Tag: American Sign Langauge
Gallaudet U: Why Keep Deaf in the Dark?
There Is No Deaf Community
Dear Rachel Dubin,
You had been chosen to represent and protect Alexander Graham Bell organization in all costs, as you said, “There is no deaf community.”
Everyone Deaf is Deaf. It is healthy. It is beautiful. The truth for human existence and happiness.
You are sending a reactionary political climate to minimize the talents of the Deaf community, for one, American Sign Language (ASL) into the most exploited people in our society. It is clearly that you are being colonized.
The Deaf community had been shining their talents long before Alexander Graham Bell moved into Washington, D.C., 1876 and saw the opportunity to practice linguistic hegemony, hatred, and access to disrespect quality education of the Deaf to profit and exploit Deaf citizens in all costs.
The world’s first higher education of the Deaf known as Gallaudet University was founded in D.C. “Deaf Community”—yet, you are carrying the legacy of Alexander Graham Bell to make the Deaf Community as into Dysfunctional Community.
You have no right to say that there is NO DEAF COMMUNITY—What you are feeding is damage-inflicted self-hate.
You have no right to say that there is NO DEAF COMMUNITY—Deaf souls have been deprived from mental, social, linguistic, and physical capabilities.
You have no right to say that there is NO DEAF COMMUNITY—bullying, verbal or written abuse, humiliation, and public shaming.
We must focus on today—and tomorrow—because the ghost of Alexander Graham Bell continues to haunt the Deaf community, dealing with the hatred reaction and threats. “NO DEAF COMMUNITY” is a human threat. ASL is threatened.
You are doing a favor for Alexander Graham Bell organization with personal and social ill plaguing the Deaf community resulting from low self-esteem just like in 1884:
“We should try ourselves to forget that they are deaf. We should try to teach them to forget that they are deaf.”
While ASL and Deaf community does not exist like Dubin claimed, let’s take a look:
Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Paulo Freire:
“True generosity lies in striving so that these hands–whether of individuals or entire peoples–need be extended less and less in supplication, so that more and more they become human hands which work and, working, transform the world.”
ASL and Deaf community are raising self-esteem are less likely to become self-hate as Alexander Graham Bell policies. The Deaf community is the reason they are transforming the world. Rooting for everyone Deaf, sneak up on us in the middle of our ordinary lives, by the time you realize that you are wasting your time at Alexander Graham Bell’s mercy, attempting to destroy the Deaf community of the larger society, and, your message:
“THERE IS NO DEAF COMMUNITY” to an increasing extent, hate attacks have been more defensive, and the process by fearing rejection, befriend the Deaf community, is a life experience that can impact more negative consequence. The Domino Effect: Creating false images in social media.
Most importantly, Deaf community exists. Centuries and centuries. With probing intelligence, scholarly rigor, and humanist concern, the Deaf community continue to be at the forefront of the struggle to bring the voices of past and present users of ASL within distance of the rest of the world. Rooting for everyone Deaf.
Just like understanding of the past of all the Deaf, inside and outside Kendall Green. Our Deaf community is beautiful, the equal of any throughout the world in moral refinement, wherever it goes. The existence of the Deaf community will never recognize as fallen souls. I was once colonized by Alexander Graham Bell.
-JT
Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
LINK:
Public Art: Understanding Hate Crimes Through Deaf Eyes
I was invited to give a lecture at Gallaudet University on April 9, 2018. My lecture, Public Art: Understanding Hate Crimes Through Deaf Eyes. I was thankful for giving me the opportunity.
The lecture was about the sighting of invisible hate crimes through public art and the need to understand the concept of community accountability to challenge hate crime through art world. The sight of hate and the surge of denial and struggles that spreads through the Deaf community can be painful to behold. I strongly believe in social justice that promotes the critical examination and higher learning we all should join hands and stand against hate.
My past lectures from DC to California to Oregon to Canada to New York and many more:
Journey Through Hate Exploring the Survivorship of the Deaf
For Your Eyes Only: Hate Crime is Real in Deaf Community
Change the World: The Meaning of Social Justice for Deaf Returning Citizens
Deaf Returning Citizens as Forgotten People
Composition in Values: The Art and Deaf Studies of Leonardo da Vinci
Audism Theory: Racism and the Hidden Meaning
The Faces of Audism
Hate Crimes in the Deaf Community
And more.
-JT
Copyright © 2018 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
VRI: Stop the Exploitation of Deaf Patients
Last Sunday, January 21, 2018: I experienced heart problems in the wee early morning. When I was brought into the emergency room, the VRI screen had brought before my face where I politely refused a service of my own decision, I asked for ASL interpreters immediately, the VRI was not even working and been delaying for 10 minutes and it has continued by the time ASL interpreter arrived on the premise from upstairs, VRI was still in struck mode when there is NO Wi-Fi in the ER.
I was actually gasping for some damn air! My mouth became dehydrated. Literally, I was! I want to thank that ASL interpreter for quick response! Bless the interpreters from Access Interpreting Inc. It was surreal and intense experience. I was in high risk situation as a heart attack survivor, the nurses then realizes that the VRI machine was still in trouble with no Wi-Fi, I signed to them through ASL interpreter, “That is exactly the problem right there that has been causing a great deal of stress for Deaf patients” and the nurses then said to me that they agreed with me. That is the message that we all need to see.
