Why is Red County blogger Allen Wilson against choice for parents of deaf children?
UPDATE: Click here to see the latests news on AB 2072 (June 12, 2010)
Remember when bilingual education activists went nuts and fought tooth and nail to keep children who were not fluent in English from being taught in English? The Unz initiative put an end to that nonsense, despite heavy pressure from educators who were making money off these programs.
Well, here we go again. This time the folks who teach sign language are trying to stop Assembly Bill 2072, a new bill that will give parents who discover that their newborn infants are deaf a chance to do something about it. This bill is written by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, from the 56th Assembly district, which includes Buena Park and Whittier.
Currently the state mandates that the hospital tell the parents about their “options.” However, thanks to the sign language lobby, the options are limited to teaching the deaf kids sign language – a language hardly anyone knows.
The new law will instead mandate that the parents be informed about all their choices, which inlcude surgical ear implants, reading lips, etc.
Here is what the proposed bill actually states:
Existing law, the California Early Start Intervention Services Act, commonly known as the Early Start program, provides various early intervention services for infants and toddlers who have disabilities to enhance their development and to minimize the potential for developmental delays.
This bill would also require that the parents of a newborn or infant diagnosed with a hearing loss receive written information on all communication options for children with hearing loss by an audiologist or other related professional at a followup appointment after diagnosis with a hearing loss, and by the Early Start Program when a child enters the program and when a child is referred to the program by a state agency.
It would also specify that the state shall not incur the cost of or implement this bill.
You can read the rest of the bill at this link.
Why would anyone oppose this bill? Simple. The sign language lobby is insane. They don’t want deaf children to learn how to speak. They want to keep them in the sign language ghetto. It is ridiculous.
Barry Sewell, a deaf blogger, supports AB 2072
Are they options to sign language? You bet! Surgery is one option, another is special schools that immerse children in language. For example, the Oralingua School in Whittier. Their mission is to “To immerse children who are deaf or hard of hearing in a language-rich environment that promotes listening skills, spoken language, problem solving and social interaction that will enable them to function effectively in society while supporting their families who share those goals.”
Parents of children at Oralingua swear by the curriculum. And almost all of them will tell you that their children were negatively affected by the current dogma at the California Department of Education, which refuses to tell parents that they have options besides sign language.
So what’s next? Proponents and opponents of AB 2072 spent the day in Sacramento today, contacting the members of the Assembly Health Committee, which will be voting on AB 2072. Click here to see a list of the members and their email addresses.
I spoke today with Elisa Roche, a parent of a profoundly deaf child who is doing great at Oralingua. Roche is also the Executive Director at Oralingua. She was in Sacramento all day and met with most of the Health Committee members.
She also told me that Red County blogger Allen Wilson was up there this week as well. And he was using the sign language lobby’s talking points!
According to Wilson’s Red County bio, he “is a hearing-impaired GOP activist.” But he can speak. And he uses hearing aids so that he can hear who he is talking to. The irony is that the sign language lobby would prefer that he not speak at all. And yet he is lobbying for them.
I wonder if Wilson is getting paid to shill, like Red County editor Matt Cunningham and Red County publisher Chip Hanlon do?
Remember that kids brought up in the sign language arena cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars. It actually costs a lot less to teach kids via alternative means. And the results speak for themselves. Yet the supposedly conservative Wilson is able to lobby the legislators against AB 2072 only because he can speak. If he could only speak via sign language he would be of no use to the sign language lobby, as a lobbyist. Oh the irony…
Isn’t it time to give parents of deaf children a full complement of choices? Please contact your state legislator and ask him or her to support AB 2072.
UPDATE: Allen Wilson admits to having met with several legislators, in opposition to AB 2720, but he says he was not doing so for money. My sources tell me that his message to the legislators was right out of the sign language movement’s talking points. He appears to be against options for parents of deaf kids. Almost every other state in the nation offeres choice to parents. Not so California. Millions of dollars of federal education money is stuck in the sign language camp, at the discretion of the State Department of Education. You can read Wilson’s take on this at this link.
Any news? It’s been over one hour and half. Still waiting…….ugh.
Voldemort is at the volcano crater waiting for an egg and a bird. He has a wand.
