Monday, August 30, 2010

Live Online Interview with Gally Prez HurwitzLive

FYI, the iDeafNews will conduct the live online interview with Dr. Alan Hurtwitz of Gallaudet University tommorow Tuesday, August 31th.

Hopefully, this online interview will be not done with any softball questions.

For more info, click the enclosed link -


Source: Save Our Deaf School (SODS), BR

Saturday, August 28, 2010

WHO THE F#@K AUDIOLOGISTS THINK?

Oh boy, the latest drama within California's "AB 2072 bill", the enclosed letter from the California Audiologist Association (CAA) to Rep. Tony Mendoza.

So you could see for yourself with your OWN EYES what the true colors of audiologists and the California Coalition are all about, especially the deaf detractors and naysayers and deaf traitors.

Jesus Christ, audiologists do not possess any college degree in Deaf Education or the Education of the Deaf (preferable term). They claimed to be an educational expert for deaf children. *rolling eyes in disbelief* NOTHING NEW ABOUT AUDIOLOGISTS in general!

Miss Kat's Parents, WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE and don't be dismissive of Deaf Leaders whose they KNOW, KNOW, KNOW what really going on! Thanks to JMS for this attachment.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Interesting Twist About Latest AB 2072 Bill

There are interesting twists within the latest AB 2072 bill. The audiologist lobbying group are lobbying against the current AB 2072 bill to show the TRUE COLORS among the California Coalition. Those audiologists do NOT want to be restricted in any way to fatten their sale commissions for getting deaf babies and kids on the assembly line to be branded with CI.

Someone like Miss Kat's Parents, Gina Sutton aka Candy, Mike McConnell, Barry Sewell, Russell the Deaf Bunny and Eddie Raynon are really CLUELESS about the real purpose and intention why the AB 2072 bill introduce to the California Legislature.

Here is the e-mail exrpect from the Deaf California -

Assembly Rules has confirmed that they are expecting to find an interpreter for
tomorrow and are waiting for confirmation from the interpreting agency.
Rene Bayardo (aide to Mendoza) states that 2072 will probably be voted on tomorrow
morning, with a high degree of probability, if the interpreter is confirmed.
The audiologists assoc's lobby is probably attempting to sway members to vote no.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

AB 2072 16 YES 8 NO, BUT ..............

The recent California Senate voted 16 YES and 8 NO for the AB 2072 bill, but not fully known if the quorum being met or what.

Karen Kingrey told me that if the votes go up to 21 for YES. That might be possible for the passage of the AB 2072 bill. Only 24 out of 40 California Senators.

Several state senators repeatedly acknowledged "ASL" as a true language and part of the Deaf community.

If the AB 2072 bill get approved by the California State Senate. The bill will be on the desk of Governor Arnie, who is an Austrian (Austria) like Adolf Hitler, Austrian native himself.

Governor Arnie had the special friendship with the ex-Nazi murderer in the past. Many people questioned how possible for Arnie to say that he never seen such Nazi atriocities in his home country.

http://www.slate.com/id/2086742


http://www.arnoldexposed.com/arnold.htm


ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
rlmdeaf@hotmail.com

Latest News from California's AB 2072 Bill

Got numerous email msgs regarding the latest news within the status of AB 2072 bill
as the entire Deaf America is watching the California Senate right now. Edited some info
like the email addresses and personal data to protect the confidentiality and privacy of
Blackberry users -

Here is the current standing of the vote re AB2072 (File item #283):

Members of the public may continue to call senators' offices to convince them to change an aye vote to a no vote, or to vote no if they are presently abstaining. Some no votes might change to ayes before the day is done.

IN FAVOR:

(forthcoming: includes Alquist, Cedillo and Romero)

OPPOSED:

Ashburn, Ray
Corbett, Ellen
Correa, Lou
Denham, Jeff
Dutton, Bob
Hollingsworth, Dennis
Walters, Mimi
Wolk, Lois


-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:29:33
Reply-To:
Subject: Note#15 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Here is the current standing of the vote re AB2072 (File item #283):

Members of the public may contibue to call senators' offices to convince them to change an aye vote to a no vote, or to vote no if they are presently abstaining. Some no votes might change to ayes before the day is done.

IN FAVOR:

(forthcoming)

OPPOSED:

Ashburn, Ray
Corbett, Ellen
Correa, Lou
Denham, Jeff
Dutton, Bob
Hollingsworth, Dennis
Walters, Mimi
Wolk, Lois




-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:13:51
Reply-To:
Subject: FLASH: Note#14 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Staffers in the Senate Rules Committee have verified that a majority of 21 (twenty-one) votes are requires to pass AB 2072. There will be a continuation of the vote later today at the time of adjournment. It is unknown at the present time whether there are 5 additional senators in the building who will add aye votes to obtain passage.

