The Deaf Grassroots Movement is an organization that pushes for Deaf rights, such as an end to discrimination in jobs and education and to provide equal access for all.
The DGM aims to fight for the rights of the Deaf and future generations in the Deaf community in all 50 states. On Wednesday all 50 state capitols will have a rally for Deaf Rights, including Hartford, Connecticut.
"And it's time today that we come here and spread the word and teach everybody that we have to improve language improve language for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind children," said one of the activists at the rally, Patty Wilson, of Newington.
One of the biggest issues that the activists were fighting for was access to education in American Sign Language for Deaf children.
While many Deaf children are pushed into mainstream education, there are some options for children who live close enough to enjoy them. In fact, the oldest permanent school for the Deaf in the United States the American School for the Deaf is right in West Hartford and has been operational since 1817. However, there are only just over 100 schools for the Deaf across the entire country, and only one fully Deaf college (Gallaudet University), greatly limiting access.
NOTE: Deaf with a capital "D" represents those with hearing loss who utilize sign language and are immersed in the Deaf community. Deaf with a lower case "d" is the medical term for those with hearing loss.
Deaf News: Deaf Grassroots Movement supporters rally at the Rhode Island State House.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence Journal: About 80 people, most of them Deaf and wearing bright green T-shirts that illustrated the sign language for "equality," followed by the word "now!" rallied at the State House on Wednesday.
The rally was one of 50 all-day rallies taking place around the country in the Deaf Grassroots Movement.
Some of those wearing the green shirts, which listed the movement's five goals on the back - education, jobs, language rights, equal accessibility and communication access were supporters of a Deaf person, and some in their own matching black T-shirts were members of an interpreters group.
Governor Raimondo's outreach manager, David Allard, listened to the spoken interpretation as each speaker signed to the group. When Allard spoke, a sign-language interpreter stood beside him to sign his statement that the governor is committed to creating opportunities for all Rhode Islanders.
Jill DeCosta, 53, of Smithfield, was one of the organizers and spoke of feeling invisible at her job in the Rhode Island Family Court because she is excluded from meetings and conferences for lack of an interpreter.
She said that nationwide, 72 percent of Deaf people are unemployed, and that in Rhode Island, the Office of Rehabilitation Services has had a Deaf services position go unfilled for months.
Instead of clapping, the Deaf-Friendly crowd applauded each speaker by fluttering their hands in the air.
Charley Thorn, 32, of Chepachet, who is Deaf and who works as an interpreter for the Deaf, repeated each speaker's sign language directly to a woman who who is Deaf as well as legally blind.
He said later, through an interpreter, that he appreciated the chance to let "our voice be heard."
"All we want to do is have equality with communication," he said.
Doctor's offices and hospitals often do not provide an interpreter for a Deaf person, attendees said, nor are interpreters provided for a Deaf applicant at a job interview. In both cases, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that an interpreter be provided.
Rhode Island doesn't have enough interpreters and lacks an interpreter training program, said Steven Florio, executive director of the R.I. Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Deaf News: Deaf, blind encounter higher barriers to addiction treatment at the Massachusetts State House.
BOSTON, MA -- Marie Hoffmeister said she has been searching for weeks for a detox unit or substance abuse treatment facility that will help her overcome addiction and become sober. But there’s been one major roadblock in her attempts to seek help: Hoffmeister is Deaf-Blind.
“I’ve struggled and fought for weeks and weeks, and they said, ‘Well we can’t serve you, we can’t find interpreters for you, you won’t have communication access,’ and it’s been extremely frustrating,” Hoffmeister told the News Service through an interpreter. “It’s time to change, it has to be time to change. People want to come back from this, but they can’t. There’s nowhere for them to go because there’s no communication access.”
Hoffmeister was among hundreds of people who gathered on Boston Common on Wednesday to raise awareness and increase political pressure to address the needs of Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing individuals. Wednesday’s event, sponsored by the Deaf Grassroots Movement of Massachusetts, is part of a national effort to bring attention to issues in the Deaf community.
The DGM aims to fight for the rights of the Deaf and future generations in the Deaf community in all 50 states. On Wednesday all 50 state capitols will have a rally for Deaf Rights, including Boston, Massachusetts.
Hoffmeister said she’s been working with Tabatha Patrican, a Deaf woman who has been in recovery for more than a year, to try to find a treatment facility that can meet her needs.