*Rubbing Flawlessly*
Long agenda they have today. 2072 is item 14 on agenda. Probably approaching or done by now. Just wish I could hear the hearing through the podcast link. We should hear from any of the 2 sides as to whether it still active or not.
@Padraic Saich :
Do I sound bossy when I re read and proofread my comments and edit them out before I even press the Submit Comment button?
I’m deaf , and I have a CI , and I’m not in 4th grade level reading.Neither are my friends.I can’t publish facts from my own country since you don’t know Greek – but Rachel,Caitlin etc provided them along with Melissa.
I had a huge language gap to overcome even with early amplification and later in school I worked so much in my language gap and my speech therapy sessions, even in summer- I do not remember a holiday without having therapy appointments.So , sharing my story sounds bossy to you , rather than showing every one is different and can do ANYTHING he/she wants?
And..I’ll share a story with you.
I have signing friends.Some have botched grammar due to thinking with GSL.Some are a little better.But some of them have some form of amplification – usually hearing aids , or none at all.it depends.But one story jumps out to me.
This one , grew up Deaf.He went to Deaf Boarding School and never saw his family unless on holidays.His family were VERY involved with GSL, but they didn’t like the QUALITY of the education he was receiving in the boarding school.His education was having SEVERE gaps, and he struggled even with the most basic concepts.They did want him to be happy – but every summer they sat him down three hours a day and homeschooled him in proper education, explaining things in GSL and in writing.And even if he was only eight or ten at the time he agreed because he knew his parents wanted the best for him and only the best.
Some years down the road..he’s Deaf , with a capital D.He’s very involved in the Deaf community.He supported my decision to get CI because *I* wanted it.And if you’d seen the emails he sent me , and did not knew it was him , you’d swear up and down that he was HEARING.And ps, he never received any form of amplification.He does have a BAD accent when he tries to talk – but his emails and other forms of written communication ARE good.He TRULY is bilingual.
So don’t blame anyone for choosing something that has quality education and a LOT more options than what you offer.Audies and doctors only inform us – Hearing aids can’t be bought unless we give them the money.CI surgeries won’t be performed without signing a consent form and several waivers.Speech therapies won’t be started until insurance or parents start coughing up.And even for them you’d have to show up.Instead of trying to trash what was even for you a win win situation , better shape up.Rather than complain, shape up your education.I’m sorry , but I can’t call you bilingual with ASL AND English when you speak and not make a lot of sense without me reading your comment twice or thrice over.Shape up your schools so they won’t close down left and right.Shape up the teachers you have and insist in ASL schools AFTER they have proper education in place.You should be doing that rather than trolling over the internet.
Honestly.
Do I still sound bossy to you ? Too bad.I don’t say you start talking and get any form of amplification.That’s your decision.And I’m not going to push you in something I don’t think is right to stick my own nose in YOUR business.But I DO say you get a tutor that will explain you the way of writing proper English so you CAN back up your claim that you are bilingual.That’s the way I see it.
And don’t call anyone bossy when you don’t know them.
Richard Roehm: Please do not speak for me. You, of all, harassed many people including myself via AIM claiming that you hosted masturbation parties as part of fundraising projects for your so-called organization. And you knew that I repeatedly told you in the past NOT to bother me. You won’t stop. I blocked you, you changed the SN and harass me. I had to block you all over the place.
Who is being stupid here? Of course, you. The very same person who harassed a lot of people on many websites.
sidhanthmelvani: I would not want to visit Singapore. So no thanks, dude. Either way, there are many nutcases all over the world. Singapore is no different.
The point is: You have CIs, good for you. Why are YOU even here harassing Deaf people who pointed out that the bill WAS created without INCLUDING Deaf stakeholders?
We are doing just fine without you when you tried to bray with your voice. Why don’t you just integrate in that world and live in that rather than to chase us all over?
Ioanna: The answer is because I had been there. I deal with people like you and Rachel out there frequently and I’m SO used to it. Which is why I knew Rachel was using the “I’m Deaf” card to get in grad schools. It is painfully true.