I thought it is extremely important that it is time for VRI (Video Remote Interpreting) companies to read this post:
Your Excellency,
Deaf patients who are in high risk situations do not need to face a life sentence and not be threatened a human security for expressing their rights to refuse VRI. I urge VRI companies to ensure the harassment of Deaf patients ends.
Deaf patients has braved years of VRI oppression in their own faces when they are standing up for their rights to refuse VRI. No Deaf patients should be evicted of their human rights.
Deaf patients continues their human activism, and it is time for VRI companies to overturn Deaf people’s life sentences so Deaf patients can continue to earn their pursuit of happiness and end all charges of being oppressed and release them immediately. Deaf patients have been intimidated by VRI companies for refusing their services. They have rights to ask for live interpreters on the site immediately.
The discussion of how oppression becomes invisible in Deaf community, then it requires a formal distinction between respect and disrespect as the two components of compassion. By compassion I mean any movement of people from that place to another place when Deaf patients are considered as outsiders.
By the ways of movement that put human understanding often to see and discuss about it, and when I look up a word in dictionary, it takes me a minute. When Deaf patients who are in high risk situations, for example, heart attack survivors, they do not need to deal with more stress, fueling their traumatic experiences, to share their stories.
Deaf patients in high-risk situations need to stand up and speak out more about their experiences dealing with VRI companies in hospitals, to reduce stress, the labor of VRI need to question themselves for their lack of compassion. By definition, getting rid of VRI companies and gives Deaf patients more power to seek for live interpreters is a human right.
Deaf patients have a moral duty to continue their rights of seeking live interpreters. As good example of this quote we all should follow: “Each has a right to the other’s attention and correction action.” Our duty is to stand up to stop VRI oppression for high risk Deaf patients in emergency rooms and the human right to rebuke VRI companies who do not have any compassion and undermine the ground rules of Deaf patients who experience language hegemony in the hospital settings.
We demand the changes that VRI companies be stopped for exploiting Deaf patients. We demand the changes that ASL interpreters be on hospital sites 24/7 with their own office.
Even with live interpreters became necessary to make a measurable effect, the less harm on Deaf patients. VRI companies and hospital administration are passed by politics primarily for reasons that are best understood in the context of disrespect and the appearance of Deaf patients is being exploited in hospitals and the crucible for the lack of discourses about compassion. The exploitation of Deaf patients is all about money and politics. This has to be stopped.
Finally, we need to stop allowing VRI companies to exploit Deaf patients and demand changes to have interpreters on site 24/7 and the studies of language hegemony for political pleasure and that shall lead Deaf patients to stand up and speak out more.
-JT
Copyright © 2018 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
ASL Is Not A National Disgrace
TETRA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
Alexander Graham Bell 2014 Volta Award winner, Ann Geers of the University of Texas at Dallas makes a damaging article that Deaf children who are cochlear implant users who do not NEED to learn American Sign Language in April 2017 report.
Geers has no right that she thinks ASL is not important or necessary. In fact, a growing body of biased research acknowledged by Alexander Graham Bell Association has shown that the face of hate, bigotry, Audism, and pure evil. This is the face that AGBell looks in Deaf children’s eyes and tells the world that they are going to do about it by eliminating ASL and use listening and speaking instead. This is un-American!
It is completely rubbish that in Geers’ words:
The findings are clear. Children who did not use sign language had better speech and language skills by statistically margins at 36 months postimplant, and these children also developed better spoken-language and reading skills near the end of elementary grades than children who used sign language.”
Karl White is the most ignorant, hidebound and Audist in recent American history is the perfect face of hate. It is time for Karl White to get off his high horse. The self-righteous White stated that despite the fact he supported Geers’s findings. White’s report along with Louis Cooper, ‘Opportunities and Shared Decision-Making to Help Children Who Are Deaf to Communicate’ in June 2017 report that would make your stomach sick.
In fact, Karl White, who now believes that he makes decisions for Deaf children at his own authority—why is ASL subjected to a national disgrace and makes sure Deaf children would live with their now very public humiliation for the rest of their lives if they subject to the rules not to learn ASL or face punishment?
In my opinion, Ann Geers and Karl White brutalized Deaf children again and again—again, again, again—again, again—again. It smacks of Tabloidism! What happened to the legal and moral obligations set out by RESPECT ASL?
We all need to be aware that ASL is a productive member of society, believe it or not. White, Geers and the supporters of Alexander Graham Bell who believes ASL is bad and they need to take a serious look in the mirror because if we as an ASL society cannot move past this then why even try to destroy ASL in the first place? It is pure hate! Enough of placing ASL in national disgrace!
-JT
Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
References:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2017/06/08/peds.2017-1287
The Truth about Authentic of ASL in Deaf Community
Is Student Body Government at Gallaudet University in Danger?
