Dutch pianist loses hearing...continues to play.

Here's a subtitled video of a Dutch pianist who lost his hearing due to ear infection. He was able to push through his deafness and continue to play and compose music while the sound of piano notes remained in his head. But in the end he never took for granted the ability to hear once he regained all of his hearing back.

Lotte Sofie...the little Norwegian girl

Here's a neat blog about a young girl named Lotte Sofie who was born deaf in 2002. She received her implant in 2004. It's a blog that chronicles the little implanted girl from 2002 (implanted in Nov 2004) to today 9 years later. At age 9 Lotte decided that she wanted to learn Norwegian sign language despite having three spoken languages in Norwegian, Dutch and learning English. Kind of funny for a deaf girl with a CI making the decision to sign. Lotte Sofie displays a musical aptitude where she can sing, play the piano and guitar.  So, take your time and read this history in motion of a little Norwegian girl who was implanted at age 2.

Below is a quick summary of her progress:

(Some) Milestones

• 2010-08: Grade 3
• 2009-08: Grade 2
• 2008-08: Mainstream School (6y. old)
• 2006-10: All-hearing Kindergarten (4y. old)
• 2004-11-22: CI activated (27 m. old)
• 2004-10-04: Bi-lateral CI (26 m. old)
• 2003-08: Deaf/HOH/CI Pre-school/"DEAF" Kindergarten (12m. old)
• 2003-07: HA's fitted (11 m. old)
• 2003-06: Diagnosed deaf. Start sign-language (10m. old)
• 2002-11: Suspicion loss of hearing (4 m. old)
• 2002-08: Born - A fierce LION

Patient dear...

Hard to believe that some deaf people would actually get upset over the word "patient" as seen in the photo on the left. A sign that says, "Hearing & Speech Center. Patient Parking Only. Violators Will Be Towed." That sign is located on the campus of Gallaudet University.

One commenter starts first:

The most disturbing of all signposts shown in the video is “Hearing & Speech Center : __Patient Parking Only__” (emphasis mine). The word “Patient” insults all deaf students’ intelligence! So unbelievable. Why do students not protest?

And then others follow and chime in.

A “patient” is a person who is sick. Being Deaf or hard-of-hearing is not an illness or medical disaster.

And more....

Hearing and Speech Center for Patient Parking Only? OMFG! The gloves are coming off! Calling Deaf people “patients” is deemed offensive because there is nothing wrong with us. Gally is for students, not patients. WTF is matter with that Hearing and Speech Center people to decide on that?!?

We need to do something about that. JJ, they’re not grasping the straws. I don’t know what has gotten into you lately but yet I’ve noticed you’re starting to divide the Deaf just like others. Divide needs to STOP! I mean it. I’m sick of that.

Let’s NOT talk about the students and video, JUST DROP THAT! We need to focus on that signs and the words “Hearing Speech and Center” and “Patient”. We need to hear from Gally President, Board of Trustee and staff….or anybody who came up with that! Let’s focus on that.

Let's look at the definition of "patient" in the noun form and not as an adjective:

1a : an individual awaiting or under medical care and treatment b : the recipient of any of various personal services.
2: one that is acted upon.

There are many ways to be a patient. You can be a patient receiving psychological counseling. You can be a patient on getting your teeth cleaned at a dentist. You can be a patient receiving surgical care. You can be a patient in getting your annual flu shot. You can be a patient in getting your hearing test done at an audiology clinic. You can be a patient in getting your hearing aid fitted or getting a new ear mold set up at the audiology clinic. You can be a patient receiving speech therapy to help improve diction.  You can be a patient at a counselor office getting counseling advice. To be a patient does not necessarily mean in terms of being sick or unhealthy or that one is suffering. It all depends on the situation. It all depends on perspective. If all else fails, call them "clients" instead.  As for "Hearing and Speech Center" go here for my opinion on that part.

Addendum: Full meltdown mode in process. Proceed at your own risk.

Seriously, now.

Just the facts, Ma'am.

I'm not sure what the deal is here with DP on going after me, Candy and Ann_C other than it's nothing more than another witch hunt over a difference of opinions under the guise of "facts" and which people have more "credibility" (note the underline bold throughout): 

On one hand, we have Amy Cohen Efron, a deaf ASL user who has a Master’s degree and works solely in the Deaf Community. We have MishkaZena, a formerly oral deaf person who now uses ASL fluently. She holds two Master’s degrees and has worked extensively in the Deaf Community. And you have me – a native ASL deaf user, who has a bachelor of science degree and has worked/volunteered extensively in the Deaf Community. All of us three have done some form of scholarly research on the Deaf Community. We’ve read books, professional journal articles, attended classes and professional workshops focusing on various issues in the Deaf Community. We participate and subscribe to an email list serv for deaf academics. And it is very easy to find out MishkaZena and my real names – our real identities are not a secret.

