Thursday, January 31, 2008
Don't Use the Sign for Gun Under Any Circumstances
Or you might be arrested like Benjamin Finley, an 18 year old student at the Iowa School for the Deaf. Finley used sign language to threaten staff members with being shot (Des Moines Register). He was arrested and charged with "intimidation with a dangerous weapon." (Apparently his signing hands were considered a dangerous weapon. One of the commenters asked if merely threatening qualifies as intimidation with a dangerous weapon, as opposed to actually brandishing a gun.) The charges were dropped though, and Finley was appropriately punished by being sent back to his home district.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
More Potential Tragedies to Come?
Last night I was checking out Project Readon, which provides free captioning services to videos submitted by people. I picked the video, "Preventing Meningitis in Children with Cochlear Implants," from the FDA to sample so I could get an idea of the quality of the captioning. The FDA made this video because two implanted children who had not been properly vaccinated against meningitis, died last year. The captions said:
"A recent survey at Johns Hopkins reveal that despite repeated efforts to educate parents, up to 40 percent did not know their child's vaccination status. Now, this suggests that at least some cochlear implant patients are not getting vital preventive care that can reduce the risk of a potentially life-threatening illness."
The video was dated December 2007. I found the FDA web page that mentioned the Hopkins study and said that the study found that vaccination status was unknown for 43% of patients over age two. In my opinion, 40 percent (43%) is a high percentage. Hopkins surveyed only its own implant patients. Could that mean that the percentages could be just as bad or even worse at other implant centers? How many parents of implanted children are out there whose children have not been properly vaccinated? In the United States? What about other countries, where cochlear implants are growing just as rapidly?
Are more tragedies waiting in the wings because of parental failure to get their children vaccinated prior to receiving cochlear implants, and/or doctor failure to make sure the children have been vaccinated before authorizing surgery?
"A recent survey at Johns Hopkins reveal that despite repeated efforts to educate parents, up to 40 percent did not know their child's vaccination status. Now, this suggests that at least some cochlear implant patients are not getting vital preventive care that can reduce the risk of a potentially life-threatening illness."
The video was dated December 2007. I found the FDA web page that mentioned the Hopkins study and said that the study found that vaccination status was unknown for 43% of patients over age two. In my opinion, 40 percent (43%) is a high percentage. Hopkins surveyed only its own implant patients. Could that mean that the percentages could be just as bad or even worse at other implant centers? How many parents of implanted children are out there whose children have not been properly vaccinated? In the United States? What about other countries, where cochlear implants are growing just as rapidly?
Are more tragedies waiting in the wings because of parental failure to get their children vaccinated prior to receiving cochlear implants, and/or doctor failure to make sure the children have been vaccinated before authorizing surgery?
Monday, January 28, 2008
Returning Adopted Children? Happens More Often Than You Might Think.
Every week, something else is "hot" in the deaf blogosphere. Looks like this week, it is that adopted deaf girl being returned by her adoptive parents.
(So far)
As bad as this is, it doesn't happen only to deaf children! It can happen to perfectly normal hearing children too. A couple of months ago, there was a big storm in the blogosphere about a couple, the Poeterays, that returned their adopted daughter after having had her since she was a baby, for seven years. One of their excuses was that the child could not adjust to their culture. Here is just one of the numerous articles that appeared about that case. A search of the blogosphere will turn up hundreds if not thousands of posts about that case.
Disruptions do happen with some frequency in adoption, both domestic and international. There is even an agency in Ohio that specializes in finding homes for children from disrupted adoptions. Children in adoption disruptions are frequently older, leading to a myth that if you adopt only younger children, you will avoid problems. It is not the age of the child that makes the difference. It is the quality of the care the child had. A baby who was the victim of abuse and/or neglect is more at risk than an older child who had the benefit of loving, quality care.
As for this little girl that everyone is saying they hope finds a good home...don't worry. Demand for adoptable deaf children, particularly girls, is so high that the adoption agency will probably find a long line of prospective parents outside its door. I know this from my past experience in operating the Deaf Adoption News Service (I no longer run it). Some family is going to be very lucky to get her. Her former adoptive parents' loss.
