Why is Red County blogger Allen Wilson against choice for parents of deaf children?
UPDATE: Click here to see the latests news on AB 2072 (June 12, 2010)
Remember when bilingual education activists went nuts and fought tooth and nail to keep children who were not fluent in English from being taught in English? The Unz initiative put an end to that nonsense, despite heavy pressure from educators who were making money off these programs.
Well, here we go again. This time the folks who teach sign language are trying to stop Assembly Bill 2072, a new bill that will give parents who discover that their newborn infants are deaf a chance to do something about it. This bill is written by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, from the 56th Assembly district, which includes Buena Park and Whittier.
Currently the state mandates that the hospital tell the parents about their “options.” However, thanks to the sign language lobby, the options are limited to teaching the deaf kids sign language – a language hardly anyone knows.
The new law will instead mandate that the parents be informed about all their choices, which inlcude surgical ear implants, reading lips, etc.
Here is what the proposed bill actually states:
Existing law, the California Early Start Intervention Services Act, commonly known as the Early Start program, provides various early intervention services for infants and toddlers who have disabilities to enhance their development and to minimize the potential for developmental delays.
This bill would also require that the parents of a newborn or infant diagnosed with a hearing loss receive written information on all communication options for children with hearing loss by an audiologist or other related professional at a followup appointment after diagnosis with a hearing loss, and by the Early Start Program when a child enters the program and when a child is referred to the program by a state agency.
It would also specify that the state shall not incur the cost of or implement this bill.
You can read the rest of the bill at this link.
Why would anyone oppose this bill? Simple. The sign language lobby is insane. They don’t want deaf children to learn how to speak. They want to keep them in the sign language ghetto. It is ridiculous.
Barry Sewell, a deaf blogger, supports AB 2072
Are they options to sign language? You bet! Surgery is one option, another is special schools that immerse children in language. For example, the Oralingua School in Whittier. Their mission is to “To immerse children who are deaf or hard of hearing in a language-rich environment that promotes listening skills, spoken language, problem solving and social interaction that will enable them to function effectively in society while supporting their families who share those goals.”
Parents of children at Oralingua swear by the curriculum. And almost all of them will tell you that their children were negatively affected by the current dogma at the California Department of Education, which refuses to tell parents that they have options besides sign language.
So what’s next? Proponents and opponents of AB 2072 spent the day in Sacramento today, contacting the members of the Assembly Health Committee, which will be voting on AB 2072. Click here to see a list of the members and their email addresses.
I spoke today with Elisa Roche, a parent of a profoundly deaf child who is doing great at Oralingua. Roche is also the Executive Director at Oralingua. She was in Sacramento all day and met with most of the Health Committee members.
She also told me that Red County blogger Allen Wilson was up there this week as well. And he was using the sign language lobby’s talking points!
According to Wilson’s Red County bio, he “is a hearing-impaired GOP activist.” But he can speak. And he uses hearing aids so that he can hear who he is talking to. The irony is that the sign language lobby would prefer that he not speak at all. And yet he is lobbying for them.
I wonder if Wilson is getting paid to shill, like Red County editor Matt Cunningham and Red County publisher Chip Hanlon do?
Remember that kids brought up in the sign language arena cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars. It actually costs a lot less to teach kids via alternative means. And the results speak for themselves. Yet the supposedly conservative Wilson is able to lobby the legislators against AB 2072 only because he can speak. If he could only speak via sign language he would be of no use to the sign language lobby, as a lobbyist. Oh the irony…
Isn’t it time to give parents of deaf children a full complement of choices? Please contact your state legislator and ask him or her to support AB 2072.
UPDATE: Allen Wilson admits to having met with several legislators, in opposition to AB 2720, but he says he was not doing so for money. My sources tell me that his message to the legislators was right out of the sign language movement’s talking points. He appears to be against options for parents of deaf kids. Almost every other state in the nation offeres choice to parents. Not so California. Millions of dollars of federal education money is stuck in the sign language camp, at the discretion of the State Department of Education. You can read Wilson’s take on this at this link.
I was almost tricked into thinking that my daughter with moderate to severe loss could only learn in a “total communication ” class even though she has normal hearing with hearing aids. Coco and Linda with the LA Dept. Of Education stated this. Why would reps from LACOE lie to me? Why wouldn’t they tell me of options as I asked? My wife and I I did our own research and was helped by Melinda at the House Ear Clinic and the John Tracy Clinic about OPTIONS. Knowing your options and being educated before you decide is the right thing to do.
Thanks for sharing that with us Wesley. It is a tale I have heard many times. Why people would fight choice is hard to comprehend.
This bill will fix this mess. I hope it passes. I contacted everyone on the Health Committee today and urge all of our readers to do the same.
Like Red, I am HOH (and grew up in a deaf family), ergo, I use ASL but I also listen and speak. There are many deaf people like myself. You don’t have to pick one option. You can choose to use ASL, listen and speak. Or, you can choose one if you so wish. 😉 I support this bill simply because I believe in Choice. Parents should be informed of all possible options. Not necessarily one choice but one or more choice in deciding what approach to use for their deaf/hoh child. This dogma you speak of is a result of the extremist view of a certain group called the Deafhood Foundation and the Deaf Bilingual Coalition (DBC) and their sub-group, Audism Free America (AFA). Do look them up online. They do not represent all the deaf/hoh consumers in America.
I am in SUPPORT of AB 2072. I understand that Assembly Member William Monning (Chair, Health Committee) and some Health Committe Staff want Assembly Member Mendoza to pull the bill as to avoid “conflict”. What do families of California need to do in order to have elected officials listen to them? This has ALWAYS been a “hot topic” and it is criminal to see how the CDE and CA Health Services have bullied families and professionals. These aggressive, single minded individuals have harassed me and other families for years and they will not stop. Tonight at a deaf education workshop in Los Angeles many of the teachers there complained that CAL Ed had called them with “calls of action” to oppose AB 2072! After the workshop ended 30 of those teachers stayed to write letters of SUPPORT for AB 2072.
Being an Executive Director of a school for deaf children, I personally see how families are not given all their communication options. It is unethical and unconscionable to see what the DHH California Education system puts families of deaf children through.
In addition to being an Administrator of a school for deaf children, I am also the PROUD parent of a deaf child. My daughter, Raychel, is 12 years old and is a beautiful, kind, intelligent girl who does not use ASL (visual language) but instead uses her 2 cochlear implants to Listen and she uses her voice to Speak. She lives at home with her 3 siblings and not at a State Special School for the Deaf. She attends the same school as her siblings and is fully mainstreamed with hearing peers. I don’t view my daughter as a “DEAF girl”, instead I view her as a “GIRL” and yes, she happens to be deaf. I, too, have had to litigate against my own school district for my communication options. Again, it is wrong what they put us parents and families through.
I am not opposed to ANY communication option. I believe, as parents, WE need to decide what is best for OUR children. I am appalled that “the Deaf Culture”, CDE, Cal Ed, Impact, GLAD and others would feel that it is OK to choose what option is best for MY child.
This bill is about information and parent choice. How does one argue against parent choice?
Assembly Member Mendoza is a brave and fair man. I wish there were more Assembly Members like him. It is frightening to me that when there is conflict so many elected officials and staff “choose” to duck & hide.
I don’t support Barry because, his best friend own porn business. Anyone who support porn don’t care about children.
As a member of the sign language lobby who can speak quite well, and as a Deaf teacher who teaches English, I think this blog is patently ridiculous.
Bilingual activists seek to have Deaf children taught in two languages. It is the opponents of the bilingual lobby which oppose choice, since they limit Deaf children to one language, English.
It is worth looking at other countries where bilingual education has taken off to look at the long term result. Deaf children in Norway, for example, have to graduate with knowledge of two spoken and three signed languages. No, using sign language neither prevents Deaf children from speaking nor from learning other languages.
The idea that hospitals are limited to telling parents only about sign language is a lie, especially in California. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are also options.
Also, being isolated in mainstreaming programs separates Deaf children from opportunities to meet Deaf adults and learn how to cope with the problems they face.
I do NOT support this bill. I don’t see why parents should have to choose between anything. I was raised with ASL, SEE, PSE, Spoken English, Written English, classrooms for the deaf, mainstreaming, interpreters, notetakers, and hearing aids (which was everything that was available to me). I am SO fortunate that my parents have provided me with ALL of these opportunities. As an adult, I am now able to choose for MYSELF which works best for me.