“For three weeks we’ve gone through interviews, the paperwork process, what if she died tomorrow? The state would be responsible for her death if that were to happen,” Patrican said through an interpreter. “We need to have money provided for halfway houses, for trainers, for interpreters. They need to understand we’re at risk, we’re in danger, we need support, we need guidelines for this.”
“We have partnered with the Department of Public Health to bolster our efforts for opioid-related supports and will continue to work to make sure there is equal access … for every individual who is seeking treatment,” Aurora Wilber, spokesperson for MCDHH, said in a statement. “We are also pursuing initiatives in five key areas aimed at improving coordination of treatment, increasing technology to aid in communication, education and training programs in response to our population’s needs.”
During fiscal 2015, MCDHH provided 6,389 hours of ASL interpreting and CART services in substance abuse settings in response to 3,427 service requests, the commission said. The commission is also implementing a program to train Deaf peer supports to use Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal drug.
Patrican said detox centers have told her they don’t accept Deaf or Deaf-Blind patients and even walking into facilities asking for help has not worked. When an addict is ready to get help, Patrican said, it’s imperative that treatment starts quickly, before the addict could change their mind and continue to use.
“Hearing people can walk in and immediately have services, but for Deaf people there is always a delay,” Patrican said. “I’ve lost two Deaf people from drugs. And they died because there was no treatment available to them.”
Eveleen Cunningham, a licensed alcohol and substance abuse counselor who has been in recovery for more than 30 years, said there is a high rate of relapse among Deaf individuals in recovery because they don’t have complete access to the same kinds of treatment and support programs that hearing individuals have.
Despite Beacon Hill’s laser-like focus on the opioid epidemic, Cunningham said the Deaf community has largely been forgotten because “there isn’t enough advocacy to increase services and there isn’t a focus on addressing Deaf services for people who are in recovery.”
“Gov. (Charlie) Baker has funded a lot for opioid treatment and addiction recovery, but nothing specifically for Deaf individuals that would be available around the clock,” Cunningham said through an interpreter. “We need funding, we need treatment options that focus on the continuum of services for substance abuse, including 12-step programs adapted for Deaf individuals so they can understand and access it.”
In the mid-1980s, Cunningham, who is Deaf, sought help for her own addiction. She said she had to fight to get into a treatment program and then had to teach the counselors there some rudimentary sign language so they could work with her. Since then, she has worked with and mentored deaf individuals starting their own recovery.
“The system has improved a little bit since my time, but not significantly,” Cunningham said. “There’s all kinds of treatment centers in Massachusetts, but if a Deaf person shows up when they’re ready to accept treatment, it’s never available on demand like it is for hearing individuals.” Copyright 2016 State House News Service.
We, Audism Free America, are writing in response to your response to the Washington Post article regarding Mr. Nyle DiMarco, in which you stated; "It is our hope to dispel the myths about deafness.” It has become apparent that by now you have most likely seen the many letters from members of the Deaf community, and as well as from academic researchers who have revealed the truth about your misinformation showing that Deaf children, from both Deaf and Hearing families, have clearly thrived when exposed to American Sign Language early in life.
This is not the first time that the AG Bell Association has imposed misinformation and worked to assert to the general public reinforcing the attitudes of audism and linguicism. In 2009, we presented to your former President Graham, along with other AG Bell representatives, a list of demands at a sit down face to face meeting. These demands were taken to your Board and rejected. The demands stated that:
1. the AG Bell Association and Academy cease and desist from denying Deaf infants, children, and their families the right to a natural and fully accessible language.
2. the AG Bell Association cease and desist from misinforming the public and the media about ASL and Deaf people. The AG Bell Association has not retracted its letter to Pepsi objecting to the commercial featuring ASL in a positive light and continually paints Deaf ASL users as unsuccessful and dependent.
3. the AG Bell Association cease and desist its incestuous relationship with cochlear implant manufacturers and join the AFA in calling for an independent and impartial study of the physical, psychological, and social impact of cochlear implants on infants, children and adolescents.
The second item listed can now be amended to demand that the AG Bell Association, additionally, retract your statements concerning the response to Mr. Nyle DiMarco in the Washington Post.
If you are truly concerned about dispelling myths, you may wish to focus on your founder. A.G. Bell, the man, through publicized reports was an eugenicist, xenophobe, and audist along with recent reports that he was also a thief and plagiarist (see D. Baynton, H. Lane, and S. Shulman, as well as Bell’s own writings).
Your Association should be held accountable for the many Deaf children and their families who have been deprived of an accessible language in their early years which have resulted in negative impacts psychologically, educationally, and economically, (see Humphries, et al., 2012 and Penicaud, et al, 2013).
