Rush Limbaugh and His Cochlear Implant

Today from the Rush Limbaugh radio show a partial transcript can be seen here with him talking about his cochlear implant experience. The transcript below is him responding to a blind caller on his radio show.

Well, you've gotta great attitude about it, and I'm glad you called. I want to say one thing. You talked about the advantages that you have in being blind, and people think that's kind of odd. I can tell you some advantages being deaf. Now, these advantages are predicated on the fact that I lost my hearing -- you want to know why I believe in God? There are countless reasons, ladies and gentlemen, countless reasons and I've mentioned many of them during the course of discussions of the environment and so forth, but you look at the timeline of humanity on this planet, whatever it is. I don't know, 10,000 years, a hundred million years.

Whatever it is, my little speck on that timeline happens to coincide -- and look at my career now, what I do for a living. My little speck of that timeline coincides with when science has invented the cochlear implant which allows 100% deaf people to hear, and particularly in speech. You get in loud, noisy areas, restaurants, and it becomes very, very difficult because the thing just amplifies all the noise it hears, and if you're in a restaurant with a couple other people, the other people's voices are much louder than the two you're trying to hear, so it really becomes a challenge. But in a situation like this, one-on-one speech, it's not normal as it was, but it's miraculous.

But there are times at restaurants I just lose my mind. So can I turn the volume down, or I can take it off -- and there is blessed silence. How many of you people can't sleep through the night because some noise wakes you up? I never hear the noise. You who can hear do not know what pure silence is, because you can never. You can plug your ears up. You can put muffs and headphones on but you're always getting the white noise of a room, but when you're totally deaf? I can tune anything out. I can. If I'm talking to somebody and I'm tired, I just take it off. It sends the message I'm through. I don't have to listen to the racket on the TV. I can read closed-captioning.

You can do that too by hitting the mute button, but the ability to just totally turn off noise and to not have the normal distractions, when you're trying to sleep or when you're really trying to concentrate and noise distracts you. I can turn all that off. (interruption) I can feel my heartbeat. Of course I can. Snerdley is asking me, "You can't hear the heartbeat but can you feel it?" If I slam a door without touching the door, I feel the door slam. I don't hear it.

I mean, I don't slam it. I'm just giving you an example, but there are a number of things like if I slam the car door. I don't hear it, but when I see it happening, I feel it. There's a particular sensation, those kinds of sensations. Toilet flushing? I don't hear it, but there's an awareness of it, and I think that's the brain, because I used to be able to hear it. It's like the way I hear music. I can't hear... Well, I can hear it. I can't listen to music and understand it unless I've heard it before. I've got eight electrodes in my brain covering for what used to be 40,000 active hair cells so there's not much frequency response for me.

Every note of every new piece of music that I've never heard before sounds the same note. Movie sound tracks or what have you. But I listen to music that I knew before and my memory is what supplies the melody so I know that there's sounds taking place. I'm still very much concerned if the noise in a room is too loud so I'm constantly keeping it lower, even I can't hear it. But just out of habit. The brain is a powerful thing, and the amount of control we think we have over our brain; it would be surprising to you when you realize you don't. At any rate, I gotta take a break here. Charlie, thanks for the call.

Guess he's seeing some benefits on being deaf.

Strong as Steele

Let me get out of this rut covering all this deaf protest and “healing” and get into the politics of things which I’ve not blogged lately. You say politics? Yeah, you know, the upcoming November 7 General Election. I hope deaf and hard of hearing people aren't forgeting this important date this upcoming Tuesday next week and go out and vote! By the way, check out and become a part of the Deaf Republicans grassroots organization. After all, 2008 is two years away.

A side thought here. How many deaf and hard of hearing people living in Maryland are going to vote? How many Gallaudet University students, staff and faculty members are going to go out and vote? It should be YOUR civic duty and responsibility to vote. After all, this is America. The land of the free….to castigate.

You know, I’ve been admiring Lt. Governor Michael Steele ( R ) for sometime now who is running for US Senate as a Republican. Yes, a Republican. Not a Democrat which you see in the picture above where CNN “accidentally” inserted a “D” for Democrat next to Michael Steele’s name. Or maybe it was a racist move by somebody in CNN to put that “D” for Democrat because the color of Steele’s skin? Who knows what subconcious efforts CNN has done in the past that were labeled as "mistakes" like this one here? Just being glib here so calm down please.

Now, for those who don't know. Michael Steele became Maryland’s first ever statewide elected African-American. He was one of the first in his family to go to college graduating from Johns Hopkins University and then got his law degree from Georgetown University

Anyway, something about him resonates well me about his can-do attitude and even headed. Help people on empowering themselves and be “boot-strappers” instead of focusing on entitlements. He’s looking ahead and forward into the future. And just because his skin has a different color people still attack him for that. Which is sad. And stupid at the same time. But you know what is really racist to hear from Liberals? It’s hearing them refer Senator Steele as an “Oreo cookie incident not too long ago.

"At the candidates' only televised debate in late September, there were reports that Townsend supporters passed out Oreo cookies to represent Steele, joking he was black on the outside but white in the middle.

"[Md. Democratic spokesman] Paulson denied the incident happened and said the only documented accusation came from Ehrlich spokesman Paul Schurick.

"Steele, however, said an Oreo cookie rolled to his feet during the debate.

"'Maybe it was just someone having their snack, but it was there,' Steele said. 'If it happened, shame on them if they are that immature and that threatened by me.'"

Other racist attacks have people call him an “Uncle Tom” or even a “token” for the Republican GOP party. Or comments saying that being an African-American or black how can one be a Republican? What is it that people cannot understand that there is free will and choice in choosing a party? Like here and Audacity of Hope” by becoming a Republican Senator for Maryland. Why is that? Well, aren’t Liberals completely befuddled on how an African-American can be affiliated as a Republican? I’m sure Liberals will need to take the time to read Wayne Perryman’s book called “Unfounded Loyalty.” An excellent read.

It’s a book written by an African-American on why Republicans throughout history has backed and helped blacks or, if you prefer, African-Americans to empower themselves. All one has to do is go back starting in the 1850s with Fredrick Douglas and see how the Republican party got all started with Abe Lincoln’s help.

Lt. Governor Michael Steele. Strong as Steele. And I’m sure somebody will be idiotic enough to put in a title cleverly disguised, “Michael Steele’s Votes” (ie Michael steals votes), as the next subconscious message of hate and racist attitudes should Michael Steele win this upcoming election on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. In fact, I'm predicting that Michael Steele will win considering the support has been getting over the last several months.

UPDATE: Read the rest of the October 31, 2006 Washington Times article on Michael Steele and how many African-American Democrats are supporting Steele. Why? Read below for a start:

Former Prince George's County Executive Wayne K. Curry and five fellow black Democrats on the county council excoriated their party yesterday and endorsed Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, a Republican, for U.S. Senate.

