Gallaudet University - a 'Hearing Space' for all?

Recently I read a recent article in Deaf Echo on "Hearing Space, A Conversation Among Deaf Writers" where several people contributed to an online discussion regarding whether having a "hearing space" at Gallaudet University would be a good idea or not based on an unconfirmed proposal that such a "space" is being planned.

Let's start from the beginning. There is no way that Gallaudet University can enforce a rule that whoever enters the campus must sign only. A near impossibility. Firstly, those who are hearing or have some hearing loss (i.e. mild/moderate, with hearing aid) should not be made to feel that they cannot use their own voice at a table at, for example, one of Gallaudet University's eateries while dining with another hearing person or two. This "hearing space" is really about using one's own voice to communicate and not about a "hearing" status per se. It should be called "Open Zone" or something similar instead because there are people with hearing loss who prefer or are more comfortable in using his/her own voice or are in a position where you have non-signers and must use voice to communicate.

Now, second question, should these "Hearing Space" designations come to fruition on campus will these designated areas allow people with hearing loss to use it as well so they can talk instead of signing? Suppose a group of hard of hearing people with their hearing aids prefer to go to these designated areas? Should this "Hearing Space" only be available for hearing people? What about people with hearing loss who grew up talking and listening with their hearing aids (or in this case nowadays cochlear implants) who have no problem in having oral discussions with other people?

But to have a designated lounge room or a designated area where people are free to talk without fear for reprisal or scorn reminds me of this picture below:

Water fountains with "white" and "colored" signs above them

An approved segregation between "hearing people" and "deaf people" by giving hearing people their own "colored fountain" in the effort to appease people and not upset the rest of Gallaudet University's population of deaf people for using their voice to communicate.What this brings to mind is the concept of shame by practicing semi-inclusiveness, "You are welcomed here but you need to go to a separate place first because you're not like us."

Right now I am unclear if this "Hearing Space" would be more like having a designated lounge, sort of like a teacher lounge. Or does this "space" include a designated spot at one of the dining or eatery places on campus such as Rathskellar or the Marketplace? More clarification is needed on exactly what this "Hearing Space" entails.

What about people who talk on their cell phones on the campus of Gallaudet University? The moment a hearing or hard of hearing person picks up his cell phone to answer it while on campus at Gallaudet University in a pubic place is essentially creating his/her own "hearing space" to begin with. And, yes, Gallaudet University is a public place and talking on a cell phone isn't a crime. Will people be encouraged to use these segregated but designated "hearing spaces" just so they can talk on the cell phones without fear for reprisal or scorn? Or heaven forbid lose their job because somebody caught a hearing teacher talk on her cell phone in Rathskellar?  Or have hard of hearing students earn their Scarlett Letter 'A' for daring to use his cell phone to talk while at the Marketplace?

Believe it or not I've actually witnessed an interpreter who received a phone call on his cell phone and proceeded to talk out in the open near the Marketplace. But he signed while he talked. Does this make it any better? It was rather odd that for a private and personal call he'd make his discussion publicly known for all those "eavesdroppers." Oh, sure, people will say it's about "respect" but I don't see it that way any more than people signing what they've just texted for all "eavesdroppers" to see.

A discussion among people at a table (e.g. the Marketplace) is usually a private affair and whatever they say shouldn't be of any interest to outsiders, deaf or hearing. Eavesdropping is disrespectful. This isn't about communication access among deaf people but rather about the relative privacy of communication in a public place.

I liked what Joseph P. Rioto had to say commenting about this so called "Hearing Space" (see third comment):

I would suggest that the university takes a hard look at the concept of pluralism. Although the word is not mentioned explicitly, the concept of pluralism is very obvious in the resolution that was adopted by the International Congress on Education of the Deaf (ICED) 2010 last summer. The resolution says to respect all languages and forms of communication. I do not need to elaborate the possible consequences if the university chooses not to abide by the resolution. Some of the arguments that I have seen apparently want to reject or greatly restrict the resolution and that is a serious matter.

Respect for all languages and forms of communication goes both ways. Restricting them for the sake of ideology could lead to intolerance and discrimination by turning Gallaudet University into, as Joseph P. Rioto puts it, "a cathedral that is dedicated to the god of ASL." How far is too far? Until this "Hearing Space" is clarified we'll have a better grasp on exactly who brought up this idea and what issues drove people to suggest this "Hearing Space."

A video: The John Tracy Clinic story...the beginning

Here's a captioned video about how the John Tracy Clinic began. The knowledge about deafness and technology were so much further behind when compared to today. Yet the idea and concept that a deaf or hard of hearing child can learn to speak, especially with an aid of a hearing aid or cochlear implant nowadays, are still the same.  Since I am unable to embed that video on my blog because it currently disabled but you can certainly go over to YouTube and watch the black and white video story on how it all began.

You can also visit my video tribute to the John Tracy Clinic. My mother participated via the John Tracy Clinic correspondence course that helped set the path for me on developing my oral and auditory skills, and well as my English language development. The whole idea is that, yes, deaf and hard of hearing children can learn to talk. Remember the old quote, "Deaf people can do anything"? This includes learning how to talk as well.

