this witness) is telling the jury," said defense attorney Murad Mohammad.

Sherman is charged with murder in the Jan. 21 death of Lelia Kim Scott, 44. She died after being hit on the head and neck by a baseball bat. Sherman does not deny he killed her, but argues he was defending himself.

SOURCE & MORE

LIS protest/petition in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Irish protesting on LIS. (Video is in ISL only).

BDA Support (UK)

Bullying, Rape and Assault, alleged at HSDB

A class-action lawsuit alleges bullying, assault and rape at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind. The suit claims school officials knew about the alleged acts and did nothing. The state Department of Education says officials are reviewing the lawsuit.

According to news reports police have launched an investigation. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports three juvenile boys who are former or current students of the school have been arrested on sex assault charges. Attorney Michael Green tells reporters the alleged acts date back to 2001.

SOURCE

I'm Popeye the sailor Man...

He is what he is, isn't he ! Are there ANY deaf left ? (An title filched from an UK blog I read recently), the short answer is no, and probably the long answer is not far wrong either.

Meandering over ye olde deaf sites of the UK (Yep some are are still there if you can dust the cobwebs away to see, and avoid the tumble weed). They form two categories either they are hearing-run 'awareness' sites or an cornucopia of rag, tag and quite a few tails a bobbing, that post more in hope than expectation from the twitter or facebook sites generalities, more often than not nothing much to do with issues of deafness at all. I suppose the 'social aspect' today demands you talk crap for 90% of the time and the odd 10% you drop in "I am deaf too.." just to keep the community aspect suggestion going. There is an third category, but it is those nasty and extremely boring charitable ones, that make notice boards look vaguely interesting. For discussion purposes not really worthy of inclusion.

I believe Deaf blew it on social sites, now they have got lost with the dross that’s there. We were marginalised before social sites came out, now we are totally marginalised and vying alongside 450 million others.... So they restrict twitterings to other deaf, defeating the whole purpose really. I suppose with google+ they will just talk to 10 people again. Skyped sign doesn't travel well with hearing. If you live to an 1,000 you won't read an iota of them....Real issues are I think, still discussed on blogs, despite the arrogances of social pundits who declare "The Blog is Dead, long live the twits.."

That is probably for those who would struggle with more than 140 characters anyway, and/or are proud of the fact English is their third an non-preferable choice anyway. Some are quite proud of the fact they struggle with English as this adds Kudos to sign or something. It's an anti-bi-lingual coalition or something for the real purists. The deaf world is now too confused, they either think they are the same as everyone else (They aren’t), or they think they are a special case (They aren’t that either). Individuality being the death of community or something. They've ventured out into the real world, are level pegging text-wise, but still unable to socialise face to face wise. Recent social site academics (yep had to happen !) have noted that with the almost total indulgences of twitter, mobile texting, and facebook, people stood next to each OTHER, NOT personally communicating, it's socialising Jim, just not as we know it.

Statistically you can ONLY have 150 friends online, it's impossible to manage more than that (Yep some academic worked that out too), so if you have more, then you are fooling yourself and rather sad really, in reality true friends are in single numbers probably less than 6..... So why not build up relationships with those 6 and forget the rest ? The deaf do have some eminent people, but they get bogged down with clique’s, probably terrified nobody will tweet them and then they are the lowest life forms on the planet.. Social sites online force them to conform just the same, you go with whatever flow is there or are going to struggle.

Deaf message boards are dead in the UK, they are just ‘deaf’ sites, that talk non-deaf issues, while cutting and pasting own tweets to fill space. Since national media do all the boring stuff of perusing the utter crap on twitter/facebook for me, I don't really have to log in to either. Let the blind lead the blind I say...

Deaf Nudist refused Interpreter

Interpreter claims nowhere to put his notebook lol... but seriously !

Tom Willard, who has a hearing impairment, has filed a federal complaint against the Moravia-area nudist camp he says is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide an interpreter for the deaf at a naturist festival there this week.

The 53-year-old deaf man from Rochester recently filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department, charging Empire Haven and festival organizers with disregarding his civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Willard said Empire Haven, just outside Moravia in Cayuga County, rejected his request to provide a sign language interpreter for the deaf so he could understand what would be said at several festival workshops he wanted to attend. Also, he offered to pay for his own interpreter if the nudist camp would discount or waive his park entry and workshop registration fees.

SOURCE

Deaf get access to Legal Advice first...?

A Lancashire law firm is set to become the first practice in the country dedicated to providing legal services to the deaf and hard of hearing.

Joseph Frasier in Blackburn will next week launch a campaign – Representing Your Right to Be Heard – to help make legal services more accessible for the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. Last year the firm carried out research to identify the problems encountered by the deaf and hard of hearing when trying to access legal services. It has partnered up with national charities, organisations and other law firms to offer services tailored to meet their specific needs.

All fee-earners will learn British Sign Language and the firm will make use of technology, including a webcam, text relay and MSN, text, Skype and Twitter to help communicate with clients. It will launch a new website on 19 August with access to SignTube, a video-sharing site that allows deaf people to communicate. The firm’s founder Saimina J Virmani said: ‘The last few months have been a journey for us and we have loved learning about deaf culture.