Sent via

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:02:31
Reply-To:
Subject: Note#13 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

The current vote on AB 2072 is 16 in favor and 8 opposed. The vote is being put on hold to be finalized later. Please stand by for verification.
Sent via BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:55:20
Reply-To:
Subject: Note#11 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Both Romero and Cedillo are supporting AB2072, yet are saying complimentary things about the Deaf community.

Sent via BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:52:19
Reply-To:
Subject: Note#10 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Sen. Alquist has claimed that Polanco has "removed his opposition" to AB 2072, yet Polanco works for CDNIAS and CDNIAS has not removed its opposition. She probably mispoke.

Sent via

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:48:26
Reply-To:
Subject: Note#9 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Senator Alquist is now speaking about AB2072.
Sent via

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:43:54
Reply-To: b
Subject: Note#8 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Senator Aaenestad agreed with Romero, now Sen. Simitian speaking in support of the bill.


Sent via BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: b
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:38:37
Reply-To:
Subject: Note#7 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Sen Wright (sp?) passionately criticized charter schools now Sen Wyland is supporting the bill
Sent via

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:34:11
Reply-To:
Subject: Note#6 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Senator Romero is now speaking, being critical of the way charter schools in California are being mismanaged.



Senator Cedillo has privately called for Sheri Farinha to confer with him in the chamber.

Sent via BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:29:38
Reply-To: b
Subject: Note#4 LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Assemblyman Tony Mendoza has been invited to sit on the floor and is present now.

Sent via BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:28:00
Reply-To:
Subject: Re: Re: Re: LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Senator Flores will preside at the dias.


Sent via BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:22:23
Reply-To:
Subject: Re: Re: LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Senators are now entering the chamber. (2:22 pm)

Sent via BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From:
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:09:12
Reply-To:
Subject: Re: LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate

Senate session is late getting started.

------Original Message------
From:
Sender:
ReplyTo:
Subject: LIVE VIDEO ALERT--AB 2072 vote in the California senate
Sent: Aug 24, 2010 1:55 PM

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

LIVE VIDEO ALERT AB 2072 vote in the California Senate

The Senate of the California State Legislature is now in session and is scheduled to begin voting on AB 2072 shortly. At least two Senators have indicated beforehand that they intend to give speeches on the topic of the bill. The proceedings can be viewed on the website of the California Channel and possibly on cable television for California residents.

LINK: https://www.calchannel.com

(Click on "Senate Floor Session" on the right-hand side of the screen)

VP Dan Quayle's Son ,Ben Quayle Learned ASL in the 90s

Ben Quayle, the eldest son of the former Vice President Dan Quayle, currently run for the U.S. House of Representative seat in Arizona.

I completely forgot about Ben Quayle learned handful of ASL with some deaf postal workers at the U.S. Senate's own Post Office in the tunnels between the Russell and Dirksen Senate building in the early 1990s. I encountered the teenage Ben Quayle at that post office when I found out that someone from the post office did not pick up the mail pouch for an overnight mail. I had to take some fucking mail to the Senate post office distribution system to see that particular mail being sent out of the system.

One of the deaf postal employee eagerly introduced me to Ben Quayle. I replied "That is you, Dan's son working here as what I read from the Roll Call newspaper". He smiled and fingerspelled "B-E-N". I said "Nice to meet you!" That deaf employee and Ben playfully horseplayed after the near end of the workday with ASL signings.

I said to myself "Sheesh, VP Quayle got his teenage son working at the post office. Fine example of family connection and neoptism!"

I wonder whether Ben Quayle still know some ASL or not. Does Ben Quayle have a good impression of deaf people or knowledge of deaf people? I dunno know.

Ben Quayle have been in the a lot of news coverage lately since he ran to his mommy and daddy to tell the Republicans please stop slandering and bashing their own son.

I also never forgot how culturally backward VP Dan Quayle was with the Tim Burton's "Batman" film. Dan was totally shocked when he took Ben to see "Batman" and found the different Batman - more violent and sadistic than the campy Batman tv show in the 1960s.

Don't Dan Quayle keep up with the cultural and social events like Frank Miller's "Dark Knight" comic very popular in the late 1980s which Tim Burton's "Batman" film was largely based on?