On the other hand, we have Mike M, Ann_C and Candy. Nearly nothing is known about Ann_C. We do not know her real name, nor whether if she holds a college degree. The only thing we know is that she is an oral deaf/severely hard of hearing person who, by her own admission, infrequently uses American Sign Language. She has not mentioned working or volunteering within the Deaf Community, or even having friends who use ASL. I have not seen her discuss reading scholarly books, journal articles or the like, about the Deaf Community. From what I’ve gathered so far from her, the only information Ann_C gets about the Deaf Community, is from the v/blogs.

Mike M is hard of hearing and holds a baccalaureate degree. To my knowledge, he does not work or volunteer in the Deaf Community and primarily uses his voice to communicate. McConnell even wrote once on his blog, which post has apparently been deleted or buried under the reams and reams of posts, that he thought there was something such as too much education. As far as I’ve seen, he has not discussed whether after graduating from Gallaudet, if he has read any scholarly books, journals or the like on the Deaf Community.

And we have Candy. Very little is known about this woman. She appears to be a hard of hearing woman who claims to sign. She has not mentioned whether she works or volunteers in the Deaf Community. Word has it that Candy only has a high school diploma, since she is a college dropout, but we don’t know that for sure, since she has refused to disclose her credentials or her real name. Candy has mentioned that she refuses to read Harlan Lane’s Mask of Benevolence, because she heard it was too biased. Aside from the proclamation of refusal, Candy has not discussed reading any scholarly books, journal articles or the like, on the Deaf Community. And lastly, her claim to expertise regarding the Deaf Community, is supposedly due to her being from a Deaf family and her sister being a high school teacher.

The questions now for all of you to consider are – who do you hold as being more credible on the Deaf Community issues? Whose ideas will you primarily draw from, so you can then help obtain what’s in the best interests for the Deaf Community? Which ideas will you hold as being credible?

What I see here appears to be an attempt to try and out individuals like Ann_C and others under the guise of "just the facts, ma'am" under a topic of who is "more credible." Incredible! All this reminds me like the time when Candy was exposed last year when her real name was revealed which resulted in people who didn't like her contacted her employer in the effort to try and get her into trouble because of a difference of opinions over her blogs fearing the boogeyman was out to destroy their ideology on Deaf culture. Ironically, in Candy's blog she wrote last year "A bully responds to Anti-Bullying Effort!" you can read what DP wrote in the comment section (note the bold):

People need to start filing reports with the police for harassment about these trying to get them fired for no good reason.

It’s one thing to complain about public servants behaving badly, but trying to out private citizens who blog anonymously, then trying to get them fired from their jobs, is just wrong.

Yet in DP's blog she goes after Ann_C, who is a private citizen, and attempted to identify her as much as possible and said,

Nearly nothing is known about Ann_C. We do not know her real name, nor whether if she holds a college degree. The only thing we know is that she is an oral deaf/severely hard of hearing person who, by her own admission, infrequently uses American Sign Language. She has not mentioned working or volunteering within the Deaf Community, or even having friends who use ASL. I have not seen her discuss reading scholarly books, journal articles or the like, about the Deaf Community. From what I’ve gathered so far from her, the only information Ann_C gets about the Deaf Community, is from the v/blogs.

All this has a writing of a dressing down in the effort to compartmentalize each of us into bite size pieces in the attempt to identify who we are and what we have done or not done and whether we fit into their ideological mold. Despite Ann_C's unknown status of who she is (which is not at all important nor necessary to know except by insecure people) as a blogger what DP just did reminded me of time when Ann_C and White Ghost (a frequent commenter) who were once threatened to be outed someday by a commenter in Ann_C's own blog. All this undermining efforts just because of a difference in opinions.

Last year Ann_C wrote "A Moral Compass" where she astutely observed:

V/bloggers, commenters, and readers alike all have seen this monster rear its ugly head online. And it’s an ugly head, no matter what shape it takes on: online personal attacks, cyber-harassment, hijacking of a thread, email threats, organizational bullying, online outting of a v/blogger’s real name, letters written to one’s employer, frivolous lawsuits, real-life threats/stalking, physical confrontations, ad nauseam.

