Tag: COVID-19

The Deaf Community: Ready for Deadliest Second Wave?

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Coronavirus is a deprecatory period—what about the second wave coming in the Fall/Winter 2020? It might be more deadliest this time. Deaf patients in hospitals around the country would be a life-threatening crisis. Is it an immunoprivilege (immune privilege) obstacle in the Deaf community?

The Coronavirus has unfolded on the Deaf community across the country, in the words of Ernest Hemingway,

“Gradually, then suddenly.”

As always, the Deaf community is foremost in the minds of the Deaf citizens from all walks of life. [Deaf People of Color, Deaf Latinx, Deaf Indigenous, and other marginalized groups would be much harder.]

What about the mental health that could have lead to many consequences and impacts a lifetime scar? ‘Hospital’ derived from hospitium, to make sure the relationship between the guest and the shelterer, in principled standing.

Not only risks wasting the Deaf patients’ experience but also human compassion are missing for future advancement. What and how the Deaf patients have perceived in their struggles limit our understanding of the hospital(s).

It is not an opportunity to practice a vulnerability tool in the Deaf space, and the bias is critical when the problem is gravely ignored. Does that mean it makes the Deaf patient as a vulnerable that does not make a better solution for humanity?

The Deaf patients whom life-threatening in hospitals are unnecessary cruelty because if the hospitals do not stop this, it would reinforce more power to medical neglect, it is also part of immunoprivilege, becomes a powerful force from withholding community accountability.

Think of the consequences what medical negligence is the cousin of Immunoprivilege. When it is not necessary to practice the marginalization of Deaf patients’ experience that could lead to making them feel unprotected; how would we discuss this serious problem in the socialization and the production of Deaf patients?

The influence of the Deaf patients seeks to illuminate how hospitalization inequalities between the hearing community and the Deaf community. Hearing privileges. From long-term oppression and not the rights of the Deaf patients define socialization as the process in which Deaf patients would have to deal by carrying themselves both mentally and physically following societal expectations.

The hospitalization system, which is significant because it strongly reinforces the traditional power, established in the hearing space, the Deaf patients portrayed in supplementary roles. Throughout all of this, hearing privileges continue to gain power in themselves while Deaf patients continue to power-struggle for beliefs that they should be “less powerful and more vulnerable” than hearing patients.

The consequences of Deaf space are starkly manifest through chats and figures. Despite their hostile environment, learn to deal with stereotypes.

The author of Slavery and Social Death, Orlando Patterson writes:

“It is difficult to treat humans so inhumanely while continuing to acknowledge their humanity.”

With five months away from the second wave of Coronavirus (COVID-19), would the Deaf community be prepared for the worst phrase? The psychological, cultural, and biological dimensions would easily forget the dehumanization of the Deaf.

We need to get ready more than ever. Sharing profound emotional and social implications, and we need to be well positioned with the right tools and capabilities, and share stories under the nose.

Deaf patients are the ultimate human tools, a loss of Deaf status, of immunoprivilege. Many Deaf citizens are particularly vulnerable and may be facing new pressures during the coming second wave. Areas of urgent need include emergency funds for Deaf patients; overnight, the Deaf community has changed. The Deaf community is no stranger to adversity.

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Here the Deaf community moves to the cultural struggle to reclaim the past, to that problem that becomes a medical authority more heavily in favor of the hearing dimensions. In the second wave and third wave of the Coronavirus, we need to emerge determined for any kind of experience.

That is a big issue right now. The optimism is now critical comes from understanding with the Deaf community that shall find solutions and ways to push back and tackle the issue. This is the time now. Do not waste waiting too long. Be prepared.

2020: The year that could shape the Deaf community forever. Rejecting video conferences or video remote interpreting would be a good step. A death sentence is not optional.

-JT

Copyright © 2020 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

CREDIT FOR THE FIRST IMAGE:

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-what-causes-a-second-wave-of-disease-outbreak-and-could-we-see-this-in-australia-134125

SECOND IMAGE:

https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/180556-hospitalization-of-patient

To Feed or Not to Feed Words

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“Thank you, China Government for destroying every human races on the face of the Earth! You make us suffer.” 

In the age of Coronavirus pandemic that has affected the global threat to physical, emotional, mental and well-being in the Deaf community. To our best knowledge, we must prevent the spread of the epidemic of racist fear-mongering by targeting Asian communities, especially Chinese, which has led to an increase in hate crimes and acts of Sinophobia, which means: Anti-Chinese sentiment (fear and hatred) against China, its people, overseas Chinese, or Chinese culture.