Ever Dan Quayle famously mispelled "p o t o t e s" for potatoes. He ever corrected the schoolchildren by writing " p o t o t e s" on the school blackboard. Amen to Dan.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason

Problems with Candy's Latest Blog .......

The real problem with the latest blog posting from Candy (why can't she use her real name, Gina Sutton so far?) The journalist or anyone submit their written article or vlog entry ought to use their real name to lend more credibility to any DeafRead submits.

Before going further with the original purpose of this blog posting in reaction to Candy's blog. The upcoming legal case involves with the legality of anonymous author/commentators to be illegal within the constitutional issue. We, the Americans will face the changed nature of Internet to forbade the "anonymous" author/commentators.

One online blogger wrote such "convincing" article about President Obama being a secret member of the gay sex club in Chicago. The major problem is the alias name of Russian journalist like Candy. (Will post the enclosure about Obama's so-called gay ravenous in Chicago by letting the older gentlemen done the fetallio on Obama's dingy in the end of this blog posting. Okay?) This article have been pretty dismissed by many people about the so-called credibility of sources and other stuff.)

Candy done again with the plucking of the AB 2072 opposition's outreach materials for the California Senate not to vote on the AB 2072 bill, etc.

Candy did post the pdf attachment, but she knew that people read her blog posting WITHOUT BOTHERING to check out the attached link or READ the attachment.

Here is the full portion of the AB 2072 opposition's material for California Senators -

4. The opposition to AD 2072 refuse to work with Mendoza.
The Deaf community is the community of people who are the most impacted by this bill and we were not even contacted when Mendoza first authored this bill. We have met with Mendoza andhis Legislative Director. Rene Bayardo. at least twice each month in addition to email correspondence. It wa during the first meeting with Mr. Mendoza that we learned that although he authored AB 2072, he wa not able to explain what each of the communication options listed inhis bill (cued speech and total communication) were. Hence, we took the opportunity to educate him and rayed in touch with him regarding provisions in the bill, especially since we are the community oE people most impacted y this bill and ar the community of people who were not included in the first place when this bill was first authored.

Candy surely know how to TWIST things around by skipping "and we were not even contacted when Mendoza first authored this bill.

Please double-check out every source all the deaf detractors and jesters when they enclose any link. Thanks.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Televised AB 2072 Bill California Senate Floor Vote

UPCOMING VIDEO ALERT
AB 2072 vote scheduled to take place today in the California senate

The Senate of the California State Legislature will vote on AB 2072 today at 2:30 pm Pacific Time (5:30 pm Eastern). The proceedings can be viewed on the website of the California Channel and possibly on cable television for California residents.

LINK:
https://www.calchannel.com

(Click on "Senate Floor Session" on the right-hand side of the screen)

Local residents are encouraged to attend the Senate session by sitting in the Senate gallery, which is accessible via the 3th floor via the elevators on the west side of the building (not the elevators near the governor's office). The gallery has three seating areas on the north, west, and south sides. The north side is preferred.The proceedings can be viewed on the California Channel website, though without captions, but an interpreter will probably be shown on the TV screen.

Monday, August 23, 2010

AB 2072 Aug 23 ACTION ALERT!

NEED YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP TO CALL & FAX TWO CALIFORNIA SENATORS TO HALT THE AB 2072 BILL ON TRACK FOR THE SENATE FLOOR VOTES!

REGRET FOR NOT POSTING THIS YOUTUBE POSTING TOO SOONER DUE TO MY IMPROMPTU TRIP TO NYC FOR THE ANNUAL DEAF SEAPORT FESTIVAL LAST WEEKEND.

JUST MAKE PHONE CALLS VIA RELAY SERVICE/VP AND FAX TRANSMISSION. THE READILY-AVAILABLE DOWNLOAD FOR FAX/ EMAIL/ PHONE CALL MESSAGES. THANKS.

WE, THE OPPONENTS OF AB 2072 BILLS ARE NOT REALLY DESPERATE ONES. JUST KEEP FIGHTING AGAINST THE GOLIATHS OF DESTRUCTIVE MEANS AMONG US, DEAF DAVIDS. THAT MAKE US REAL STRONGER EVERY DAY AS A DEAF PERSON WITH BEACON OF HOPE AND INSPIRATION. JUST DO IT!

RLMDEAF

Friday, August 20, 2010

AB2072 - Deceit is not Sweet (Vlog)

Mike McConnell and many Republicans' favorite conservative, Ronald Reagan, but seems too many conservatives tend to impose the mandatory government requirement upon people. Reagan's famous quote - "Get the government off our back!" What a hypocrisy and contradiction!