"The [Democratic] Party acts as though when they want our opinion, they'll give it to us. It's not going to be like that anymore," said Mr. Curry, who in 1994 became the county's first black executive and remains influential in the mostly black and heavily Democratic county.

Mr. Curry and the lawmakers said Democratic leaders repeatedly have snubbed the black community and their county, noting the lack of party support for the Senate campaign of former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chief Kweisi Mfume, who lost the Democratic primary to Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin.

The Democratic ticket lacks black candidates, they said, and candidates from Prince George's County, which is home to more than 320,000 registered Democrats -- the most of any jurisdiction in Maryland.

"We're not puppets. We're not gullible," Mr. Curry said during a press conference at the Infusion Tea Cafe in Largo. "This ain't the first time we've charged up a hill."

He was joined by fellow black Democrats David Harrington of Bladensburg, Samuel H. Dean of Bowie, Camille A. Exum of Capitol Heights, Tony Knotts of Temple Hills and Marilyn Bland of Clinton -- all officials on the nine-member county council.

Other black Democratic leaders endorsing Mr. Steele yesterday included Major Riddick, former chief of staff for former Gov. Parris N. Glendening; Ron Lipscomb, a major fundraiser and trustee of the state party; and businessmen Clayton Duhaney and M.A. "Mike" Little.

"There's a revolution going on here," said Jerry McLaurin, a county developer and Steele supporter who attended the announcement. "This is going to radiate throughout the county like an explosion."

Mr. Steele, who lives in the county and is the first black to be elected to statewide office in Maryland, said he was "humbled."

Everything you always wanted to now about Deaf Republicans grassroots organization that was blogged on Kokonut Pundits. Deaf Republicans came to existence in October 2004. Email me for more information or how to contact other representatives.

Stop The Insanity - Unity for All

This video was made two weeks ago, but an unexpected circumstances prevented it from being uploaded. Even through this is dated, we felt it was still important to share our perspective as it was two weeks ago. This is a result of a teamwork composed of four deaf individuals with differing perspectives of the protest- we still hold tremendous respect for each other to listen and have an ongoing dialogue, and we hope the same will happen at Gallaudet and beyond.



An DeAftlanta Productions
Kayleen Pugh & Kristi Merriweather
Camera Director/Producer- Amy Efron Cohen
Film Editor- Mike Clegg
Filmed October 16, 2006


Words from Kokonut Pundits.

This is a good video. It illustrates the importance of why personal backstabbings and character assassinations need to stop.

An Open Letter to Kathleen Wood at Gallaudet University

I’ve read today’s Washington Post op-ed piece by Kathleen Wood, associate professor of English at Gallaudet University who is hearing, who make the claim that Gallaudet isn’t for everyone, that is, deaf and hard of hearing.

Not all deaf students belong at Gallaudet University. It is certainly not for those who reject Deaf culture and American Sign Language (ASL).

What Kathleen probably failed to note is that Gallaudet University is an institution first that serve ALL students, notably deaf and hard of hearing students. Now, granted, there exists a secondary environment called “Deaf culture” and that ASL is the most used sign language aside from SimCom, SEE or an ASL mix thereof. Even talking and listening by those who benefit greatly from hearing aids and cochlear implants can be include here, too. And we cannot discount Cued Speech, either. They are out there, somewhere amid the student population.

We need to realize that students do have the right and choice on how they want to communicate depending on their comfort zones. It is, after all, a free country and that Gallaudet University is a private institution supported mostly by the Federal government to the tune of $100 million dollars a year. Gallaudet University is compelled to follow the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure equal access to communication and classroom participation on campus.

What I am reading from Dr. Wood’s op-ed piece is that there seems to be an entitlement expectation that Gallaudet University is “their university” and not everybody else’s. And they do this by marginalizing certain (ie many) students by calling them “the resisters” and turn it into an “us” versus “them” all because Gallaudet University has a slogan that the university is for everyone?

Over the years, this slogan has managed to attract a handful of "resister" students who continue in their studies while resisting ASL and not integrating into Deaf culture. The Jordan-Fernandes leadership has enabled these resisters, and this has led to second-class citizenship for users and seekers of Deaf culture and ASL skills.

Again, what Dr, Kathleen failed to note is that students do have a personal choice on whether to fully, partially or not immerse themselves into a thriving Deaf culture. Nor does she recognize or give credence to the fact that students also have the right on their preferred communication style whether it’s SEE, ASL, SimCom or even just talking and listening based on their communication comfort zones. That's a given. We can hope and invite them to join the crowd but we also need to make them feel welcomed and not become adversarial. This is not a time for segregating students into respective classes.

What Dr. Jordan, out going president of Gallaudet University, and Dr. Fernandes have done was to avoid utter and complete discrimination against those who may have other preferences when it comes to communicating. Both support ASL but don’t discriminate against those who signs differently. Nor do they judge whether one is “Deaf enough” (with a capital "D") either. Clearly, what Dr. Kathleen seems to advocate is the blatant discrimination of students based on their communication preferences and comfort zones when it comes to associating with different people on campus inside and outside of the classrooms. I hope that this is NOT the case and I'm proved wrong. Gallaudet University is not an institution that supports discrimination. It is an institution that welcomes deaf and hard of hearing students of all flavors and styles for those who want to come and learn at an institution known for its great communication access. And the opportunities to associate with like-minded students. That is what diversity is all about. Acceptance. Not segregation.

I claim Gallaudet University as my own and I am a representative of Gallaudet University as well but I don’t make the claim that Gallaudet University isn’t for all deaf and hard of hearing people, either. Nor do I judge anybody whether one is “D”eaf enough. Gallaudet University is an institution of learning that welcomes all to those who decide to come. It is for everybody. It is for them to decide whether or not to come to Gallaudet Univesity for whatever reasons. But by drawing a line in the sand sets a dangerous precedence. Else the next thing we’ll see is two water fountains throughout campus with signs above them that says “Deaf only” and “Resisters”. Are we to revisit further back to the 1950s, too?

Mike McConnell
Class of 1991
http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com

How Readable Are Deaf/HH Blogs? See Score Results

Since there are many more blogs run by deaf or hard of hearing bloggers than a year ago, I decided to use this neat and informational website where it uses the Gunning-Fog Index to determine readability of texts written in blogs or just about any website. Just enter your favorite blogsites using the URL addresses and see what scores come up based on the different formulation used. Professional editors often use readability formulas to gauge how well writers are meeting an audience's reading levels, and one of the most famous of readability formulas is Gunning's Fog Index.

The premise here is that the bigger the words bloggers use along with their more complex sentences, the more difficult those blogs are to read for average readers, or so we think. The higher the score, the more complex it becomes regarding the use of the English language and structure. The lower the score, the more simplistic it becomes in the use of the English language and structure. Note the differences between comic book and Atlantic Monthly. The Gunning-Fog Index is a proven method of analyzing written material to see how easy it is to read and understand.