Is it because of the target’s opinion/ view? No, it’s because the attacker dropped his moral compass in the angry desire to hit back at the person he disagreed with.

Pretty ironic considering what has just transpired today. And then you have DP who run by that familiar line again on Candy as someone who is "very little known."

And we have Candy. Very little is known about this woman. She appears to be a hard of hearing woman who claims to sign. She has not mentioned whether she works or volunteers in the Deaf Community. Word has it that Candy only has a high school diploma, since she is a college dropout, but we don’t know that for sure, since she has refused to disclose her credentials or her real name. Candy has mentioned that she refuses to read Harlan Lane’s Mask of Benevolence, because she heard it was too biased. Aside from the proclamation of refusal, Candy has not discussed reading any scholarly books, journal articles or the like, on the Deaf Community. And lastly, her claim to expertise regarding the Deaf Community, is supposedly due to her being from a Deaf family and her sister being a high school teacher.

Excuse me, her name was revealed last year thanks to zealous overbearing morons. But remember, it's "just the fact's, ma'am" when DP said:

All I did was to present facts here, then let the readers draw their own conclusions. If you interpret that as arrogant… well. So be it.

Facts? Or is this really an attempt to undermine and out individuals just because you disagree with their opinions like on what Ann_C opined in Amy Cohen's blog? It's one thing to disagree and state your arguments but it's entirely another thing to try and do this whole dressing down business that has an air of trying to out people of their full identities, and in a tone that would encourage other readers to try do more of the dirty work to do more of the outing business.

And then you have me that DP went after and it was a bit bizarre read, too.

Mike M. is hard of hearing and holds a baccalaureate degree. To my knowledge, he does not work or volunteer in the Deaf Community and primarily uses his voice to communicate. McConnell even wrote once on his blog, which post has apparently been deleted or buried under the reams and reams of posts, that he thought there was something such as too much education. As far as I’ve seen, he has not discussed whether after graduating from Gallaudet, if he has read any scholarly books, journals or the like on the Deaf Community.

For the record, as I have said before in my blogs, I have a B.A. degree in Math from Gallaudet University and a M.S. degree in Geology from University of Idaho. I even got accepted for a PhD study at University of Maryland, too, along with a $5000 NASA  grant with the help of Gallaudet University. Yet I chose a better route than to get a PhD and that was time to start having a career. What's really bizarre is when DP wrote about having too much education claiming I said something like that.

"......even wrote once on his blog that he thought there was something such as too much education." 

Too much education of what? What the heck is that supposed to mean?  What a bunch of rambling nonsense here that doesn't make an ounce of sense. I've always held the philosophy that in life one never stop learning.  And what does it matter on whether I've read any scholarly books or journals about the Deaf community has to do with any of this? Maybe you missed this one?

DP has an opinion about credibility. Her views are her own and not representative of every single person in the Deaf community. People do have valid opinions regarding the Deaf community and such. Heck, I am a representative Gallaudet University. I represent Gallaudet University since I graduated from Gallaudet University. Nothing can take that away from me. If I opine that's not popular or agreeable by other people then that's not really my problem. But it does become a problem when people who disagree with people they don't like and get into this outing business. It simply gets way too personal. And from the looks of things, DP decided to hit back at three people whom she disagreed with in her blog using "just the facts, ma'am" bunk defense in the attempt to out people.

Not cool.

Addendum:  For those who say she doesn't "out" people, well, I beg to differ.

Allegedly?  It's been over a year since she was outed.

Addendum II on what Ann_C said:

I would have been glad to offer my view had DP's post not gone into a witch-hunt but instead asked me directly what I meant. She did get to it finally in a comment after a barbed exchange, but by that time, she'd already written me off. *shrug*

I was expressing the opinion that the video was pandering to deaf issues, and I still stand by that. With the approaching holidays and ten ppl coming to my house, I didn't have time to write a lengthy explanation under ACE's blog.

Btw, pls do read Anony the Great's analysis of that PPT in Candy's Who Let Out the Signage Out blog. It reflected a great deal of what my response was to that PPT.

Have a good holiday.

Ann_C

Happy holidays, ya'll. Btw, PPT = powerpoint.

Addendum III: Ann_C wrote a rebuttal to DP in the comment section below where I am copying and pasting it here:

Since Deaf Pundit closed her comment section under her "A Matter of Credibility" blog and didn't publish my last three comments, I believe my unpublished comments should go on the record:

"Lol, in all the time I've been blogging/commenting online, I've never claimed to be an expert nor have I ever claimed to represent the whole deaf community.

