I Challenge You Guys, Native ASL Users

Yes, you, the Native ASL Users! I challenge you! I have questions for you. I have this suspicions ever since I noticed it myself.


Icthus Deafies brought an interesting pointview on the language, "Questions and Thinking about Language." He made me think and review on this, because I had this quest on myself for a long time.


Now, I am ready to ask you Deaf guys who born to Deaf parents! You ready? :D

Okay, here it is. Since you acquired the language at birth, you were able to express freely in the language. You understand the translation of languages, because of experiencing the translations at early age too. Am I right on the track?


Now, the question is:


"Do you understand the interpreters better than the general Deaf population?"


Or, better yet, "Do you understand the languages better than the general Deaf population?"


I have witnessed this from time to time. Gee, for example, in my graduate classes, I had this Deaf peer from Deaf family. We used the interpreters all the time with our classes. I understood most of the interpreters. It just happened that we got one interpreter that I could not get information from myself. In the beginning of the course, I actually dozed off on and off, especially with this interpreter in the difficult course. I came to realize how concerned I was about understanding the whole course. I began to study this Deaf peer to see whether this person could understand this interpreter. This student did! Oh, my goodness! I studied this again the next time. Yes, this person ACTUALLY did! Ohhhhhh, I am in serious trouble, I told myself! So, I had to ask this peer how this person could understand this interpreter. This student said, this person only paid attention to the grammar of English, or the concept of the lecture. I was signless (speechless). Then I expressed my frustration to the interpreter about not able to get the information from her. She was glad to help me out with that. So, we were the team altogether. I even took a picture of them, I guess, based on the experience I learned a great deal from.


Again, at Gallaudet University, I was ended up in a course with a lot of Deaf students that were from Deaf families. This professor was hearing, but had an intelligence that those Deaf students were appreciating with. I TRIED to understand this professor, but his signing were SO bad! I was impressed that they understood this professor. Looked like the same thing about focusing on the grammar of English or the concept of the lecture, like my graduate peer's.


So, you Deaf Native ASL Users! Yes or No? :D


Thank you, Butterfly, like me...Deaf

IEPs and Deaf Professionals

I have to agree with Carl S.'s message about IEP, Parents and CI kids and Ron's Me-Deaf-Yes vlog's recently message about IEP, CI, and Deaf Teachers. I want to mention that there is a vast of grey area of how to work with Deaf students.

One time I had to deal with the teacher for the deaf in the Deaf program in hearing school. This hearing lady was telling the Deaf students what to expect to live out of the school. She even told one Deaf student that he cannot be able to go to even a community college. To me, this student may be an average Deaf person, but why hinder him at all? Where is the hope? Isn't the hope considered the carrot tied on the string and the string tied on the stick and holding the stick with carrot in the front of a donkey to make this donkey moving on? I ended up telling him that he needs to believe in himself what he can do for himself while the teacher was busy teaching someone else. It was an unbearable sight for me. This student had only this one teacher that worked with the Deaf students. Only his "main role model." And she was stinky!

IEPs has a long way. People participating in IEPs complained about so many issues that they did not feel comfortable seeing how things were made in IEPs, especially in Deaf programs in hearing schools. I was informed how things went. The students names were not mentioned anyhow.

That is why I was asking for the Deaf rights law to be established. The national law is much needed. Again, another Deaf committee or Deaf organization might be the key to strength the Deaf rights and to get the law and other laws, related to Deaf people's needs, passed. The Deaf rights law will help setting up the standard expectation of the Deaf students, and the standard guideline for the professionals, and of course, the parents.

Thank you. Butterfly, like me...Deaf

"Choosing a Deaf baby is criminal" wrote Daniel Finkelstein!!

Hi, since you guys are interested in something you would like to read about, I looked around, and found an article that I should share with you. Tomato Lichy was mentioned here in this article. I thought I better reveal this with you, I mean, I would not even bother to collect the information if it were not like this... I think it is serious subject that you guys should pay attention to.