I don’t like that community-based agencies are being eliminated as a source of information. Why would we want to eliminate these valuable resources of information? Deaf organizations often have Deaf adults working in these environments, whereas there aren’t as many Deaf Doctors, audiologists, or hospital workers that can speak from experience. Remember that Doctors, hospitals, and audiologists earn money for each family that chooses hearing aids/cochlear implants. Deaf organizations do not earn more money for each family that chooses to use ASL. They have no motivation, other than wanting to see another Deaf child succeed.
Based on numerous stories and personal anecdotes, hospitals and Doctors have often told parents to NOT sign with their children. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. Do you think their education has any focus on ASL at all? How can parents receive unbiased information if their only source of information is through these very places that discourage these opportunities?
Wesley, as a person who grew up with hearing aids, who can talk and hear well enough to work as a cashier in Burger King, I thought that I was hearing everything in my world. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized how much I was missing out on. Your child’s audiogram may say that she hears normally, but you may never know how much she is really missing out on. Please do not make the assumption that she can hear normally.
Why is California AB 2072 Bill is Dangerous to Deaf babies and children in school?
Read below from parents and Educators:
Fatal Flaw #1 The Bill’s over emphasis on communication options which implies that parents should pick only one option. Parents should not be forced to say no to any opportunity. Picking one option over another would only rob the child of the ability and opportunity for full language acquisition. Remember that In order for a child to learn to communicate, he or she must have a developed language foundation. That development comes from access to and consistent exposure to language. Metaphorically, when a parent is offered “soup or salad” they need to know that they can just say “YES”.
Fatal Flaw # 2: Audiologists are legislatively being put into a situation where they become the de facto first contact early intervention. Audiologists are trained to focus on the hearing, and a “fix it” approach. They can not see, what parents need to see, that the result of a hearing test is not the result of an intelligence test. The vast majority of audiologists do not know the importance of a child becoming bilingual in English & ASL and the positive impact that can have future academic results. The vast majority of audiologists do not have early intervention training. The vast majority do not have a parents’ experience of raising a deaf or hard or hearing child. The vast majority have not accessed the experiences of Deaf adults which are, so to speak, the living end result of our system.
Fatal Flaw # 3: Eliminating the restriction on only consumer based organizations for support. Without this important restriction, early intervention is opened up to the forces of the business and specifically to those organizations that are associated with their products or services. This is a tragic mistake. Deaf and hard of hearing children should not be treated as a market to be exploited. They and their parents need to be serviced by those consumer based organizations whose concern is about the success and happiness of their children.
We are currently struggling with a problem of tragic portions, as California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell pointed out in his 2007 State of Education Address, “Closing the Achievement Gap for the Deaf”
In English-language arts, (2-12 grade)
• 92% of our deaf students are not at Grade Level
• 85% of our hard-of-hearing students are not at Grade Level
• As measured on the California Standards Test
In Mathematics, (2-12 grade)
• 90% of our deaf students are not at Grade Level
• 82% of our hard-of-hearing students are not at Grade Level
• As measured on the California Standards Test.AB 2072 is fatally flawed 3 ways
Now it is time to focus on why many Deaf children in high schools stop using Cochlear implants after struggling in class.
There is nothing in the bill that limits options to only ONE option. Communication options, not communication option. Audiologists and other professionals does not limit it to only audiologists. Other professionals is pretty wide open….
These fatal flaws are definitely fatal myths.
Yikes! Parents being harassed because they chose not to opt for ASL? What is the world coming to?
Parental rights is something you don’t mess with, people.
I am surprised and glad to see my vlog and blog posted here.
In my 23 years of experience working with different legislative bills I’ve never seen anything like this. There were certain few deaf people who are against this bill and I wanted to learn why so I v/blogged about it. My sites generated 14,582 views and produced 245 video comments in only few days. It was how I learned the very reason behind their opposition.
The reason is simple. The people that oppose this bill are part of this radical closed society who call themselves big “D” as in Deaf rather than deaf. It’s equivalent to radical group such as “black power” and such. These are the very people that formed several grassroots known as Deaf Bilingual Coalition and Audism Free America. They teach ‘deafhood’ workshops and nearly hijacked California Association of the Deaf and changed the language of their bylaws to reflect deafhood instead of deaf. Regardless, they are the very same people that have rallied protests against AG Bell and other programs that promote different communication options. They are so against cochlear implant devices and oralism methods. Their goal is to promote ASL as the only option for ALL deaf babies. I know this much because I was part of DBC task force for few months before I learned their hidden agendas. I got pushed aside as soon as they realized I supporter all communication options.
What is clear here is they are spooked by this bill because it would require them and their buddy organizations such as GLAD (Greater Los Angeles Association of the Deaf), DCARA and NORCAL to include all communication information in writing. These deaf organizations have a very biased history because they have been promoting ASL as the only option for deaf babies. In essence, this closed society sees this bill as a threat to their entity.
Now this does raise an important question. What’s their level of confidence in American Sign Language and its ability to compete with other options? They may tout ASL as the best choice but they sure do not sound too confident about its ability to compete against other options. Makes you wonder, does not it?
I don’t believe the human rights violation. Limiting the educational resource isn’t always working. I strongly believe the choice.
Someone (I believe it was Don G.) in Red County.com mentioned that there is *NO* critical for the audiology/speech therapy and use the ASL for the newborns/infants to be acquired at the early stage. Only Modalites of Communication. How can many parents know if there is no audiology/speech therapy to provide the information, especially, the demographics? They need some help getting some information on categories of the deafness.
For instance, how can a child who has a 45 decibel in right ear and a 100 decibel in left ear, to get confused with the sounds? It would be out of control and more difficult. This child would be getting confusion where the sound/word comes from? This is VERY critical. We need Speech Therapy and Audiologist to help this child to improve and balance his sound/word.
I am in support of the options for AB 2072. I’m all for the communication modes.
They want to kill AB 2072 to a limited society as American Sign Language or Written English and nothing in between. There are different levels of deafness that can talk over the phone and some can talk which cannot use the phone. Audiologist are the experts that many of anti AB 2072 don’t understand. AB 2072 is one of the most considerate bill ever presented for the deaf and hard of hearing community. This gives a full range of information to parents to decide whats best for their child. End of story, folks!
Boy, is this ever getting convoluted.
Contrary to what many opponents to AB 2072 say, cochlear implants/ hearing aids and speech CAN benefit some deaf children. I was born deaf and was raised oral deaf with hearing aids and my primary language is both spoken and written English. I’ve worked in the corporate world and have run two businesses of my own.
I have nothing against ASL as another option for parents of deaf children to consider. What I am against is this hostile “my way or the highway” attitude that a few Deaf extremists have towards the parents. This view does nothing to enhance the deaf community’s image. True, historically the deaf community has felt ignored in representation and their repeated requests to have ASL as an option have also been ignored. But be assured that these Deaf extremists do not represent me and many other D/deaf people.
One only has to take a look at DeafRead or view my blog article on the Deafhood Foundation, http://ireflections09.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/deafhood-foundation-wishful-thinking/ to get an idea of what some of us in the online deaf community have been trying to counteract for the last three years. It’s an eyeful.
Replying to comment #5, Hard of hearing’s reason for not supporting Barry is irrelevant. Barry is not AB 2072.
Stick with the subject at hand, which is AB 2072.
Hard-of-hearingness
Barry,
I have tried to ignore you and your crazy blogs but Seriously, you are misleading people this time. AB 2072 was created:
1. by oral only option interest groups.
2. without ASL/English Stakeholder input.
3. and seeks to create a process to put their bias towards speaking and listening only options directly in the hands of parents without any oversight, accountability, or collaboration with other stakeholders.
4. and seeks to do this with their own private funds.
5. and allows audiologists to give out this information to parents.
They have an agenda.
Next…I am boiling from some of your comments. You need to stop saying that the Deaf Bilingual Coalition is ASL only. The name includes “bilingual”..meaning ASL and English (written/and if desirable spoken). There is no such thing as ASL only. You were not a part of DBC for long enough to even get to know what this organization is all about. You make judgements based on limited experience. To call Deaf people who are proud of their language ASL and proud to be part of the Deaf community an extremist is your own “extreme” move. This would be like calling Italian people extremists. Really enough is enough! For you to put down 700 Deaf grassroot individuals who attended a DBC conference and rallied for AGBell to “Tear Down the Wall” and to come together for the sake of Deaf children.. without you even being there to see what took place is simply irresponsible. Why people fall for your nonsense is beyond me!