Gunning-Fog Results "Grade level" or "reading level" on Well Known Magazines.

15 - 20 - Academic papers
14 — The Times, The Guardian
11 — Wall Street Journal
10 — Newsweek, Time
9 — Popular novels
8 — Ladies' Home Journal, Reader's Digest
7 — True Confessions
6 — Comic books, TV Guides, Bible, Mark Twain

I tracked down some of the well known and/or popular deaf blogs to determine their readability and reading level of their contents needed to understand what was written. Ranking goes from the highest to lowest on the Gunning-Fog Index score. The result is the Gunning-Fog index, "which is a rough measure of how many years of schooling it would take someone to understand the content."


Gunning-Fog Index Score Results on Deaf/HH Blogs

Mr. Sandman's Sandbox - 12.79

Deaf Attorneys - 12. 52

Kokonut Pundits - 11.49

DeafDC - 11.09

Deaf in the City - 10.98

Buck Naked Bison - 10.91

ASL Community Journal Blog - 10.90

Quiescent Voices - 10.85

Deaf Firefighter's Blog - 10.80

Kalalau's Korner - 10.64

DHH - CommUNITY - 10.60

Berke Outspoken - 10.54

Bionic Ear Blog - 10.34

Sonny James - 10.23

Banjo's World - 9.98

sComm Blog - 9.91

Semi-Cathartic Skribblings - 9.80

Jason's Ruminations - 9.55

Drolz Uncensored - 9.40

Bibliomarket - 9.27

Testing the Truth - 9.15

A Deaf Mom Shares Her World - 9.03

Tactile Junkie - 9.08

Deafscribe - 8.83

DeafBiz - 8.78

Deaf in the City - 8.73

Grant Laird Jr - 8.63

Semi-Cathartic Skribblings - 8.53

Ridor Live - 8.48

Gnarleydorkete - 7.88

Tactile Junkie - 7.46

Daveynin's Thing - 6.93

It's My Life..Don't You Forget - 5.17


Try it. See what your score is for your blog on readability.

A Post JKF Termination Poll

Ok. We saw what people said in another poll before the termination about Dr. Jane K. Fernandes' position with the Deaf community. Let's take another look at a poll after Dr. Jane K. Fernandes' contract to be Gallaudet University's 1st deaf woman president who was terminated by the Board of Trustees a few days ago this Sunday.

Is Dr. Jane K. Fernandes Culturally "D"eaf Enough for the "D"eaf Community? Yes, of course. No! She is not! Not sure. Free polls from Pollhost.com

As always, take these polls with a grain of salt. Although the results may prove interesting.

When Racism is worst than the a-wordism at Gallaudet University

As I said before, I believe that the charges of "avdism" (the a-wordism) on campus of Gallaudet University as being “rampant” or even “prevalent” are nothing more than shrill than fact. Are there examples of a-wordism on campus? Sure. Rampant? Hardly. Considering that this IS Gallaudet University where students come in from the outside world full of discrimination (or very little depending where you came from) and even oppression in many cases on a campus full of deaf and hard of hearing students, faculty and staff who are equal in every way. Including the equitable and free communication for all which is desirable though this not quite the case considering the "rampant" act of marginalizing students who don't sign very well or prefer to speak and/or use their hearing aids. But that's for later.

What we have here is a marginalization against students or people of color on the campus of Gallaudet for years. Even back in 1989 when I addressed this to IKJ and a group of people in my speech regarding the diversity problem and marginalization. Today, I have said ever since May 2006 the “Unity for Whom” question because I’ve the seen what the atmosphere was like then and compare that to now which has changed little except there's more awareness. The people of color is still pretty much the same, ratio-wise, a plus 90% mostly white as it was 18 years ago when I started at Gallaudet as a freshman on January 1988.

Kristi Merriweather pointed out in her observation when she wrote a blog piece in DeafDC called "A Fictitious Protest for Fictitious Reasons."  She made several salient points on how the recent protest marginalized students of color just because they are in the minority. Healing cannot be done unless we do the "mea culpa" part (it means "my fault") in acknowledging our role, somehow, somewhere, that have made what we are today and where are with Gallaudet University, which is an institution first that serve all deaf and hard of hearing people who may want to be a student someday. Approximately 20% of the people who took the "mea culpa" poll believed that we are all at fault somehow for this protest mess, while the rest of those who voted continue to assign blame at others except for themselves. I said my "mea culpa" many moons ago.

The first step as I said is the "mea culpa" and Noah Beckman finally took the correct step in doing so yesterday in his interview with Newsweek.

Will you write a letter?

Oh, absolutely. I’m guilty of being oppressive and part of that is taking ownership and responsibility. Back in May, when I told a specific group of people that they couldn’t speak in front of the student body [during the initial protests against Fernandes]. It was the black group of students who wanted to speak. …That wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever made, so I’m definitely guilty of that oppression. At the time my thinking was that I didn’t want to have a message that was confusing.

Many students of color objected to the whole selection process, not just the appointment of Fernandes. Did they get much help from the other protesters?

The white students didn’t do anything to support students of color and work together. [The black students] wrote a very powerful letter, and the board didn’t respond, and the SBG didn’t support them in this process. That must’ve been in November or December—awhile back. So with that, I think the racial differences were clear on our campus. I was guilty of that racist behavior, and it’s not something I’m proud of. So, I think the healing process along those lines is critical. I’ve learned so much since May and with this process, to have a higher level of sensitivity to the various groups on campus, to have respect for students of color and increase the sense of unity.

The uproar started when the final three presidential candidates were announced. Gallaudet’s students of color were concerned that a white candidate with only a master’s degree was included, while a well-respected black candidate, Dr. Glenn Anderson, was eliminated. At the time, some white students said Gallaudet wasn’t ready for a black president. Do you think they were right?

I’d like to say no, but there are some groups of people, small groups of people that have that attitude. It exists on our campus, sadly enough. We’re definitely more than happy to see any qualified individual, person of color or not. The most important thing is to have a person right attitude and the right sense of respect for Gallaudet and who we are as deaf students and in the deaf community, more than anything else.

Racism on campus of Gallaudet University has always been the case and many were constantly side-lined just because they're the minority population. Like many others who were or are also marginalized or pushed aside just because they are different and want to see things to ensure that they, too, are seen as equal participants and receive the same equal communication regardless of background or communication preferences. So, until we hear more "mea culpas" this healing won't go anywhere.

You probably know who those people are.

A Poll. Another Fine Mess. Who is at fault?

Another nice mess we've gotten ourselves into.

Who's fault was this in making a fine mess in this protest? 1. Dr. Jane K. Fernandes!! 2. I. King Jordan!! 3. The Board of Trustees! 4. Administrators!! 5. All of number 1, 2, 3 and 4!! 6. Protesters!! 7. We're all at fault!! 8. Nobody at fault!! Free polls from Pollhost.com

"Mea culpa is the answer to greater understanding."