(So far)
As bad as this is, it doesn't happen only to deaf children! It can happen to perfectly normal hearing children too. A couple of months ago, there was a big storm in the blogosphere about a couple, the Poeterays, that returned their adopted daughter after having had her since she was a baby, for seven years. One of their excuses was that the child could not adjust to their culture. Here is just one of the numerous articles that appeared about that case. A search of the blogosphere will turn up hundreds if not thousands of posts about that case.
Disruptions do happen with some frequency in adoption, both domestic and international. There is even an agency in Ohio that specializes in finding homes for children from disrupted adoptions. Children in adoption disruptions are frequently older, leading to a myth that if you adopt only younger children, you will avoid problems. It is not the age of the child that makes the difference. It is the quality of the care the child had. A baby who was the victim of abuse and/or neglect is more at risk than an older child who had the benefit of loving, quality care.
As for this little girl that everyone is saying they hope finds a good home...don't worry. Demand for adoptable deaf children, particularly girls, is so high that the adoption agency will probably find a long line of prospective parents outside its door. I know this from my past experience in operating the Deaf Adoption News Service (I no longer run it). Some family is going to be very lucky to get her. Her former adoptive parents' loss.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Possible Solution to Denied Milkshakes?
Karen's milkshake problem (being denied a milkshake at a drive-in) has me wondering about a possible solution that came to mind today.
One problem with a push-button solution or another technological solution is that it would still deny deaf people the ability to interact with the fast food service providers. How about a solution using technology we already have? Our sidekicks (or other cell phones) and AOL instant messager. Every restaurant in a chain could be assigned a special AIM screen name by the chain's headquarters. For example, Karen's Steak N' Shake could be SteakNShake_Bolingbroke on AIM.
When a deaf customer drove up to the speaker, the deaf customer could use their sidekick to send an AIM message to the restaurant's AIM screen name. That screen name would be prominently displayed on the speaker itself. The deaf customer and fast food service worker would be able to talk to each other via the AIM conversation, with no misunderstandings. Conversation over, drive up to the window to get the food. It might take a bit longer than it takes a hearing person to order through the speaker, but it would enable interactivity and avoid problems like Karen's.
I can see it now:
I am driving home from work. I crave chicken mcnuggets. There is a McDonald's across the street from my development. As I pull into the McDonald's, I stop at the speaker and quickly AIM that McD's.
Me: I wanna bag of chicken mcnuggets!
McD's: How large an order?
Me: As big as you can make it!
McD's: I'm sorry, you will have to say small, medium, or large.
Me: Ok, make it a large!
McD's: Will there be anything else?
Me: Sweet n' sour sauce! And hurry up, I'm hungry!
McD's: Ok, ok! We aim to please. Come on up and pick up your order!
One problem with a push-button solution or another technological solution is that it would still deny deaf people the ability to interact with the fast food service providers. How about a solution using technology we already have? Our sidekicks (or other cell phones) and AOL instant messager. Every restaurant in a chain could be assigned a special AIM screen name by the chain's headquarters. For example, Karen's Steak N' Shake could be SteakNShake_Bolingbroke on AIM.
When a deaf customer drove up to the speaker, the deaf customer could use their sidekick to send an AIM message to the restaurant's AIM screen name. That screen name would be prominently displayed on the speaker itself. The deaf customer and fast food service worker would be able to talk to each other via the AIM conversation, with no misunderstandings. Conversation over, drive up to the window to get the food. It might take a bit longer than it takes a hearing person to order through the speaker, but it would enable interactivity and avoid problems like Karen's.
I can see it now:
I am driving home from work. I crave chicken mcnuggets. There is a McDonald's across the street from my development. As I pull into the McDonald's, I stop at the speaker and quickly AIM that McD's.
Me: I wanna bag of chicken mcnuggets!
McD's: How large an order?
Me: As big as you can make it!
McD's: I'm sorry, you will have to say small, medium, or large.
Me: Ok, make it a large!
McD's: Will there be anything else?