The bias against the Chinese has managed to weave itself a very haunting reputation that is extremely difficult to catch and comprehend. When it comes across the Deaf community around the world to exchange their socialization needs to normalize societal norms and expectations, the bias would be laid on the table and then allow itself to be examined, thus becoming easily erased and eradicated.

There is plenty of Anti-Asian bias around the world, and this is a systematic problem. One that makes it difficult to deal with daily life. The measurements of the Earth, how must the society have felt, then see hate crimes rising in the streets of the world’s neighbors? Must xenophobic references in public life is important?

The blaming of the Chinese is visible more than ever, it is a heart-breaking and we all seek the meaning and purpose in our lives. In the deepest sense of hatred and language bigotry, why it is becoming a norm.

The destructive power of words that could easily crush the culture, identity, and language that would perforate the heart in the name of hatred. We must follow this wise example from the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres:

“This is, above all, a human crisis that calls for solidarity.” 

This post is to educate and understand how the words can be destructive in the long term. Please, please, do not scold this member of the Deaf community.

This Deaf individual makes an irreparable damage in written English language on the world’s largest social media platform, “Thank you, China Government for destroying every human races on the face of the Earth! You make us suffer.” 

To make matters worse, words like “destroying every human races on the face of the Earth!” is not just about between life and death. Words like those are killing the souls;

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That is true, a human crisis facing hatred by targeting Chinese people. This is not what the global solidarity is all about. We do not need Sinophobia and public shaming at all. Would it make the world better or suffer? The media image of the Chinese has portrayed ugly and promotes self-hate is something that is painful enough for the high intensity of words, amounts to the emotions in society. Can we learn from this quote,

“You never want to put a temporary emotion on the permanent internet because what you feel at that time will stay there forever”–Sue Scheff 

Would the compassion from online attacks ever restore, here and across the Deaf community that had been severely under-resourced? Rebuilt through dialogue, transparency, and community accountability as well?

With the support, and how to tackle the difficult issue, for example, how the global epidemic of ugly words is related, and ought to be related. What does it take to be the most significant thing of their thoughts to be important? There is no need to blame China. Using “China” or “Chinese” is an ethnic slur which is a virus. The virus should not made of an ethnic slur.

Don’t feed the angry words. Is this really the ideal way to react?

“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively, … or destructively.“–Yehuda Berg 

-JT

Copyright © 2020 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message

 

NAD: Being Deaf Cannot Be a Basis For Denying Ventilators

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What does the “quality of life” mean as a Deaf patient who experiences COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in a hospital setting?

Society views the Deaf community as ‘Disability’–some Deaf people do not believe in being Deaf is part of the disability. Some Deaf people accept the disabled because they allow society to define who they are. The system is powerful. I choose not to let society define my state of being Deaf as a disability. American Sign Language (ASL) is my choice–language minority. I do not allow the hearing community to define WHO I AM based on my state of being Deaf and state that I am disability.

Harlan Lane writes: “A disability is a limitation of function because of an impairment. Deaf people are limited in some functions because of an impairment of hearing. Therefore, Deaf people have a disability.”

It is important to be aware of this quote. The problem is that the system has colonized the Deaf community. Is it their fault? No, it is not. Most recently, I read the newspaper article by the Washington Post (4/6/2020) which is an important topic to discuss this.

“THE WASHINGTON POST: DON’T DENY VENTILATORS TO DISABLED PATIENTS. IN VENTILATOR RATIONING, DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE DISABLED IS IMMORTAL.”

Honestly, there are many questions to be seen, discussed, and examined. Of course, society views the Deaf community as ‘Disability’–the article discusses the “quality of life” that could be the most important question of all humanity.