Equality! Why are there no deaf zombieeeeeees in films??

Since Halloween is fast coming up I thought I bring up this very, very, verrrrry important question that was inspired by a forum in the U.K. I came across. Actually it was in a newspaper forum "My Sun" with the thread title, "Are minorities under repesented in Zombie films?"  After reading it I realized it was a thread inspired by another article "Call for greater representation of ethnic and disability groups in zombie movies."

Now, after thinking for a moment or two, aren't zombies technically "disabled" in the first place? You know, arms dropping off, missing eyeballs, missing or disintegrating brains, missing fingers, noses, etc? You get the idea. But have you ever seen zombies talk to each other? Why would they bother? They're dead. They just amble around mindlessly looking for fresh flesh to go after and turn those hapless once healthy victims into zombies.

Award winning director Tim Burton had this to say about using "disabled" zombies and the problems that might come with it in his upcoming 2011 zombie film.

The problem is also acknowledged by award-winning director Tim Burton, whose new zombie film ‘Dark Shadows’ is scheduled for release next year. ‘The issue here is that the vast majority of the cinema-going public has grown up only being exposed to white able-bodied zombies. As a result, I just don’t think people are ready to see the hero of a film smashing the living hell out of an Asian learning-disabled zombie in a wheelchair.’

But Burton is keen to try and change audience perceptions. ‘We’re filming two versions of my next movie, and when the DVD is released it will come with the second version featuring disabled zombies. Although if I’m honest, the plot does suffer a bit. When the hero is cornered by a group of zombies on crutches, he just escapes down a flight of stairs before spending the rest of the movie hiding in a public library without wheelchair access.’

Cueing on Burton's funny response about "disabled" zombies suppose we'd have a crowd of deaf zombies going after and terrorizing a bunch of hearing people and have a hearing hero save the day by "smashing the living hell out of Deaf zombies." I can see it already with some responding with outrage on claims of "avdism." Or show disgusts on how that zombie movie was attempting to inject subconsciously the viewing audience the idea of eugenics as being acceptable. Some might get the wrong idea just as Burton has said about using ethnic zombies to play the part.

Others in the industry, though, are concerned that unless is it is handled sensitively, including themes of ethnicity and disability in zombie movies could lead to prejudices being reinforced. ‘I recently saw a movie set in the American deep south,’ said film critic Mark Kermode, ‘in which a rural community is terrorised by a gang of Afro-Carribean zombies. I just worry that some, seeing the scene where the white farmers chase the black zombies out of town brandishing pitchforks and torches, might get the wrong idea and assume it’s a documentary.’

Or something like that. *mumbles*

Funnily enough as I write this zombie blog piece I am also watching "Haunted Mansion" with Eddie Murphy where he and his daughter are inside a mausoleum being attacked by zombies reanimated from their slumbers inside their dusty, cobweb covered coffins.  Yep. No eyeballs. No muscles. Already decayed flesh. All bones. No muscle tone whatsoever. Yet those zombies managed to walk and "see" where their intruders are. But if they were deaf how would you know? They still manage to hear sound, too. Go figure. And they go about their usual patented zombie walking stance with arms outstretched doing the whole "arrrgh" thing over and over. Btw, no vocal cords either. Hmmmm.

Now, really. You can hire deaf actors to play the zombie part but who would notice a deaf zombie? Wouldn't a group of deaf zombies be at a disadvantage when they cannot hear where their next victims are? Of course maybe it might work if they had hearing aids. Nah. Batteries would be dead long ago. Same for cochlear implants, too. If you think about it, it would look silly on them anyways. Though it'd be easy for a hearing hero to come up behind a deaf zombie and kill it a la Zombieland but to attract deaf zombies' attention by playing a banjo just wouldn't work here. No matter how much noise you'd try they wouldn't come out after you.

Maybe that's a good thing?

Yet, I'm sure there are people out there that with enough creativity they can include anybody in a zombie film. Even the mindless ones. Although you might be surprised if you didn't know it already but there are deaf zombies out there. In fact, some of them ultimately lost their sanity and brains after playing an engrossing zombie Monopoly game and became zombies themselves. Maybe it might be a good idea to contact Tim Burton and suggest some deaf zombies for a change? Seriously. Give it a Zombieland shot.

Three more days til Halloween. Are you gonna be a mindless deaf zombie who like to eat brains? Ok. Whatever you do, DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK!! 



Aaarggh! (repeat ad nauseum).

Halloween cochlear implant awareness

I received a hint and was directed to a Cafepress store on some Halloween items being sold as part of the whole cochlear implant awareness campaign. Check it out. Lots of items to choose from to buy and help support the cochlear implant awareness campaign at the Cochlear Implant Online Store.

Gallaudet University - an oppressive environment for deaf/hh students?