OTOH, a person who claims to be a Deaf E-X-P-E-R-T does have the problem of credibility, because she professes to speak for all of the deaf community.

Deaf E-X-P-E-R-T-ise as "standard operating procedure"?

Ooooooh I'm SCARED-- *trembling hands in the air*
Run for them thar' hills, folks, the Deaf Inquisition is coming!!!!

*********snort*"

The asterisks ran off the first comment page without the word "snort". That's why I sent two more comments, trying to put in the word "snort", which finally showed up on the third comment, ok?

That's it.

Ann_C

And you know what DP said?

Ann_C… I read your last 3 (unpublished) comments and the only thing I have to say to you is that I truly do feel sorry for you.

That means technically Ann_C wrote only one comment while the other two were exactly the same except for the number of asterisks that were too long and she had to re-write it again. What DP said sure made it sound like Ann_C wrote three separate and different scathing comments or something like that.  *smh*

Signs or No Signs?

Ah, another one of those rounds of shocked outrage over....signs. No, not sign language or ASL but as in signage like stop signs, directional signs, billboard signs, advertising signs and so forth. The little outrage is just beginning to trickle over a video piece regarding the numerous "Hearing and Speech Center" (HSC) signage in various spots on the campus of Gallaudet University.

For those who don't know the Hearing and Speech Center is:

one of the largest of its kind in the DC area and provides a wide array of services to the Gallaudet community, their family members, and the local community. Services include: an Assistive Devices Center, audiologic evaluation, aural rehabilitation, cochlear implant services, hearing aid services, speech reading classes, and speech-language pathology services.

The Center is a full service, urban clinic that serve the Gallaudet University community and the greater Washington DC area. A full service commitment to all those communities whether deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf, or hearing.

You know what? I think having those signs in place as designed provide an important strategic outcome for the Deaf community. First, those signs help hearing parents of deaf/hh children find their way by directing them to the location of the Hearing and Speech Center for their appointments. You get new clients and patients all the time and many of them are not familiar with Gallaudet University campus layout. Those directional signs on campus help point the way. While parents with their kids wind their way through campus they would get to see a campus full of kids, students, staff, and professors signing as they make their way to the center. You have exposure right there. Imagine if Gallaudet University didn't have that full service Hearing and Speech Center? All those kids with hearing aids or cochlear implants would not ever step foot on the campus of Gallaudet University but instead it'd take place at another hearing and speech service elsewhere whose grounds and offices would probably be sterile of any signing exposure. Not only kids but adults who use Gallaudet's HSC would also be exposed to a signing community probably for the first time, too.

 Many of those directional signs are placed together with signs for buildings such as "The Field House," "Ely Center," "Gate House," and "Sorenson Language and Communication Center." All in all, I say at the end those directional signs are a way to help bring more exposure to deaf and hard of hearing kids (and their parents) and hearing people by helping to direct them through a campus full of signing people by making it friendly and inviting for those arriving on campus for the very first time. What better way to slowly introduce them to a signing community and culture?

Gallaudet University Google Earth from 1949 - 2010

Can you spot the changes?


Gif webcam

Robin Williams and Koko the Gorilla - video

Looks like Koko the Gorilla found a new playmate.

Gallaudet University's holiday video....no signing II

Looking back on what I wrote today about the recent holiday video that apparently upset a few people. It is a video produced by Gallaudet University that includes Dr. Hurwitz shown at the end of the video where he signed and used his voice (starting at the 16:44 mark). And then I remembered something. It was the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf's (ICED) statement about a "A New Era: Deaf Participation and Collaboration" where they issued a global call to "accept and respect all languages and all forms of communication" in the education of deaf people. ICED made sure that the message is to accept and respect all forms of communication be loud and clear. Nothing was said about which ones MUST be used but rather they all MUST be accepted and respected. All forms of communication need to be accepted and respected. That's what I saw in Gallaudet University's holiday video as well. That is what Dr. Hurwitz embraced.

Gallaudet University's holiday video....no signing

At the 3:54 minute mark in a Gallaudet University's video on how holidays are celebrated in different countries as explained by different people, Oluyinka "Yinka" Fakunle who is the part of the Communications and Public Relations Staff as an Administrative Secretary discusses her holiday tradition by talking and not sign. However, we don't know when she was hired or how long she was at Gallaudet University.