Me: Sweet n' sour sauce! And hurry up, I'm hungry!
McD's: Ok, ok! We aim to please. Come on up and pick up your order!
Friday, January 18, 2008
How Are Schools for the Deaf Doing? Let's Find Out.
This week, I was ready to scream after reading yet again in a blog comment about that average "fourth grade" reading level statistic for deaf high school graduates. That statistic is based on research done years ago. So how are kids at schools for the deaf doing today? I decided to do some research to satisfy my curiosity.
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any school decision made by any parents who read what follows.
No Child Left Behind has been around for awhile now, so I figured there had to be public sources of data on test scores. I headed to www.greatschools.net, and plugged "deaf" into the search engine on a state by state basis. I found test score data for several deaf schools, although many schools did not have any data. Test scores were listed as percentages.
Based on what I found, it looks like the best-performing school for the deaf based on the currently available statistics at GreatSchools.net is....wave hands...the Kansas School for the Deaf! How well did they do?
Grade 11
In 2007, a whopping 77% met or exceeded standards for Reading. This was equal to the state average.
In 2007, an outstanding 88% met or exceeded standards for Writing. This was actually BETTER than the state average, which was only 76%. Imagine that..deaf students writing better than hearing students!
In 2007, an incredible 100% met or exceeded standards for Math. Again, this was better than the state average, which was only 71%!
What type of education does KSD offer? According to their site:
"Bilingual instruction, which builds on the strengths of a fluent, visual language [American Sign Language] to develop fluency in a second, written language [English]."
Parents, don't rush to move to Kansas to enroll your hearing kids in this school. As far as I can tell from the KSD website, only deaf children can enroll.
The next-best performing school for the deaf? No surprise...it is the Maryland School for the Deaf! Although MSD had the next-best test scores, their students still scored well below the state average. Data for MSD was only available through grade 8 because Maryland only tests through grade 8.
Grade 6
In 2007, 63% were at or above proficient in Reading. State average was 77%, which means the students there did really well in Reading.
In 2007, 69% were at or above proficient in Math. State average was 72%, which means the students there excelled in Math.
Grade 7
In 2007, 45% were at or above proficient in Reading. State average was 70%.
In 2007, 64% were at or above proficient in Math. State average was only 61%, which means the deaf students did better than the hearing students in Math!
Grade 8
In 2007, 48% were at or above proficient in Reading. State average was 68%.
In 2007, 53% were at or above proficient in Math. State average was 57%, and that means the deaf students did really well.
What type of education does MSD offer? According to their site:
"Students at MSD are bilingual, communicating in two languages: AmericanSign Language (ASL) and English"
In addition, MSD utilizes the SAME curriculum that is used in Frederick County Public Schools.
That ends the good news part of this blog post. What follows are numbers that seem to paint a fairly negative picture. Bear in mind that this is an incomplete picture; as noted above, data was missing for many schools. Plus, class sizes tend to be small in deaf schools, so this could skew the numbers. To keep this post from becoming too long, I limited the data to higher grades, and English and Math.
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any school decision made by any parents who read what follows.
No Child Left Behind has been around for awhile now, so I figured there had to be public sources of data on test scores. I headed to www.greatschools.net, and plugged "deaf" into the search engine on a state by state basis. I found test score data for several deaf schools, although many schools did not have any data. Test scores were listed as percentages.
Based on what I found, it looks like the best-performing school for the deaf based on the currently available statistics at GreatSchools.net is....wave hands...the Kansas School for the Deaf! How well did they do?
Grade 11
In 2007, a whopping 77% met or exceeded standards for Reading. This was equal to the state average.
In 2007, an outstanding 88% met or exceeded standards for Writing. This was actually BETTER than the state average, which was only 76%. Imagine that..deaf students writing better than hearing students!
In 2007, an incredible 100% met or exceeded standards for Math. Again, this was better than the state average, which was only 71%!
What type of education does KSD offer? According to their site:
"Bilingual instruction, which builds on the strengths of a fluent, visual language [American Sign Language] to develop fluency in a second, written language [English]."