Read the bill…get to know who is behind it…get to know what their agenda is. Stop putting out false and information.
We all support parent choice and information for parents that is comprehensive and accurate. We support a deaf child’s right to fluency in language in order to achieve in life. It is not done through a one option approach that does not include ASL and discourages parents from learning ASL. It is not done exclusively through ASL only either It is done through a multi-faucet approach. This is what DBC is all about NOT what you have made up in your own mind.
http://www.opposeab2072.com/content/what-ab2072-proposes.
As a parent of two deaf boys with cochlear implants who uses all communication modes including ASl, I am genuinely concerned about the information on this blog, which is severely misleading.
I have included a link above for you to go and read why Deaf Californians are opposed to the bill.
Here
http://www.opposeab2072.com/content/what-ab2072-proposes.
As a parent of two deaf boys with cochlear implants who uses all communication modes including ASL, I am genuinely concerned about the information on this blog as severely misleading. I am all for options, but the bill has some flaws and it needs to be rewritten.
I have included a link above for you to go and read why Deaf Californians are opposed to the bill.
The reasons why we are opposed to the bill are thre fold:
1. Proposes a concept of “communication options” that is biased and misleading.
2. Claims that this bill will not result in any cost to the state and that the state will not have any part in its implementation.
3. Provides for audiologists to provide this written information of communication options to parents and families.
My biggest concern is number 3.
“Audiologists are trained to measure and “treat” hearing loss by recommending hearing aids or cochlear implant. The majority of audiologists are not qualified to understand or explain the importance of ASL/English language acquisition, especially its impact on the child’s future academic achievements. Audiologists do not have early intervention training. They do not have the experience of raising a deaf or hard of hearing child or the experience of being a deaf adult who embodies the living end-result of our system.”
The bill has been generously amended to show “American Sign Language (ASL), Total Communication, Cued Speech, and Listening and Spoken Language communication options…” in lieu of “all communication options.” It will be revealing as to whether or not these opponents are for ASL only.
In short, those who oppose the bill do not feel that ASL is capable of standing on its own ground and compete against other options. Therefore, ASL is not good enough in their view. It’s unfortunate for them because I have full confidence in ASL, knowing it can compete against any options.
Secondly, for hearing mom, kindly name the source behind the bill and prove it. Why ask me to look into who’s behind the bill without mentioning it yourself? It only means you don’t know either. And kindly pin point where I’ve mislead people. You failed to do that as well because your argument did not match what’s being proposed. Misleading yourself?
You are not without agenda either so why are you complaining about other people’s agenda. This is typical coming from a closed society. Also kindly prove yourself as a hearing mom. You could be a pro DEAF person cowering behind an anonymous name. I’m here with a real name and you are not. That speaks in volume.
Stop saying that Deaf Bilingual Coalition is ASL only. I was part of DBC task force for three months and happen to know that they promoted nothing but ASL in name of bilingual. In short, they masked themselves with the term, bilingual but only promoted ASL. This happened in Milwaukee. There were ASL signs everywhere without any mention of English. Bilingual? It was only a mask to cover their true agenda, which was ASL only. Shame on them.
Thank you for giving me the credit of collapsing Deaf Bilingual Coalition and their 700 supporters. The real credit belongs to information age, which will collapse a closed society every time.
Hi John Egbert, founder of DBC. Your interesting anonymous screen names here, “a rent of two deaf kids says” and “As a parent of two deaf boys with cochlear implants” were both typical and predictable. You’ve done it else where and we caught you.
You do not have deaf children. You played the same trick with a newspaper in Wisconsin and else where. The trick’s getting old.
I also recognized the language you used in many of your other anonymous comments. You’re in fact the same John Egbert we’ve all come to know.
However, kindly explain how ‘communication option’ is misleading. You’ve not been able to explain that. You also mislead the audience by pointing your finger at audiologist. Can you read or can you not? The bill says ‘audiologist OR other professional related services. Why you dismissed the rest of the language is quite typical of you, John.
Barry
You always want the last word. You ate wrong in your perceptions of DBC and it’s goal for children to grow up bilingual in ASL and English. You exaggerate your role in DBC and the time you were involved. I know I am part of DBC.
You figure things out about the bill. You are a grown man with apparently lots of free time on your hands to tear people down. So start researching. Don’t blog about things that you yourself have not researched.
And leave John Egbert alone. In fact, stop
attacking people and start doing something that
is productive and positive for the good of the very languaeges you have been priviledged to acquire…ASL and English. Otherwise please stop this behavior.
John Egbert, sole and lone representative of the DBC.
Appropriately, one might add.
After all, didn’t he mistakenly
Try and have a couple of deaf bloggers
Banned because Mr. Egbert’s woe-begone English
Caused him to not distinguish reality with fantasy?
Ahh .. yes, he did. Indeed.
And when he wasn’t too busy
Making silly, stupid comments anonymously
He was busy pretending to write his book,
“Mindfucked,”
Which was really a spoof about his lack of a sufficient identity
and perhaps a mind-fucked IQ;
Regardless, the man epitomizes the DBC
Illuminates the freak-wingers called AFA
And affably demonstrates why the bi-lingual educational mode
Is really the parental version of Fool’s Gold.
When the DBC stalked and harassed Milwaukee
One weekend in 2008
Messages of intolerance and hate
Were signed by DBC hands and colored pens
And claims of “audist oppression!” and “hearing colonization!”
Rained down from mobs of unwitting fools
For if they had been smart from the start
They would have seen that Mr. Egbert had preached
Deaf Apartheid
“Deaf A-part-TIED”
(for those with 4th-grade English skills, aigh’t?)
A quick gander in the dictionary
Discovers apartheid to be “a social policy …
Involving political and legal discrimination”
The very thing Mr. Egbert and his DBC
Have been demanding by damnation every single day
Ever since I first asked him
“What can I do?”
And his response was to demand freaks like he
Hunt me down
Ban me
Label me an audist
A deficit thinker
A dysconcious audist
A colonized “hearing” deaf
And a “sociopath”
(And complimented McConnell as a “psychopath”)
The secret’s out about Deaf Apartheid,
Though I suspect the DBC will continue to pout and cry
Everytime a fly lands in somebody’s Deaf soup,
Which is fine by me – ‘cos as I keep sayin’,
John Egbert, the epitome of the DBC.
Indeed.
Hearing mom, I know who you are. You’ve always attempted to tell deaf people what to do, including me. Remember the moment when I was in charge of DBC’s marketing department and you did not like it when a deaf person was assigned to such position. You raised hell and fought tooth and nail to drive me out because you and Brian (a hearing person as well) did not think that any deaf person was worthy of the task because it requires communication with the media. It goes to show your confidence in deaf people. Your confidence in ASL being able to compete is evidently low. Otherwise you would not worry.
And FYI, I don’t take orders from anybody. You and your what few Deaf Bilingual Coalition allies have tried to shut me down many times. What you guys don’t seem to like is the fact that I’m a truly free man. That’s what you guys hate the most because I’m a living proof of what works. You guys are always looking for failure stories in order to boost your cause, dismissing all the successful stories that are out there. I know because I’ve seen it when I served my time with DBC. Furthermore, my v/blog is my business. Not sure why you continue to watch my v/blogs but it’s evident you’re still following me. Must be interesting, eh? Otherwise you would not look. I’ll take that as a compliment.
Paotie!
Let’s pronounce, Egg-bird. We all can learn how to pronounce from a speech therapist. That would make DBC mad? You betcha.
Voldemort’s plan is working flawlessly.
*Rubs Hands*
Psst….miss your phunny blog!
Why don’t we love SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE?!?!
Barry Sewell,
Your comment:
Barry Sewell says:
April 17, 2010 at 5:48 am
Hi John Egbert, founder of DBC. Your interesting anonymous screen names here, “a rent of two deaf kids says” and “As a parent of two deaf boys with cochlear implants” were both typical and predictable. You’ve done it else where and we caught you.
I have nothing to do with those comments and those are not mine.
