Tag: NAD
NAD: Whitewashing Race & Citizenship
NAD (National Association of the Deaf) who claims to serve the Deaf community in full information, whitewashing historical statements in the name of bigotry when we look at our lives, in the past and present, if we are honest of our time, the effort by NAD is concerned.
Reclaiming the Youth Leadership Camp
This coming weekend (May 24-27th): Youth Leadership Camp (YLC) Alumni Foundation 50th Years for the search of the Leadership experience.
When I first learned about YLC while I was an attendee for Deaf People of Color Conference in 2010 where it was held in Portland, Oregon. I was 34 years old that time. Oh, I was hurt not to know about it that long. There is need to make a CHANGE for the betterment of Deaf community.
Yes, it is a late start to learn about the most important event and once-in-a-lifetime memory for Deaf Youth and the day to celebrate hard work even as Deaf youth who went through mainstreaming system, their leadership to push for justice, is the most painful for those who does not even know anything about YLC because they did not get “privileged” information. Mainstreaming Deaf students do suffer and they have the right to explore their human rights to advocate for leadership in the Deaf community. Yet, they are shunned in the face of Deaf community. Why? Mainstreaming. It’s not their fault.
When YLC was founded in 1969, it had been focusing on Deaf families, Deaf schools, adding the fuel of Elitism, and would get information about YLC first hand before whoever Deaf students who thrive for personal growth in leadership coming from hearing families and the status of mainstreaming system would easily get rejected in the name of favoritism. Even Deaf students in Deaf schools who come from hearing families would get rejected, too.
Mainstreaming Deaf students do suffer for so long until current society we live in, the Deaf community is not same as ever, and where is the real leadership for Deaf students who were part of mainstreaming system as victims which it was never their fault to attend mainstreaming schools instead of Deaf schools?
The Deaf leadership has decisively ripped apart and did not give Deaf mainstreamed students a chance to grow has largely blamed on National Association of the Deaf (NAD)—and the leadership, scholarship, and citizenship brought up by the idea in YLC’s mission is the crisis of our time now and tomorrow. It is a serious problem.
Today and in the future ever, Deaf mainstreaming students would need help more than ever. Deaf schools are shrinking because of politics, and I do not support the idea of closing Deaf schools because they are important in educational system at every juncture.
The Deaf community’s most prominent change makers and activists join together to push for stronger idea for human change. In those stories we may see or not seen, it would reduce the problem of favoritism and elitism, and challenge our very change in equality, and challenge the very start of the leadership reform, giving Deaf students from mainstreaming system, to make all the difference in political and cultural change. It would make Deaf America stronger.
How do we make all the difference as in change? Why reject those Deaf mainstreamed students and Deaf school students from hearing families would deal with emotions firsthand? Remember, the month of May is Mental Health Awareness and it does influence them very much.
Is this also considered a bullying? From eliminating to end bullying, from ending favoritism to abolishing elitism, from reforming justice to changing the public view of the Deaf community, will it ever get equally that can rooted in fairness and personal growth in leadership? The information is very important for Deaf mainstreaming students to get stronger leadership as much as Deaf schools do; it makes Deaf community stronger only if they put it in their mind to believe in good fight.
Can you imagine that for decades that Deaf mainstreaming students and Deaf schools coming from hearing family lineage, have suffered appalling language and cultural oppression and the devastating consequences of educational and leadership sanctions?
When I learned about YLC at Deaf conference in 2010, it hit me the hardest part when it was moved to Stayton, Oregon from Minnesota in 1990, it was almost two hours drive from town in state of Washington to Stayton, Oregon, and the same 1990 was when I was 15 years old, I never knew anything about it. Why is that happening to several Deaf mainstreaming students alike like that? Language oppression?
It was the responsibility of National Association of the Deaf (NAD) who had failed Deaf mainstreaming students or Deaf students from Deaf schools coming from hearing families that so inured to actual human-to-human “compassion” by the ignorance and paradoxically blasé, judgment quality of “leadership, scholarship, and citizenship”—that they no longer readily feel the biased.
Of course, it shows that Deaf school leadership fare better than Deaf mainstreaming leadership because they did not get the same expose and experience and lack the information that they never knew about YLC. Is it their fault? Is it so invisible by the society even in Deaf community?
Deaf mainstreamed students were most and severely deprived from the information age about YLC in the past, and they are also part of the most important among them—as far as future of leadership is concerned—is the philosophy of leadership which lies away from the false dilemmas of “leadership” and is what would it be closely connected to?
It would be a good and healthy discovery one way to empower those students above; YLC might be as well as their way to make new meanings and inquiries.
What is YLC leadership is like in current climate this time in 2019?
-JT
Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in it entirely only, including this copyright message.
NAD: Committ to Eliminate Linguicism?
How come NAD did not stand up and eliminate Linguicism at National conference?
See? VRI Problems Continue….
NAD: VRI Concerns
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.
Did Okahoma Association of the Deaf Neglect The Quality of Deaf People?
OAD-NAD Release Statements
Video Remote Interpreting: Sue NAD and Chris Wagner for Breach of Human Ignorance
While I was a patient last November 2016, VRI has broken down four times due to “technical difficulties”
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit wrote that Deaf patients could sue against hospitals for neglect of live interpreters instead of using video remote interpreting (VRI). I never liked using VRI myself as a patient. In fact, last November 2016, when I had a massive heart attack, I remember the first thing when one interpreter said to me, “Look, you need to use VRI–much easier for you to use it” and I said, “No, thanks! I prefer live interpreter” and I realized that they breached against my wish as a human being. Do you even realize that it was also a culture of fear by pushing fear in patients’ faces?