Parents, don't rush to move to Kansas to enroll your hearing kids in this school. As far as I can tell from the KSD website, only deaf children can enroll.
The next-best performing school for the deaf? No surprise...it is the Maryland School for the Deaf! Although MSD had the next-best test scores, their students still scored well below the state average. Data for MSD was only available through grade 8 because Maryland only tests through grade 8.
Grade 6
In 2007, 63% were at or above proficient in Reading. State average was 77%, which means the students there did really well in Reading.
In 2007, 69% were at or above proficient in Math. State average was 72%, which means the students there excelled in Math.
Grade 7
In 2007, 45% were at or above proficient in Reading. State average was 70%.
In 2007, 64% were at or above proficient in Math. State average was only 61%, which means the deaf students did better than the hearing students in Math!
Grade 8
In 2007, 48% were at or above proficient in Reading. State average was 68%.
In 2007, 53% were at or above proficient in Math. State average was 57%, and that means the deaf students did really well.
What type of education does MSD offer? According to their site:
"Students at MSD are bilingual, communicating in two languages: AmericanSign Language (ASL) and English"
In addition, MSD utilizes the SAME curriculum that is used in Frederick County Public Schools.
That ends the good news part of this blog post. What follows are numbers that seem to paint a fairly negative picture. Bear in mind that this is an incomplete picture; as noted above, data was missing for many schools. Plus, class sizes tend to be small in deaf schools, so this could skew the numbers. To keep this post from becoming too long, I limited the data to higher grades, and English and Math.
- Alaska School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Grade 9
- 40% in Reading in 2006. State average 76%
- 20% in Writing in 2006. State average 72%
- 20% in Math in 2006. State average 56%
- Arkansas School for the Deaf
- Grade 11
- 8% in 2005 in Literacy. State average in 2007 was 51%
- Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind
- Grade 10
- 12% in Reading in 2007. State average 69%
- 12% in Writing in 2007. State average 51%
- 11% in Math in 2007. State average 30%
- Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
- Grade 9
- 4% in Reading in 2007. State average 41%
- 4% in Math in 2007. State average 60%
- Grade 10
- 4% in Reading in 2007. State average 34%
- 8% in Writing in 2007. State average 49%
- 11% in Math in 2007. State average 65%
- Georgia
- Atlanta Area School for the Deaf
- Grade 8
- 11% in Reading in 2007. State average 88%
- 11% in English Language Arts in 2007. State average 89%
- 17% in Math in 2004. State average 81% in 2007
- Georgia School for the Deaf
- Grade 8
- 5% in English Language Arts in 2004. State average 89% in 2007
- Louisiana School for the Deaf
- Grade 9
- 6% in English Language Arts in 2007. State average 58%
- Massachusetts
- Horace Mann School for the Deaf
- Grade 6
- 6% in English Language Arts in 2007. State average 67%
- 15% in 2005 in Math. State average 52% in 2007
- Grade 7
- 21% in 2005 in English Language Arts. State average 69% in 2007
- Grade 8
- 7% in English Language Arts in 2007. State average 75%
- 7% in Math in 2007. State average 45%
- Montana School for the Deaf
- Grade 10
- 8% in Reading in 2005. State average 78% in 2007
- Pennsylvania
- Scranton State School for the Deaf
- Grade 9
- 9% in Reading in 2006. State average 64% in 2007
- Grade 11
- 8% in Math in 2006. State average 54% in 2007
- South Carolina School for the Deaf
- Grade 10
- 14% in English Language Arts in 2007. State average 88%
- 29% in Math in 2007. State average 80%
- Texas School for the Deaf
- Grade 9
- 60%, and 40% in Reading in 2005 and 2006. State average 86% in 2007.