Here's a story from the Buff and Blue on how one Gallaudet University student seemed to have expressed his anger and disappointment in the wrong way by inferring that a shooting or shootings will happen again on campus. I believe this had to with the general Deaf on deaf oppressive campus environment from clique-y fraternities and sororities to general "Deaf on deaf" oppressive campus environment. His floor mate explained:

“He was raised oral without much exposure to Deaf culture and community—and here at Gallaudet he, for the most part, was an outcast. Wirick vented to me before about deaf-to-deaf audism, which enraged him. He didn’t like how Gallaudet treated him and didn’t know how to fit in the university.”

Some students, especially new ones who were brought up in an oral/aural environment are able to recognize, understand and cope with this general clique-y-ness circle in a Deaf environment seen on the campus of Gallaudet University. But in Wrick's case he claimed to have experienced these oppressive attitudes acted out his frustration by espousing alarming predictions of shootings on campus. But other students of similar upbringings might have shown their frustrations through suicides or by leaving the university which may or may not have been attributed to the well known Deaf on deaf oppression in some circles on the campus of Gallaudet University. I know this happens. I was one of them that experienced those attitudes against me in rare instances. But the difference here is that I recognized it was a problem early on and it wasn't about me but them.

The first clue I got about this "attitude" seen on campus was through my good friend of mine who also grew up orally/aurally when we both lived in Washington while growing up. He was my first contact when I first arrived at Gallaudet University since he had been there for about a year or so prior to my arrival. He was the only person I knew on the whole campus. Soon after arriving I finally met him after so many years apart. He began to introduce me to a few people but soon quickly noticed a pattern of him avoiding me. I couldn't figure out why he acted like that. I soon found out he had joined a fraternity and once in he was lost in his own world of getting accepted by his own frat boys in the Alpha Sigma Pi or the "Cobra" fraternity. This was early on in 1988 when I first arrived. I shrugged it off and continued to make friends,  learned about the Deaf community, ASL and continued my studies. I never had any desire to join a fraternity in the first place though I had gotten a few offers which was kind of funny looking back. I felt that joining a fraternity was simply too "clique-y" for my own taste simply because of my independent nature. I had better things to do than to worry about getting "accepted" by an organization.

Joke: Why did a frog hop across a busy road?
Answer: He was taking a leap of faith.

Back in 1990 or 1991 fake "FROG fraternity" t-shirt was set up as a joke aimed at fraternities and soroties when I was a student in Gallaudet University at the time it happened. Check out my blog piece I did in 2006 "One FROGgy year at Gallaudet University."

Back in around 1990 or 1991 on the campus of Gallaudet University there was this new independent “fraternity” group who called themselves “FROG” with the Greek capital letters phi (F), rho (R), omicron (O), and gamma (G) or (Φ­РОГ ). When finger-spelled it is spelled out as the letter “F,” “R,” “O,” along with an upside down “L” to look like the capital Greek letter “rho” which spells "FROГ."

This was a fine and dandy thing except that some of the fraternity members on campus were whining about the fact that “ FROГ “ was not a legitimate Greek organization. Probably because somebody misunderstood what this whole "FROG" thing was about. I remember hearing about this complaints and just laughed over it. The hilarity was over the fact that some of the campus fraternity members actually felt threatened by a group of people who wanted to sell green T-shirts with large greek letters that spelled "FROГ" on the front. This was never meant to be an official Greek organization. The people who brainstormed this idea just wanted to sell T-shirts to make a point and for people who are proud to be independents and not frat members. It was Robert Johnson, creator of Sextoon who was killed last year in a car accident, who helped set up and organize this short-lived ad hoc “Greek” organization.

This ad hoc "Greek" organization, "FROГ," was all about poking fun at the Greek organizations during their infamous Rock Festival weekends.

The beauty of FROГ was that anybody can join, except for members of legitimate Greek organizations on college campuses. Also, no hazing is required to be a member. Just buy the T-shirt and, voila, you're a member of the Greek "FROГ" organization. Ribbit. Ribbit.

But this Wirick case raises some serious questions on the possibility of these "Deaf on deaf" and even "Deaf on Deaf" avdism charges that do exist on campus although I would suspect it's a rare thing if not uncommon when compared to 1990.  Newer students may feel vulnerable because of their oral/aural upbringings or because of their cochlear implants who may get rejected because of that. Again, not a common practice, I believe. Some students are able ignore this problem while others, like Wrick perhaps, dealt with it differently. This is reminescence of how students who got bullied would retaliate in the wrong way against his/her oppressors. But this time is different, we have the ever pervasive internet, new words being invented to describe select oppression, and new groups over the internet that help create more fear and suspicion or create a false sense of unity that have perhaps helped foster bullying attitudes on the campus of Gallaudet University. What are the factors here that contribute to this attitude of elitism by the few on the campus of Gallaudet University?

Something to think about. Is elitism a serious problem on campus thinking it's justified to have these, though rare, examples of Deaf on deaf/hh oppression? Maybe it's not a rare thing and it's more common than one would think?

If there are Deaf people who have actually accused Tayler Mayer, owner of Deafread, of being an "avdist" then we can certainly expect Deaf students (maybe some faculty members?) who have accused other deaf/hh and perhaps some Deaf students of avdism as well whether directly or indirectly. Pretty silly but it does happen. Just look at Tayler Mayer as an example of that elitist attitude.