Guess what? The Reagan administration shoved many big government mandates into people's throats like threatening the state government to raise the legal age of drinking to 18 years old or will lose the federal highway funding, etc. Sheesh!

Patti Durr have all good points about why why why why the government insist that everyone ought to see the audiologist. Is that really trampling upon our constitutional rights to decide what is best for our own children? See Durr's vlog! The title of vlog is "AB 2072 - Deceit is not Sweet".

Everyone puzzled why all deaf children in California must see an audiologist after being confirmed the hearing status at hospital delivery room. Duh! Is another government bureaucratic layer to butt into people's lives as what the politically conservative government tend to do? Look at the Meese Commission on Pornography in the 1980s! Mike McConnell defended Russell the Deaf Bunny's right to display the degrading materials in front of deaf families and children at the one of the Deaf Expo. Don't forget that!

Deaf children from deaf families have to drag the poor deaf child all the way to the audiologists office which the child already know that he/she is definitely deaf! What a waste of taxpayers' money and insurance money! No wonder why conservatives whine and whine about the Obama health care being too intrusive into people's lives, but all right for them to impose their values and beliefs upon us, the Eye of the People!


Appointed by Governor and Senate Rules Committee

Have Mike McConnell or deaf detractors being experienced of being appointed to the advisory board by the elected officeholder??? Nyet!

During the early 1990s, I was appointed to the independent living advisory board by Washington, DC Mayor Sharon Dixon. Was I truly qualified to serve on this advisory board??? Definitely NOT!

The office of DC Mayor Dixon just sent me a letter to congratulate me to serve on the DC Independent Living advisory board out of "blue". I never expressed such an interest to serve on that advisory board. Of course, I was enthrilled and honored to be appointed by DC Mayor Dixon at age of 25.

I attended and attended most of the independent living advisory board meetings for about three years. Nothing accomplished at all. The IL advisory board just discussed same things all over and all over on one subject - agrument about the organizational by-laws. What the fuck!!!

Nothing of any agenda or issues to discuss and vote! The advisory board was chaired by the fucking blind guy, who happened to have a beautiful deaf daughter. That chairperson always said to me - "I have a deaf daughter" with head nodded and displayed "Steve Wonder-like" teeth. Yes, the ASL interpreter was provided, but always got in a heated arguments with me. That interpreter always asked me - "You, DC resident?? Please repeat, repeat what you said",
"Wait until someone done with their sayings", "Sorry, too late for your turn to speak" and keep interpreting, interpreting. What the fuck!

I had my tolerance level already exceeded above the normal means. I gently banged on the conference table for me to say something - "Why the hell we keep talking about the organizational bylaws revision for three years???" Guess what? The assigned interpreter refused to repeat what I said in front of the advisory board. I walked out in digust!

I chose not to attend any fucking advisory board meetings at all. I found out that I was still on the advisory board after more than two years absence. I happened to have conversation with David Nelson, deaf DC resident and DC Association of the Deaf member at that moment. Nelson and other deaf individuals had no knowledge about me being on the IL advisory board. See that?? What a big joke about the so-called advisory board itself appointed by the elected officeholder!!

Wonder how the hell for the qualification of someone to serve on the advisory board to be appointed by the Governor of California??? Will someone be selected based on hir own expertise in given area??? Or the Governor's whim to appoint such individuals tailored to his political preference to pack the advisory board in name of democracy? That would be seen more as a sleath dictatorship for the Governor to appoint individuals to the advisory board.

WHY can't the targeted community like the deaf stakeholders and parents of deaf children to make list of recommendations for individuals serving on the AB 2072 advisory board? Will the appointment of individuals be truly qualified and efficient to serve on the AB 2072 advisory board?

We would look at two major gubernational candidates running for the California governor's seat - Meg White, wealthy CEO candidate - very pro-business individual and Jerry Brown, the tiresome liberal, who really fuck up the city of Oakland in big-time. Should we trust either White and Brown to pack the AB 2072 advisory bill for the creation of balanced and fair brochure?

Why wait untl 2017 for the deadline of completing the brochure? Why can't the brochure be all done in less than 2 years or less?

ASLIze yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Thursday, August 19, 2010

People Often Get Unsolicited Advice from Doctors!

The AB 2072 opponents have the legitimate reason to be skeptical of audiologists and doctors. Just read on and find out WHY!