Again, you, Barry Sewell, the desperado along with your friends, Paotie, Candy, White Ghost and Ann C still ganging up together doing what you all been doing but never in public to help Deaf babies and children in schools.
You guys need to get a life.
BEWARE OF “FALSE PROPHETS”
The whole situation that is now happening in Deaf Read sickens and saddens
me. Our community is becoming increasingly more divided and the level of
discourse increasingly more mean‐spirited. When I started vlogging, I got more
responses from people who shared the cultural (Deaf) perspective than from those
who still subscribed to the medical perspective. But those who did not share the
Deaf perspective responded with their disagreement in a respectful interchange of
ideas. This was fine with me, because one of my goals with my website was to try to
help others in our Deaf community to understand the meaning of Deafhood and see
how it could apply to themselves. Now, after the DBC Conference, everything has
changed. I have seen fewer and fewer commenters who share my perspectives, and
more and more who say they are against it. This does not necessarily mean that I
am wrong, wrong, wrong, but more likely that the opposition is becoming
increasingly effective in quashing dissent with their views, causing people to either
not check DeafRead anymore, or just to remain silent about what they think, out of
fear that they too, will get flamed to a crisp.
The DBC was started with a worthwhile goal, and like many of us, I supported
their aims. I was not a core member of the DBC, nor did I attend the conference,
because I could not afford the travel costs (I did make a donation to help them with
their expenses for the conference). When the whole controversy started, I stayed
out of the discussion because I was not a member of the planning committee, and I
had not been there. However, I know many of the people involved, and it upset me
greatly to see the characterizations being hurled at them. I do not know whether or
not they made mistakes or employed the correct procedures in organizing the DBC
conference. But I do know that at heart, they are good people who truly CARE about
OUR Deaf community, and the future of OUR Deaf children. If they made mistakes,
that is because they are HUMAN. Human people make mistakes, but that does not
diminish in any way what they may be trying to do.
Now, I would not make a good politician. I tend to take people at face value,
until they show me they are not what they seem to be. I am not someone who is
interested in assassinating anyone’s character. But, when I see someone who is
causing damage across broad sectors of OUR community, I feel compelled to speak
out. To remain silent would be only serving to perpetuate an evil against ourselves.
And in this case, the evil has caused us to doubt ourselves and each other. Since I
started vlogging, I was introduced to many people who stated they shared my
perspectives and ideals. And yet, now, while looking at the comments on other sites,
I see these people making comments against the DBC leaders and DBC itself. And
this causes me to question, “Who are these people, really? Are they truly working
with me, or are they playing both sides?”. And this, I think is the saddest tragedy of
all. Our emergent unity in a cause was shattered by the actions of ONE person. One
person who planted the seeds of doubt and dissension, and then sat back to watch
them grow and reap the fruits of his labors.
When Barry Sewell, AKA “Dr. Hococan” first appeared on the DeafRead scene,
with his blog, “Hococan, the Center”, I felt something was wrong. He seemed to be
espousing some Native American Indian philosophy about using circular pens to
break horses, because linear thinking just causes more problems or some such. I’m
not asking for an explanation of it here – I’ve gotten it now. My initial thought was,
“Dr. Hococan, are you saying that the American Indians were wrong for resisting the
White Man’s incursions into their lands and way of life? When now your people (I
thought he was Indian, from what he seemed to be saying) have been shunted off to
reservations that are not even on their original lands, or parts of their lands that are
not the most desirable for living? When now, your people suffer the ills of
alcoholism, and the loss of their languages and way of life?” But I did not ask that,
because he was seeming to say that all of us Deaf need to meet together and unify,
an idea I had expressed from the beginning. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and
waited for more blogs from him to see if I could understand his ideas better. Those
blogs never came.
Instead, his next blogs attacked DBC and its leaders and Deafhood. He did
not seem to be providing any evidence, but stating his opinions. He did not state
that he had been a core member of the DBC. Following that, he published a series of
internal documents relating to DBC which provided “evidence”. The “evidence”
showed some DBC leaders making jokes amongst each other, amongst supposedly
like‐minded individuals. Anyone who knows David Eberwein even a little bit knows
he has a great sense of humor and will make jokes, especially the sarcastic kind. But,
the evidence was pointed only to others, never to himself and his own participation
in the conversation. If he truly did not like the jokes, he should have said something
to the effect of, “hey folks, we have to respect people with Cochlear Implants and
their choices” or “hey, that’s not really appropriate here”. But he did not.
Then he stepped aside when other people started sharing their perspective
of what had happened in the DBC, except to make a comment here or there. But he
had done enough. People started jumping on the bandwagon, without truly
critically examining what had been happening or what had actually been said, and
by who.
Somewhere in the Bible (Old Testament or New, I don’t know which) it says
to “beware of False Prophets”. As I said, I am not interested in character
assassination, but I am going to stand up for our community, and when one person
can be said to have caused damage to our community, I am going to call him out on
it. And I am calling out Barry Sewell, AKA “Dr. Hococan”.
I am calling him out not only because he has damaged us, he has damaged
others. There is a definite pattern of behavior that I have seen developing in his
actions. Recently, one of my confidential sources shared with me this link:
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/kokonutguy/1761990024918530733.
Around the middle of it, this text can be seen:
Greetings brothers and sisters. The name is Berry Tadodaho. I
discovered your blog and thought I should advise everybody about Mark
Azure and James Woodenlegs. They both claimed to be Spiritual Leaders and
practiced sacred Spiritual Ceremonies for numerous years. In essence they
both fooled a lot of people into believing that they were true Spiritual
Leaders and practiced bad medicine. Earlier this year I contacted and spoke
to their respective tribal leaders in North Cheyenne and Rose Bud
Reservation. Respective Leaders and Elders from both reservations
responded by saying they did not recognize Mark Azure and James
Woodenlegs as Spritual Leaders and stated that they both have never
practiced among their people and did not earn the respective positions as
Spiritual Leaders among their people. In their words, both James and Mark
are self appointed Spiritual Leaders, thus creating bad medicine. Bad
medicine happens when and if one practice spiritual ceremonies without
merits and authority. Intertribal Deaf Council became aware of this problem
but yet they choose to ignore it because they were raking in fund raising
money as an organization, in which they humilated and sold Native America’s
religion. The same is true for IDC’s sole woman spiritual leader, Teresa
Norris, who’s Mark Azure’s sweetheart. She is not recognized as Spiritual
Leader by her respective tribe back at home but yet she claims to be Spiritual
Leader. IDC continues to support and fuel bad medicine by recognizing her as
Spiritual Leader, defying the leaders of her respective Tribe. Worse yet,
there is currently active and robust petition and boycott among pure breed
deaf native americans, led by Native Circle who have agreed to boycott IDC’s
conference and gatherings in the future. The majority of deaf native
americans do not feel that IDC represent them any longer. Currently they are
distributing mesages to everybody with hope to botcott against Eagle VRS
and IDC for as long as they choose to use false Spiritual Leaders and Medicine
Men and humilate their native culture and religion. IDC leaders have pushed
full breek natives away and shifted itself toward mixed breed organization
representing blacks and whites. Visit http://www.DeafNative.com and take a look at
their galleries and pictures. You will see nothing but abundance of whites
and blacks wannabes and very few full blooded native amiercnans. They
have robbed and stole the organization away from Native Americans just as
they did it for so many years. I spend majority of my time visiting
reservations in different States whereas I’d meet with deaf native americans.
They are equally as upset with IDC because they feel that IDC are ignoring
them. They hold annual conference and gatherings at fancy hotels and
convention centers, making it financially impossible for them to participate.
It has become an elite club for wealthy few. The organization raises funds in
the name of deaf native americans but yet does Berry, Tadodaho Messenger |
Homepage | 11.24.07 ‐ 6:08 am | #
The style of the language and the themes expressed seemed very similar to Barry
Sewell, AKA “Dr. Hococan”, and now AKA “Berry Tadodaho”? What struck my
interest was that this was within the Intertribal Deaf Council. So I went to some of
my trusted sources within the Deaf Indian community, and they shared with me that
Barry engaged in similar actions toward their community, causing them to
experience a rapid drop in involvement. These sources were reluctant to provide
me with documentation, since it is apparently the Indian way to walk away and not
associate with someone with whom one has a conflict rather than engage them in
confrontation. My sources tell me that Barry is not an American Indian by any
means, nor does he truly practice what he preaches of American Indian ways. His
“DBCFacts” webpage (which apparently has now been taken out of service) had a
link to the “IDC”, which could stand for the Intertribal Deaf Council.