But the question here is what is helping promote or encourage that kind of an oppressive environment on campus? Would some of the more highly sought after fraternities or sororities such as KG (Kappa Gamma) or PKZ (Phi Kappa Zeta)  be somewhat or partially responsible in helping establish and promote that kind of an environment over the years where they are sometimes seen as an "elitist" members? What about sport jocks such as the football team? Wrestling? Baseball team? What about counselors who do not seriously take these types of oppression against new students who do not necessarily "fit in" in the general sense of the word here. Would it be possible that some of the Deaf faculty members may also help contribute to this environment on campus as well? Maybe some organizations or groups seen over the internet could have been indirectly responsible in helping encourage that "oppressive" environment on campus in an elitist sense? Maybe it's an "entitlement" or heirarchy thing like being a 7th, 8th or 9th generation Deaf person. Who knows? Perhaps Wrick exaggerated his claims in order bring attention to himself? Perhaps not and everything he said was true?

I think the Wrick's case brings up more questions than not on what's happening on the campus of Gallaudet University that led him to act that way. And that "unity" and acceptance on campus was never really the case in Wrick's eyes.

What do you think?

Lou Ferrigno "The Hulk" pre-UFC 121 fight video interview - captioned

Here's a captioned video interview with Lou Ferrigno "The Hulk" on his thoughts oo the upcoming UPC 121 fight and about Matt Hamill. Don't miss this interview! Captions added courtesy of MMA Heat "Karyn Bryant." Be sure to send your kudos to her for having captioning available for those who need it in her interview with Lou Ferrigno. Also, word has it that Karyn Bryant will make sure that Matt Hamill get to meet Lou Ferrigno.

Video: Matt Hamill post fight response with reporters - captioned

Captions courtesy of Kokonut Pundit

Will Matt Hamill soon become one of the top 10 UFC fighters for his weight class? Only time will tell.

Matt Hamill post fight video interview - captioned.

Captions added courtesy of Kokonut Pundit.


Read here about what Tito Ortiz said about Matt Hamill by making fun of the Deaf community in pre-fight trash talk.

Tito Ortiz in post fight talk.

Student knocks off teacher in fight with round by round description of fight. Last night I gave all three rounds to Matt Hamill, the judges at the UFC also gave all three rounds to Matt Hamill.

Matt Hamill wins fight against Tito Ortiz!

It was great watching Matt Hamill face his former coach and trainer during his TUF days. I was at the Buffalo Wild Wings Bar and Grill during their Saturday fight nights where I had the chance to see the fight on 15 different screens of all sizes throughout the restaurant. The place was packed only because the Phillies vs San Francisco baseball game for the World Series slot. My wife and I had to stand for nearly 3 hours with the last 2 hours watching the UFC 121 fights. Then it was finally Matt's turn to fight. The ultimate test in battling it out against a former coach and trainer. In all three rounds Matt dominated them with the last round had Tito getting his own taste of Matt's patented "Ground and Pound" meat grinder. By the time it was over everybody knew Matt won the fight. Even Tito Ortiz raised Matt's arm recognizing that he won even before the announcement was made. Tito's face was bloodied and bruised while Matt hardly had any bruise or even a cut on his face. This is a huge win for Matt tonight.

If you haven't seen my rare post-fight pictures of Matt Hamill and Tito Ortiz together rough housing around then don't miss it. Those pictures are not available anywhere else on the internet except at my blog.

ADDENDUM: Watch Matt Hamill post fight video conference - captioned!

Rare post fight picture of Hamill vs Ortiz

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Here's a rare post fight picture of Tito Ortiz delivering an underhook shot to the chin of the well known deaf MMA Matt Hamill. You won't find this picture anywhere else except on Kokonut Pundit. But it's not a picture you'd expect seeing how Hamill allowed himself to take one on the chin by Ortiz...all in the name of rough housing fun.  A post fight picture after the TUF3 show. Of course, this group picture was taken over 4 years ago. Yet it is just bizarre considering the turn of events not knowing that these two MMA fighters would come to blow someday but 4 years later that revelation has come true today at the UFC 121 fight with Hamill versus his former MMA coach. Watch the pre-fight presser video with Ortiz and Hamill (not captioned).  The UFC 121 fight starts at 7 PM (Pacific Time)/10 PM (Eastern Time).

ADDENDUM: Matt Hamill wins the fight! Watch the post fight video interview of Matt Hamill in caption!

A Zombie Monopoly Game!

Just in time for Halloween, too. Here's a zombie monopoly game that's easy to play even a deaf caveman can play it!


For more information on this game board go here.

How much is your blog or website "worth"?

Some interesting results when I compared Deaf, deaf or hard of hearing websites or blogsites do I see what their "valuations" are worth. Websites like Gallaudet university, Deaf Video TV, ASLrocks.net, Deafread, DeafVillage, DBC, AFA, DH Foundation, AGBell, and several blogs were compared. I got some surprising "valuation" like Deaf Video TV vs ASLrocks.net. Perhaps after reading this people will learn a few things about their own website or blogsite?