More and more hearing patients experienced such an unsolicited advice from their own doctors nowadays beyond their given roles or duties.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/tips/2010-08-06-mym06_ST_N.htm

So the opponents of the AB 2072 bill do not imagine anything at all! Look at the enclosed article from the USA Today to see how and why the opponents have the legitimate reason to oppose the AB 2072 bill based on their personal and professional experience dealing with deaf kids.

The licensed audiologist really could say nothing to parents of deaf babies/kids, but shown hir own body language or give some hints beyond the legal definition of the given law. Many people know how to find some loopholes around the law anyway. People could be very clever to get away with the law.

For example, the assigned primary doctor in Florida rudimentary signed in ASL to me at the end of our very first appointment - "I WANT SEX WITH YOU" with big grin last February 2010. That really appalled and disgusted me due to his unethical and unprofessional behavior. I left off in real shock! That very good-looking doctor in his early 30s crossed over the line.

Guess what? I was put in very awkward postiton since I just got the health care coverage and don't know what to do. I was going to file the complaint against that doctor. I decided to give the very same doctor another chance due to my "heart of gold". The doctor did make another inappropriate remark like pointing out to hairy-chested guys from the magazine left on the doctor's office on my third visit. I just nodded with very cool head.

Before seeing the doctor for very first time, the office staffers did inquire me whether I am gay or not. I replied "What is to do with the medical visit?" The staffers gave me a poke face and gulped. I was very shocked to learn that I was being screened for my sexual preference to see that doctor. Jesus Christ!

Another incident with different Florida doctor which the first "gay" doctor willingly refer me to see the "leg" doctor due to my past auto accident. I need the specified othropedetic support for the right leg.

Guess what? The leg doctor looked at me like a piece of meat and licked his tongue. He came to me and grabbed my buttock, then rubbed my belly and patted on my chest with his glittering eyes. The doctor had a wife! I was totally stunned about another doctor done inappropriate touchings on me.

I found out about the real incompetence of Florida state medicine board from disciplining the licensed Florida doctors anyway.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/may/17/floridas-doctor-medical-provider-discipline-not

http://citizen.org/publications/publicationredirect.cfm?ID=7652

California have the lowest rate of serious disciplinary actions against doctors! Look at the enclosed link above!

Another similar occurrence to me in Washington, DC at the George Washington University Hospital. The medical male student intern was assigned to do the annual physical examination. He examined me thoroughly until he seen my male genital. That suddenly aroused the very good-looking intern. He did give me his email address with seductive smile. I was also shocked about him being unethical and unprofessional.

Few weeks later, I came to the hospital for another appointment. Guess what? The very same medical student intern approached me and asked me how come I did not write him an email message at all. I simply told him "Jesus Christ!". The medical student intern gave me his puppy look. I left with rolling eyes in disbelief!

I would be not surprised at all about audiologists to find some way to give and pressure parents of deaf babies and kids. Many medical patients or parents of deaf babies and kids really are not familiar with the existing laws or the "supposedly to do" professional and ethical conducts among the medical profession.

One nurse in Boston did hug me out of blue. Another nurse at the U.S. Senate's infirmary room hugged me pretty long in the early 1990s. I was dumbfounded when I was just only 24 years old. I asked that infirmary nurse why she done such thing. The nurse wrote "You are so adorable!" I said "Uh-huh".

See that???? The medical profession are not to trust at all. :(

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog



Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Karen Kingrey Urge Us to Stop Whining, Start Real Action!

Just do a favor for Karen Kingrey, the West Virginia School for the Deaf. She is a big-time Deaf activist herself. Karen know many important people in her life. She usually get things done!

Here is her Facebook message at her urge and with her permission, too -

  • Karen Kingrey Yes, I see the deaf people kept talking about NO to CI. Where are our action? I wonder why we, the deaf people not protest at FDA and State Medical Associations on the sidewalks and make the noises. I strongly believe we should act more than talking. Look at ADAPT. they blocked the city busses from running cuz they were not accessible to the riders in the wheelchairs. They made impact and changed. We can change if we, the deaf people protest and made the change.
    27 minutes ago ·

  • Karen Kingrey Robert, I want you to write a blog with my permission. :-)
    23 minutes ago ·
What do you think of Karen's message?

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Monday, August 16, 2010

Real Fishy About AB 2072's So-Called Advisory "Stakeholder " Group

The revised AB 2072 bill with 16 amendments back to last August 2nd, 2010 is much worst than the original bill. It is definitely written by the lobbyists vested in the cochlear implant companies and AVT schools.

