A video presentation about Deaf Advocacy.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
*** MORE DEAF BLOOD ON DMH'S HANDS! ***
Just a while ago, I found out a friend that plays as sub on our dart league had committed suicide. It felt like a big stab in heart knowing someone you care about had ended life. What cause it? We will never know. It is possible that there is lack of mental health services to help that person out of suicide thoughts.
I am a suicide survivor. I have been through enough suicides and I have tried a few times on myself. I have stopped doing that 21 years ago. To this day, I keep myself available to friends who may consider that. This is not a necessary step. It hurts everyone including the families.
Historian Arnold Toynbee once wrote, "There are always two parties to a death; the person who dies and the survivors who are bereaved."
Unfortunately, many survivors of suicide suffer alone and in silence. The silence that surrounds them often complicates the healing that comes from being encouraged to mourn.
Now there is more deaf blood on DMH's hands!
Each blood drop represents the following incidents:
* There is no current mental health services for the deaf in the whole state of Missouri!
* DMH continues to do more window dressings and fiddle while we suffer!
* DMH continues to pass the buck by outsourcing to other states!
* DMH continues to procastinate despite the years of community involvement in providing suggestions and guidelines!
* There have been 5 suicides to date and counting!
* DMH does not care about the deaf community!
* DMH hired an interpreter to take deaf person's job!
* DMH ignored a hearing person who has wealth of experience in deaf mental health field! His programs are successful elsewhere!
* DMH ignored a deaf person who has wealth of experience in deaf mental health field! His program is successful elsewhere!
* DMH has only appropriated $539,000.00 for interpreting services only!
* DMH has ignored our request to halve the budget to hire 4 deaf mental health professionals!
* DMH continues to play politics with other groups who are advocating for mental health services for the deaf!
* DMH is trying to control an advisory group working with a local community behavorial group to provide services for deaf consumers! We made a rule that they cannot do that and we are still snipping at them!
* DMH is violating local, state and federal laws playing games with the deaf community!
The judgement day is nearing for DMH!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
~Will Dr. Hurwitz help combat audism? ~
I do not know yet. His track record may be poor in combating audism. I do know from being involved in past efforts to get an alumni organization to follow the same steps that Gallaudet University adopted in 1988.
I left that organization in 1980 after reading "Deaf Heritage" by Jack Gannon when it showed how hearing people behaved towards deaf community. It also showed AG Bell's stance against the deaf community. I was in shock when I read more. I dug deeper and deeper.
I tried to ask the alumni organizaton to adopt Gallaudet's system of having 51% deaf majority on board, hire deaf teachers, incorporate the use of ASL (with bi/bi system). and few things that would align the school to meet the real needs of deaf education. I was backstabbed, put down, ignored and insulted by some alumni members. I even lost friends due to my stubborness in correcting the social needs of Deaf community.
I got energized after reading Harlan Lane's book, "The Mask of Benevolence:Disabling the Deaf Community" I got more angry and was determined to do some kind of social change to alleviate the needs of the deaf community.
The last 21 years have brought more light and truth to the problems of audism.
Like Brian Riley's recent comments, "...the crucial political issue is finding ways to enlighten hearing parents on the issues so that they can avoid the pitfalls that have historically been associated with the narrow and exaggerated claims which originate within the medical industry, i.e., claims and "treatments" which generally tend to serve entrenched business interests and the financial interests of a particular professional class (audiologists, speech pathologists, etc.)", it is true and it still happens.
I am indeed concerned about the direction that Dr. Hurwitz may lead Gallaudet Unversity. He needs to understand that audism is not tolerable anywhere and that he needs to show his true colors by combating audism.
His first task may be to inform oral schools across the country including Central Institute for the Deaf, St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, Moog Center for Deaf Education and Special School District of St. Louis that audism is not tolerable in schools and anywhere.
He needs to be reminded that there were two national reports that condemned oral schools for education failures. ( Babbage report of 1965 and Deaf Education Act of 1988).
Now with him leading Gallaudet University, it sends mixed messages to the public community as CID in the past had slandered Gallaudet University. I was even ridiculed by the former principal and other teachers for my decision to go to Gallaudet back in 1970s.
He needs to stand up for Gallaudet University by being truthful about how audism is rampant and how AG Bell and his cronies were lying about oralism since 1880.
He needs to help rescind the infamous Milan conference of 1880 that removed sign language from classrooms. It amounts to abuses when not allowing sign language in classrooms.
So now that Dr. Hurwitz is in the driver's seat at Gally starting January 1, 2010. He can help us combat audism.
Will he do it?
Will he waffle to make audists happy?
It did take him long time to get AG Bell plaque from the NTID dorm.
It may take him longer time to make any decisions to combat audism.
Will he do it?
Only time will tell!
Good luck, Dr. Hurwitz!
Central Institute for the Deaf:
Moog Center for Deaf Education:
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf:
Sunday, October 18, 2009
CONGRATS TO ALAN! Isn't it ironic how CID thought??
CONGRATS TO ALAN! Isn't it ironic how CID thought??
The moment that Ben Soukup announced T. Alan Hurwitz as the tenth president of Gallaudet University, the walls at CID are signing (speaking)!
The walls are now shaking and it shows what the deaf children had been oppressed from 1914 to now.
Is it sending mixed signals/messages to the community?
The walls said the following things that are haunting the halls of CID:
"If you sign, your speech go bad!"
"Gallaudet is bad for you!"
"Now put your hands under your legs on chair!"
"Signing is for Indians!"
"Stop Signing"
"If you sign, you get hit by a ruler!"
"Put your hands down!"
"Signing is for birds"
It should be instead "Central Institute for Audism".
Paul's Commentary:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
SOURDS DE LA COMMUNAUTÉ FRANÇAISE luttent contre Audisme!
À nos frères et sœurs, la lutte contre Audisme:
Je tiens à féliciter votre communauté en France pour le fer de lance le lecteur de réduire Audisme.
Nous, en Amérique font de même! Nous allons penser à vous.
Nous allons tenir nos mains et de leur montrer que nous sommes d'un monde - une personne fière Deaf!
Réjouissons de faire plus de nouvelles de vos efforts, je le suis.
À la vôtre!
Paul
English Version: FRENCH DEAF COMMUNITY ARE FIGHTING AGAINST AUDISM!
To our brothers and sisters fighting against audism:
I want to congratulate your community in France for spearheading the drive to cut down audism.
We, in America are doing the same! We will be thinking of you.
Let's hold our hands together and show them we are of one world - a proud Deaf person!
Looking forward to getting more news from your endeavors, I am.
Cheers!
Paul
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