Paotie: Sit down and shut up. Whatever comes out of your mouth has done nothing but created a friction all over the place. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Caitlin: Being fluent in French has nothing to do with it, honey. I know all about it. I deal with your kind everyday – been there, done that — NEXT!
Don’t lecture me about Ga Tech! I live in ACC Country and I know what Ga Tech is all about. I still think Ga Tech sucks.
However, the bottom line is that the bill was created without including Deaf stakeholders – it was created by audiologists and people who advocated the use of barking, yowling & braying. If you include Deaf stakeholders ON all sides, you would NOT see the conflicts like this! For decades, audiologists & speech therapists has dictated the policies surrounding Deaf children all over the world. For the first time in decades, Deaf people finally tried to take it back — what did they react? They howled.
It is great that you can bray and hear others bray. I’m happy for you. You’re free to immerse in that hearing world out there. But no, you’re still here and arguing with Deaf peers. None of us would care if you exist or not. But you do care. You desperately needed our approval to make yourself feel good. You and these borgs kept on coming back to our communities and told us that you guys are so friggin’ successful – if that is the case, then go ahead and live in that world. But no, the truth is: With or without cochlear implants, you are still DEAF. You’ll never be accepted as “one” of them in hearing world. Which is why you all kept on coming back to us.
Oh one more thing, Caitlin, you tried to distort the data to support your claims that ASL caused high unemployment ratings. That is quite amusing but that is very common among your peers.
So each time you do that, I skip your comment to the next one.
R-
This is amusing. Genie Gertz has tweeted the incident at Sacramento as of today regarding what one pathetic & audistic father tried to interfere his 18 years old son (he has CIs) from meeting and socializing with Deaf people.
“One ci HS boy who testified in favor of bill was introduced to 2 DYUSA members. But his father intervened saying he is a family member and was overheard by interpreter saying to boy that he was trying to save him from “Deaf people.” Ahem! The boy is 18…”
This validates what I already knew all along in the first place. Feel free to deny and spin it around.
R-
Ridor…
Yes, I did put a little blurb in my statement of purpose to grad schools about my deafness. I only mentioned that my deafness inspired me to become an artist. Because of my having a delay in language during the first few years of my life, creating works of art was a way of expressing myself. I HAD to explain WHY I am currently attending an art school and studying photography. However, I did NOT mention that I have retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and Usher Syndrome, because there was no need to do so, and I didn’t want the schools to accept me because they felt sorry for my having multiple disabilities.
Deafness definitely does not get me everything. A year ago, I applied to attend a prestigious photography workshop. One of my professors mentioned my deafness in her letter of recommendation. Guess what? I did not get into the workshop.
Peace Corps denied me because of my deafness and RP, and they clearly stated those reasons in the rejection letter.
Ridor:
Yep, you must deal with my kind everyday, since you know me so well that you would know that I wish for the Deaf people and the hearing world to coexist in peace, with individual rights for everyone and such.
“Don’t lecture me about Ga Tech! I live in ACC Country and I know what Ga Tech is all about. I still think Ga Tech sucks.” I don’t understand what you have against my school. Sour grapes from something? I don’t hold anything against Gallaudet University, your alma mater, for I think that it’s great their giving Deaf people all over the world an education and a great future. And what on earth was I lecturing you about? I simply stated in my first comment that I go to Ga Tech, which is a huge accomplishment for anyone, and in the second comment, I only replied one sentence to your obvious distaste of my school. Is it so wrong to defend my school? But wait, only you can do that, right?
I’m not even going to bother with your third paragraph, for that is just heavily dripping with immaturity. We are NOT here to dictate you guys to do what we want you to do. We just want the parents of deaf children to be presented with ALL options, in the most unbiased possible way. What we DO have a problem with is when people like the DBC who try to make claims that people with the CI are not successful at all, that it’s bad for everyone, and that we’re purposely trying to kill the Deaf culture. THAT, is why I’m here, arguing with you over this. If that makes me a borg, then so be it.