But is Berry Tadodaho and Barry Sewell the same person? (Do a search for
“Tadodaho” in your favorite search engine and you will find that Tadodaho was an
evil chieftain who converted to the ways of good – however, as I will show later, this
evil person did not seem to have converted to the ways of the light). I went to Berry
Tadodaho’s Homepage, and it can be found at this link:
http://www.firekeepers.com/. When one clicks the “contacts” at the Firekeeper’s
Association website, this leads us to see:
Firekeepers Association
PO Box 103
Benson, Arizona 65602
520-826-0090 VP / Voice / Fax
Ok, this doesn’t tell us much. However, also on the homepage are
two sponsors of the Firekeepers Association: “Air Institution, Inc.” and the
“Kuuyi Foundation”. When you go to the Air Institution, Inc. webpage, you
will see within the contacts:
Air Institution, Inc.
Mr. BC Sewell, CEO/President
PO Box 103
Benson, Arizona 85602
This seems familiar (the email contact for Mr. BC Sewell reads as
“mailto: Barry@nosmog.com”). This sounds very similar, but it is possible
that it could be a different Barry Sewell. So, let’s go over and check the
Kuuyi Foundation’s website. Doing so yields this:
Kuuyi Foundation
3700 N. Golden Rule
Cochise, Arizona 85606
Contact By Email
Founder Berry & Crystal
PO Box 103
Benson, Arizona 85606
520-826-0090 VP / Fax
Contact By Email
My sources inform me that Barry’s wife’s name is Crystal. But here it says
“Berry”. And no last names are given. Hmmm…. So are we talking about the same
guy? Not giving up in our quest for the Truth, we looked at the Sponsor page of the
Kuuyi Foundation. And this is what comes up:
Honorable Mention Sponsors
Special thanks to CaZona, Inc. for providing the Foundation with license
rights to bottle and distribute drinking water products and license rights to
use multiple real estate properties for Foundation’s youth programs.
Air Institution, Inc. provides the Foundation with generous royalty
arrangement generated from Exhaust Gas Filter & Filtration System.
Montana Rio, Inc. provides custom hats contributions. Custom hats are
being sold and revenues are donated toward Kuyyi Foundation. Custom
hats are also built for our youth participants, at no cost. It’s a badge of
honor method we use in our youth therapeutic programs.
Firekeepers Association provides generous resources support.
Firekeepers
Association plays an important role in our therapeutic and recreational
programs. The Association provides guidance service and assist us with
the role of firekeeping as well as motivational speakers.
I think we’re closing in on whether “Barry” and “Berry” are the same guy. We
all know that Barry Sewell, the man in question from DeafRead, owns “CaZona, Inc.”
And CaZona makes hats (which he mentioned in his last blog). Going over to
http://www.CaZona.com, and clicking on the “contacts” yields:
Headquarter
CaZona, Inc.
1775 W. El Coyote
Cochise, Arizona 85606
520-826-0090 Voice/Video Phone/Fax
Maybe, but it’s not a definite here. The other sponsor is Montana
Rio, Inc. (www.buckaroo.us). On the home page is a picture of a guy and
a dog, who one might presume are the owners of the company, since the
welcome letter is “signed” by “Denio (reg. ABCA) & Berry”. Still Berry, but
the Contacts gives us this information:
Montana Rio, Inc., Headquarter
1775 W. El Coyote
Cochise, Arizona 85606
520-826-0090 Fax
Look familiar? Ah, but we’re not done yet. Let’s try the “About Us” page.
What do we see? A page about the “Sewell Family”, including pictures.
Sure looks like the same guy. But Barry’s story and pattern is not over.
He gets into conflicts with individuals as well. It seems that in 2007, Barry got
into a land dispute with another person (see
http://www.elkodaily.com/articles/2007/08/22/opinion/letters/letter1.txt) which led
him to organize a recall of the local sheriff (who had been called in during the
dispute. This led to an online discussion (sound familiar?) of the readers of this
newspaper
(http://www.elkodaily.com/articles/2007/09/18/news/breaking_news/breaking10.tx
t). It is interesting to read the comments following the article. One thing that
jumps out at me: He berates other people for seeming to hide behind screen
names, yet he has no problems with using aliases of his own.
The story doesn’t end here. On his website, http://www.ritro.com, he has an
article titled “The tool of empowerment comes from within”. In the last paragraph,
he says:
The author directs http://www.imdeaf.com. Investment Monetary for
the Deaf, also known as IMDeaf and IMDeaf.com, is a venture
capitalist company that specializes in servicing deaf
entrepreneurs. We are always striving to empower deaf
individuals and communities and help them acquire the skill of
empowering self so that they can empower themselves
financially and become a part of our larger financial
empowerment force
In a recent edition of Deaf Digest, there was a question about
imdeaf.com. The editor of Deaf Digest did some checking and
reported his conclusion that imdeaf was likely to be a scam. How
are Deaf people likely to be empowered when the organizer of this
“empowerment service” is in all probability, bilking them of their
money?
Is this a trustworthy person? Is his word reliable enough that we can risk
a division in our community, based on his accusations? He has done it before, to
other people, and no doubt, he will do it again. Some people have commented to
me that the problems of division in the Deaf community were there long before
Mr. Sewell ever came around. This is true enough. However, we have seen a
pattern where he starts “pushing people’s buttons” and creating chaos behind
him whenever he feels he is not getting his way. Whether or not the processes
of DBC (or their human leaders) were flawed, the current problems can be traced
to one man, a man who has proved to be toxic to everything he touches: Mr.
Barry Sewell, AKA “Dr. Hococan” AKA “Berry Tadodado” AKA… Dr. Evil?
Johnny boy, you’re so desperate. Desperate to a point where you think that we’re all ganging up on ya. I’m my own person, always have been. I don’t get personal and nowhere will you find anything by me that indicate my ganging up on ya. I may not agree with your message nor do I agree with how you see the world as it relates to deaf this and deaf that. At least, for me, it’s not personal. With you, it’s always personal. Paotie’s Ballad says it all.
BTW, Ann_C has a new blog out. She hit it home. Check it out. http://ireflections09.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/ab-2072-parental-anger-and-deafhood-redux/
John E.,
*Nice Smirky Smile*
I’d prefer to work for Hands and Voice over DBC.
Thank you.
*Nice Smirky Smile*
Bsrry….that comment is an outright lie and so immature. Your perception of what you think happened is not reality. But maybe it is reality in your little world. Who knows.. Regardless…enough already.
It is worthless trying to discuss anything with you so I am signing off. I am sure you will comment after this as it is your style to get the last word in.
Those who support AB 2072 are either being deceived or are deceiving. I pity those of you whose ASL skills, English skills, and compassion are so minimal that they can not fathom the depth of comprehension the opposition has about the bill and its dangers and trickery.
Those who support AB 2072 are already so biased against ASL that they unbelievably think that just by putting ASL in that bill, we all should be jumping with joy and feeling confident about the scraps being thrown on the floor for the dogs. This is quite pathetic and patronizing.
I shall not tolerate this. Neither should every one of you.
I pity you who are so negative in your thinking about the opposition to AB 2072 that you so quickly believe the truly insane accusations that we are against parents. We are against self financial interests of those who have sponsored the bill, namely the California Coalition (aural-oral private schools. Note NO Deaf/ASL centered schools/organizations in there)
Educate yourselves about the history, educate yourselves about the schools, educate yourselves about the Deaf culture and yes, educate yourselves about American Sign Language, and the emerging REAL and HEALTHY successes of ASL-English bilingualism that promotes excellence in education AND embracing of who we all are JUST AS WE ARE, not some notions of THE INSANE AND DANGEROUS PERFECT RACE.
Nothing is new with Barry Sewell and his cronies in Ann_C, White Ghost, Candy, Paotie and all that crap — always stalking and ganging up on people they felt they cannot compete in real life.
Once again, Barry is spinning more lies than ever. It is quite amazing that people would fall for his tricks.
He does not live in California. He lives in Arizona. He has failed several businesses and yet, that does not stop him from going around claiming that he is a successful businessman. That reminds me of a famous quote, “the surgery is successful but the patient is DEAD!”