"Choosing a deaf baby is criminal" written by Daniel Finkelstein. He lives in England. He is not even agreeing that the embryo omission is eugenic. His description on this is rather alarmingly dangerous, in my opinion.

Thank you, deafk

Deaf. Deafie. Deafies. Mildly Deaf. Medium Deaf. Sereve Deaf. Profound Deaf. Deafened. Deaf.

DPN20 Stories Collection of DeafRead.com V/Bloggers And Readers

Hi, DeafRead.com!

After writing a chronicle of my experience with DPN, I began to notice there were several awesome DPN stories of v/bloggers. I thought why not collect all those v/bloggers that actively involved in DPN, attended to DPN, or witnessed the DPN events. Just us, the DeafRead.com group, including the readers. I am pretty sure that the readers have wonderful stories that they would like to share with, but do not have v/blogs yet. The readers can email their stories to me at deafk@sbcglobal.net. V/bloggers can email, too.

If I collect plenty of the DPN stories from DeafRead.com, I can find a way to get them together, and publish them in a book. Should a story need an editing, I cheerily would contact that person that wrote the story, and discuss how the story be edited. It may take time, but it will be worthwhile!

Should there are a lot of you that are in favor for this, I would go further and discuss more. I would make a plan and a deadline establishment.

I have a desire for this. I hope you like this idea, and want this idea into a project!! :D

Thank you so much, Butterfly, like me...Deaf

Honoring DPN20; my personal experience.

Finally, I got the time to do so. I gotta mention a few things that may be different from another v/bloggers.

First of all, I was in rally a few times to give my support to the idea of getting a new president that was Deaf. At the rallies, the persons were exclaiming that having Deaf president was overdue. We even went to the one of MSSD's buildings to give our rarrahs to the committee of Board and Trustee. I recalled the walking on the circle in the front of the MSSD's building.

When it came to the announcement of the selected one's name, I was readily prepped to expecting having the Deaf president, because considering the higher credits of Deaf candidates. When I walked to the gym with a friend, we looked at the bared trees with white stripes. We looked at each other, and said, "what was that?" As we came closer and closer, we saw toilet papers swaying on the bared branches. We were puzzled why the toilet papers even ended up there. Then we came across to the gym. We saw the group, agonizing, and looking disappointed. We then looked at the announced papers burning.

One professor picked up one of the burned papers, and said "It was Zinser!" Then he threw it down, and walked toward to the front of Gallaudet University's campus. He told us that there is going on on the street, and we ought go there. We went there, and we were dumbfounded when we saw a large group sitting on the street. The city policemen were re-directing the automobiles to different direction. We joined the group. After that, I got involved that I forgot all about this friend. I did not know where this person went afterwhile. I joined sitting the group. A while later, the group had made a historical decision! We decided to make a march toward to the Capitol, but a group dividing toward to the hotel where the committee of Board and Trustee were staying for night. Those group who ended up at Capitol which was closed at the night decided that we kept up marching toward the hotel. I was in that group that went to Capitol and then the hotel.

When arrived the hotel, there were people giving the audience the cheers, and rarrahs. They were waiting for the chairperson of Board and Trustee to come out and discuss with us. Finally, the lady, named Spillman, came out and announced the infamous line, "the Deaf people are NOT ready to FUNCTION in the HEARING world." This line shook us greatly! We objected all about that, and went back marching to Gallaudet. Then the group informed us to be prepared for the lockout in the morning.

The flashing lights came in for getting our attention and participation. We saw that the buildings were closed with chains and lockpads. We went to the front of Gallaudet University for the lockout. We were excited all about this. We felt empowered at last. We felt united for our Deafhood.

We went to the old gym for meetings at nights. The four leaders kept informing us what to expect. We gave them feedback what we could do for the lockouts and demands. We got the plans for the next day. We went back to our dorms. There was no homework. No classes.