ACTA Acts

From ACTA today, 13 hours ago.

As protestors continue to oppose the appointment of Jane K. Fernandes to the post of president of Gallaudet University, Gallaudet's Board of Trustees will convene a special meeting today to assess the fractious and rapidly deteriorating situation at the school. There is disagreement about whether opposition to Fernandes centers on her perceived "lack of leadership skills" (which appears to be a euphemistic way of criticizing her for not being as warm and fuzzy as some would like; one critic complained that Fernandes does not smile enough), or on her vexed position vis a vis deaf identity politics (Fernandes did not learn to sign until her twenties, and she is perceived by separatists as too accepting of "assimilationist" approaches to deafness such as cochlear implants, better hearing aids, and genetic research).

Whatever the reasons behind the anger that has led to over 100 arrests on the Gallaudet campus, has caused the campus to be shut down for several days, and has issued in a faculty vote in which professors overwhelmingly called for Fernandes' resignation or removal, the bottom line is that it is up to the Board to appoint the president. While students and faculty surely have the right to express their views regarding Fernandes' appointment, they do not have the right to make or unmake the appointment themselves, nor do they have the right to interfere so severely with the daily operations of the university that the place is compelled to shut down out of concern for people's safety.

On Friday, ACTA weighed in on the governance fiasco that is unfolding at Gallaudet:
GALLAUDET BOARD SHOULD STAND FIRM

WASHINGTON, DC (October 27, 2006)--As the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees prepares to meet this Sunday, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni urged the trustees to stand firmly behind their selection of Jane K. Fernandes as the next president. For months, Gallaudet has been engulfed in controversy over the selection of Fernandes, currently the provost, who is due to assume the position in January.

"Gallaudet's trustees engaged in an inclusive and thoughtful selection process and concluded Dr. Fernandes was the best candidate to lead Gallaudet into the future," said ACTA president Anne D. Neal. "They should not give in to unlawful protesters who have their own agendas--rather than the school's--in mind."

Fernandes' appointment was announced on May 1; protests began then and resumed this month. Earlier this week, protesters seized two buildings and blocked access to the campus. The faculty has also issued votes of no confidence in Fernandes, the current president, and the board. According to numerous media accounts, the protests began amid complaints that Fernandes is not "deaf enough" because she learned American Sign Language only in her twenties.

"Not everyone always agrees with the result of a presidential search," Neal noted. "But disagreement does not mean the board was wrong."

"At a time when higher education is facing many challenges, it is the board's obligation to identify a leader who can address the long-term goals of the school," she concluded. "The Gallaudet board has made its choice and is accountable for the results. The trustees should affirm their choice--and the protesters should allow Fernandes do her job."

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, national organization dedicated to academic freedom, academic quality, and accountability. ACTA has a network of trustees and alumni around the country and has issued numerous reports on higher education, including How Many Ward Churchills?, Intellectual Diversity: Time for Action, The Hollow Core, and Losing America's Memory: Historical Illiteracy in the 21st Century. For further information, contact ACTA at (202) 467-6787.

Here's to the Gallaudet Board standing firm.


There you go. That's a pretty hefty support for Dr. Jane K. Fernandes.

Also, read ACTA's blog piece on "Problems with Protesters."

And, how long will this "mourning" take by protesters planning on crashing the campus and close it down at the front gate? And NAD is involved, too? So much for their claim of being neutral for the sake of the other 30 million other deaf and hard of hearing people who will no doubt see these protesters as a bunch of...well, see the picture above? Can we say....*shhhhhh*....."special interst group"? And it starts with a capital "D".

UPDATE!!: Looks like the BoT terminated their own decision and have Jane K. Fernandes removed by voting to terminate Dr. Fernandes’ appointment as President-Designate.

Boy, talk about teething pains. If temper tantrums last long enough, even stoic parents have to give in to their incessant bawling demands.

Next question: Does that mean JKF get's her old provost position back or what? Where does she go from here? A lawsuit next?

UPDATE II: Ok. I've favored Dr. Anderson for quite some time. People who know me knows it's no secret. I believe he's the best one for this presidency position and address this serious diversity issue, as well as some racism on campus. Will Dr. Anderson re-apply? Why did NAD stay quiet when Anderson was NOT selected to the final 3?


See all posts on Kokonut Pundits related to the protest since May 2006.

A New Milestone for Kokonut Pundits

In exactly two years and one week later Kokonut Pundits finally hit the 100,000 unique visitor hits. A great milestone for any bloggers to achieve. It is to my great satisfaction that people are still turning to Kokonut Pundits with increasing numbers as I shift topics around from politics, deafness issues, sports, technology for greater independency among deaf and hard of hearing people, biotechnology (eg stem cells), successful deaf/hh people, religious intolerance (read Islamofascists) and so on as I delve into various and wide-ranging topics of interest.

Again, it is to my great satisfaction that I have now finally reached the 100,000 hits milestone compared to 15,000 hits I had one year ago. I have to thank my readers for coming back again and again in support of my blogsite. The number of hits from one year ago represents nearly a 700% increase. Remarkable for a lone blogger who is committed to good quality blogs.

To see my latest hits just scroll down at the very bottom and see what my latest Sitemeter hit count says.

Thanks everyone.

Faculty Members Against Academic Excellence?

The insanity just gets worse and worse. What the world and many are witnessing this daily soap opera is like watching tv shows with dysfunctional families accusing everybody else of something but not be accountable for their own actions. That includes everybody. It just becomes one big mud pile after another.

Where is the logic in this when we see deaf or hard of hearing students go from a world full of "audism" (a word coined by Tom Humphries who is "deeply committed to all aspects of Deaf life, the arts, Deaf cultural studies, the language, and to promoting scholarship among Deaf people" and is also on the Board of Trustees that selected Dr. Jane K. Fernandes to be the next Gallaudet University president) to a world full of greater communcation freedom (ASL or sign language, too!) along with greater understanding and opportunities at Gallaudet University and then accuse the university of practicing "audism" (exceptions can be made for DPS campus police in this case)? These protesters have accused Gallaudet University with "rampant" audism and oppression thus making it sound like a 3rd world country with hoards of people writhing with cries of social injustice! Oh, the inhumanity of it all! It would even rival the Stubbed-Toe Gate incident.

Pardon my French but it all sounds a bit too much like one big odorous poopy pile of mass proportion. The mother of all stinkers.

The United States is considered to be the best country in the world to live in for Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing people considering the amount of technology and services available for them allowing them greater and greater independency. It is astounding though far from perfect. Video phones, relay interpreters, CART services, communication devices, ASL interpreters, Cued Speech transliterators, SEE interpreters, Oral translators, Instant Messengers (eg AIM, MSN, YAHOO), vlogs, blogs, emails, IDEA, ADA, Section 504, and many more. Even Gallaudet University is working with people on ASL recognition to speech or text output. And vice versa. I'm sure Gallaudet campus reeeeks of audism and oppression that are totally unimaginable it would put the Gulag prison to shame.

