Noelle's blog

Noelle produced a blog recently on calling out NAD for its association with a seemingly questionable organization who defaced a sign (although not permanently) by covering up the words on an AGBell plaque on the side of AGBell's building in D.C. last month.  Noelle is re-iterating or pointing out that the image of an organization would be perceived negatively or even militant for its approach even though she supports the use of sign language.

Instead of attacking and protesting a rival organization, they should be promoting ASL and the benefits of bilingualism at the local, state, and national level, and asking for it to be included in ALL communication modes in legislation.

Putting it into picture on what Noelle and many others are trying to say is this:

Whether it's SEE, ASL, PSE, or even cued speech, anything that helps with the visual aspect of communicating with a language is a pretty good start for kids with hearing loss. Of course, that probably depend on the amount of hearing loss if we're talking about those with mild versus severe/profound hearing loss.

Ball and Chain

I agree and I support on what Amy Cohen Efron said about the need to exhibit positive examples rather than resort to conspiracy talks, continued negative remarks and darts and daggers aimed at AGBell (and not "AGBAD" which is clearly a barb) whether implied or directly, and the continued bringing up old history rather than to look forward to the future in a positive way. If DBC supporters or followers continue to do these negative types of compaigns via their vlogs or blogs then it will probably be the death of DBC unless somebody make clear to these Deaf people and supporters, who carry way too many baggage, hidden agendas, hiding behind their masks and whatnot need to stop with these personal vendettas and negative but personal campaigns on the sideline

I and many others have seen time and time again these detractors' hidden agendas and masks worn by many of them who pretend to be neutral on cochlear implant issues, AVTs, oral progams, parental rights regarding their deaf/hh babies and such. Their rift is simply too big for them ignore and hide behind their own masks. It’s simply too apparent in a lot of cases. Brian O'Reilly exemplies this fully though, ironically, he's a hearing person who is speaking on behalf of all Deaf people. Until these things are weeded out as early as possible no amount of PRs by DBC will have much an impact since the numerous Deaf vloggers and bloggers will simply overshadow DBC's laudable goals and efforts on positive thinking. Again, Brian O’Reilly’s article in DBC’s own official website was written to attack and demean AGBell and the organization thereby nullifying DBC’s own agenda on moving forward. It cannot if these attitudes persist.

Examples of negative remarks and darts thrown at AGBell seen in "Gearing Up" by Brian O'Reilly (a hearing person speaking on behalf of Deaf people at DBC):

- "Battle of the Conferences” (which implies that DBC is a protest of sort on behalf of Brian O’Reilly’s own writing in DBC’s official website)
- “…merciless references to the great antagonist and arch-villain of the story, Alexander Graham Bell.”
- “ …destroyed lives.. ”
- “ …damage done… ”
- “ …insidious method of preemptive strike… ”
- “Premptive strikes on the social level..”
- “ …force them to try to communicate… ”
- “ …Bellian-Oralist scheme… ”
- “ …still-born plan of the type of mad scientist better relegated to a Mary Shelley novel… ” (note: Mary Shelley wrote the famous novel “Frankenstein”)
- “ …having been fooled.. ”
- “ …silver-tongued embezzler of the mind.. ”
- “ ..mental hijinks lay dormant.. ”
- etc..etc… ad nauseum.

This article (that DBC implicitly supports) probably set back the goals and image of DBC by several years, if not decades, in the effort to get their word out. But with a single stroke of a pen the article, “Gearing up,” single handidly ruined DBC’s first day at the Milwaukee conference. There is nothing worse than to have a stuck mental picture in the public minds, who happens to be mostly hearing parents of deaf/hh children, seeing just how loathsome, angry and disrespectful DBC seems to be. And all because, with thanks, Brian thought it was a cleverly done article replete with negative attacks after negative attacks in an official DBC website?

Nice going.

Isn’t DBC about looking forward and not backward? There are simply too many Deaf people with hidden agendas and heavy baggage that are capable of ruining DBC’s main goal on getting positive information out to parents of deaf/hh babies and children so that they can make an informed decision. Now, Amy Cohen Efron won’t say these things but I will just to make myself a bit pointedly clear on just how obnoxious and damaging "Gearing Up" turned out to be.

Frankly, imho, putting the DBC “conference” right next to AGBell’s already produced one big honking red flag warning people on what’s to come. Good intention aside. Why are people surprised that the skywalk was blocked in the first place? Now, remember, the myths about Deaf people and their “attitudes” are already and firmly in place in most of the public minds and see them as simply “angry” Deaf people (see my points about the UFG protest here and here, and other protests of sorts).

Of course, all it takes is one DBC supporter at the Milwaukee site to cast a negative and angry glance at any of the ABGell’s attendees or a group of them and that alone will simply confirm to them that the DBC conference is nothing more than an opportunity to protest rather than to disseminate useful information in a neutral and positive way. So far, day 1 has been a “failure” on that part. People supportive of DBC need to look to the future and not the past without using accusatory tones and resentments or else DBC’s message and goals will not be heard but overlapped and swept under the rug. Plus, many people continue to be suspicious of DBC leaders’ intentions because the baggage of the past is simply too heavy for many Deaf people to carry and ignore. I and many, many others have seen this time and time again. Transparency gets ugly if people insist on wearing masks. They have turned that baggage into a ball and chain tightly cuffed to their ankles and they are unwilling to let it go.

So, now. What will it be? Look to the future or look to the past and let the ball and chain do the talking?