During days, there were different people announcing what we could do next. The four leaders did the announcements a lot. One leader was representing the Student Body Government, and this leader was in the center of attention by media... Another leader was former SBG president, and this leader was helping this SBG president out meanwhile. Another leader was able to speak clearly and loudly. We heard this leader very well. Lastly another leader gave us inspiration, and motivation.

I wanted to mention that I contributed a very small thing, but an influential one. I went to one of those four leaders, and showed this leader the sign where I got from my circle of friends. The sign for Sinner sounded like Zinser. This leader liked it, and spread it far and wide. I saw this sign all over. "Sinner, out."

Anyway, when we won the sweet victory, and we got the Deaf president, we celebrated like those people who got excited for their football team winning the game. We danced, and cheered!

After this victory, I went to Boston to be with my sister. She took me to her volunteering party. I met all those hearing ladies. We chatted a bit. Sister interpreted for me. Then sister announced to those ladies that I just got here from Galladuet University. All of the ladies looked at me, and applauded for a few minutes. I nodded back, and smiled. It was a great feeling! :)

That's my highlight moments at DPN events.

Thanks, Butterfly, like me...Deaf

What is he? Mild Deaf? Not?

Hi, this is about my son. I decided not to type the transcript this time. If you wish to know, please let me know and I will figure out, ok, thanks.
******************************************************

After reading Ridor's article about his not willing to watch any videos, I decided to type the transcript after all.

I am trying to summarize what I have signed in my video. I wanted to talk about my son. He has Down's syndrome. He is smart, funny and alert in whatever he does. He is now 5 years old. Now, guess what what subject I have been struggled lately ... it is the hearing problem or issue. Ever since his birth to present, I have dealt with his language development. I noticed that he is an audio-based learner, not a visual-based learner. I have dealt harder with his speech, than I did with my girls. I am Deaf myself. So, I get confused how to do the speech with him and his condition.

His children doctor did the air pressure equipment to test his ears for any fluid left in the middle ears. Doctor did that ever since he was baby to present. He gave concerned looks about son's ears condition. Doctor does not feel right about this, either son's ears being infected or not. He encouraged me to go for the hearing testing clinic. We went there when son was 3 years old. The test came negative. I reported this to the doctor. He gave a concerned look. The doctor kept up giving the air pressure equipment for fluid check, and the outcome were not good.

I asked for his referral instead, and we went to the referred place. The audiologist determined that my son has about 50 dB. I looked back and realized that I tend to use stronger voice for my son. I used the regular voice with my girls when calling. When rebelled, I would use more firm voice with girls. When son rebels, I would come to him, and get him and bring him to the place. 50 dB, hmmm. That makes senses. Tough situation. Based on his doctor repeating the air pressure equipment showing bad results, I decided to identity my son mild deaf. Even though my son is referred to ENT doctor for any clarification or cleaning his middle ears' infection if any and , I would still make a plan to place my son in the deaf school.

It is not easy to identify his hearing level. It is something else! Even I asked for tubing in his eardrum, I ended up with the concerned looks! I compared him with the other peers with Down's syndrome. The peers response better than my son. My son responses a little different.

I am sure you have experiences such like this...all over the country. I'm appreciated for any feedback from you.

Five years experience on this situation, whoa!

Thank you, b-deaf

Now, Would AG Bell be there, for sure?

I think I have improved the video quality. Please give me feedback in the comment about the video quality, thanks.

Think about it...DeafRead bloggers and vloggers wrote a lot about AG Bell conference in Wisconsin a lot. They wrote about going there a lot. They even mentioned "see you there!" Also, mentioned how support they are for Deaf Bilingual Center. Oh, yes, I support DBC. I handwave to them.

Now, everyone is talking about this. Do you really think AG Bell not read our conversations in DeafRead? I think they do read DeafRead, and it is possible that they make plans to move another place secretly. Or, maybe make plan B, if they are staying the same place. Who knows what would happen there, but it is possible that the conference may be relocated. Do you get the message? I am concerned about that. Conversations are open in the public. Anyone can read the message.

Perhaps consider what you feel to do something about this. Thank you.

b-deaf