- 8% in Math in 2007. State average 60%
- Grade 10
- 43% in English Language Arts in 2007. State average 84%
- 30% in Math in 2007. State average 63%
- Grade 11
- 26% in English Language Arts in 2007. State average 90%
- 22% in Math in 2007. State average 80%
- West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind
- Grade 7
- 20% in Reading in 2005. State average 82% in 2007
- 20% in Math in 2005. State average 76% in 2007
- Grade 10
- 18% in Reading in 2005. State average 75% in 2007
- 9% in Math in 2005. State average 68% in 2007
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Health Warning for the Deaf Gay Community
This afternoon during lunch, I passed an important New York Times health news story about a drug resistant MRSA strain spreading in the gay communities of San Francisco and Boston to a fellow blogger, the Deaf Sherlock. His reaction? He screamed at me on the IM. Big capital letters, and for good reason.
Don't let the title of the New York Times article, "New Bacteria Strain is Striking Gay Men," make you think you are perfectly safe. As it happened before with AIDS, this bacteria could spread into the deaf (and hearing) community at large. Not only that, the Times said that the strain has "spread rapidly" and could quickly go national.
Remember how many deaf people were uninformed about AIDS/HIV and some died as a result of this lack of understanding and awareness? This ignorance has continued to some degree, as noted in a Time magazine article from June 24, 2001. History could repeat itself with this which is why I am sounding the alarm now along with the Deaf Sherlock.
We all need to be aware of this, but the deaf gay community especially needs to be aware because the disease is striking their community first. Already, according to the Times, one in 588 residents of the Castro district of San Francisco is infected with this resistant MRSA strain.
How can deaf gay and non-gay people protect themselves from this MRSA strain? The New York Times did not say how, but common sense and precautions against MRSA probably applies here. Limit the number of sexual partners, practice safe sex, and keep any cuts covered up.
Addendum: I just found this blog on HIV and deaf. Hasn't been updated since August 2007, but still worth checking out.
Don't let the title of the New York Times article, "New Bacteria Strain is Striking Gay Men," make you think you are perfectly safe. As it happened before with AIDS, this bacteria could spread into the deaf (and hearing) community at large. Not only that, the Times said that the strain has "spread rapidly" and could quickly go national.
Remember how many deaf people were uninformed about AIDS/HIV and some died as a result of this lack of understanding and awareness? This ignorance has continued to some degree, as noted in a Time magazine article from June 24, 2001. History could repeat itself with this which is why I am sounding the alarm now along with the Deaf Sherlock.
We all need to be aware of this, but the deaf gay community especially needs to be aware because the disease is striking their community first. Already, according to the Times, one in 588 residents of the Castro district of San Francisco is infected with this resistant MRSA strain.
How can deaf gay and non-gay people protect themselves from this MRSA strain? The New York Times did not say how, but common sense and precautions against MRSA probably applies here. Limit the number of sexual partners, practice safe sex, and keep any cuts covered up.
Addendum: I just found this blog on HIV and deaf. Hasn't been updated since August 2007, but still worth checking out.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Rhode Island School for the Deaf: Family is Not Enough
Watch what is happening in the tiny state of Rhode Island, at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf. A new director, Lori Dunsmore, says she is trying to "align the school’s curriculum with state standards and grade-level expectations, providing an academic structure the school has lacked." At the same time, the vice president of the Rhode Island School for the Deaf Teachers’ Association, Mary Cummings, says "This is not a factory. This is not just a school. This is a family." The teachers feel that their years of experience and skills are underappreciated.
Both Ms. Dunsmore and Ms. Cummings are correct. A school for the deaf does tend to have a family-like atmosphere. I see this myself, as a parent of a deaf student at a deaf school. However, Ms. Dunsmore is right to want to upgrade the academics. How else can the school survive? The next generation coming up, as we know, has better hearing and better language skills on the average. Either the schools for the deaf become the academic equivalent of hearing public schools, or die.
Dunsmore says she will provide professional development opportunities so that established teachers can bring themselves up to the new standards. If an established teacher can not meet new standards even with professional development help, that teacher should retire and allow newer teachers to take their place. Otherwise, nothing changes, and students will suffer academically.
On a related tangent, I am aware of what is happening in California. Looking at it from an administrator's point of view, I can understand why schools for the deaf seem threatened. The administrators see low enrollment and high expenses. It is important to maintain a continuum of educational options, but if the economic burden of maintaining this continuum becomes too great to bear, then it is no wonder there is talk of closing down certain schools for the deaf.