That quote fits what I see in Barry Sewell. Begone already!
Now to Dr. Elise Roche. Special State School for the Deaf? That attitude of yours which categorized deaf schools as “not normal” is quite offensive. I would not want to place my child in a facility run by people with that attitude like yours!
Your daughter learned how to speak because you wanted it to HEAR her bray. It is all what YOU wanted, not what SHE wanted. It is a matter of time before she will learn ASL on her own and in the process as an adult, like many deaf children who grew up being forced to bray, your daughter will reject you and close you out of her life for good.
Mark my words, Dr. Elisa Roche. It shall happen to you. I have seen it all around me. Your time is a-up.
Not even Barry Sewell and his cronies can deny that one.
Make your move, o selfish woman.
R-
In addition to Paotie revealing who John Egbert really is, I should also make some revelations about who Hearing Mom is.
Hearing Mom…
You’ve been putting yourself in a losing battle. You’re fighting really hard to ensure that you feel good about your decision for your adult “D”eaf daughter who graduated from a deaf school in Indiana and Gallaudet University, is only a couple years older than me, and always utilizes ASL. You’re feeling resentful that your daughter hasn’t had the same opportunities as I had, which is getting a CI at a young age and learning to hear and speak.
You contacted DeafRead alleging that my website, Cochlear Implant Online (http://www.cochlearimplantonline.com) and I were affiliated with Cochlear Corporation or any kind of cochlear implant manufacturer company, which I am absolutely not at all. I just happen to use Cochlear’s products to help me hear every day.
You snuck into the AG Bell Symposium last summer as a DBC “outreach coordinator” and got into a heated debate with a friend of mine who is in grad school and studying to become a Speech Language Pathologist.
At the EHDI conference in Chicago, instead of advocating for finding ways to ensure that parents receive follow-up after their infant fails the newborn hearing screening, you advocated staunchly for the importance of ASL.
What you’re doing is counterproductive. Those of us who support the bill, all we’re asking is to ensure that parents receive ALL information about communication and language learning options, which include listening and spoken language, Cued Speech, AND ASL. This bill is to ensure that audiologists mention ASL as an option. If they don’t, they would be breaking the law!
You want parents to receive information only about ASL.
Ella, it’s you that we pity. And FYI, you’re badly out numbered.
Furthermore, you’re grossly misinformed simply because you do not pose the English skill to know and understand the legal ramifications behind a bill like this one.
I have an old email from you saying you would only discuss things with me via video phone because you were not comfortable with English language. Go figure. You don’t really understand this bill.
Therefore, we pity you.
John Egbert, the ever so desperate fisherman of Minnesota. You dumped a piece of junk in here in order to distract the real problem, which happen to be yourself. Words are like mirror, a reflection of self. I didn’t think you’d be careless enough to expose so much about yourself in a public forum like this one. LOL.
You’ve made me so famous and will only make me even more famous. You’re my greatest source of advertisement. I shall honor you at some point and send you a lollipop. Carmel or bubble gun?
Ridor, is that all you’re able to spew out? You used to offer valid arguments but no longer seem to be the case. Running out of fuel? Guess your mouth remained open for too long and all the hot air escaped. Along with Ella, we pity you as well.
To the anonymous who wrote a long winding comment, even if Barry wasn’t around, there’s plenty of deaf people out there who supports choice. I was never influenced by Barry and held this view way before I ever knew of him online. This is becoming ridiculous, going on a character assassination. John Egbert has always gone on a witch hunt against anyone who does not agree with him, as a result, what he sowed, he reaped.
It is clear that Ella and Co. wants to dominate the future of deaf babies. They are not okay with ASL being part of “all communication options”. They want to make sure every deaf babies are taught ASL, to be fluent in ASL before they are allowed to check out “all communication options”. That is their stance. They are essentially telling the parents that they are not capable of making decisions for their own child.
I would strongly suggest further support in reverting to “all communication options” rather than listing the options specifically in the bill.
I, too, was for all communication options for well over a year before the DBC convention in Milwaukee and before Barry Sewell ever showed up in DR. I can also verify that John Egbert tried character assassination to derail Paotie’s blog off DR, and this happened before Barry ever showed up as well. Candy, Rachel and several others have also spoken up for all communication options for a long time. Many of us who have DR blogs also saw how Rachel’s blog was booted off DR, and the reaction was unbelievably vicious glee.
I have also long believed that character assassination, name-calling, personal attacks have no place in online blogging and have refrained mightily to not return in kind. It does nothing for one’s credibility and certainly nothing for clarifying issues. I am still registering shock over some of the accusations and revelations here, but in some way I’m not surprised, as it’s very characteristic of the deaf community to hit below the belt at any D/deaf person with a different view. I’ve seen a g**awful amount of this backbiting in the three years of blogging on the deaf blogosphere and have been called all manner of names as well. One would think that I’d be immune to it after all this time. But I’m doing it because I hope somehow that some D/deaf people will start to think for themselves for a change and not swallow whole what is called Deafhood in this country. It is only a deaf philosophy, not the political ideology that Ella and her cohorts have turned it into.
Ridor —
Nice try, tho. You and I don’t live in California. Why would you not support AB 2072?
He does not live in California and he lives in Arizona. You have worried where he lives. Why would you keep talking about where he lives and his business? So what? Who cares?
So what’s your point about his residence? What’s your problem?
We don’t tell you what to do. So, don’t tell Barry Sewell what to do.
Get life and quit worrying about Barry’s residences, and then focus your cause. I would commend you if you don’t agree with AB2072, we are all different people. Gotta live with this.
Rachel,
First of all, I am not jealous of you having a cochlear implant and my daughter not. That is plain silly. My daughter is just as successful as you. She graduated top of her class at ISD and Galluadet. What I advocate for is ASL and English…as I have said there is no ASL alone when it comes to becoming bilingual. I simply have known too many people whose parents were told not to sign to their deaf child and it impacted their deaf child’s chances for fluency in any language (English and ASL) thus affecting their academic, social and emotional development. If you look at graduation statistics and the passing of state graduation exams, you will find that deaf students are well below the national average. This is happening in 2010 and 85+ of the population of deaf students are in mainstream schools. Plus educational programs that have 10 or less deaf students do not even have to report to their states. So there is no data tracking to know how they are doing. These are all issues I am concerned with. These are issues are tied directly to fluency in language.
Second, I paid to go the AGBell Symposium last summer. Why you would make up such a thing as to me sneaking into the symposium is beyond me? I did not talk to any speech pathologist at the symposium and did not get into any heated debates. I did talk to two young speech pathology “students” at lunch and told them about how I raised my daughter when they asked… but there was no heated debates. In fact it was a pleasant conversation.
Third…you say you are not tied to the cochlear implant companies or promoting cochlear implants but until you can prove that…I don’t believe it. The fact of the matter is that auditory verbal therapy is not concerned about communication options. In fact, AVT adheres to no sign language and no lipreading. That was in the AVT Principles on the AGBell website until they recently took that part off. I imagine because it pointed out just how biased AVT is about options.
I am happy for you that your CI works well for you. Cochlear implants have nothing to do what I advocate for which is language through ASL and English BOTH.
Now let’s get back to the bill. If you read it and all its amendments, you will see that it still allows special interest groups to create, develop, fund information without accountability. If they mention ASL does that mean they have covered it equally and thoroughly. What about Cued Speech..same thing. What about speech and listening…same thing. We all want parents to have informed and accurate information but it is not going to happen if special interest groups are funding and distributing this information. We want all stakeholders to have input into the information parents receive.
Coming together sure would be a nice thing. Are you willing?