And yes, I know that I am still deaf. For Christ’s sake, I know that every time I go to bed, take a shower, go swimming, etc. Do you REALLY think we’re all brainwashed and think “I’m cured! I’m cured!”? The answer is simple: no. Am I accepted in the hearing world? What kind of a question is that? They don’t even consider there being two different worlds. See, the difference between you and me is that you see the world as “us versus them”, whereas I see the world as one community trying to resolve our issues. You aren’t going to go far in life if you continue to have that outlook of the world. And what do you mean “Which is why you all kept on coming back to us”? This is my first time arguing with Deaf people on a blog, so I have no idea what you are talking about.
“Oh one more thing, Caitlin, you tried to distort the data to support your claims that ASL caused high unemployment ratings. That is quite amusing but that is very common among your peers.” Can you please elaborate where I stated that ASL actually causes high unemployment rates*? I only showed that Deaf people, whether they communicate via ASL or some other method, are unfortunate victims of an high unemployment rate. Nothing to do with ASL specifically. And I am so amazed by your skill of providing us with facts and evidence to support your argument. Truly baffling.
From “The Case for Detection and Intervention at Birth,” Marion P. Downs, M.A., D.H.S., 1994
“Profound deafness causes a yearly income loss to our society of an estimated $2.5 billion in present value. That figure is based on the 350,000 manually communicating deaf in this country, whose earnings, according to Schein and Delk (1974), are 30% less than that of the general population. … In addition, the Internal Revenue Service determined that in 1991 24% of deaf graduates of secondary schools have more than twice the number of unemployed than the national average.”
Ridor – Your bitterness and insecurities are showing in your hurling of unfounded accusations against Rachel and Caitlin. Comments such as, “Ga Tech sucks” accomplish nothing but to show your immaturity and ignorance. Rachel and Caitlin are two young adults who have overcome their deafness to succeed very well, and they have bright futures ahead of them. Focus your anger elsewhere, such as on those in the ASL schools who are continuing to fail deaf children.
The point is , Ridor…even if that bill included ASL in their host of options…you STILL protest.Why?You achieved a win win situation under the best of circumstances.Plus , you CANT HAVE EVERYTHING.
Rome wasn’t build in a day , did you know that?
Rather than complain that you didn’t get involved in the decision process and saying NEXT commentator , get involved with the next step in a positive way.Get a gateway for everyone so that hearing parents of deaf kids feel accepted.And Shape Up like I said to Padraic Saich.Shape Up your education.I respect every ASL and GSL person unless he/she is insulting me and my decision.And “braying” sure insults me.
Me and Rachel did not play the CI card t get into our colleges and grad schools.we got in for marks alone.Rachel had to craft a long letter that sent to several schools in order to get accepted ,like every other American.Me? I had to do well at my NGE to get in ( National Greek Exams ).
I NEVER mention to the professors that I am deaf with CI , because I want my own worth to pass my lessons.I mention it ONLY when I’m really struggling.
So , what CI card did I and Rachel play ? Sorry.I don’t see it anywhere.
So , what are you going to pull up next?
Ridor,
Your concern about CI is killing the deaf Culture but you are actually killing the Deaf community based on your blogs and vlogs with your youtube account as Ridor9th. You’re so proud to have many viewers but viewers like myself watching you thinking how crazy you really are. Many viewers have perceived you as loathsome and narcissistic personality just like the way you left the comments under this blog site. That’s why you assume that lot of viewers agrees with you-NOT REALLY!!! I’m one of viewers enjoying how pathetic you are which I find it entertaining. It does save my cable tv bill.
Support everything as a package from hard of hearing, AVT, ASL, CI, deaf of the deaf, etc. or you will kill your own signing community. It’s your choice, Ridor. All or nothing!
Let’s cut out the personal attacks and stick to what this bill is about.
Here’s a “sane” response, check out http://candysweetblog.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/hysteria-propaganda-twists-sane-ab2072/.
per the twitter.com/ab2072
the bill passed! 10 votes. bill goes to assembly!!!
Great News!
From the article that Ann_C posted, I found this quote:
“AB2072 is NOT about what works. AB2072 is not about telling parents what to pick. AB2072 is definitely not supporting one option over another! Where the heck did anyone get that idea? Opponents think there’s an hidden agenda behind this bill because of this orally focused group that had approached Tony Mendoza to write this bill.”