Schools for the deaf mean a lot to the deaf community, particularly the older generation that had little choice prior to 1975. Very few schools had mainstreaming programs established prior to 1975, and I was fortunate enough to attend one. It is not enough to wax nostalgic and talk about the importance of keeping a school for the deaf open. Alumni of those schools who care, need to become recruitment ambassadors for their schools. The enrollment of those schools must remain stable, or grow for those schools to be able to justify being kept funded and alive. Otherwise, they become tempting easy targets for administrators looking to reduce budgets.
How can alumni become recruitment ambassadors for their schools? Some ideas that come to mind are: blogging positively about their experiences; sending representatives to attend conferences of organizations for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children, and contacting the media to get positive stories written about the school for the deaf experience.
I don't know what the current enrollment situation is at my child's deaf school. Thus far, they don't seem to be lacking for students. Hopefully it will not get to the point someday that they need help from alumni to get students. If that day does arrive, I'm sure there will be plenty of alumni willing to step forward.
Both Ms. Dunsmore and Ms. Cummings are correct. A school for the deaf does tend to have a family-like atmosphere. I see this myself, as a parent of a deaf student at a deaf school. However, Ms. Dunsmore is right to want to upgrade the academics. How else can the school survive? The next generation coming up, as we know, has better hearing and better language skills on the average. Either the schools for the deaf become the academic equivalent of hearing public schools, or die.
Dunsmore says she will provide professional development opportunities so that established teachers can bring themselves up to the new standards. If an established teacher can not meet new standards even with professional development help, that teacher should retire and allow newer teachers to take their place. Otherwise, nothing changes, and students will suffer academically.
On a related tangent, I am aware of what is happening in California. Looking at it from an administrator's point of view, I can understand why schools for the deaf seem threatened. The administrators see low enrollment and high expenses. It is important to maintain a continuum of educational options, but if the economic burden of maintaining this continuum becomes too great to bear, then it is no wonder there is talk of closing down certain schools for the deaf.
Schools for the deaf mean a lot to the deaf community, particularly the older generation that had little choice prior to 1975. Very few schools had mainstreaming programs established prior to 1975, and I was fortunate enough to attend one. It is not enough to wax nostalgic and talk about the importance of keeping a school for the deaf open. Alumni of those schools who care, need to become recruitment ambassadors for their schools. The enrollment of those schools must remain stable, or grow for those schools to be able to justify being kept funded and alive. Otherwise, they become tempting easy targets for administrators looking to reduce budgets.
How can alumni become recruitment ambassadors for their schools? Some ideas that come to mind are: blogging positively about their experiences; sending representatives to attend conferences of organizations for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children, and contacting the media to get positive stories written about the school for the deaf experience.
I don't know what the current enrollment situation is at my child's deaf school. Thus far, they don't seem to be lacking for students. Hopefully it will not get to the point someday that they need help from alumni to get students. If that day does arrive, I'm sure there will be plenty of alumni willing to step forward.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
An Early Implantee At Gallaudet
Today I remembered an article I did for the Buff and Blue many years ago, between Fall 1985 and Fall 1986. The title was "What's That? A Cochlear Implant!" It was an interview with a Gallaudet student named I think Alan, who had a cochlear implant and was one of the very few students with implants at that time. I am unable to summarize the article because I do not have it in front of me. It may be up in the attic somewhere in the pile of old college stuff.
I wonder how Alan is doing today. Did he continue to make progress with his early implant? Has he since had it replaced with a newer model? Was he able to find a good job after graduation? Does he have any involvement with the deaf community?
I wonder how Alan is doing today. Did he continue to make progress with his early implant? Has he since had it replaced with a newer model? Was he able to find a good job after graduation? Does he have any involvement with the deaf community?
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Homeless Camp Near Gallaudet - Does Gallaudet Have Any Obligation?
I first noticed the headline "Gallaudet's Other Tent City" while I was at work but didn't have time to read it. Then, the Deaf Sherlock blogged about it. Now I had to read it - and I'm glad I did. Homeless people living that close to Gallaudet? That close to the conference center (according to Sherlock and gBlog)? That close to a public school?
