NAD Does Not Care for Deaf People?

Just to point out the level of hypocrisy generated by some of those in the Deaf community who say that deaf/hh blogs need to include an ASL video equivalent to help those who are "functionally illiterate" or illiterate altogether, I would respectfully point out to you to take a look at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) website.

The NAD website is a site that most Deaf people would go to check out news, updates, upcoming conferences, legal issues and so on. But there is something that is glaringly apparent in the NAD website and that if Deaf people aren't complaining about accessing NAD's website you will notice that the NAD website is almost and completely devoid of any ASL videos!! I checked on all the tabs that linked to various topics under "Legal Rights," "Advocacy Issues," "Take Action," "Info & FAQs," "Newsroom," and "Inside NAD" and found not one single ASL video that is dedicated to explain each of the topics and subtopics in ASL. It is obviously and readily apparent that there is no ASL videos to click on anywhere on the NAD site under a variety of topics and issues.

Videos done in ASL (along with a transcript with no captioning for those who want to learn ASL) was done by Beth Scoggins, president of NAD, seen in her NAD's President Blog . These videos are basically done as a lip service to Deaf people because throughout the rest of the NAD site there is no ASL video equivalent to go with the printed versions of NAD's website to help explain in layman terms in ASL to those who may need it. But instead, the NAD website is overwhelming English dominated in the printed format.

Why is that?

Now, where are the pitchforks, the torches, the angry Deaf mob pounding at the door of NAD for ignoring and excluding them, Deaf people with poor English skills, from accessing their website with no ASL video equivalents? Yet, NAD claims the mantle of diversity and accessibility for 30 million people with hearing loss which would be questionable at this point. NAD's website is mostly accessible towards those whose primary language is the English language and not ASL. Why has NAD ignored these Deaf people for so many decades with their oppressive use of the English language that is the common language for the majority of the population, including Deaf people, in the United States?

So, my point is this. If ya'll are going to go after Deaf Village for requiring any videos or vlogs (ASL, voice, cued, signing) be captioned, subtitled or included with a transcript and you're angry for them requiring ASL vlogs or videos have the English text equivalent then I think it's better that you focus your efforts on going after NAD instead. NAD has been oppressing the few Deaf people with poor English skills for years by paying them lip service for not providing an ASL video equivalent to the printed formats on the NAD website. And NAD is supposedly proud of their ASL heritage but their website is not "ASL-friendly"?

Onto blogs and vlogs.

Blogs are personal in nature and it's up to the descretion of the blogger to do whatever he or she wants. The same for vlogs. The decision to include captioning, subtitling, transcripts or signing videos is up to the blogger/vlogger if he or she believes in providing equal access and inclusion. As for Deaf Village's guideline #5 requiring ASL videos or vlogs be captioned or included a transcript is for the expressed purpose on ensuring access to the greatest number of people with hearing loss (also for hearing people, too) since the English happens to be the most commonly used language in the United States, including among Deaf people, for the 30 million people with hearing loss. ASL is not.