National Association of the Deaf releases for anyone to carry with them all times with VRI card for medical settings (doctor, dentist, hospital, etc) that questions the liability and credibility with VRI companies.
Tag: Medical Issues
The Healing of Deaf America: Health Care Rights
I would like to thank Senator McCain for his bravery and voted against the idea by Republicans to get rid of ObamaCare. I would like to wish him a speedy recovery during his difficult time. As a heart attack survivor five times, I am all too familiar with the difficult road I’ve traveled slowly to improve my health—not fully recovery yet.
Heart disease is one of worst health diagnosis in America; I cannot imagine the devastating diagnosis of heart attack for anyone, particularly my mother who survived heart attack four times. I’ve seen it all and stayed in the battle with my mother. She is a strong person and I’ve inherited that from my mother.
I still do not understand why health care continues to be very difficult topic in this “land of free” country. Politics and all those bullshit insurance companies are ruining many Americans. This has to be stopped.
Years ago, when I took an undergraduate course, Sociology of Health and Medicine for one of my electives, I was really blown away how I had learned so much about the social contexts of health disparities, institutions, and the medicalization of health and illness. I remember being lectured in the classroom about the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, explains that humans have the right to medical care, and the professor made sure we were aware of it.
Also, it is also important to be aware about the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights explaining the international including America should have excellent health and medicine rights. It was unbelievable! Anyone who is living in Canada, Mexico, England, Cuba, and other countries who have way better health care than America, still blows my mind away!
On the other hand, I must think how much suffering Deaf people deal with health care everyday. The majority of Deaf population might be on Medicaid or Medicare. The question, I still do not understand why Deaf people who voted for Trump and supported his agenda including health care. How can they not think of its own people, Deaf people who suffer everyday including the “bankruptcy” in their lives? The sick and damned of Deaf people is a human right violation! The idea of repealing ObamaCare is beyond my comprehension.
Senator McCain including two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski and the entire Democrats saved Deaf community—thank you! They are the backbone of saving lives! Thank you for the value of human rights!
-JT
Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
The term EPHPHATHA, as it appears in the Seal of Gallaudet
The term EPHPHATHA, as it appears in the Seal of Gallaudet University (see the picture) is strictly a Christian propaganda by putting it in our Deaf minds. It was an Aramaic word used by Christ (Mark 7:31-37) who made a Deaf man to hear. EPHPHATHA means “Be (thou) opened”. The International Standard Version reads the prophecy (Isaiah 35:5): “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be stopped”. Mark 31-37 is a cross-reference, as if the prophecy was fulfilled.
I do not know exactly why Gallaudet University has this “non-diversifying” term on its official seal. It is an evangelistic effort to impose such a Christian value on all degrees and diplomas? Even university class rings, too! When Gallaudet University changed its name from college, it changed the seal to make it university-like but let alone this Christian EPHPHATHA. Why?
EPHPHATHA means loss of individual liberties, which are their “inalienable rights” of state of being Deaf. Audism needs to be rejected in their eyes and noting that it does led to an unacceptable loss of individual liberty. Gallaudet is flirting with monumental scale with tragic consequences. The whole point is that people who are in the direction to preserve their state of being Deaf should not give up in their own individual liberties. The administration has been seen as executive branch already abusing its authority and allows this word to be around. Deaf people should not sacrifice their freedoms for their ideological utopian dreams to heal the Deaf people into hearing-minded people. Why is the administration so focused on healing Deaf people? Their actions have caused mental and emotional scars that will last a lifetime.
I am hereby submitting the proposal to the Gallaudet community to replace the EPHPHATHA on the seal to implore the creation of a stronger task force dedicated to improve Deaf people to heal from Audism. Deaf people have an unique set of barriers to access services when there is a power dynamics of Audism has committed at Gallaudet. The same university that does not have policy for Audism and the staff may lack a core cultural competence necessary for understanding the unique barriers faced by Deaf people whom I see as survivors. Due to their unique barriers, Deaf people under-report Audism perpetrated against them. The creation of task force to implement a comprehensive training for university staff will improve Deaf people’s access to their rights of being Deaf. The task force has a tremendous opportunity to shape and transform existing services for Deaf people into services that offer comprehensive support, safety and healing to survivors through medical, legal, and social advocacy.
The faculty and administration need to become our important advocates as we the Deaf navigate the legal systems to obtain understanding orders and legal supports from Audism. Mental health can serve as community educators of Audism related to psychological, medical, and social issues faced by Deaf people and can promote healing. Where can best practices and culturally competent protocols be attained? Deafhood Foundation is an organization that offers technical training to stop the power dynamics of Audism. This is an absolutely slam dunk case of negligence.
-JT
Copyright © 2013 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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