Master Yoda (Deaf) Challenges Darth Vader (Hearing)
There has been concerns about the face of Student Body Government (SBG), a Deaf stronghold since it has been founded at Gallaudet University. SBG themes:
- Home again at Gallaudet University;
- The acceptance of Deaf people in the SBG;
- The nature and persistence of Deaf leadership;
- The power of Deaf people to influence and shape the human mind;
- The character of SBG as it shapes intellectual life of the Deaf people.
What kind of concerns? There has been some debate around Gallaudet community that the hearing person who wants to run SBG—does not really care about Deaf people’s leadership. SBG has been clearly indicated that there is no place like home at Gallaudet University. SBG presented the first and foremost mission that Gallaudet University is often a place of safety, where worldly cares fade and ASL becomes the focus.
It is a good thing to encourage SGB to support Deaf people first. There is always a hunger among Deaf students for academic discourse in ASL, the language they know the best. In fact, at Gallaudet University, ASL is a lead language and is one of those universal characteristics of the human language for which SBG leaders are always on the prowl but that does not mean they should stop trying. All the past and present SBG presidents has been Deaf;
The nature and persistence of Deaf leadership in ASL means that we at Gallaudet University are committed to being the best we can be and to be attractive to a diverse community base by taking strategic action to be more inclusive, especially to those who may be novices to teaching Deaf students. They are to bring the flag of ASL to places where it has never flown before.
SBG has been given mission and vision by Deaf people to influence and shape our diverse mind. They are there to defend ASL fiercely, which is important to making monopolistic notions about Deaf culture. SBG values Deaf people first within our Deaf community. They are committed to sustain a culture where Deaf people is respected first as an important language of academic leadership and discourses.
The hearing person—who happens to be Children of Deaf Adults (CODA) with fifth generation of Deaf family would like to to run SBG. That is a personal insult. Would that make leadership for Deaf students to exist in permanent fear of the oblivion, worrying about whether Deaf students can survive the next SBG with an indifferent figurehead? At the same time, at Gallaudet University, Deaf students would be appearing uncomfortable with the achievements of their own past. The higher education, so often the means to their profession and advancement, now finds itself operating under a cloud of hearing people that it falls under a wrong agenda.
As I can remember when I was a graduate student at Gallaudet University, one of the committee members from Graduate Student Association (GSA) approached me if I was interested in running as president for GSA, I said as long as it is “Deaf-centered, Deaf-controlled, and Deaf-oriented” first and the committee member was like, “YES! WE WANT YOU! PLEASE CAST YOUR NAME IN THERE!” and I planned to.
Today, GSA still have hearing students—very confusing and dehumanizing. I can remember seeing some hearing students in there—and was not very impressed by their skills at all. Now it is good time to ask the rhetorical question, “Should SBG allow a hearing student in the cabinet?”—has long considered a way of emphasizing that something under discussion is an obvious, unquestionable truth.
With SBG in danger of having a hearing person in the cabinet, William K. Stevens once said, “When these interlopers choke our native species, ecologists see a danger signal.” Isn’t it the same thing that Deaf people see the danger when SBG might be oppressed by the administration to choke out Deaf people’s ASL and culture? Never mind the student fees.
-JT
Copyright © 2016 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only including this copyright message.
Charge Vinton Cerf with Deaf Hate Speech!
As I watched the graduation via live streaming for Gallaudet University earlier today to watch the keynote speaker what he has to say. The keynote speaker is the father of Internet: Vinton Cerf.
I found that Vinton Cerf’s presentation during the 2015 commencement did not have any place on academy at all. He encouraged Deaf people to get cochlear implants on their most important day of their lives: graduation! It is the biggest insult to their pursuit of happiness. What is more that Alan Hurwitz smiled right back at him and told him a big THANK YOU.
I am deeply concerned with the resurgence of allowing eugenics on the graduation day with Cerf’s alliance with political-ideological movements to block ASL in education. Gallaudet University has continued toward to developing a program for the eradication and oppression of ASL, the language and culture of the Deaf by promoting more speculative communicative pursuits.
There was really no excuse for Vinton Cerf’s unprofessional behavior–a travesty of social injustice. Gallaudet University should not be the community that turns Deaf people into puppets by TELLING them to get cochlear implants–the greatest mocking treatment of Deaf people!
I am getting really tired sick of the amount of language bigotry and hate speech anymore! The question you ask yourself, what are the dangers of allowing Vinton Cerf to speak eugenics-style presentation in 2015? As I was taught that Gallaudet University was supposed to be the voyage and movement. It’s sad because no one has stopped his speech and allowed him to practice hate speech—Gallaudet University is supposed to defend ASL fiercely.
There were couple of Deaf graduates graduating with honor and respect; yet, the kind of imagination at Gallaudet University is that Mr. Cerf makes sure that Deaf people forget that they are Deaf. Just like AGB’s philosophy in 1884. “We should try ourselves to forget that they are deaf. We should try to teach them that they are deaf.” Since Vinton Cerf is the father of Internet, let’s stamp him as the father of Hate Speech eradicating Deaf graduates today. It is a sad day!
-JT
Copyright © 2015 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message
...And the Truth Shall Set You Free. 
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