Recently we had a faculty standing vote a few weeks back with 168 fo them out 221 showed up to vote for the ouster of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes. Out of 168 of the 221 who showed up, 138 voted against JKF. That's fine all that but isn't it ironic that these same protesters who applauded the voting exercise are the very same people who screamed at the many of the faculty members for not being ASL fluent enough in their signing? And the fact that the majority of faculty members on campus are hearing? Why are these same faculty members who sign so poorly in ASL want the ouster of JKF? How come "Motion J" wasn't voted on which was the last on the list of motions to vote on? Shouldn't it have been near the top of the list to vote on since so many protesters and Deaf faculty members were screaming about this for years on ASL signing competency among faculty members who are non-native signers?

MOTION J - “Ask that Committee A and the Senate work together to change faculty guidelines such that all previously tenured faculty will be required to take the same sign language assessment test that untenured faculty take. GU till rovide interps in the classroom for any currently tenured fac member who does not pass the sign lang assessment at the same level required for new fac to gain tenure. This would not replace the system of testing non tenured faculty”

Now, why many of the hearing faculty members who most likely don't sign as proficiently in ASL voted for the ouster of JKF? Is it because Dr. Jane K. Fernandes has in mind that they should better start ramping up their research publications to peer-reviewed journals on a regular basis that many have been lax on for years? And the 82% of those faculty members who voted for the ouster of Dr. Jane K. Fernades, are they all against her vision of academic excellence for Gallaudet University and its students, professors and staff? What exactly are the Deaf professors or faculty members' agenda or true positions here? Is this about the increased expectation for research papers? Is this about the tenure-track controversy?

What I can see is that Dr. Jane K. Fernandes is committed to and expect greater academic excellence among faculty and staff (and even students). All one has to do is look at a recent power point presentation that summarizes the goals for Gallaudet University called "Academic Affairs: Implementation of the New Directions Plan - August 25, 2004". It comprehensively covers the goals for Gallaudet University to become the preeminent university for all deaf and hard of hearing based on expected academic standards and acceptance among students, staff, and faculty members. Among the 5 directions these are the priorities that Dr. Jane K. Fernandes and many others want to see accomplished.:

Direction #1. Gallaudet University is recognized as a prestigious university with high quality academic programs, co-curricular programs, and research.

Priority 1.1: Raise standards for undergraduate admissions, academic programs, and graduation.

Priority 1.2: Strengthen, nurture, and infuse academic culture into all aspects of the Gallaudet community.

Priority 1.3: Recruit and retain an exemplary faculty and professional staff.

Priority 1.4: Increase support for research, publication, outreach, and other scholarly activities.

Priority 1.5: Support quality teaching and learning by providing adequate resources for instructional technology and the library.

Priority 1.6: Establish a comprehensive program of professional development for faculty, teachers, staff, and administrators.

Direction #2. At Gallaudet University, liberal arts is the foundation for intellectual development, ethical decision-making, career development, professional preparation, citizenship, and lifelong learning.

Priority 2.1: Increase emphasis and integration of the following into each student’s educational experience:
Literacy development
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Information literacy
Expanded internship opportunities
Expanded opportunities to study abroad
Community service and/or service learning
Career exploration

Priority 2.2: Develop an internal and external communication plan that conveys our vision of a liberal arts education clearly, concisely, positively, and as relevant for a lifetime.

Direction #3. Gallaudet University is the university of choice for an increasingly diverse pool of potential students who are deaf and hard of hearing, and for hearing students who want to prepare for careers in the deaf community.

Priority 3.1: Preserve Gallaudet’s rich cultural heritage and promote the study and appreciation of Deaf culture, Deaf history, and American Sign Language.

Priority 3.2: Foster positive identities and cultural competence for all students through a program of cross-cultural studies, diversity initiatives, and a climate that is characterized by inclusion and respect for everyone. Inclusion and respect for all individuals and groups within the deaf community. Cultural competence and respect for diverse groups within the larger society. Right of every student to explore and choose his own identity.

Priority 3.3: Provide adequate resources for both undergraduate and graduate students. Meet the needs of new signers. Assure the availability of a continuum of support services for all students offer a variety of course delivery methods. Better address the needs of non-traditional students. Ensure effective communication among faculty, staff, and students.

Priority 3.4: Develop articulation agreements with Gallaudet University Regional Centers and other community colleges with strong programs for deaf and hard of hearing students. Goals of the agreements are to prepare students to come to Gallaudet and to make sure that appropriate credits transfer.

Direction #4. Gallaudet University nurtures and strengthens its position as a global educational and cultural center for people who are deaf and hard of hearing and demonstrates its commitment to diversity by reaching out to deaf and hard of hearing people everywhere.

Priority 4.1: Promote partnerships with other countries and international organizations, more educational exchange programs, more information sharing, and increased focus on international relations.

Priority 4.2: Strengthen the global content in the curriculum in order to prepare American and international students to compete effectively in an increasingly global community.

Priority 4.3: Continue efforts to remove the cap on international student enrollment, eliminate the surcharge on tuition, and exclude online course and certificate program enrollments from the cap.

Direction #5. Gallaudet University values and promotes undergraduate and graduate education equally.

Priority 5.1: Enhance and build on the strengths of graduate programs.

Priority 5.2: Strengthen undergraduate education and promote better preparation of undergraduate students for graduate programs.

Priority 5.3: Faculty governance takes a leadership role, in consultation with administration, academic departments, and professional staff in promoting collaboration and articulation among undergraduate, graduate, and co- curricular programs.

Priority 5.4: Promote collaboration among undergraduate, graduate, co- curricular, and Clerc Center programs and constituencies with shared interests as a way to enhance outcomes and increase efficient use of resources.

For faculty members (as well as protesters) who voted for the ouster of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes and her plan for academic excellence means that they are:

1 - Against the requirement for increased quality research publications to peer reviewed journals that will help foster an increased climate of expectated academic excellence from everybody.

2 - Against in recognizing the right of every student to explore and choose his/her own identity.

3. Against increased standards for undergraduate admissions, academic programs, and graduation.

4. Against any upwardly and more mobile academic direction.


For too long Deaf students have called Gallaudet University as the "Deaf Harvard". Saying this is nothing but a joke because the academic standards for admitting students is nothing like a Harvard standard. Even many of the courses do not even reflect the usual academic Harvard standard. If one wanted to get into Harvard, MIT, Standford, or even Yale, would you expect them to lower their academic standards and admittance requirements just so they can get in?

