A Poll: Was Edward Miner Gallaudet an ASL-only extremist?

Lately the view has been that Alexander Graham Bell is an oral-only extremist, which is probably true, then it'd be fair to ask this question: Was Edward Miner Gallaudet an ASL/Sign-only extremist, too? What exactly is an "extremist"?

Cast your vote in a poll below. 

A Poll: Should Mike stop blogging on Kokonut Pundit?

Note: If you're going to vote "Yes!!" at least have the cojones to explain why instead of being an anonymous coward.

I've been blogging a long time and enjoyed every minute of my blogging. I know I've contributed my generous share to the deaf and hard of hearing communities, and even the Deaf community with my invaluable contributions on a variety of important subjects and issues. Opinions do matter here whether you like it or not. I'm not shy about what I write here and ask the hard questions at times when others do not dare touch it. I speak with my mind, literally so, on occasion. And I'm sure my actions produced some shocking results to those whose own sensibilities are, well, rather sensitive and not used to the idea of seeing deaf/hh people talking and not sign. Really, it's all about diversity if people haven't gotten a clue yet.

As a matter of my own curiosity, should I continue with my blogging on my Kokonut Pundit blog? Why or why not? If you answered this poll please write down why you selected "yes" or "no." Don't be shy.

Have a great day!

Poll: Is this Astronaut signing in SEE, PSE or ASL?

I suppose you remembered last year when a female astronaut became the first astronaut in space to sign back to Earth in a signed video message to the people of Earth? Review this video and tell me what you think is her mode of communication is like.  Watch the video of her signing and then take a poll at the bottom on what you think her mode of communication is when it comes to signing.



If you're not sure on which mode of communication she may be using then click on one of the links below.

What is SEE?

What is PSE?

What is ASL?

What is SE, SimCom, and Total Communication? 

A Poll: Do you sign mostly in PSE, SEE or ASL?

Note: Poll is not a scientific survey.

Poll: Cyberbullying a problem on ASLrocks or DVTV?

Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

A poll: Do you approve AB2072 bill?

Here's a poll on California's AB2072 bill. Below is a video about what AB 2072 is about.






Warning: This poll is not a scientific poll.

A Poll: Has your hearing aid helped improve your love or social life?

I was intrigued with this question from another deaf blogger who mentioned about an Australian study where hearing aids helped improve social relations, including the users’ love life, and make intimate conversations easier.

An opinion poll among 300 elderly hearing impaired Australians found that hearing aids had wide-ranging positive effects on personal and social relationships.

In another survey study on the impact of older people who do not wear hearing aids because of denial, cost, and vanity as the biggest reasons for not wearing one. And that those who do wear them experience better family relationships and improved mental health as opposed those who don't.

Untreated hearing loss has serious emotional and social consequences for older persons, according to a major new study released today by The National Council on the Aging (NCOA). The study was conducted by the Seniors Research Group, an alliance between NCOA and Market Strategies Inc.

"This study debunks the myth that untreated hearing loss in older persons is a harmless condition," said James Firman, Ed.D., president and CEO of The National Council on the Aging. The survey of 2,300 hearing impaired adults age 50 and older found that those with untreated hearing loss were more likely to report depression, anxiety, and paranoia and were less likely to participate in organized social activities, compared to those who wear hearing aids.

Consequences of Untreated Hearing Loss

The survey found that significantly more of the seniors with untreated hearing loss (those who do not wear hearing aids) reported feelings of sadness or depression that lasted two or more weeks during the previous year. Among respondents with more severe hearing loss, 30 percent of non-users of hearing aids reported these sad feelings, compared to 22 percent of hearing-aid users.

Another measure of emotional distress is the perception that "other people get angry at me for no reason," which psychologists often identify as an indicator of paranoia. Older non-users were more likely to agree with the statement -- "people get angry with me usually for no reason" -- (14 percent of users vs. 23 percent of non-users). Among those with more severe hearing loss, the difference was even greater -- 14 percent for users vs. 36 percent for non-users.

Because social isolation is a serious problem for some older people, the study also examined social behavior and found that people who don't use hearing aids are considerably less likely to participate in social activities. Among respondents with more severe hearing loss, 42 percent of hearing-aid users participate regularly in social activities compared to just 32 percent of non-users.

Most seniors who use hearing aids cite better family relationships and improved mental health. And that would be expected once they get past the wrongly perceived stigma of wearing a hearing aid.


Here's a poll on love life:



Here's a poll on social life:

Access or no access, that is the question.

In terms of better access, would you like to see ASL vlogs be subtitled?
	Yes!
	No!
	I am not sure
pollcode.com free polls

See "No Subtitles for Patty" and "The Advantages of Subtitles on Vlogs."

Subtitled vlogs can be done in any written language format such as English, Spanish, French and so on. Depending on where you are and the audience you are targeting, the idea is about communication access for those who know little or no sign language. Sign language could be in ASL, BSL, Italian Sign Language, Swedish Sign Language, PSE, SEE and so on.