Call me unsympathetic and cold- hearted, but I hope either Gallaudet or the DC government does something to get rid of those homeless people so close to Gallaudet and that school. By and large, homeless people are often mentally ill! In fact, as I rode the Gallaudet shuttle this week on my way to see a basketball game there, I noticed a homeless, mentally ill person out on the street near the DC government offices.
All it takes is ONE serious crime committed by one of those homeless, possibly mentally ill or drug addicted people, and then what? Gallaudet in the news again, negatively? People afraid of staying in the conference center? Parents protesting in front of that school, blaming DC government and/or Gallaudet for not protecting their children? A potential lawsuit by a parent of a Gallaudet (or pre-college) student?
The blogger on gBlog asks, "what can you do for them?" I prefer to ask, "what can be done to get rid of them?" To proactively prevent anything bad from happening? Can Gallaudet afford the risks of tolerating the presence of so many homeless people - I counted 11 in that picture on the gBlog - that close to the campus and its facilities and people? Not to mention the fact that a group of homeless people could be a crime magnet?
But homeless people have rights, you say. So do the people and students at Gallaudet and the nearby public school, and the people staying at the conference center. They have a right to safety. Gallaudet is a "home." Would you tolerate the presence of a large group of homeless people that near your own home? Or your child's school?
Call me unsympathetic and cold- hearted, but I hope either Gallaudet or the DC government does something to get rid of those homeless people so close to Gallaudet and that school. By and large, homeless people are often mentally ill! In fact, as I rode the Gallaudet shuttle this week on my way to see a basketball game there, I noticed a homeless, mentally ill person out on the street near the DC government offices.
All it takes is ONE serious crime committed by one of those homeless, possibly mentally ill or drug addicted people, and then what? Gallaudet in the news again, negatively? People afraid of staying in the conference center? Parents protesting in front of that school, blaming DC government and/or Gallaudet for not protecting their children? A potential lawsuit by a parent of a Gallaudet (or pre-college) student?
The blogger on gBlog asks, "what can you do for them?" I prefer to ask, "what can be done to get rid of them?" To proactively prevent anything bad from happening? Can Gallaudet afford the risks of tolerating the presence of so many homeless people - I counted 11 in that picture on the gBlog - that close to the campus and its facilities and people? Not to mention the fact that a group of homeless people could be a crime magnet?
But homeless people have rights, you say. So do the people and students at Gallaudet and the nearby public school, and the people staying at the conference center. They have a right to safety. Gallaudet is a "home." Would you tolerate the presence of a large group of homeless people that near your own home? Or your child's school?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Would I Be Part of the Deaf Community Today If..
If I had gone to a hearing college instead long ago? I believe that the fact I had attended deaf colleges played a major role in my becoming part of the deaf community. Instead of being Jamie, the deaf student who struggled to keep up and fit in, in a deaf college I could be Jamie, just another deaf student.
As Elizabeth launches her exploration of the second cochlear implant generation, the identity question again comes to mind. Will deaf students who can hear so well, don't need support services,and don't have to struggle to communicate (according to commenter #8 on Elizabeth's blog, who wrote "They don’t struggle to understand peers, teachers, or parents.") or get along with hearing students, want to go to deaf colleges or colleges with large deaf programs? These are students who are more likely to identify with the hearing world than the deaf world even if they are still deaf with the implants off. I know because that's what I was like before I went to college. I still remember the early years of the deaf students in college telling me that I wanted to be "hearing."
Before I went to college, I felt like a hearing child trapped in a deaf body. That was the result of my "older generation" struggle to communicate, to hear, to fit in. Judging from what the parents are saying on MishkaZena's site, it sounds like their children will not know this type of struggle.
Ironically, that type of struggle is part of what leads deaf people to identify themselves as deaf. It is what has created a shared bond among deaf people. Without that type of struggle, will the new CI generation identify as deaf? This is what is scaring the older generation of deaf people so much - the thought that fewer and fewer young deaf people will choose to identify as deaf.