As an owner of Apple’s MacBook Pro and an iPod, does this make me affiliated with Apple? No. As an owner of a Panasonic television, does this make me affiliated with Panasonic? No. I’m just a customer of Cochlear. Yes, I did attend a few conferences sponsored by Cochlear Corporation, but I made the choice to attend and paid my own expenses. No one from the company asked me to attend and blog about the conference on CI Online. Yes, I did give a talk at the Cochlear headquarters in Sydney, Australia. I just happened to be in Sydney for a photography course for my university. I contacted Cochlear headquarters in Sydney asking them if I could tour the company because I was interested in seeing how they manufacture the devices. They asked me to give a talk because they were interested in hearing my story. Yes, Cochlear Australia did fund my trip to Adelaide from Sydney, but they did not come to me and ask me to come. A friend of mine who lives in Adelaide and has a child with a cochlear implant knew that I was going to be in Australia, and so, applied for a grant sponsored by Cochlear to assist me in coming to Adelaide. Yes, I’m a member of Cochlear Awareness Network, but Cochlear doesn’t guide me in how to advocate. There are just there for support. Yes, I did win the Graeme Clark Scholarship sponsored by Cochlear Corporation, but I made the choice to apply. The judging committee consisted of a cochlear implant surgeon, an AV therapist, and Heather Whitestone McCallum. Yes, I did recently win Cochlear’s Hearing Hero award, but a mom of a child with a cochlear implant nominated me, and I was voted for by people, not by employees of Cochlear. To take another example, if I had applied for Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship and won the scholarship, does it make me affiliated with Coca-Cola? No.
So, please stop not believing me and in fact, I posted a disclaimer on the home page of my website stating: “Cochlear Implant Online is not endorsed by nor is it written by anyone affiliated with Cochlear, Med-El, Advanced Bionics, and AGBell. This website was created by Rachel Chaikof, who just happens to be a bilateral cochlear implant user, to create an awareness about cochlear implants and listening and spoken language.”
Can your daughter attend any other schools besides Gallaudet and NTID? I would say yes, but I would assume that she would need an interpreter, which is paid for by the government, in her classes if she attended other schools such as Penn State, Harvard, UCLA. I will be attending grad school this coming fall at University College London in UK to study anthropology, and I was told that they will NOT fund any accommodations, if I need any, and that includes interpreters because I am an international student. When the university told me this, I was very grateful that I use very little accommodations, which includes asking a classmate for notes and using an assistive listening device in a few classes. I am just grateful that my parents raised me the way they did so that I am not limited to attending to Gallaudet and NTID. You can read details about this here – http://cochlearimplantonline.com/site/?p=1738
I did not state that you spoke with a Speech Language Pathologist at the AG Bell Symposium. I said “a friend of mine who is in grad school and studying to become a Speech Language Pathologist. ” Yes, this does mean a STUDENT. You did get into a debate. You were offended when she asked how your daughter was doing in the real world and dismissed her statements when she said that she knows that there are deaf people who are hearing and speaking and living successfully.
The problem I have with you and your club is that you are advocating that ALL parents of deaf children MUST learn ASL and teach it to their deaf children. All I’m asking is for a respect for parents’ right to choose how to raise their children. That’s fine if AVT doesn’t support lipreading and sign language. There are other methodologies that support lipreading and sign language that parents can choose. AVT is just a METHODOLOGY like Total Communications, Bi-Bi Approach, and Auditory/Oral.
When my parents first learned about my deafness, the only information they received from the first audiologist they met was Total Communication!
Barry Sewell…
Antidote for BS is smelling it first
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sh99DcMv2U&feature=digest
Hearing Mom and everyone who opposes AB 2072…..
I was raised orally and was educated in the mainstream. I graduated with honors and distinction in the major from a mainstream liberal-arts college, have a graduate degree from a mainstream university, and speak three foreign languages in addition to my native English. I am fluent enough in two of those languages to be able to use them personally and professionally. During a trip abroad, I was mistaken for a native speaker of a particular language, as my accent and fluency were spot-on — and was also my traveling companions’ translator-interpreter. Currently, I am teaching myself a fourth foreign language, primarily via LISTENING and reading. In addition, I have a CI, which has helped me tremendously in all aspects of my life, from the personal (hanging out with friends, hearing birds sing in the morning, appreciating music) to the professional (using the phone, meeting with colleagues in person). When my hearing loss was diagnosed, my parents were presented only with the manual approach. I am, and have always been, grateful that they chose to raise me with spoken language. I am very happy to be able to speak for myself without needing anyone to speak for me. Without spoken language, I don’t think I’d have been able to do what I have done in my life.
Count me in as another supporter of this bill. And I have seen firsthand the benefits of spoken language for my boys. Implanted in infancy, Auditory Verbal therapy complete prior to preschool. Fully functioning as a hearing, speaking, understanding, reading children.
Over 90% of parents of deaf infants, when asked, have spoken language as a goal. To reach that goal, one has to choose the best methods and encourage neural development of the auditory pathways. That cannot be done without spoken language as the primary language. Parents have the rights to that goal. DBC DOES try to take that away from parents; it is easy to find comments by their members touting the fact that they think deaf children should learn sign language first and only secondarily, perhaps, some spoken language. That’s not the path to excellence.
This country is noted for its freedom. Parents have the freedom to choose their child’s primary language. They choose their medical treatment. Naturally, most parents desire amplification and, when appropriate, cochlear implants. Healthcare professionals that I’ve met don’t have to hype the benefits… they are obvious. Every day, more people are amazed by my kids’ hearing and speaking, and want to know what they have on their head. And so, little by little, society is getting to know how well deafness is ameliorated. Only those in the extremist groups really believe that deafness is something which isn’t a setback of some kind, and refuse to believe that our kids are in a good situation having been born today, in a time of great medical advancement.
No matter what happens, though, we know that parents will continue to seek out paths toward spoken language since it is a natural desire to communicate easily and thoroughly in a shared language which all family, friends and society use. Parents will seek oral language skills for their kids, cochlear implants, and whatever else helps them along the way– because that’s what parents have always done. No amount of harkening back to the “bad old days” by those who hate their childhood will change what today’s progress means for our kids.
We have already won.
Mira and Amy,
I am like you too. I have excellent speech and 90db.
BUT, what about our hearing impaired friends? They are not lucky like us!
We are the 10% that are able to do what we can do.
Yes, we have won, but the majority of those lost.
Maybe we should think of those that can’t do but we have the freedom to think for ourselves.
Lucky me.
hearingmom:
Question: How on earth is a person who only communicates via ASL supposed to be able to play sports with hearing kids? Do you expect them to have a translator on the field running with them at the same time? I’m curious as to how this is carried out with Deaf kids. I’m not trying to knock on anyone, but I’m just curious how you expect your Deaf child to be able to communicate with other normal-hearing kids on a soccer team, for example. This is based on my assumption that you guys want your kids to only communicate via ASL, as it seems like the case with you.
I’m a young Cochlear implant recipient who has NEVER needed a translator after receiving a CI at the age of 4. I don’t see the point of learning ASL when I can communicate with everyone else like a normal-hearing person. People can’t even tell that I was born deaf, for my speech is that excellent. Also, thanks to my AVC therapist and HARD-WORKING parents, I was able to be mainstreamed through all years at top-notch public schools without a translator. I was even in school’s band for 7 years, which is one of the best in the Southeast! I don’t know ANYONE that was able to do such feat only by communicating via ASL.
I now attend Georgia Tech, which is one of top schools in the nation, and am majoring in biomedical engineering (easily one of the hardest majors) with aspirations to work on cochlear implants. I’m not limited to where I can work, which seems the case with ASL kids. I know some people who got denied a position because of their dependence on translators. Will that happen with me? Nope. I can even go work in other countries, especially Spain since that I can carry conversations in Spanish 🙂
So, sorry to be harsh, but I also know someone who communicates via ASL and oral (sounds horrible, FYI) and she attends Gallaudet University and is doing well there, yet she wasn’t even in any AP or gifted/honors classes in high school! I mean, heck, Gallaudet University’s admission standards are low. The top Top 75th Percentile scored the following: Composite: 19, Verbal: 16, Math: 18. What on earth? I scored a 30 on the ACT, which is in the top 97th percentile in the nation! So, yeah, sorry to be offensive, but you ARE limiting your child’s education if you only restrict him/her to ASL.
Once again, sorry for being harsh and offensive, and sorry for practically putting my resume on a blog, but I just had to speak for us CI recipients who ONLY communicate via spoken language. I think it’s disgusting for anyone to want every single deaf kid to communicate via ASL only.
Have a good day.
Hello everybody,
I’m Katie and I have bilateral cochlear implants – the first received at 5, reimplanted at 15 (by my own choice, not my parents) and went bilateral at 22. Yet I utilize two modes of communication – both American Sign Language (ASL) and Spoken English. I’m able to code-switch between both as well as the other options (Rochester Method, PSE (Pidgin Signed English – a hodgepodge of ASL words thrown in the English order), Signed English, etc as well as reading/written Latin).