Look at the faction from one amendment in concern for the so-called stakeholder "advisory group" -

(c) (1) The department shall convene an advisory stakeholder panel
to contribute to the development of the informational pamphlet
required pursuant to subdivision (a). The members of the panel shall
receive no compensation for their services, but shall be allowed the
actual necessary traveling expenses incurred in the discharge of
their duties. The panel shall be composed of eleven members, as
follows:
(A) An adult who is deaf or hard of hearing, and who uses
auditory-oral language, appointed by the Governor.
(B) An adult who is deaf or hard of hearing, and who uses visual
language, appointed by the Governor.
(C) An educator of the deaf in an auditory-oral educational
setting, appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
(D) An educator of the deaf in a visual language education
setting, appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
(E) A parent representative of a child who primarily uses
auditory-oral communication methods, appointed by the Governor.
(F) A parent representative of a child who primarily uses visual
language, appointed by the Governor.
(G) A representative of a nonprofit organization that services
primarily auditory-oral learners, appointed by the Speaker of the
Assembly.
(H) A representative of a nonprofit organization that services
primarily visual language learners, appointed by the Speaker of the
Assembly.
(I) A researcher engaged in the study of auditory-oral
communication for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, appointed
by the Governor.
(J) A researcher engaged in the study of visual language and
communication modalities for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing,
appointed by the Governor.
(K) The Secretary for Education, who shall be an ex officio
member.
(2) (A) All members of the panel shall be appointed no later than
January 1, 2012. An appointee to the panel shall not serve for more
than five years.
(B) No member of the panel may have a financial relationship or a
conflict of interest with any entity that has contributed funding
pursuant to subdivision (f).
(3) Subject to subdivision (f), the panel shall commence
operations on January 1, 2012. The panel shall provide
recommendations to be included in the pamphlet developed pursuant to
subdivision (a) six months after the panel commences operations.
Every two years thereafter, the department shall review the pamphlet
and shall revise the information, if the department determines that
new or revised information is necessary. At the request of the
department, the panel may be asked to reconvene to review updates and
changes to the pamphlet. The panel shall then have three months to
review and provide additional recommendations to the department.
(4) The department and the panel shall consider written input and
information submitted by members of the general public in the
creation of the pamphlet.
(d) The panel shall remain in existence until January 1, 2017.
(e) The pamphlet developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
made available in Cantonese, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The
pamphlet developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be made
available on the department's Internet Web site and the
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board's Internet Web site.
(f) (1) There is hereby created the Language and Communication for
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Fund in the State Treasury. The
fund shall contain donations that have been collected and deposited
for the purposes of this section, as well as any federal funds made
available for purposes of this section. Notwithstanding Section
16305.7 of the Government Code, the fund shall also contain any
interest and dividends earned on moneys in the fund. No entity may
contribute moneys to this fund that participates in a lobbying
activity or has a financial relationship or any other conflict of
interest, with, any appointed panel members, or that stands to
benefit financially from the outcome of the pamphlet development. No
state funds shall be used to implement this section.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), moneys in the Language and
Communication for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Fund shall be
available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the
implementation of this section.
(3) No moneys shall be expended from the fund until the Director
of Finance determines that sufficient money is in the fund to
implement this section. If sufficient money is in the fund, the
Director of Finance shall file a written notice thereof with the
Secretary of State. Subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive, shall not be
implemented until moneys in the fund are appropriated for purposes of
this section.
(g) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 124116, as used in
this section, "department" means the State Department of Education.

The creation of advisory board is definitely controlled by the hearing people,
no possibility of "average citizen being given such opporunity to serve on the
advisory board. Why the individuals ought to be appointed by the Governor and the
Senate Rules Committee (Tony Mendoza serve on this standing committee. Remmy my latest
blog posting?)

ASlize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog



How Ironic for the AB 2072 Supporter Wrote This Blog Posting in 2007

Accidentally stumbled into the staunch AB 2027 supporter's past 2007 blog posting about the severity of misdiagnosis of deaf people over decades. Guess who???? What a major hypocrite he is!

Here is the link (I urge many of you download or copy/paste to keep the evidence of this blog posting to keep the blogger from deleting the blog posting) - http://blog.deafadvocacy.org/2007/07/major-misdiagnosis-deaf-people-trapped.html

Uh-huh!

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Tony Mendoza, the AB 2072 Guy Is a Dirty Pol!