Gallaudet University ...............................($5,785)
Deaf Video TV ........................................($5,430)
ASLrocks ................................................($4,385)
Deaf Nation .............................................($2,119)
Deafread .................................................($2,031)
Cochlear Americas .................................($1,696)
AGBell ...................................................($65)
Fookem and Bug .....................................($52)
Kokonut Pundit .......................................($45)
John Tracy Clinic ...................................($38)
Eh? What? Huh? .....................................($31)
I Am Thankful for My Ears ....................($25)
We Cue! .................................................($25)
Jeff's Bionic World ................................($25)
Deafhood Foundation .............................($25)
The Holism ............................................($22)
Deaf Village ...........................................($19)
Seek Geo ................................................($17)
Candy .....................................................($14)
The Orange Deafie Blog ........................($13)
Kate-Louise's Cochlear Implant Blog ....($12)
Ann C's i.reflections ..............................($11)
Radio 666 FM .......................................($10)
Deafhood Discourses .............................($10)
DBC........................................................($9)
The ASL Project ....................................($6)
AFA .......................................................($5)

Try it. Plug in a website or blogsite's URL address and see how much it is "worth." Now, remember, the My Website Worth page has a disclaimer about making valuations:

"These numbers are estimates only based on criteria available to the domain name. It does not provide a value of the company behind the website."

Despite that disclaimer you might get a fun kick on seeing what's your site is "worth." Or maybe not and throw a fit? There is no real valuation being estimated but a fake one that mirrors how much traffic a website or blogsite gets.

Enjoy!

Zombieland!

Aargh! (a zombie scream)

Over the past several years I have progressively become one of the more well known deaf/hh bloggers by those who like to read blogs. Over time I knew I’d be delving deeper into the seemingly quixotic ideals of the Deaf world with each deaf-related topic I write. A topic that would either send people howling and convulsing along with the gnashing of their teeth, or have them nod their heads with understanding and concurrence. Maybe even get a chuckle or two from readers. Yet, what I've witnessed has become a paradoxically funny turn of events in an odd sort of way seeing how some people objected to on how I write my blogs almost as if they’re demanding that their own sensitive sensibilities not be violated. Well, no one forced them to read my blogs if they are THAT sensitive to begin with. Why bother reading them if you disagree with them and that you get upset easily? Maybe a little sunlight here and there helps?

Aargh!

I’m not a Deaf blogger but a blogger who happens to have a hearing loss. No need for a feel good label. I’m “a nationally known professional patriotic purveyor of highly entertaining and informative blogging” or so says the title description seen in my blog which describes me pretty accurately I suppose. What I write is my own artful expression of what I want to discuss what's on my mind. But this isn't the first time when people have gotten upset over my writings. This has been going on since I started blogging in back in 2004. Yet, realize that each of us bloggers carries certain strength to the community whether it’s the deaf/hh communities or the Deaf community. But to blog is to express oneself in a variety of ways. Yet some people tend to convulse a bit now and then. 

Aargh!

Next, this whole “anti-deafhood” claim is getting a bit out of touch with reality here when it was simply about how people have politicized “deafhood” that people disagree with.  It was a philosophical concept that was contrived and invented as a feel good word to muck about with.  Remember that paradoxically funny turn of events I said earlier? Well, this is one of them when people get upset whenever Deaf, deaf or hard of hearing people who speak up up on how they don't care for the word. Some disagree with the word seeing it as the equivalent as someone inventing the word "blindhood" or "intellectually-challengedhood" or "wheelchairhood" or whatever other nonsense words to be contrived, manipulated, and mangled like once fresh human beings turned into zombies with appendages and bodyparts falling off. And whenever people disagree over something, then they're labeled "anti" something. If I disagree with the word "blindhood" and then suddenly you get people go on the warpath screaming with zombie-like expressions with fingers pointing at you with large eyes and gaping mouths, "You anti-blindhood! You anti-AFA! You anti-deafhood!" Whatever. Maybe we're just a bunch of pro-common sense people to begin with?  Instead people vulgarize the word constantly. You know, zombie-like vulgarization.

Aargh!

I’ve also seen how people attempt to use “social guilt” in the effort to somehow “control” or "influence" how people should write, think or say (e.g. “anti-this” and “anti-that”). Rather than agree to disagree people go overboard using “social guilt” to push their own brand of agenda around. I’ve seen how people are easily misled by false claims or myths like how faulty cochlear implants have shocked children as if it was a wide spread problem. That is an example of an (highly) exaggerated claim since about 1/10th of 1 percent of implanted children in one case study (922 patients) experienced “shocking sensation” (rather than “shocked children” since it envisions a picture of kids gettting shocked like sticking a fork into an outlet plug or something). In that case study I mentioned only 1 patient experienced that “hard failure” of getting that "shocking sensation" from an implant as reported in a recent 2008 Otology & Neurotology report. What's next? Cochlear implants will turn kids into little zombie runts?

Aargh!

Oh, by the way, be sure to buy your latest zombie wig to go with your upcoming zombie Halloween outfit. There's nothing scarier than a zombie with a blond wig!