As for the bill, I fully support it as I realize that there is a need to present parents of d/Deaf and Hard of hearing children with all options that are currently available – given my track record with audiologists, I have come to learn that they come in all sizes and shapes. This bill will ensure that no audiologist will say “Total Communication’s the way to go!” or “Don’t teach her sign langauge!” or any other similiar opinions.
Look at this way – when people find out their precious baby has a hearing loss, the first person they speak with is the audiologist. So it’s important for the audiologist to give those parents informed choices to guide them in the steps in deciding which mode of communication to utilize and/or amplification/simulation.
This ensures that ALL options get recongition – from ASL to Cued Speech to Listening and Spoken Language with everything in between. After all, it is the parents who decide what’s best for their child.
Ditto Amy and Caitlin and Katie! Your comments were spot on!
I should also thank Hearing Mom, John Egbert, Ella, and the DBC and AFA team for inspiring me to become a stronger advocate. You all also motivated me to become a regular blogger. Thank you.
Because I know that there are some parents of deaf children lurking on this blog, I should post this link to let parents of deaf children know what is possible for their children today: http://www.youtube.com/user/CochlearImplantOnlin
My goal is to create a better awareness that deaf children today CAN learn language through hearing and speaking, as long as they are committed to being involved and hard-working parents.
Rachel,
It is sad that you have so much disrespect for people who use ASL that you would make a comment like this that implies you are superior because you speak and don’t need an interpreter. Congratulations you have now managed to insult two universities and all of the people affiliated with them by stating:
“Can your daughter attend any other schools besides Gallaudet and NTID? I would say yes, but I would assume that she would need an interpreter, which is paid for by the government, in her classes if she attended other schools such as Penn State, Harvard, UCLA. I will be attending grad school this coming fall at University College London in UK to study anthropology, and I was told that they will NOT fund any accommodations, if I need any, and that includes interpreters because I am an international student. When the university told me this, I was very grateful that I use very little accommodations, which includes asking a classmate for notes and using an assistive listening device in a few classes. I am just grateful that my parents raised me the way they did so that I am not limited to attending to Gallaudet and NTID.”
Wondered if you used CART, notetakers, and FM technology in college or school? Who do you think pays for those accommodations? My daughter didn’t need any of them. She had professors and teachers that she could communicate fluently with in her first language. She could be actively involved in the conversations without any pause. In my daughter’s life today as a grown adult, she is very independent. She has traveled the world and seen and done more than most people. Her hearing world, woman’s world, young adult world is complimented with her rich rich Deaf world.
Next…I will again say that at the AGBell Symposium there was no debate nor did I dismiss or feel offended by the young students who I talked to. I actually enjoyed talking to them and they were very polite and we had a nice conversation. You were not there so I find it odd that you seem to know what was said or not said.
Lastly, congratulations on those who have commented on your ability to speak. If that is what worked for you…then congratulations. It is clear that you are supporting this bill because it has been written by oral only proponents.
My question for you is…suppose the bill was written by ASL/English proponents without your input…would you support it or oppose it? That is what this comes down to.
I do support parent choice and so does my club (smile…odd word to use). I personally support parents getting educated, full, and accurate information about language not “options” developed by all the Stakeholders… not something like this bill where the information will be funded by one specific interest group (at no cost to the state) that has their own biases towards speaking and listening only. That is why I think this bill is not beneficial for parent choice.
Rachel thank you for the details about your connections to the cochlear implant companies. I can see why they have given you so many honors. It is pretty clear that your connection to them as a star cochlear implant user benefits their company as well. Good PR.
Good luck with Grad School!
Hearing mom…
“Wondered if you used CART, notetakers, and FM technology in college or school? Who do you think pays for those accommodations?”
It looks like you didn’t read one of my blog entries that I posted: http://cochlearimplantonline.com/site/?p=1738
Here’s an excerpt from the blog:
“…I never needed a large amount of accommodations at my current college. I’ve rarely used assistive listening devices, and I never had problems getting good notes from students and even from professors who usually have the most phenomenal notes 😀 . I used CART only in two classes ONLY because I had professors who were difficult to understand and they did not have any notes and the students didn’t even take notes! Thus, using CART is a VERY LAST resort for me. I’ve done very well in the past four years with very minimal to no struggles, and I’ve made all A’s and only two B’s. So, as long as I have professors who articulate well and have good notes to provide, and students who take good notes, I should not have any problems.”
The only thing that is paid for by the government is CART, which was used in only TWO classes and an assistive listening device, which is only about $800, which is nothing compared to the cost of having interpreters on regular basis.
I know about your conversation at the AG Bell Symposium because one of the girls is a very good friend of mine. *winks* You’re just trying to make yourself look good.
There is no question that Gallaudet is not the most reputable school in the world. They were placed on probation in 2007, which meant that they were in risk to lose their accreditation from Middle States Commission on Higher Education. According to sources such as this one article, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/13/AR2007071301894.html , Gallaudet’s level of academics wasn’t rigorous. Although, Gallaudet’s accreditation was re-instated recently. By the way, I heard from a little bird that your daughter was arrested in the protest in 2006. These are straight-forward facts.
I’ve traveled the world too, like your daughter. I studied abroad in France twice and lived with host families throughout France where I had the opportunity to speak French fluently as my second language. I spent a month in Peru last summer to learn Spanish as a third language. People can see my travel experiences at my travel blog: http://www.misstravelgirl.com
I’m sharing all this information on this wall so that parents of deaf children who are reading the comments are aware of these facts.
I am supporting the bill because my parents were not exposed to all of the information by the first audiologist whom they met and several other people. Quite a few professionals even told them that they MUST learn SEE and teach it to me. The only information they were given was Total Communication. If my parents had not been misinformed, I would have been able to get a CI at the age of 2 years old instead of 2 and a half years old. Because my parents were told that cochlear implants didn’t work, they didn’t get the right facts that cochlear implants were a potential helpful technology for me, until they met a cochlear implant user who was hearing and speaking beautifully. I do not want other parents to go through what my parents went through.
DBC obviously does not support parental choice. Several of the members have clearly stated that ALL parents must teach their deaf children to sign. Please feel free to ask for proof. In fact, DBC IS against CIs. For instance, your organization posted research results stating why CIs are bad – http://www.dbcusa.org/index.php/Latest-News/Study-in-France-Shows-High-Rate-of-Complications-for-CI-Usage.html DBC protested at the AG Bell conference in 2008 demanding AG Bell advocate for sign language. That is called disrespect for an organization that has the right to promote the listening and spoken language approach.
I’m a 14 year old boy from Singapore, and my parents found out that I had bilateral sensorineural deafness in 2006. We were told about cochlear implants, but my mum did not want me to go under the knife. Last year, I made a decision to go ahead with the op, and she supported me as there was no other option. The next month I was activated, and from then till now, I’ve been loving my CI! I’ve discovered sounds that I never had heard before!
Let me tell you something, you hypocrites: If you enjoy sound and music (for those parents who are not deaf), can’t your children enjoy it too?! What kind of parents are you?! Who are you to deny the wonderful gift of sound to them?! Go and live in the stone age if you want to be like this! In this modern age, there is so much potential that technology has, and the CI technology has TOTALLY changed my life! So much, that I’m planning to get my left ear implanted (I’m implanted on my right). I do not know a single sign, and I attend a mainstream school, have many friends, play sports, dance and I enjoy my life! I can communicate with ease! As I have had bad experiences in communicating before my CI, I can understand how your children are suffering in silence because their parents can only be bothered about this deaf culture! Have you ever looked into the eyes of your child and seen the pain of not being able to communicate? How would you feel if you were him/her? You assume that your kid will be happy with ASL when they are crying inside because they cannot hear!
I advise you to give up this deaf culture balderdash. Deafness is no longer a disability! As a kid, I feel strange giving advice to adults, but you are blinded by your false pride. If your child is a candidate for a cochlear implant, ask your doctor about it. Stop arguing that that CI users are wrong, CI’s are bad and all that crap. ASL is very inconvinient. If your child is in danger, and you do not know, can he sign to you to let you know? He’ll have to shout out to you! And how do you expect him to do that if he cannot speak? Then you will regret it later!
Hope I managed to knock some sense into your brains.
From a kid who is more mature than adults who can only think about deaf ‘culture’.