The California media outlets reported on Assemblyperson Tony Mendoza from time to time in regard to the issue of his ethical conductiveness as an elected official.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/05/six-lawmakers-quizzed-by-state-ethics-enforcer.html

First of all, the Los Angeles Times reporter and people in general, questioned Tony Mendoza's intention with the teacher salaries bill. Many people considered
such an unncessary situation to bring up the bill. Others seen Mendoza doing the "conflict of interest" stuff since his wife was the main reason for the teacher salaries bill.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/05/local/me-payroll5

Tony Mendoza was in the pocket of supermarket retailers trying to avert the existing law. He and several California lawmakers received a lot of million dollars for their war campaign chests. Mendoza ever want to allow the wine tasting at the gas stations!
http://www.thereporter.com/wirenews/ci_15710361

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15696973?nclick_check=1

Mendoza got the heat about the taxpayers footed his car use -

http://www.noethics.net/News/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=959:041310-political-questionnaire-to-henry-bestwick--candidate-for-56th-california-state-assembly-&catid=44:campaign-questionnaires-to-ca-candidates&Itemid=66

Tony Mendoza is serving on handful of standing committees for the California Legislature including "Rules" Committee focused on ethical practices of California legislators. How unethical for Tony Mendoza to serve on the "Rules" Committee while he have been the target of "questionable ethics" investigation! Please read all the enclosed pages to see the pattern of Mendoza serve on particular committee(s). Finances, Banking, Redistricting and Election and "Rules" http://www.asmdc.org/speaker/pdf/0318-Committees_letters.pdf

Is Rep. Tony Mendoza in the deep pockets within the cochlear implant makers and the audio-visual therapy (AVT) schools ???

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog



























Here's EVIDENCE About Deaf Girl Spent 70 Years In Mental Hospital

Someone sent me a private email message which this person never read or seen about the deaf girl spent her 70 years in the mental hospital based on misassumption. The staffers at the mental hospital were much aware of the deaf girl's own innocence, but still bounced her from mental hospital to another mental hospital. Kinda sound familiar to all of us?

Of course, the AB 2072 bill will do very same thing to our deaf children -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1564525/Falsely-accused-woman-freed-after-70-years.html

I read differently from what this newspaper enclosure refer to.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Spat Between Marlee Matlin and MDI CEO at LV!

Someone sent me a newspaper article about Actress Marlee Matlin had a spat with the Deaf International Pageant coordinator at the Deaf World Expo.

Kinda surprised to see Marlee Matlin let her personal feelings got the worst of herself at the given situation. Matlin's Svengali rep denied such occurrence.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/diva-actress-turns-sweet-on-tweets-99190554.html

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason
RLMDEAF blog

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Misdiagnosis of the Deaf Within the AB 2072 Brought Memories of Institutionalization

The recent legislative maneuverings by the untrustworthy Tony Mendoza and his corporate wolves with the AB 2072 bill surely remind us much of often misdiagnosis of deaf children and adults as "feeble-minded", "unintelligent", "uncommunicative", "animal-like", "mentally unstable" and "need to supervise" in the past.

Too many normal-minded and intelligent deaf children and adults ended up institutionalized against their own wills at the state mental hospitals over two centuries. Past horror memories of deaf children and adults got placed in the wrong facilities shouldn't be forgotten at all.

In the past, many doctors often recommended to the distraught parents of deaf children that they ought to send their own deaf child to the state mental hospital(s). So parents tend to look at people in "white coats" to be knowledgeable on deaf people in general. Ever the prejudiced doctors urged many parents of deaf child to be sent to the oral school.

The recent case with the unjustifiable and wrong placement of deaf girl into the state mental hospital which took doctors more than 70 years to diagnosis the elderly deaf lady as most normal and intelligent person.

Audiologists are the new novelty of diagnosing deaf children which could cost the deaf child hir true potential ever hir own destinty. Of course, many audiologists are often pressured to do the "sale pitch" with referrals and recommendations which benefits their own firms and own pocket, ex. commissions.

Nothing new about the common treads lie within the professional fields - medical and psychological authorities to misdiagnosis our deaf children.

How much we should put faith in audiologists to make the "honest to God" recommendation to parents of deaf children?

Jeez, the latest ploy of getting doctors and audiologists to serve on the advisory board are the latest reminder of the energy industry running and dictating the regulatory board. See what happen with the BP oil spills are the best example of how we could avoid the costly mistake with the deaf child's own future.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Saturday, August 14, 2010

SORENSON LIED!!! SORENSON LAID OFF TERPS!