Aargh!

When captioning was bad in 1990

Here's a picture I took of a tv with its captioning on back in 1990 in Carlin Hall at Gallaudet University. It was one of my roommate's separate room. You can see where it says "In one ear out the rubber" when it should've said "In one ear out the other." But here's the thing, I remember I accidentally took a picture and I had no idea what I took. Now, I suppose with rampant captioning errors back in 1990 I guess the odds were pretty good that I'd capture a captioning error on tv with my camera. But back then I didn't realize I took a picture of a tv. I didn't know until I got my film developed did I notice the captioning error on my roommate's tv screen. Must've been really bad back then to capture a captioned tv at random and without even realizing it.

Even today, we still see captioning errors that still make you shake your head or do a double take on what you just witnessed like this one here.

As always, both are examples of human errors when human captioners are involved listening to the words where sometimes they do not always get it right. Still, we should be thankfull of that access and we'll see plenty more captioning on both tv and the internet.

A model of success: Hands and Voices

This organization prides itself on showing the positive sides of how communication choices are supported and the wide ranging support to parents of deaf and hard of hearing kids. A safe place to explore options and not get involved with emotional or biased confrontations when you contact the organization.

"Who are we? We are parents of ASL signers, cued speech users.... parents of kids with cochlear implants or total communicators... we are people who have common interests connected through the community of deafness. Hands & Voices is a safe place to explore options, get unemotional support (although we can be emotional about it!), learn from one another and share what we have in common. We value diversity and honor the role of parents and family as the single greatest factor in raising a WASK, (our favorite acronym: W ell- A djusted S uccessful K id) "There is room in the community of deafness for an organization like Hands & Voices, and in fact, I think parents, and even many professionals, have been crying out for a group like this," says Leeanne Seaver, Executive Director. "Somehow parents connecting to other parents provides an element of credibility; there's a level of 'knowing & feeling' that only a parent experiences. And parents, especially parents of babies newly identified with deafness or hearing loss, need a way to connect like this without being wary of a sponsoring agenda from a service provider."


Hands & Voices is a non-profit, parent-driven national organization dedicated to supporting families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We are non-biased about communication methodologies and believe that families can make the best choices for their child if they have access to good information and support. Our membership includes families who communicate manually and/or orally. From American Sign Language to cochlear implants, our organization represents people from all different approaches to, and experiences with, deafness or hearing loss. We have local chapters comprised mainly of parents along with professionals.

So how did Hands and Voices began? Well, it's a familiar story about poor representation.

In the early-1990s, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington , D.C. , was preparing an exhibit called "Silent America." It was intended to raise positive awareness of the Deaf Community, highlighting cultural and linguistic (American Sign Language) aspects of the Deaf experience. Meanwhile, a number of people who were deaf or hard of hearing, but who were not living with those aspects of the Deaf experience, had a problem with the exhibit. From their perspective, it did not represent who they were-specifically, listening/oral communicators. They resented what they perceived to be the exclusionary nature of Silent America's point of view. Controversy roiled across the land. Both camps fired off angry letters towards each other, and at the Smithsonian exhibit planners. In the end, the Smithsonian scrapped the whole project.

And thus born the idea of coming up with a parental support organization version now called "Hands
and Voices" that began 17 years ago in 1993 in the state of Colorado. What you don't see are leaders who give out marching orders to go out and protest against certain deaf/hh organizations. But instead you have marching orders to embrace all kinds of communication modalities and offer parental support to those who need it. No need to create new words to describe specific oppression. No need to create a new word that describes the concept of idenity, discovery and journey. No need to create phoney hit counts on a website just to look appear authentic. Instead this is about a simple need that all parents and kids with hearing loss want and that is a support mechanism in place for them to help make an informed decision without politics and pettiness getting in the way.

The goal of Hands and voices? See an improved educational and social outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. And because of the organization's philosopy and support mechanism built in they continue to grow not only in the United States but elsewhere. Today there are chapters in 19 states and one chapter in British Columbia. There are 6 more states underway in getting chapters as well as one in Italy.

So, what are the qualifications in setting up a chapter in your state as a representative of Hands and

 

•Parent as director
•State Department of Education (DOE) representative of Deaf/Hard of Hearing programs as Advisory Board VIP
•Adults who are deaf and hard of hearing
•Members who can effectively advocate for all communication choices, regardless of whatever choice they've made for their own child.
•Teacher(s) of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing
•Educational audiologist
•Representative(s) from Institutions of Higher Education (universities, colleges)
•Parents of children who are deaf
•Parents of children who are hard of hearing
•Parents of children with unilateral or conductive hearing loss
•Parents of preschoolers, elementary-aged, & high school students
•Individuals who represent Deaf culture & community
•Individuals who have expertise with oral communication methodologies.
•Individuals who have expertise with manual communication methodologies.
•Professionals from Part C/infants & toddlers

It's not just parents but people with hearing loss can contribute to this organization as well and the opportunity to provide support they can give to parents looking for help and answers. This is what every parents want. Information about hearing loss while preserving  their parental rights to make informed decisons for their deaf/hh child.