As a Deaf grassroots organization, we are informing you that your organization, made up of primarily Hearing people, has NO right to misrepresent Deaf people in the media and NO right to actively promote the denial of human and linguistic rights of Deaf children.
We, Deaf community members, our families and allies are proud to have Mr. Nyle DiMarco as a role model and advocate for our future generations of Deaf children. If you need further evidence that there is a thriving Deaf community who will ensure that Deaf children will CONTINUE TO BE DEAF, please see the social media campaigns #whyIsign and #iamdeaf.
Finally, this letter is to inform you that AFA will now host another rally at your annual conference in Denver, Colorado. Please let us know if YOU would like to meet with US prior to the conference in order to retract your letters and issue a formal apology. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
Deaf Activist-Teacher-Mom the ASL storytelling of horrific experience with the Alexander Graham Bell Association.
Deaf activist-mother-teacher, Barb Wifi share her blog and vlog about the depicts video review from 2007-2011 showing how Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf (AG Bell) has engaged in bullying actions against the signing Deaf people. Recently, there is an appalling wave of reaction by the Deaf community in regards to AG Bell's response to Washington Post's "The Reliable Source" who accuses Nyle DiMarco dispelling the myths about deafness.
AG Bell Association is the Bully: Part I - This vlog showing a variety of historical segments of Barb Wifi (a.k.a. Barb DiGi) depicting her thoughts and experiences with the AG Bell Association who had disrespected her rights, her job, her Deaf daughter, her immediate family, and her community ties from 2007 to 2011.
AG Bell Association is the Bully: Part II - This vlog is focused on the perspectives of Nyle DiMarco, AG Bell Association President, Meredith Sugar and multiple researchers.
AG Bell and Nyle DiMarco controversy on social media in ASL and Deaf community after AG Bell's response to The Washington Post.
WASHINGTON DC -- Deaf Advocates, Gallaudet University and the National Association of the Deaf SLAMS Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) posted letter on their website to Washington Post.
DiMarco comes from a Deaf family and American Sign Language is his native language. He is a spokesperson for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids - LEAD-K. He is a signer and creative collaborator on an app that teaches conversational American Sign Language (ASL) for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing child.
However, the AG Bell's via internet letter about Nyle DiMarco regarding The ASL App on Washington Post. Therefore, Thousand of ASL-user individuals consistently find disgusting and sparked a chorus of outrage after AG Bell's an article "Dispelling Myths About Deafness" on their website.
Unfortunately, The Student Body Government at Gallaudet University reported that Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf did not respond their invitation for an open discussion. Typically for the AG Bell.
Barb DiGi's blog and vlog depicts the vlog review from 2007 - 2011 showing how AG Bell Association has engaged in bullying actions against the signing Deaf people. Recently, there is an appalling wave of reaction by the Deaf community in regards to AG Bell's response to Washington Post's "The Reliable Source" who accuses Nyle DiMarco dispelling the myths about deafness. Read transcript at Deaf Progressivism - A.G. Bell Associaiton Is The Bully.
Jason Tozier: Alexander Graham Bell thinks that he has more influence in America folklore than Santa Claus. It is painful to watch the various periods of hate as they unfold and take shape. It is indicative of a change in the world of hate when bigots begin to form mergers between themselves and change their policies to match the power. Alexander Graham Bell’s Name: Hate Speech with Spin Wheel.
Deaf blogging has reacted to an article from the CEO of AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Meredith Sugar's letter about Nyle DiMarco:
The AG Bell promotes American Sign Language is wrong, dishonesty, misleading parents and #LiesAGBellToldMyParents. Although it is history but today the practice, the principle and the philosophy still discriminate against sign language which Alexander Graham Bell is the father of Audism.
The Alexander Graham Bell Association's 'history repeats itself':
AG Bell Donors: All of you who have donated or supported Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to stop doing more than harms to the Deaf children by stop sending donations to AG Bell, because of your donations, AG Bell continues to lie to thousands of the people such as parents of Deaf children in particular so to brain-wash the parents into harms their child and stripping down their own rights by putting cochlear implants or hearing aids.
Lydia Callis, longtime advocate of Deaf Rights, won admirers as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s sign language.
NEW YORK CITY -- Lydia Callis wanted to get her mother a gym membership for Christmas last year. When she called to arrange a consultation, she mentioned that her mom (who lives in Arizona) is Deaf and would need a sign-language interpreter for the session. The health club said it would not provide a signer. Ms. Callis who became an Internet sensation during Hurricane Sandy as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s exuberant sign-language interpreter told the club that it was actually required by law to do so. Still it refused, and Ms. Callis, who was calling from Manhattan, gave up.