‘The deaf community is very tightly knit, and although we see people who are deaf as being on the outside of our world, the tables have now completely turned and we are on the outside.’ She added: ‘As legal professionals we are trained to use the power of our advocacy and voice, but in working with deaf and hard of hearing clients, this has essentially been taken away from us. ‘Representing Your Right to Be Heard is essentially about empowering deaf and hard of hearing people and about providing the easiest access to legal service.’

SOURCE & MORE

My hearing is so good, it is bad...

Tinnitus never did this.... A man with a medical condition which meant he heard his eyeballs move in their sockets has been cured. Stephen Mabbutt, 57, from Charlton, near Banbury, also heard his own heart beating and was finding it increasingly difficult to hear the world around him. Ear expert Richard Irving diagnosed superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) and carried out the surgery.

Mr Mabbutt told the BBC: "It's made a big difference to my life. I feel a different person all round." He first experienced symptoms six years ago, in the form of a dull ache in the side of his head. Successive GPs treated him with nasal sprays and antibiotics, but his hearing deteriorated. He then experienced new symptoms - loud noises caused dizziness and his vision pulsated to every rhythm of his speech. "When I raised my voice I could hear it reverberating in my head and the vibrations made my vision vibrate.

SOURCE AND MORE

Deaf At Work

Some even have interesting jobs that doesn't involve shelf stacking.... perhaps one day the UK might follow.

Stem Cells to cure 70% of deaf people ?

A British scientist is claiming a major breakthrough which could restore hearing to 70 per cent of deaf people.

He says the treatment - which involves injecting live human embryo cells into the ears of victims could be available within three to five years. So far the technique has been carried out using only mice. Now researchers are ready to move to the next stage where they will take human embryonic cells and turn them into hearing cells. The pioneering work has been carried out by Professor Matthew Holley of Bristol University Medical School. He will reveal details at a conference in London.

He has taken immature cells from the ears of ten- day-old mouse embryos. They are frozen and then later warmed so that they convert into hearing cells. Professor Holley plans a similar process with human embryo cells. 'These will stimulate damaged hearing nerves to grow and begin to function again,' he said. He stressed that a continuous supply of human embryos would not be needed. 'Once we have taken cells from an embryo, we can carry on growing those cells to meet all our needs,' he said. 'Initially, the cell implants would work with electronic cochlear implants that are currently used to restore and improve hearing to some deaf people. But the eventual aim is to develop cells that could correct hearing by themselves.'

He said the implants, which stimulate the auditory nerve, work very well in a limited way but cannot be given to the long-term deaf because their nerves have degenerated too far. 'Replacement nerve cells would improve the electrical contact between the implant and the brain,' he said. 'This opens up the prospect of making implants more effective and using them on a much wider scale. 'It will be a significant step forward to help the millions who have no hearing or very poor hearing. But we will not be able to help all nine million people in the UK who have hearing impairment - for instance those without any hearing nerves.'

SOURCE & MORE

Deaf Schools in Ethiopia...

Nicholas Ansell on tour..

Not all deaf people want to be deaf either...

I like Charlie he's a great bloke and his latest reprise (sorry, article), in the Guardian Newspaper paints the usual picture of 'unaware' people regarding deafness, these points I take, not somuch the sign thing, as audiologists are not to know if you lip-read or whatever, do they have tobe good lip-speakers too ? Again audiologists are mechanics, they do the tests give the gubbins, the aspect of communication's is NOT their job. They have to deal with 200 different languages used in the U of K name ONE medical expert who has those qualifications. . I don't take the point many might be offended if offered an CI. This is a non-issue that detracts, only 'deaf' people who can utilise hearing aids go to audiologists, but as an truly deaf person I don't want to be pedantic about it... much.

Charlie paints the picture of CI acceptances, but doesn't really buy it. CI's are great.. but....

How long do you have to be deaf before suggesting to an audiologist an CI is pointless ? 10 years, 20 years ? more ? been deaf for life ? I had hearing loss for 15 years, profound(Total), loss 36. I'd bite their hand off if they offered me an CI. Would I cope with a few decibels ? I've coped on a lot less ! No deafness doesn't define deaf people, only in as much as lifestyle and background, once you have had hearing it's like riding a bike you don't forget, my brain plays sound and vision and music to almost perfect pitch at times, occasionally I would see an bird chirping and the brain would give me the sound as it remembered too, hearing but not not quite ! The key as I was always told (By my parents anyway), is that you NEVER immersed yourself in the cultural-signing aspect, as that is an one-way street to apathy towards hearing, and believing that eventually hearing is no use, even if you can get it back.

To that end you draw an firm line between your hearing culture and the deaf one. even IF you believe your hearing will never come back or cannot be cured, it is essential to be true to what you are, or you would never be happy. I always retained my voice, always retained links as much as I was able to hearing and speech, even when using sign, I kept that aspect up and still do. IF at some point they CAN offer me an implant, I'm ready and willing to get back in the hearing saddle as much as I can. Perhaps Charlie can let me know WHICH audiologists are handing out CI's to already hearing people ? I wouldn't need much persuading personally !