From the link I will provide you below:
A jury could find that [five Deaf patients] were denied effective communication; that nurses were aware of the denials; and that the nurses refused to correct the denials….The evidence indicates that the nurses, knowing the patients required an interpretive aid, relied on the VRI to facilitate communication with the patients; were put on notice that the VRI was not accommodating the patients; and chose to persist in using the VRI without correcting its deficiencies… In fact, it appears that the nurses even abandoned the VRI altogether at times without providing an alternative interpretive aid.”
I hated using VRIs. There are couple of times that VRI would not work while I was in the hospital recovering and noticed that they do not understand the seriousness of language barrier and hegemony. The worst thing is that I was forced to “live” by hours ordered by the interpreter—how dare the interpreter who is employed by the hospital staff makes rules for me?
The unthinkable is happening everywhere throughout the country that Deaf people are vulnerable that are being exploited, physically abused, and emotionally abused by the hospitals on Mother Earth that was supposed to love thy neighbor. It is impossible to know just how many Deaf patients who struggled for human rights are out there.
When I made complaints against the hospital and asked National Association of the Deaf (NAD) for help, know what NAD said to me? “Sorry. The case is closed!” and bid me good day. That was fucking bullshit. Even more distributing that in many cases, NAD are doing very poorly job not to give Deaf people enough protection.
Is it the reason the systematic failure that makes it very difficult for Deaf people to seek for rightful justice? Also, we must remember former NAD president, Christopher Wagner who supported the idea of VRIs, which caused huge conflict of interest while he was working for zVRS to bring into political favouritism.
Through those stories are a way for all of us to escape our minds and experience their pain, deep down the problems are very real. And in many ways, our characters are what the reflection of the light. We need to help them and set a good example. We need to understand them that would bring quintessential to the human condition.
Deaf patients who were pressured to use VRI or face consequences promoting human rights abuse—I think it would be good idea for them to hold Christopher Wagner and NAD accountable. Stop abuse of power, corruption, undermines rule of law, money, bullying, ignorance and bullying!
Time for those Deaf patients to sue against NAD and Wagner. Do not be a bystander. VRIs has done major damage more than they really think.
-JT
Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
References:
http://brombergtranslations.com/2017/06/05/2236/
Why is ASL in Silence?
Today is August 1st—the day I will never forget. Eight years ago in 2008 that day, my beautiful mother experienced the most severe heart attack, her fourth heart attack in 12 years and died for 20 minutes before coming back to life. I just do not know how to explain this—when I first saw my mother had to deal with all the tubes in her mouth being in coma—I cried very hard. I was 33 years old and healthy. It was incredible. I was there in the same room when she woke up for the first time and used American Sign Language (ASL) in her left hand, “H-E-L-P” several times asking to have the tube removed and confused why she was in the hospital—it was a wake-up call for everything. I am really blessed that ASL has been brought on Mother Earth for a reason.
To be clear, ASL is very important, more so than any in our lifetime. To be Deaf is something that begins with us. It begins in our hearts, in that place that is never separate from the living heart of ours. To be Deaf is something that begins with ourselves that finds it mirrored back to us by the Deaf community. This community, our people, ASL, between right and wrong, between night and day, and between matter and spirit is very important right now.
The hospitals in America can be difficult for Deaf people to deal with when they ask for certified ASL interpreters, I am talking about cheap ASL interpreters that are not even certified or know nothing at all is very offensive for Deaf people. There are hospitals that refuses ASL interpreters for so long that we have defined ourselves in opposition to how the general society has viewed us. We have defined ourselves, and been defined, by that which seemed to be in us most different. Wait…. ASL makes us different, right?
In this time of crisis, it is Deaf leaders who hold out, by our very nature, the deepest vision of healing and peace that is possible for Deaf community to have the rights to get certified ASL interpreters. It is all about common ground to connect—and enter into the collective unconscious. Why I write this because that day when I asked for ASL interpreter, the hospital refused to offer ASL interpreter even a particular doctor, an asshole who refused to believe that she was my mother and I was clearly pissed off just because I’m Deaf and different. After that, I got fed up and became an activist many months later.
Hospitals today in 2016—Deaf people still are struggling to get ASL interpreters. The hospitals need to be criticized on moral, economic and political grounds. Every Deaf American must face defining moments—we are facing one now. We do not need to deal with feelings of discord and despair—not only that, but we should not deal with this to find a way forward. It is all about ideals of dignity, equality, and justice. Today, we need Deaf leaders to be stronger than ever to overcome the crisis and Deaf people are in a moment of human rights to get ASL interpreters, no matter what! It was very difficult time for me that day.
Today, I survived four heart attacks in a year ALONE unlike my mother with four heart attacks in 12 years. I wonder what if it happened to me when the hospitals refuse to offer ASL interpreter or whatever it means. Most recently, about seven months ago, I had experienced pain in my heart and went to the hospital and asked for ASL interpreter right now instead that I be in the “waiting” room for five hours before finally ASL interpreter was available. National Association of the Deaf (NAD) said, “too bad” and moved on. I was very offended what NAD said to me and the CEO did not even bother to do anything about it. After that, I will never ask help from NAD ever again just because they lack in that area due to shortage of lawyers, Bullshit!
There are two important amendments to the United States Constitution that help to explain the rights of Deaf patients at hospitals. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances. Here’s a breakdown: freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, and freedom to petition.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; not shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Here’s a breakdown: provides “equal protection of the law”, therefore preventing discrimination in hospitals—think about that. Again, I wonder—what if I experience severe heart attack right now, what would it look at this hour? I wonder…with all the tubes in my mouth? Why is ASL in silence?
-JT
Copyright © 2016 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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