Last year was the 25th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, and yet this kind of scenario plays out regularly for people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. While the broader culture has become accustomed to certain changes the law has engendered, particularly wheelchair access, the rights of the Deaf have frequently been misunderstood or simply disregarded.
Recently, however, a Deaf rights movement has begun to gain ground, particularly in New York.
One sign of this momentum has been a flurry of lawsuits. Last year, the city’s Department of Homeless Services settled a case that charged its shelters with failing to provide American Sign Language interpreters for Deaf residents, and a suit filed last summer in Westchester County claimed that two hospitals refused a Deaf couple’s requests for interpreters after the husband had a heart attack.
Another case involved Diana Williams, a Deaf woman from Staten Island who was arrested in 2011 and was denied a sign-language interpreter, as the federal law dictates. In October, the Police Department settled her lawsuit for $750,000. Her lawyers, from the Eisenberg & Baum Law Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, said it was one of the biggest payouts of its kind.
“What’s disturbing about all these lawsuits is that the A.D.A. has been in effect for several decades,” Eric Baum, one of the firm’s founders, recently said. Mr. Baum said that his firm had litigated about 100 Deaf discrimination cases, roughly half in the New York metropolitan area, many dealing with a failure to provide interpreters. He was sitting in the Union Square office alongside the Law Center’s co-directors: Andrew Rozynski, a lawyer and fluent A.S.L. signer whose parents are deaf, and Sheryl Eisenberg-Michalowski, a Deaf rights liaison who was born Deaf...
WATCH [CC] - ASL Poetry by Jenny Locy: “You Have to be Deaf to Understand” Poem by Willard J. Madsen.
Jenny Locy the Deaf activist and social media consultant shares video on YouTube the ASL poetry “You Have to be Deaf to Understand” written by Willard J. Madsen This video in sign language translation and closed captioning to be fully accessible for hard of hearing and hearing individuals.
WATCH: Deaf News: Deaf Greek protests shouting "Give money to Providence Education, go get them from the plutocracy"
ATHENS, Greece -- Thousands of disabled, chronically ill, parents and guardians with disabilities from across the country of Greece, and teachers in special education and mainstream schools gathered early in the afternoon in the center of Athens, participating in nationwide pananapiriko rally.
The mobilization involved the Coordination Committee Struggle Disabled, the Single Parents Association, Guardians of Disabled Attica, the Association of Workers Unit, Foundations, Schools Special Education, and the Deputy Initiative, demanding "No more mockery, teachers in all schools" as wrote their banners.
The demonstration was attended by the KKE MP Christos Katsotis.
The disabled and chronically ill gathered at Omonoia Square and made protest to the Constitution, shouting slogans such as "Give money to Providence - Education, go get them from the plutocracy" and "euro sacks to bankers, the Special schools were doing warehouses.'
The third memorandum the lowest disability pension is 87 euros, the retirement age for disabled workers go to 67 years and 50% reduction in the state budget expenditure on Welfare, leading to the closure of institutions by loading higher cost care to families. Moreover abolished and cut disability benefits and chronic sufferers and Special Schools close, imposed alimony.
Among other claims, the SEAAN: No cut in benefits and disability pensions, extending them to groups who do not get benefits, such as Deaf, Alzheimer. No pension below 600 euros unemployment benefit of 600 euros to all unable to work disabled, chronically ill and massive recruitment with constant work. No payment for drugs and treatments. Open all Special Schools in full operation, massive recruitment of permanent staff, to repeal the alimony.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing community call YouTube online video for closed captioning.
YouTube videos are not accessible to everyone, adding closed captions to videos will make them accessible to millions of more people. Share this video on social media, tag your favorite creator and help make your favorite videos enjoyable for everyone! #withcaptions
Captions and Subtitles are essentially the same and typically used as a transcription of the audio portion of a program as it occurs (either verbatim or in edited form), sometimes including descriptions of non-speech elements. Other uses have been to provide a textual alternative language translation of a presentation's primary audio language which is usually burned-in (or "open") to the video and not selectable (or "closed")... Read The Full Story.
How To Create Captions and Subtitles For YouTube Videos.
Step by step, how created Closed Captions / Subtitles vlog for the videos on YouTube, and how to translate Captions to different languages, made easy.