This. It appears that people are reacting too quickly to this proposed bill, without even being well-informed of what it actually contains. This bill is about allowing parents to be presented ALL options for their deaf child, in the most unbiased way possible, so that they may choose what feels best for their child’s future. It is NOT going to kill the Deaf culture, as some people are assuming. Check this statistic out:
About 2 to 4 of every 1,000 people in the United States have a severe or profound hearing loss (have become deaf at some point in their lives). At least half of these people became deaf relatively late in life; about 1 out of every 1,000 people in the United States became deaf before 18 years of age.
http://www.deafactioncentertexas.org/statistics.html
I highly doubt that every single deaf infant is going to be implanted. I also believe that this bill will reduce the number of angry people who were disappointed that they weren’t presented with the amount of information that they should have had access to at the beginning. I’ve heard stories of parents on both ends say that they aren’t happy with where they are, and it’s caused by the lack of information presented to them when their child was diagnosed with deafness.
This is for the better of everyone. It’s about choice and personal responsibility for the parents, and this information needs to be presented to the parents while the child is at a young age. It is CRITICAL that the child be exposed to the language that he/she is to learn within the first few years of his/her life, for the child’s brain is like a “sponge” and absorbs information at a fast rate.
Congratulations! AB 2072 moved up to assembly voting. The ball is rolling and the wheels of evolution is rolling!
Parents soon will get to keep and raise their deaf babies themselves for the first time without interference from the sign language militants. They dont have to sacrifice their deaf babies to the deaf ghetto either.
Rachel: I knew that you’d use deaf card to get yourself in grad school. So much for your original claims. RP? Usher? So? I knew of several Deaf individuals with RP/Ushers – and one of them is female. She made it to PC. And you failed … umm. Her primary language is ASL.
Keep spinning.
I think I am an artist in many ways but I do not think you fit the criteria. That’s my opinion.
Caitlin: WTF? You dare to assume that I want to separate two worlds? Please don’t delude yourself. I already acknowledged that there are two different worlds – I can function in both but for me to be comfortable, I’ll stick with what I grew up. If you’re so damned comfortable with hearing world, then STAY THERE! Stop meddling in Deaf-related affairs! If you studied the history of Deaf communities, you will know that speech therapists, audiologists, hearing administrators & hearing teachers has played a pivotal role in suppressing Deaf people’s rights to make decisions for themselves. ENOUGH is ENOUGH.
You kept on spinning the lies – the original bill was created without including Deaf stakeholders in the first place. You said that we should not complain — we should push something. That is rubbish. Remember the Milan Conference of 1880. What the fuck did you think your so-called hearing peers did?!
Caitlin, I am a fan of the University of Virginia. Suffice to say, I don’t give a shit about Ga Tech. You did make a snide remark towards Gallaudet in an attempt to claim that Georgia Tech is much better than Gallaudet. You attempt to pull some data to degrade Deaf people for doing what they wanted in the first place.
If you can trash my alma mater, then by all means, I can trash your so-called school. Don’t like it? Then don’t trash Gallaudet. Frankly, I’m sick of people like you trying to use data to attack people who has such a passion for ASL & Gallaudet. If you truly love what you’re doing, I have no problem with that. Just stay in that world without attacking us. You had been doing that for years … decades.
Are you that stupid to believe that all options would be unbiased in the hands of audiologists? Don’t delude yourself, borg.
Kill Deaf Culture? Did I say that? No, you fabricated that by yourself. ASL, Deaf Culture and our way of life will be always there from the beginning to the end whether you like it or not.
Caitlin, you know, I am starting to realize that you’re inept when it comes to things like that. Of course, you KNEW you’re still DEAF no matter what. But the problem is that the fucking CI companies & audiologists would go around saying that their deaf babies WILL be cured if they are borgized with implants. These fairy tales are *dangerous*. I don’t care about WHAT you think — I’m talking about THEM! The AUDIOLOGISTS, DOCTORS & SPEECH THERAPISTS who claimed that they can provide the best decisions for Deaf people without involving Deaf people at all!
Again, again, again — Rachel, you and many others are spinning things around as usual.
Caitlin, you assumed that I am against the hearing world — you’re dead wrong. I live in a hearing world. I have a hearing boyfriend. I have this, that and there. I already acknowledged that both are different, period and it was YOU who tried to distort my views. Don’t bother to do so.