Remember, 90 percent of all babies born with hearing loss are born to hearing parents. That's a big population of parents with deaf/hh children who seek support and answers every day. Not the negative politiking.

And lastly, the Hands and Voices' rallying cry:

If you or your child/student talk or sign... if you talk and sign, or cue, or care, we need you. If you are directly, indirectly, or potentially involved with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families, we need you. We need to be united by our hands and our voices . We are parents, professionals, adult mentors, consumers, and others who are in so many ways connected to a cause and to each other through the community of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. We are card-carrying members of the National Association of the Deaf, the Alexander Graham Bell Society, the American Society for Deaf Children, and Auditory Verbal International. We are Hands & Voices.

Visit your nearest Hands and Voices chapter if you have questions or are curious.

Six Year Anniversary of Kokonut Pundit

Yay! Well, not quite but that's a week away and I just wanted to put this out just in case I forget. I'm well underway very soon to start into my 7th year as a blogger of Kokonut Pundit.  Even though I am known as one of the more prolific and well known blogger among many deaf/hh bloggers. I've done 198 blogs so far this year. You can see the number of blogs in the left column of my blog page under "Blog Archive" that shows total number of blogs for each year and month. And as of today since January 1, 2010 (286 days so far) I've blogged on average 0.7 blog/day (198 blogs/286days = 0.7).  Or on average 5 blogs per week (0.7 * 7 = 4.9).

The most I've ever blogged was 471 blogs in 2005 or 1.3 blogs per day or 9 blogs per week. That's when I was really into blogging in my 2nd year as a blogger. But altogether 2186 days (or almost 7 years) I've produced 1609 blogs which turns out to be 0.73 blog/day if you calculate the whole thing.

For bloggers the most common rate of updating their blog is 2-3 times per week on average and not 2 to 3 blogs per day as some might say. I can see how some people might be mathematically-challenged to even say that. Also, approximately 20% of all bloggers update their blog on a daily basis. I'm not quite there since I don't quite blog on daily basis nowadays but back in 2005 and 2006 I was blogging on average a little more than 1 blog a day.

Happy?

When it comes to the deaf/hh/Deaf blogging community no where have I ever come across a blogger who have blogged on average 2 to 3 blogs a day. Anybody who says that need to take remedial math and learn how to compare actual numbers of blogs done each day, week, month or year to get your unit average for well known deaf/hh/Deaf bloggers.  So, please, next time, exercise some caution for a change instead of making things up along the way like the number deaf people that get arrested each year...on average. It doesn't pay to throw numbers around without any real validity or proper research into it. Your reputation could be a stake if you try and ignore that process.

Also, I don't sit around and plan for my blogging topics. Many are on spur-of-the-moment blogs when I get an idea from somewhere on the what I want to blog about. Usually it takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to do some quick research, get some links, or just take my time to put my thoughts into words on my blog. It just comes to me in most cases on what I want to blog about. No days and days of planning while I have my pinky finger inserted into my lips thinking up of diabolical plans and cast ruins upon the world......mwaahahahaha!  I'm like you guys, I get my inspiration and then I blog it.

Simple.

UbiDuo in Pakistan?

I came across a blog written by one of the participants from the 2009 IVLP program organized by Department of State titled "A Gateway to Friendship" about a representative of Pakistan who have plans to market the UbiDuo product in Pakistan.

It was July 14, 2009 and I was visiting American Library Associations’ annual conference in Chicago, representing my country Pakistan on this international event as a state guest. As I was passing through different stalls at the convention center, a stall attracted me with its simplicity and calmness, which was hard to find anywhere else in this mega event and that was SCOMM stall.

I curiously watched what is going on at this stall, I saw two men just sitting in front of a small electronic device like digital notepads. I then surprise to find that this unique machine is known as UBIDUO and the stall was set up to market this product.

On my turn, I started my communication through this machine with one of the rep., our chat was displayed on both ends and we started our discussion, you would not believe it, this machine enabled me to understand a person with disability and performed as a GATEWAY, without learning any special sign language.

Well, to communicate with any person with disability, it is important that you must learn the way to interact with him/her through a special language, and although there is a significant difference within these special languages designed for each continent, they have their own special signs to convey the message to the communicators. But this UBIDUO turned as a major breakthrough to this limitation, a face to face communicator which enable us to use standard English as a medium of communication between the person with disability and the rest of the world, the only thing he/she has to do is, just become familiar with the keyboard, and there it goes.

Read the rest.

A mostly blank book = Deaf community?

For a person or company to sell books containing mostly blank pages purposely aimed at the Deaf community on the heel of a massive investment fraud that came to a screeching halt where some 6,000 deaf people lost their money is nothing but bad timing. Not only was it bad timing but utter stupidity fits the picture as well when the self-promotion and marketing were designed to mislead and decieve the public into thinking it was a legitimate bookful of writings. But it wasn't. Simply put it was an effort to make a fast and dishonest buck. We can already see that.

Yes, it was dishonest.

Yes, it was stupid.