So, if you want Gallaudet University to be the preeminent educational institution for deaf and hard of hearing students, then you need to take a close look at those 5 directions. Fernandes has a plan for academic excellence and it's already in place and ready to go.

UPDATE: The remaining four motions were voted on a week later. "Motion J" was voted in favor but only 80 faculty members participated in it. That's a drop from 168 members who voted earlier this month. Does this mean that 75 out 168 were in favor of "Motion J"? Or 44% in favor? I wonder what the odds are that most of those that voted were Deaf faculty members? What happened to the remaining 88? Couldn't they have submitted a vote in absentia?

Question: Do many of the Deaf and hearing faculty members have different but underlying agendas in regard to why they what to oust JKF?

Hat tip: Gallaudet Employee. Thanks.

We Shall Defeat

We Shall Defeat. And whom would that be? Here's a cartoon on the Gallaudet University protest situation.




Apologies to Mike Keefe of The Denver Post.

Stubbed-Toe Gate

Well, the situation of the gate crashers at Gallaudet University sounded dramatic alright. Especially so on the injuries part that were described in lurid details ranging from cut, crushed, broken to lacerated. Well, it's the big toe I'm talking about. Especially the classic photo of the wrapped up foot with the damaged big toe while holding the big toe's nail...all of it... in the owner's hand. You may wince if you look at the picture. Then again maybe not if you watch a lot of those ER shows. I'm sure that's a war injury that'll be talked for years and years. Even my step-dad has a recent "war" injury losing the top 1/3 of his finger. It's floating somewhere in a pickle jar of his house right now I believe just to scare his step-grandkids for fun whenever they come over.

But there seems to be a bit of a hubbub over the severity of the injury being called as "not serious". Well, it's not a minor injury and it's certainly not a major injury but it is a serious injury having lost the whole nail of the big toe. I agree. Even I received a lacerated injury and it was serious, too. Can anybody guess how I got the injury?

But the one thing I don't understand is this:

"I was just standing there peacefully holding the gate with my arms and got injured doing so," he said.

Peacefully? Just standing there? And just "holding" the gate? All by yourself? I thought the gate was surrounded by a human chain with Brian, the injured big toe guy, involved when the gate was forced open and the gate's wheel went over Brian's big toe.

From Sue Mather’s pager
Subject: Injured!
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 9:04:36
Brian here.. I am at hospital right now with a severe injury on my right toe. I woke up this morning seeing 15-20 PPD destroying our fort, taking everything away. So I and other students formed a human chain around the gate. But they all physically assaulted our human chain by pushing the gate away. During the process of it, roller of gate smashed on my right toe...

Physically assaulted? You were holding onto the gate with your arm, Brian. I don't think opening a gate constitute as an "assault" if you're hanging on to it. And who knew Brian's toe would get in the way of the gate's roller wheel?

Of course, people "out there" are not going give these protesters any brownie points and they'll just end up making fun of the whole thing.

I can imagine the scene:

The poor, filthy and unwashed protester, lying supine on a stretcher with a critically injured toe, stretches forth with grasping hands and vigorously signs to his fellow protestors (in ASL) to continue to keep fighting the good fight.

A white linen sheet is draped lovingly over his face as he slips into unconsciousness with his fellow protestors pleadingly looked to the heavens for the medevac that will no doubt come too late for this brave and selfless Gallaudet revolutionary.

Still, there are people out there who are not making fun of this protest but simply do not agree with the protest. Granted, many of them are the hearing kinds. Okay. Call them "audist" if it makes some Deaf people feel better. Here's one from the president of George Washington University:

President of George Washington University Stephen Joel Trachtenberg called the ongoing protests by students at Gallaudet University a “terrible tragedy” and questioned Student Association President Lamar Thorpe’s pledge to assist the student protesters.

In an interview with The Daily Colonial, Trachtenberg said the students of Gallaudet must realize that their current actions are not appropriate and that the current president, I. King Jordan, deserves a better send-off after 20 years in his position.

“Gallaudet cannot afford to have anarchy and student riots every time they turn over a president,” said Trachtenberg, referring to similar outrage in 1988 before Jordan was selected as Gallaudet’s first deaf president. “They’ve done it once and now they’re doing it again. It starts to be a pattern, and that’s not something that speaks well to them.”

The university’s campus has been shut down for three weeks due to student protests against the selection of Jane Fernandes, the school’s former provost who has been deaf since birth, as the next president of Gallaudet. Protesters say that she will be a divisive leader and accuse her of signing at a third-grade reading level. According to the Associated Press, the Gallaudet faculty voted last week by a margin of 82 percent to ask Fernandes to resign or be removed.

Despite the claims by protesters, Trachtenberg still thinks their actions are inappropriate.

“So far, I haven’t heard any accusation made… that justifies this kind of behavior,” he said. “These illegal behaviors are not a way to petition for justice. It makes you wonder why anyone would want to serve on the Gallaudet Board of Trustees.

Trachtenberg said that the protesters should respect the selection process, which included student and faculty input. He suggests that “they should let this woman be president for a few years and see how it goes,” then initiate calls for her removal.

Okay. Go sic 'em for saying that.

Brian...speedy recovery. Lesson learned.

In Your Own Words

(Put your caption here)


This is one of the funniest picture I've come across in awhile. And since we have this protest going on, I figured I put this picture up and let you guys do the imaginative work and put down your own caption in your own words. The winner with the funniest caption remark will get, well, nothing. Except that you'll see your caption get placed beneath the picture here on Kokonut Pundits.

Ricola!

BTW, don't forget to vote in the "not Deaf enough" poll and see where everybody stands.

UbiDuo - From Beginning to Start

Five years ago, Jason Curry sat down with his father, David, over breakfast at a local diner. It should’ve been a typical father-son breakfast, where work-week stories, sage advice, and maybe a few jokes are swapped over omelets and buttered toast.

But for the Currys, this breakfast was a tipping point.

Jason is deaf, and although his father knows limited sign language, the simple breakfast chat was too slow and frustrating for them both. Jason’s father stopped the conversation, signing that he had an idea. Back at home, he grabbed a black marker and drew what would become the UbiDuo.

“The minute I saw it” says Jason. “I knew it would change the world.”

A Six-Pound Revolution

Picture two keyboards with imbedded screens. Together, they are the UbiDuo, portable, wireless, weighing only about six pounds and as easy to use as a simultaneous chat screen. To start a conversation, you simply pull out the UbiDuo, select the type of conversation you want, and type. The UbiDuo lets you communicate with another UbiDuo through a Blackberry, Sidekick, or cell phone; puts you in a face to face, real-time conversation, without an interpreter; or sends a call to other UbiDuos within a range of 4,000 feet. But unlike instant messaging, the conversation is immediate: messages can be read as they’re typed and thoughts can be interjected.

Now picture what this could mean for roughly 27 million Americans whose inability to keep up with spoken conversation has held them back, professionally and personally.