Melissa: Typical response. Of course, the high unemployment of Deaf people were instigated none other than hearing people whom fed many years – decades – of stereotypical views against Deaf individuals. Why do you think we are starting to fight and take our lives back in our own hands? Think harder, Melissa.
Your claims that I’m bitter or insecure is ridiculous.
Melissa, the majority of residential deaf schools that operated the total communication philosophy were instigated by whom? HEARING PEOPLE! It was Alexander Graham Bell who used his funds to encourage hearing people to terminate Deaf teachers who uses ASL at deaf schools. It was these hearing people who sowed the bad seeds that continues to malign the deaf schools. One by one, Deaf people are starting to take their schools away from hearing people like you.
And now you’re blaming ASL for failing Deaf students? How typical, Melissa. You remind me of people who started the problems but attempted to exonerate themselves when it was proved that they were the ones who harmed the whole process.
Ioanna: Are you that stupid, dear? Do you truly think the “options” would be unbiased in the hands of audiologists?
You must be senile if you think like that!
You claim that we did not get involved, please don’t start. The bill was created by audiologists in an attempt to monopolize the options FOR themselves. And you TRUE BIZ fell for it.
IN other words, I do not need to waste my time arguing with a mannequin, dear.
Ioanna, one more thing – Rachel ADMITTED that she did use the deaf card in her application for grad school. Case closed. Tada. Next!
Tony Orlando: Killing the Deaf Culture? Who said anything about it, hon? I never said that. Cochlear implants are like hearing aids, they come and go. But Deaf people will be always here, like it or not.
Glad to know that you continue to watch my vlogs. Did I say that I was proud to have many viewers? PROUD? Prove it. I simply said that I have more than 700 subscribers mainly BECAUSE they trusted me. That’s it.
I never said that I was proud as you would like to distort, Tony Danza!
Your arguments is invalid right after you lied about me.
NEXT!
One thing I can say for sure, George Veditz was right about people like Caitlin, Tony Orlando, WG, Melissa, Rachel and shit like that.
R-
You did this to yourself, Ridor. All I did was enjoy watching it happen.
You and your deaf club are the ones who are causing parents and other people to dislike ASL and run away from the deaf culture.
Friends, join us on our new post which updates this issue…
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2010/04/ab-2072-passed-by-the-health-committee-and-is-now-headed-for-the-state-assembly/
Ridor:
I knew you had sour grapes. Sorry for stealing Al Groh from you guys.
I’m not going to get into personal attacks, because that’s what it seems like it’s turning into. Let me know when you actually want to have an intellectual and mature debate.
Have a good night.
@ridor- I ROFL’d when I saw the poppycock you wrote! Your nonsense speech will drive away people. When they see the rubbish you wrote, they think that deaf culture people are loonies. So they’ll desert you people and your deaf culture will become history! I’d love to see it in my history textbook!
lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalaalalalalalalalalala
adults are so immature!
sidhanthmelvani: This is America, not Singapore. Deal with your affairs over there. Get the drift?
Rachel: That does not matter at all. Deaf people does not forget the ones that harmed them in the past. And what did you do? Pant like a dog.
I noticed something interesting – Caitlin, Melissa, Iaonna & that tard from Singapore are your pals — you round them up to defend yourself when needed.
How desperate. You continue to IGNORE the facts that audiologists, speech therapists & hearing peers are *not* qualified to discuss about the issues pertaining to Deaf people’s lives.
Caitlin: You continue to distort the facts as usual and attempt to turn it back — I simply defend my points and you had to resort by claiming that I was bitter.
Ha! How childish. If you are so happy braying with your fucked-up voice, more power to you. Go! Go! But you’re still here.
I’m going to make a vlog discussing with peers about you, Rachel. Hope you can *understand* what I am going to say.
R-
Ridor, go back to your gutter in New York. You have no business in my state.
ridor- YOU ARE A LOSER! ONLY LOSERS USE FOUR-LETTER WORDS! HA!