“LET’S EXAMINE ‘QUALITY OF LIFE’ FIRST. DENYING PEOPLE WITH PREEXISTING DISABILITIES LIFESAVING TREATMENTS FOR DISTINCT CONDITIONS, BASED ON THE CONCERN THAT THE DISABILITY LIMITS THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES, RAISES DEEP AND SERIOUS ETHNIC QUESTIONS. MAY A DOCTOR DENY SUCH A TREATMENT TO A PATIENT WHO MOPES HIS WAY THROUGH LIFE, ON THE THEORY THAT THE HAPPY-GO-LUCKY PATIENT IN THE NEXT ROOM WILL BENEFIT FROM IT MORE? OR TO MAKE THE POINT EVEN SHARPER, WHAT IF POOR PEOPLE OR MEMBERS OF STIGMATIZED MINORITY GROUPS EXPERIENCE LESS HAPPINESS IN THEIR LIVES THAN THOSE WHO ARE BETTER OFF? WOULD IT BE ACCEPTABLE TO PREFER THE WEALTHY FOR LIFESAVING TREATMENTS BECAUSE THEY WILL OBTAIN A GREATER BENEFIT FROM IT?”

A good example: If there were two people have COVID-19, life-threatening condition, entering into the emergency room at a hospital, a hearing person has a health insurance, and another person who happens to be Deaf who also have health insurance, the problem is that there is ONE ventilator available, who would be first to give? Hearing. Why? Privilege. Worthy for a quality of life. As for the Deaf as viewed as Disability would not be considered a quality of life.

Second example: A Deaf patient with no health insurance, as for hearing patients also do not have health insurance in the same room, who would go first for the ventilator? Again, hearing. Why? Hearing people comes first. Sound and speaking are important. Who would be qualified for a life of quality? Let’s save the hearing population first. Reason? Deaf community views as a poor and marginalized community. Again, if the person is hearing from a poor and marginalized community, and the Deaf person is from a poor and marginalized community, too–who would go first? You decide.

There are many examples of this situation. Think about it.

“SAVING MORE LIVES AND SAVING FEWER. THE CHOICE IS WHICH LIFE WE SHOULD SAVE–AND WHETHER A PREEXISTING DISABILITY SHOULD BE A BASIS FOR THAT CHOICE. STILL, SHOULDN’T WE PRIORITIZE THOSE WHO WILL LIVE LONGER LIVES, OR LIVES OF HIGHER QUALITY, AFTER THEY RECEIVE LIFESAVING TREATMENT?”

Let me share a good example. UGLY LAWS. Based on a true story–on looks, eye-cross, Deaf, people with disabilities, would be shunned from the public eye (restaurants, stores, etc), gets arrested, being punished for being disability in the public until the 1970s and became illegal in America.

Why? Their quality of life is not worth it in society. Now, let’s discuss ventilators–an ideological- political war. It is important to save a human life, no matter what.

“BIAS DOES NOT JUST AFFECT JUDGEMENTS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITH A DISABILITY. IT ALSO RENDERS SUSPECT JUDGEMENTS ABOUT DISABLED PERSONS’ EXPECTED LENGTH OF LIFE.”

Let’s focus on “DEAF”–is it worth living for the quality of life? My experience, I had several heart attacks in the past, WIFI at the hospital is not always that great, as for VRI (Video Remote Interpreting)–even worse, blurry, or freezing–needs to be thrown out of the hospitals. It is best to have an ASL interpreter–why? Quality of life–a simple solution.

NAD (National Association of the Deaf) recently posted a video to inform the Deaf community how to be prepared should you have COVID-19, which is a major embarrassment to watch. Explaining to make sure to bring the iPhone charger, laptop, notepad, etc. It is “good enough” for the Deaf community. It is a death penalty.

If NAD really cares about the Deaf community, the video was avoiding responsibilities and excuses, the ventilators are a human right even in the Deaf community, imagine if a Deaf patient has a COVID-19, and views as a “disability” on the shortage of ventilators, debating the quality of life, that is a major issue right now.

“DENYING VENTILATORS TO CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS WITH PREEXISTING DISABILITIES IS THUS NOT AT ALL THE SAME AS MAKING A BATTLEFIELD TRIAGE DECISION TO DO THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER.”

Would NAD realize the severe problem about the ventilators as a human right, no matter what? Do not allow the politics to control the Deaf community on the ventilators and weaken NAD in every shape or form. Do not let the lack of ventilators murder the Deaf community.

For example, most recently, there was a Deaf patient with COVID-19, an interpreter explaining about it on a video where a nurse was helpless and comforted a dying Deaf patient was heart-breaking to see. That could have been avoided. The video was viral. No access to ASL interpreter, VRI, friends, loved ones, and that is a good example: “quality of life”–so, think about this. What does “quality of life” mean to you all?

 

CORNOAVIRUS: Hate Crimes Attacking Asian Americans

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