“They can go anywhere, anyplace, and have a face to face conversation with their doctors, their bosses—their families. All without interpreters or scraps of paper. The UbiDuo really gives them a new sense of freedom and independence.”

With that revelation, Jason and his father immediately formed sComm, Inc., and started making plans to bring the UbiDuo to the market.

From Drawing to Drawing Board

Just one month after they turned a breakfast into a business, Jason and David met with Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Providing leading edge clinical care and research on childhood deafness, visual impairment, and related communication disorders, Boys Town helps approximately 30,000 children each year. For nine years of his own childhood, Jason was one of those children. Boys Town, then, was a logical place to tease out a plan.

With their help, Jason and David further developed the concept behind UbiDuo and applied for a patent in 2001, which the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded in December 2005.

But they realized that if their dream was to become more than a patent, they needed a solid financial backbone and a sound business plan.

Turning Technology into a Business Reality

Jason went to the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. There, he found a wealth of business development services to help him secure funding and develop a business plan, including the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC).

UMKC’s Small Business and Technology Development Center is an outgrowth the U.S. Small Business Association’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC). Nearly every state houses an SBDC, but only four states—Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, and Missouri—have earned the accreditation necessary to put the T in their SBDCs.

Jason started there with Suman Saripalli, regional director/program specialist for Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants. With Saripalli’s and Boys Town National Research Hospital’s help, Jason applied for an SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health, one of thousands of R &D grants the federal government awards to technology companies to perform innovative research.

In 2003, Jason won a Phase I SBIR grant that gave him $100,000 for testing. Before he could cash the check, however, Jason needed to learn how to build a prototype—and a business.

Saripalli then introduced Jason to the rest of the SBTDC team, including Larry Lee, associate director of special projects at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Carmen DeHart, assistant director of UMKC’s SBTDC.

“For other businesses there are models. You want to open a pizzeria; we can show you a model. But no technology business is the same,” says Lee.

“With a new tech, you can’t get bank financing, find equity investors. There’s a whole different set of circumstances to make that business happen, and that’s what we try to walk our clients through—to help them understand the barriers of starting a technology business and maneuver through them.”

For Jason, and entrepreneurs like him, that guidance included how to legally form a corporation in Missouri, set up bookkeeping and talk to an accountant, write a business plan, set up an office, and find the right partner to build the prototypes.

Jason and David found that partnership in Pivot International in Lenexa, Kansas. They tested the first UbiDuo prototypes with 30 deaf people to see the effects of face-to-face communication.

The results, and the attention, were overwhelming.

Still working an 8-to-5 job, Jason enlisted the help of his mother, Emma, to compile data and write the proposal for the next leg of the grant. In 2005, he was awarded a Phase II SBIR grant, $1.3 million to develop and build prototypes of the UbiDuo.

Today, Jason works for sComm full-time and the UbiDuo is in production. The first 500 units will hit the streets in October 2006. And already, Jason is amazed by the stacks of interest that are piled on his desk—and humbled by the difference he will make to so many people’s lives.

“I’m really inspired by the millions of deaf people who are suffering from being cut out the conversation. They have to carry this burden, but they keep moving on with their lives, making the best of it.”

Along the way, sComm has been recognized for its technology and its efforts to help bring a new level of communication to so many people. In 2005, sComm received the MoFast Economic Development award at the University of Missouri’s’ Client Showcase and Legislative Breakfast; in April 2006, sComm took second place in UMKC’s New Business Venture Competition; and in September 2006, sComm will receive the Governor’s Technology Company of the Year Award.

That level of recognition, says Jason, “gives me a renewed level of pride in what I’m doing.”

But the real rewards come in the small moments that so many hearing people don’t even notice.

“I’m really shocked at what kind of freedom hearing people have in just simply holding a conversation,” Jason says.

At his wife’s class reunion last spring, Jason sat down with a drink and a cigar and had his first one-on-one conversation, without depending on Missy to translate. During his conversation, he turned around and saw something he had never seen before. “Missy was across the room, talking on her own, without having to worry about me,” says Jason. “That’s priceless."

Source - Gloria Zamora

See all of Kokonut Pundits blogs on UbiDuo and sComm, Inc

Is Dr. Jane Fernandes "D"eaf Enough?

Here's a real simple poll. Do you think Dr. Jane K. Fernandes is "D"eaf (big D) enough for her to be the 9th president of Gallaudet University?

Is Jane K. Fernandes "D"eaf Enough to be the 9th President of Gallaudet University? No!! She is not Deaf enough!! Yes. Very much so. Free polls from Pollhost.com

Slouching Towards "Not Deaf Enough"?

What I am seeing now is that the longer this protest goes on, the angrier the protesters are becoming and they are starting to show their true feelings contrary, or so it seems, to what they have said back in May that this protest isn't about the "not Deaf enough" issue. However, it may not be "the" issue but many do certainly see it as a *major* component of their daily diet of complaints hidden among their own words, actions and between the lines commentaries. Gallaudet University has always been about the "holy trinity" which is Deaf Family, Deaf School and Deaf ASL which JKF clearly lacks according to Deaf protesters. Not that there is anything exclusively wrong with the "holy trinity" idea. Just that a bit of honesty would suffice for a change.

In the New York Times shows the ludicrousness of what I'm seeing:

"One protester, Ronald Ferris, who is blind and deaf, said he believed that Dr. Fernandes did not connect with deaf people. In a measure of how personal the dispute has become, Mr. Ferris pointed to her choice of a husband as proof. “She doesn’t really feel us,” he signed through interpreters. “She’s very critical of deaf culture, because she married somebody who hears.”

Lamest thing I ever heard in my doggone life. She's critical of Deaf culture because she married a hearing person? Must be the "holy trinity" thing speaking in tongues.

I guess Dr. Jane K. Fernandes' action and her apparent lack of "Deaf culturism" while she was growing up ought to have been enough for her to be "excommunicated" by the "I-am-for-unity" and "I-respect-deaf/hh-people's-choices" crowd at Gallaudet church University believing that she's a practicing "Audist" because she's "not ASL-enough." A fate worse than adultery earning her the Scarlet Letter "A" stamped across on her forehead. And this was all about her lack of "leadership qualities"?

Go figure.


Check out all my blogs on the Gallaudet protest.

Kokonut Pundits - A 2nd Year Anniversary

Today is the 2nd anniversary of my blog, Kokonut Pundits. After 955 posts later this blog has continued its course to inform readers of the facts, opinions and my percetion of what is going on in this world today. According to Technorati I have 1,027 links from 264 blogs. An increase from one year ago today. Although I am nearing my 1000th blog posting and my 140,000th unique visitor hit (scroll to the very bottom to see the latest update), it is still an improvement from one year ago today. Many thanks to well known political bloggers who linked to my blogs increasing my hits tremendously. Many more plans are in the works ahead of me. Just be patience.