Gallaudet University's communication policy:

2.2 Policy Concerning Bilingualism
Gallaudet University is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. Gallaudet University’s mission as a unique educational institution is inextricably bound to the need for direct, accessible communication among students and faculty. To that end, all members of the University Faculty are committed to promoting bilingual communication. The University is committed to providing training and resources, as needed, to support all members of the Faculty in developing the necessary language skills.

The video provides captioning and meets, as a minimum, Gallaudet University's policy guideline that the communication be direct, comprehensible and accessible. In Yinka's case hers is not a bilingual example. Secondly, the video is not in a classroom setting and those in the video volunteered to speak. Third, before ya'll get huffy, we don't know the circumstances or reason behind Yinka not signing in the video. We don't even know how long she's been at Gallaudet University and may have been recently hired.  This has happened before when people got unnecessarily angry and ugly at a deaf professor who talked at a Gallaudet University's graduation commencement speech instead of signing. For the sake of fluidity and speed, and perhaps not enough signing skill to start with Yinka choose to speak instead. And lastly, Yinka should not in any way be reprimanded, retaliated against or scolded for speaking in that video.

For those who already accessed Yinka's email account and wrote nasty emails to her in response to the video, shame on you! If you're thinking about writing a nasty email to her, don't! The people in charge of the video-taping and editing choose to keep Yinka in that video as part of Gallaudet University's video on "How Does Gallaudet University Celebrate the Holidays?" Go talk to them first before going after Yinka. She should be given the widest latitude in this circumstance. Regardless of the outcome, the real question shouldn't be about Yinka's communication preference but the people who made that video. At least it was captioned and we all should be thankful for that. Nobody missed out on anything in that video.  And it doesn't hurt to show a bit of diversity, either....as long as communication access is readily available just like when I did my speech without signing in 2007 at Gallaudet University.

When bullies go after kids with cochlear implants

Here's a good story about a deaf boy who had to take a stand and defend himself against a bully. I'm not sure if it's because he was bullied because he wore a cochlear implant but in the end the deaf boy ultimately stood his ground.

There comes a point in all of our lives when we reach a limit and we are forced to defend ourselves. Bullies beware of a deaf child wearing a cochlear implant who will take no more shit.

I think many of us who wore hearing aids while growing up in regular or mainstreamed school were sometimes targeted because we were easily identified as a deaf/hh person. But for me growing up I never considered myself as being bullied because I always stood my ground and fought back. Only a couple instances happened in my life while as a kid I can remember clearly when I was in the 6th grade and 10th grade. I was never the one to back down if anybody ever thought I was easy picking. It helped that I had years of wrestling experience and have won tournaments. I had a great time going to regular school (4th thru 12 grade) and had a great many number of hearing friends while growing up. I played and competed in baseball, soccer, wrestling sports and school band competitions and made friends as well. I can't ever recall a bad time going to regular school starting in the 4th grade to 12th. The same goes for at a time when I went to a school with an oral program up to the 2nd grade at Birney School in Tacoma, and then entered a mainstreamed school at 3rd grade and eventually went to regular school starting in the 4th grade ever since.  I know others who have truly experienced bullying and were unable or didn't want to defend themselves had the brunt of it. But in my life, I don't dwell on constantly painting myself as a victim. In fact, I never saw myself as a victim at any stage of my life. As the old cliche goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And by that convention you can certainly come out on top. 

Round Peg in a Square Hole - LOL MEME

To expand cartoon panel go here.

Enjoy. 

The most accessible stadium...evah!

I've said this over four years ago at Gallaudet University while giving my  speech presentation regarding technology and communication access in the future. I explained that technology will play a major role in how we will interact with anyone on and off campus. Today we continue to see this happening as communication access technology slowly unfold before us such as voice recognition smart phone to text feature. As for entertainment communication access here's a video of Kevin McGuire, an attorney and an ADA consultant, pointing out features accessible for all patrons with mobility, sight, and hearing impairments at Gillette Stadium. A positive example of how a business can become the most accessible business to wide ranging number of people.  This is a true example of how the use of technology and engineering combined can easily make accommodations a part of every day business and still be successful. Gillette Stadium is not just for baseball but certainly for football as well and for any other venue event.

New hearing aid style....punkish

I can't exactly say this is the kind of hearing aid people would desire for but I'd give them credit for being this creative. What you're seeing in this photo is a hearing aid. Yes. A hearing aid. Go here and learn more about this really strange idea of a hearing aid design.  If you're hard of hearing and are into this sort of punk-type of jewelry design for your ear...lobes....you might want to try this one out, if you can afford it. I imagine it'd be expensive considering not many would wear it in that fashion.