Because, functionally, they are hearing people.
As Elizabeth launches her exploration of the second cochlear implant generation, the identity question again comes to mind. Will deaf students who can hear so well, don't need support services,and don't have to struggle to communicate (according to commenter #8 on Elizabeth's blog, who wrote "They don’t struggle to understand peers, teachers, or parents.") or get along with hearing students, want to go to deaf colleges or colleges with large deaf programs? These are students who are more likely to identify with the hearing world than the deaf world even if they are still deaf with the implants off. I know because that's what I was like before I went to college. I still remember the early years of the deaf students in college telling me that I wanted to be "hearing."
Before I went to college, I felt like a hearing child trapped in a deaf body. That was the result of my "older generation" struggle to communicate, to hear, to fit in. Judging from what the parents are saying on MishkaZena's site, it sounds like their children will not know this type of struggle.
Ironically, that type of struggle is part of what leads deaf people to identify themselves as deaf. It is what has created a shared bond among deaf people. Without that type of struggle, will the new CI generation identify as deaf? This is what is scaring the older generation of deaf people so much - the thought that fewer and fewer young deaf people will choose to identify as deaf.
Because, functionally, they are hearing people.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Jobs Easier for Deaf in DC? And Deaf in a Recession
I just watched Seek Geo's latest (thankfully captioned) vlog, "Why Do You Need an Interpreter?" and it made me think of a couple of questions. First, why was such an intelligent deaf man with good English skills applying for a job in a warehouse?
Perhaps I am naive. I work in Washington, DC, an area where most of the deaf people I know are highly educated professionals with good jobs. We do have the benefit of the Federal government as one of the largest if not the largest employer of deaf people locally and regionally. Thus, it is probably easier for deaf people in metro DC to find jobs than it is elsewhere in the country. You might say that I openly admit to having the same problem that our Washington politicians have - lack of awareness of what real life is like beyond the Beltway.
I reviewed Seek Geo's profile on his website. According to his About Seek Geo page, he did attend Long Island University for two years before having to leave due to finances. That was it as far as higher education. So Seek Geo never got a bachelor's degree. This is probably putting him at a disadvantage, limiting him to warehouse type jobs when someone with his intelligence and skills would do well in a professional white collar job.
In addition, could another aspect of the problem be that hearing people beyond the beltway are less educated, less aware, and less tolerant? Something like that would probably never happen here in metro DC, which is loaded with highly educated, sometimes overpaid, hearing professionals. Deafness a safety issue for the job? I'll bet this "Cathy" he mentioned on the video does not have a college education, is young, and relatively unskilled.
My second thought was, if the United States economy slides into a recession, how is this going to impact deaf people? If past history is any indication, probably not much difference at all. I have seen deaf people have difficulty finding employment in both good economic times and bad economic times.
Perhaps I am naive. I work in Washington, DC, an area where most of the deaf people I know are highly educated professionals with good jobs. We do have the benefit of the Federal government as one of the largest if not the largest employer of deaf people locally and regionally. Thus, it is probably easier for deaf people in metro DC to find jobs than it is elsewhere in the country. You might say that I openly admit to having the same problem that our Washington politicians have - lack of awareness of what real life is like beyond the Beltway.
I reviewed Seek Geo's profile on his website. According to his About Seek Geo page, he did attend Long Island University for two years before having to leave due to finances. That was it as far as higher education. So Seek Geo never got a bachelor's degree. This is probably putting him at a disadvantage, limiting him to warehouse type jobs when someone with his intelligence and skills would do well in a professional white collar job.
In addition, could another aspect of the problem be that hearing people beyond the beltway are less educated, less aware, and less tolerant? Something like that would probably never happen here in metro DC, which is loaded with highly educated, sometimes overpaid, hearing professionals. Deafness a safety issue for the job? I'll bet this "Cathy" he mentioned on the video does not have a college education, is young, and relatively unskilled.
My second thought was, if the United States economy slides into a recession, how is this going to impact deaf people? If past history is any indication, probably not much difference at all. I have seen deaf people have difficulty finding employment in both good economic times and bad economic times.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