Yes, it was very misleading on how that book was marketed. But the problem with that book is that it could now be used against the Deaf community. Let's consider a possible scenario.

If hearing parents with deaf/hh children have questions about the Deaf community wanting to know what it is like all one has to do is to show them a particular book containing mostly empty pages.  A book that could aptly describe the Deaf community as one person could say to the hearing parent, "A book with very little to show for with lots blank pages."  Upon that explained realization parents would recoil in utter disbelief and amazement at the effort of that dishonesty to fool people into buying that book. And conclude it'd be far safer to keep their deaf/hh child away from that Deaf community.

What a nice way to keep shooting themselves in the foot again and again and again and again. Credibility continues to crater.

Anybody want to buy London Bridge for a buck?

THE VOID!! *sucking sound*

The void. It means empty. No space. A vacuum where air or gas doesn't exist like out in space. A great emptiness. Sometimes that word is used literally and at times figuratively to describe a situation, an idea, a concept, a person, a group of people, an organization, or what have you. But in vacuum there is always an opportunity to exploit the seemingly empty space. But let's take a little stroll through history first on how such a "void" or "vacuum" occurred in the Deafread aggregator site that have allowed bloggers to take advantage of less opposing bloggers.

First there was a group of Deaf people that wanted to get rid of "deficit thinkers" from Deafread in order to control views seen and heard in the Deaf community via Deafread aggregator  site beginning in 2007.

They tried that and....failed.

Another year passed and suddenly a new idea on the effort to control Deafread's content and that was to try and force Tayler Mayer to institute guidelines in DR by implementing the "a" word. And attempt to heap social guilt on him.  But Tayler realized it'd be an impossible job to enforce that concept because there is no acceptable definition and it was just a cover.

They tried that and.... failed.

So after three years of trying to control Deafread people as a last resort boycotted DR by walking out as bloggers who were once linked in the Deafread aggregator list. That action has undoubtedly left a vacuum, so to speak, in Deafread. And when that happens bloggers who have not left Deafread will get to see their own blogs become increasingly unopposed in Deafread's aggregator site. It is easier for readers to visit an aggregator site to see who is what what and to whom than to try and remember which blogger wrote what. It may look like a "void" in Deafread when the first boycott began but whenever there is a vacuum bloggers will use that to their advantage, naturally. And that is to allow Deafread to continue the linking to their blogs. This ensures that their views get to be heard more often with greater frequency. Bloggers like me and many others can see that.  So, does that mean the boycott of Deafread has failed as well? Good question. You make that call.

Now, what's next? A Deaf video anti-cyberbullying Public Announcement? It'd be great if this anti-cyberbullying video include every stripes of deaf and hard of hearing people to make that announcement by saying "Cyberbullying isn't cool." Include people from NAD, AGBell, and deaf and hard of hearing people of all stripes and backgrounds. Maybe throw in a couple of 6 year old kids with cochlear implants and have them use their cute voices and say, "Cyberbullying isn't cool!"  Include late deafened adults as well and have them speak or sign. Of course, you'd have your Deaf people signng "Cyberbullying isn't cool!" one by one as each of them speak out. The point I'm making is to have different individuals with different backgrounds stand collectively against cyberbullying over the internet. Personally, I think it'd be cute to see those kids with CI speak up and say, "Cyberbullying isn't cool!" Don't you?

Let me end my thoughts here about the void discussion.

It may seem like Deafread is "suffering" from the lack of participants but traffic to Deafread has increased by 20% over the last month, and up to 10% over the last 3 months according to Alexa's traffic stats. Which means more people still depend on Deafread to follow the latest blogs on its aggregator site. This trend will simply continue to grow after all even after all those earlier attempts at controlling Deafread's content. It's not just Deaf people who visit Deafread but the deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people who will increasingly discover and visit Deafread's site regardless of the opinions rendered by various listed blogs seen in Deafread.

Growing up...something about me.

There were lots of things I remembered while growing up as a little boy. A boy that wore happily and proudly a body hearing aid from almost the age of two years old to age seven. I took a trip down to memory lane over the last few weeks over a pile of my baby and boyhood pictures. I also got to see many of my old drawings and other artsy stuff I did. Read some of the John Tracy Clinic correspondence letters that were written to my parents. Got to see my past grades, state testing results and more. I even found my old State Champion soccer patch that my teammates and I won in a hard fought soccer game for state champ recognition in 1974 when I was in the 4th grade. It was my second state champion team in 1974 after winning a state championship soccer game in 1973 when I was in the 3rd grade.

As I went through my old stuff I recognized the fact that I liked to draw where many of my hand drawn pictures were happy, memorable ones. Oftentimes with me wearing proudly my body hearing aid.  The hand drawn and colored in picture you see above "Something about me" was a drawing about my missing tooth.  I drew that picture when I was in the first grade at 7 or 8 years old during the 1972 - 1973 school year. It was part of an activity drawing of a story of mine with 8 pages of drawing made into a "book." My oral upbringing was certainly filled with memorable times where I was happy, outgoing and a fun guy to play with my friends, hearing and deaf, where I didn't let my body hearing aid stop me from having fun.

Something about me.