The National Association of the Deaf CEO Howard A. Rosenblum discusses police brutality towards Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
National Association of the Deaf CEO Howard A. Rosenblum in a video description and transcript: I'd like to discuss a serious situation that recently happened in Florida. Due to a miscommunication between the police officers, the Deaf man involved died. This is a terrible situation. We need to make sure that does not happen again.
What happened in Florida isn't the only time that happened, it has happened all over in the United States of America, within the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community as well. Similar situations including Deaf and Hard of Hearing people and police officers has happened in Seattle, Washington, Texas, California, Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma, and most recently in Florida.
There's many more situations that have happened in other places that I haven't mentioned. This is terrible. Some have died or have been badly hurt because of miscommunication with police officers... this is not acceptable and it must stop.
Some police officers are not aware and do not respect Deaf and Hard of Hearing communication needs. When a police officer approaches an individual, they assume that person is hearing and take action if the person does not respond. Instead, what should happen is police officers analyzing the situation first and figure out if the person is Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and from there they should respect their communication needs to resolve the situation.
Regarding the situation in Florida, the NAD President Chris Wagner is from Florida and is working with the police and other leaders to determine how to improve the situation and prevent such instances from ever happening again.
The NAD has also worked with others in different states when similar situations have happened in the past. Again, this is not acceptable and it must stop. We have since realized we need to deal with the US Government on a national level in order to remedy the many situations across the US, specifically with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Attorney General. We need to work with them to set the standard protocol for the Police Department. Police officers must realize that in all situations the persons they encounter might be Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and respect the communication needs.
This is important for the safety of the police, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and everyone else. Many of you have contacted the NAD expressing concerns about this important issue. The Board of Directors and the NAD staff all agree that this is important for the safety and protection of all individuals involved. I want to thank you for contacting us and please know we are working hard on this issue. Thank you for your time.
Police Brutality: Driving While Deaf By Advocacy Group Deaf Rights.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- In January 2014, Pearl Pearson, age 64, was pulled over by Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers. He says he signaled he was Deaf and placed his hands on the steering wheel when state patrolmen brutally assaulted him for not following verbal orders he couldn't hear.
The district attorney announced that the patrolmen involved would not be charged for this brutal attack on the same day that he charged Pearson who has two sons who are police officers with resisting arrest. The footage from this video is actual video of what happened to Pearson that night in January.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. When police officers don't realize Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people can't hear them, it has led to police officers brutally assaulting deaf people and other tragedies.
We are calling on the Department of Justice to conduct trainings with local police departments on how to better interact with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. For more information, go to https://www.aclu.org/deafrights.
Marlee Matlin On Deaf And Police Interaction in American Sign Language:
Actress Marlee Matlin, who is Deaf and the wife of a police officer, teamed up with ACLU and advocacy group HEARD, on an American Sign Language video to ensure Deaf people know their rights when interacting with law enforcement.
When police officers don't realize Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people can't hear them, it has led to police officers brutally assaulting Deaf people and other tragedies.
While this video aims to ensure that Deaf people know their rights, they can only do so much. It is the responsibility of police departments to ensure that their officers are adequately trained.
We are calling on the Department of Justice to conduct trainings with local police departments on how to better interact with the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. For more information, go to https://www.aclu.org/deafrights
Note: During interrogations, the ADA requires qualified interpreters, but certified interpreters should always be used where they are available.
WATCH: Deaf News: Deaf campaigners hope Mandela interpreter scandal will help raise standards.
BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament has been hosting a conference, organised by the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (EFSLI), aimed at improving training across the EU.
“I was appalled by the standard of interpreting obviously,” said efsli’s President, Peter Llewellyn-Jones, referring to what happened at the Soweto stadium. “But I think I would say that man (#fakeinterpreter) has done more for our cause that we could have achieved in 10 years of campaigning. Because now everybody is talking about the standards of interpreting and that’s what we have been trying to raise the profile of.”
The timing of the forum, so soon after the South African scandal, is coincidental.
The organisers claim that around the world untrained and unqualified interpreters deprive Deaf people of proper services on a daily basis. Their aim is to improve and harmonise standards across the EU.
Hungarian centre-right MEP, Ádám Kósa, who is Deaf himself, said: “We cooperate with the Association of European Translators and they have finalised guidelines for a three year sign language translation training programme, about the knowledge that needs to be acquired. And also EU institutions like the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission must be accessible for Deaf people. For that citizens need quality translation.” ... Read The Full Story.
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Deaf News: Michael W. Hubbs announced that he was hositpalized by stress symptoms. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Michael (Mike) Hubbs of short...
That Deaf Guy Comic
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