And richard you’re right! He should go back to the gutter!
ridor- ‘tard from singapore’? i think you made a mistake. We don’t have any tards here. Tards are found in the gutter where you came from.
Ridor, I just saw your video on YouTube. I want to put an end to all this fighting. Let me tell you that I have some ASL friends, and I respect their choice. And I respect yours too.
Please respect my choice of having a CI. and please end this enemity with Rachel and the others and me.
I hope you will not try to influence parents of deaf babies to make them learn ASL. it’s their choice, remember. Peace
no more fighting, I beg all of you.
Typical response from a person who cannot attack the ideas, Roehm. I can almost feel sorry for you. Proud of yourself for beating a woman up in the past?
Gutter? Only in your dreams.
To the little boy from Singapore – I can call whoever I wanted. Only people like you would think like that.
Get a grip.
R-
@ Ioanna
Hi, I am going to study law to fight for deaf rights… what if deaf can’t cure from stem cell, I read an article that only cure 50% in one ear. There are an amount of deaf with CI don’t work.. what do we do with them? teach them oral after “applied research” showed it worsen them. do you know that some deaf can’t get CI? what do we do with them? that my whole points…
we must make sure there are alternative for those who couldn’t recover from CI or stem cell…. or what? send them to WW2 camp… what about deaf and blind can’t cure for reasons and tired to get them education with what… they just care about money more than… believe me, parents will be very happy to know all side and see what fit…. just like one school in Cananda, 2/3 of deaf who went to oral school now are in ASL school due to Canada, i bet, being fair to parents about gettting all the information… sorry, CI businesses and audioloists are doing anything… what if those who not interesting get CI… so, they got their rihts and don’t understand why people want only oral… i support oral but i question “acquire language” is best suit via what? do the con and pro… you will be shocked…. many lawyers don’t know how to state a claim about get the clear picture here… anyway, if bill pass, i know they will get knocked down fast by federal level… it happen before and will happen again… boy..
@ Ioanna i was applying to Rachel… opps
sidhanthmelvani: Like I said many times, CIs, to me, are akin to hearing aids. They come and go in Deaf communities.
I have several friends who has CIs. I love ’em. They knew that I have *no* problem with them braying and wanting to hear people farting. But they don’t go around to rub and promote it incessantly 24/7/365.
If you’re happy with it, go away. You said that it made you independent – Yay! Go go go! Don’t come back to the community. Immerse in that fucking cesspool that you wanted to be part of. Go go go! I’m all for it. The door is wide open.
But guess what? You’re still here.
So much for your so-called claims of successes, dear.
By the way, I think I expressed enough via my vlog — so I’m finished with this website. Don’t think I’ll return, though.
godt å være kvitt!
R-
Ridor, really RR did told you about Masterbasting Party too???? Interesting!!!!! Someone told me that too! I will vlog that wheneever I have time!
Ridor- is this the way to talk? I apologize to you for saying that you’re from the gutter.
To all of you- please stop fighting. Can’t we all be friends?
i was not born with bilateral profound hearing loss, it just happened to me when i was 9 years old. so for 9 years i had normal hearing. i got my CI last year at age 14.
i wanna know if a person with profound hearing loss is called ‘deaf’ or ‘hard of hearing’. i had residual hearing before i got my CI, so does that make me deaf?
Hello again! Done with my vlog on this post link: http://eyefirevlogs.com/eyefire2/?p=4362
Have a good day!!!
sidhanthmelvani, profoundly deaf is more like deaf than HOH. Definition varies, I don’t think anyone agrees on it. I am HOH because I can hear well, but not perfect. I am almost deaf without hearing aids and with HA I am more HOH because I can use the phone. My deaf parents classify me as HOH.
But, I have seen how CI users will say that they’re still deaf. I guess it’s because when they turn their processors off, they are really completely deaf. Or are newer implants for SOME CI users classified as “hoh” because they still have their residual hearing intact? 
I just realized I used HOH and then hoh, it does not denote anything. My apologies.
Candy- I have a very new implant, so I have residual hearing. And I’m implanted on my right ear, so my left ear has some hearing. So even if I take out my CI I can still hear lol
New story here:
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2010/04/ab-2072-passed-by-the-state-assembly-by-a-57-7-vote/