People have applauded over my postings and kudos to me. People have threatened me over it. People have laughed. People have cursed over it. People have found it to be an enjoyable read. People were intimidated by it. And some went so far as to recommend that this blog be banned and censored outright. I guess those people really believe in the American dream on freedom of speech and expression when it comes to blogging? Not. However, over 60% of the Kokonut Pundits readers give my blogsite a thumbs up. Of course, I cannot please everybody. That is an impossible job so, please, do not ask me to appease you just because you don't like what I write. What I aim for is the more quality type blogging rather than succumbing to gossipings, rumour mongerings, half-truths, backstabbing, crab-theory, character assassination, and the likes. I refuse to be a part of that crowd. This isn't the "National Enquirer" or "The Globe" trash blogsite that specializes on sensationalism. There are other blogs you can visit that does that sort of thing. Rather I prefer to focus more on the more positive things when it comes to successful deaf, Deaf, and hard of hearing people as much as I can. Because frankly we need to do that more often these days. At least I lean much more in that direction rather focus on utter negativity all the time. Still, I am human and I have feelings, too.

What will the future hold for Kokonut Pundits blogsite? One can never tell at this point but certainly I'll keep on blogging and voice my side of the story to the world. I welcome all views and commentaries in my blog so long as commenters do not use personal attacks against other commenters or the author of Kokonut Pundits. We can learn much from each other using this method of dialogue.

A big thanks to all those who continue to stop by and read my Kokonut Pundits blogs!

Protesters Against Section 504?

There is a growing acknowledgement that this protest is seemingly if not exclusively all about the preservation of ASL or American Sign Language, which is fine, however. In the beginning of the protest in May protesters claimed that they weren't protesting because Dr. Jane K. Fernandes wasn't "Deaf" (ie culturally deaf) enough but about her ability to be a leader. Five months later we're seeing more and more on the issue that Dr. Fernandes, who was choosen a mostly deaf Board of Trustees to become the 9th president at Gallaudet University, is not "ASL-enough". In short, complaining that she isn't fluent enough in ASL has been one of the few main complaints about her in this protest. They took their protest to the Capitol steps yesterday.

Let's look at what people are saying about Fernandes and ASL despite the fact that there are other modes of communication that are being used by deaf and hard of hearing people all across the United States. These include SEE, Cued Speech (see video here with Closed Captioning and sign language interpreter), CART, lip-reading, and even auditory-oral (listening and speaking).

1. A Guest Blogger on DeafRead breakdown on Dr. Jane K. Fernandes as being not "ASL-enough".

2. Reflexivity has a good break down about that "grey area":

"I suggest that the real challenge from the Deaf community to Dr. Fernandes is whether she will use her position to promote a clear separation between the languages and establish communication policies that don't unfairly privilege either group (the sight-dependent or the sight/sound co-dependent).

3. DeafDC has a new discussion on "The Deaf Standpoint: Does JKF Understand?" It covers both ends (hearing and Deaf) as well as those in the middle "grey area" which many people are purposely trying to marginalize when it comes to communication preferences and needs.

My question is this.

Are some of the people at Gallauadet University deliberately trying to, somehow, circumvent this very Federal law called "Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act" by making ASL as the only mode of communication on the campus of Gallaudet University? Are some of the faculty members trying to somehow to limit severely the alternative forms of communication needs for deaf and hard of hearing students who may have alternative preferred choices or needs? Are protesters encouraging Gallaudet University to ignore and marginalize the Section 504 requirements for people with disabilities, including those with hearing loss, by allowing them equal participation in an educational process other than ASL?

What about Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., and Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., all voting members of Gallaudet's Board of Trustees? What messages are they getting about the protest? Ignore Section 504, which is a FEDERAL LAW, that directly applies to Gallaudet University?

Now, what is this "Section 504"? Well, Section 504, which by the way the National Association of the Deaf agrees with this Federal statute, explains that:

Access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing

Generally, people who are deaf or hard of hearing request assistive listening devices, *16
captioning, *17 CART *18 (Communication Access Realtime Translation--similar to captioning but confined to a laptop or projection screen), or sign language interpreters. *19

The Commission is equipped with fixed FM assistive listening systems in the Commission Meeting Room and in Conference Room 1 on the 8th floor. In addition, there are 2 portable FM systems that can be used throughout the building and at remote locations. The systems are outfitted with microphones, earphones, and neckloops. *20 Captioning, CART, and sign language interpreters are services that are frequently contracted from outside vendors. In the DC area, such services are widely used with demand often out-stripping supply. As much advance notice as possible is needed to assure that appropriate services can be acquired. The Commission also has several sign language interpreters on staff who assist in making Commission events accessible.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing may use other accommodations such as oral interpreters, *21 cued speech transliterators, *22 tactile interpreters, *23 and notetakers.."

Note, it says "sign language" which is a broad definition and not specifically "ASL." So, therein lies the problem...for the protesters.

Under the ADA and Section 504, interpreters are considered an "auxiliary aid or service." Post-secondary educational institutions must "furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities" - 28 C.F.R. § 35.160. And this "service" can include anywhere from ASL, SEE, CART, oral/voice interpreter to Cued Speech. There is no avoiding this law requirement, especially for Gallaudet University since any colleges or universities that receive federal monies are subject to the requirements under Section 504.

And now my last question. Why did protesters say in the beginning that this protest was not about JKF being "not Deaf enough" but now we're seeing talks from protesters on language and cultural identity against her? Is this a decline of revolution?


See more at "The Politics of Being Deaf ".

Reigning Anarchy? Fernandes threatened with a gun?

Anarchy. n : a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government).

That pretty much sums up what has happened on the campus of Gallaudet University as of late. You have a few factions doing their own thing creating a bit of havoc here and there. Something like vandalism at College Hall, HMB and the SAC building. The taking over buildings. The taking over campus by forcing it to shut down and deny people entrance and prevent them from going to pre-school, elementary up to high school, and even the audiology clinic as well.

And then you have a battery incident against I. King Jordan when a juice/water bottle with the content or the bottle itself that was thrown or aimed at in the direction of the university president during a building dedication to his name. And then you have a recent assault against Dr. Jane K. Fernades where some idiot threatened her with a gun. She explained to reporters when they asked her whether she has been threatened with assault. She said, "Yes, I was threatened to get shot at." Check out NBC4 video during her press conference when she said that at 23 seconds left into the video.

The incoming president said that in the midst of the the conflict she has recieved death threats and other personal attacks.

If it's the loss of control, it's the protesters themselves who are losing it. Whoever threatened Dr. Fernandes with a gun or any kind of threat is a complete mindless moron.

UPDATE: A slight clarification here: "Threatened with a gun" has been changed to "threatened to get shot at" which is what Fernandes was saying. In my haste I was thinking gun when she said "shot at."

Carry on.

Hat tip to Jean for my faux pas.