THE SORENSON COMPANY LIED, LIED, LIED ON MY BLOG POSTING WHICH ONE OF THE SORENSON MANAGEMENT DENIED SUCH EXISTENCE OF TERPS LAY-OFFS LAST TWO MONTHS AGO.

SORENSON RECENTLY LAID OFF TERPS IN CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE AREA ACCORDING TO THE CONCORD LOCAL NEWSPAPER REPORTING. THIS VRS COMPANY EVER DONE THE SALARY CUTS BY 15 PERCENT.

SORENSON LAID OFF MORE THAN 35 TERPS.

SORENSON WILL CLOSE THE CONCORD-BASED REGIONAL HUB OF ITS OWN AND BLAME THE RECENT FCC'S LATEST DECISION FOR LOWER REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE TRS FUND AFTER THE FCC'S OWN RECOMMENDATION FROM READING ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE VRS CONSUMER ADVISORY BOARD.

NOT ABLE TO INCLUDE THE ATTACHED LINK DUE TO COMPUTER ITSELF NOT MAKE IT POSSIBLE. I COULD NOT POST THE FULL NEWSPAPER ARTICLE DUE TO THE REAL STUPID DEAFREAD POLICY.

ASLIZE YOURS,
ROBERT L. MASON (RLM)
RLMDEAF BLOG
RLMDEAF@HOTMAIL.COM

Friday, August 13, 2010

Founder of the USA Today Said Something About Someone Deaf

The founder of the USA Today newspaper, Al Neuharth, sneered at the idea of the 22nd anniversary of the deaf personality and ridiculed the so-called importance of that personality's message on daily basis. Neuharth urged us to laugh at his show to show the real absurdity of language use. Kinda question Mike McConnell's logical means of his blog and vlog postings along with Mc Connell's favorite deaf personality.

Here is the column and quotes from several individuals regarding the deaf personality -
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-08-06-column06_ST_N.htm

If any of you could not access to the USA Today column. Let's type "al neuharth and
Limbaugh anniversary is a laughing matter" on any ISP search engine. Okay?

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAD

AUDISM from Hearing Person's Perspective

This enclosed column described the personal experience with A U D I S M from the hearing perspective which he became deaf later in life. Very H E A R T Y piece described his growing up with the family whose had such a prejudice toward deaf people. Ever his deaf uncle and other family members did not S I G N at all.

http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=columnists&sc=life_in_the_slow_lane&id=108758

If this attached link do not work, please type "judah leblang and hearing and the lack of it" on any ISP search engine.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Transcript from the Latest AB 2072 Bill Senate Hearing

Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 4:39 am Pacific Time


Transcript of California State Senate Appropriations Committee hearing relating to AB2072, August 9, 2010

SENATOR CHRISTINE KEHOE (Chair): And we are going to bring up Mr. Mendoza now to take up AB 2072 on hearing screening. A number of citizens have come to the Capitol to testify on this, and we have sign language interpreters here [gesturing], so we'd like to dispense with that bill. We appreciate Mr. DeVore's courtesy in allowing Mr. Mendoza to come up. So we will go to 2072. Mr. Mendoza, do you open on that?

ASSEMBLYMAN TONY MENDOZA: Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you members. I'm here to present on AB 2072, with the amendments that we've taken, the Senate Health Committee, with the help of our Senator Alquist [motions to Sen. Alquist], this bill will now require the California Department of Education to develop a pamphlet that will--that is comprehensive and provides information to parents on American Sign Language as well as auditory/oral approaches. The California Department of Education will develop this pamphlet with the input of stakeholder--by a stakeholder group that will include representatives from various communication options. The cost of this pamphlet and conducting the stakeholder panel will be covered by non-state funds--and we worked, and the Senator, on making sure we are clear on that. This information will be presented by the audiologist who tells parents that their child has been identified as deaf or hard of hearing. The information will also be given to parents at a second time by their local Early Start provider. And with that, Madam Chair, we have some folks here to speak in favor, starting with one of the parents, Licia King.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you, Mr. Mendoza. Before we go to the witnesses--that will be momentary--if I could have the audience's attention. How many people are prepared to speak on behalf, or opposed, to this bill, AB 2077 [sic]? Either way, pro or con? [pause] Alrighty, so we will take--we'll take three statements in favor, and then will take the rest of the in-favor witnesses. Then we'll take the three statements opposed, and take the rest of the statements opposed.

MR. MENDOZA: Yes, Madam Chair, do you want to set a time limit for each speaker?

SEN. KEHOE: It doesn't look like there are all that many. You know what? Statements should be on point, on the fiscal matters, and no repetition, and the statements can go on as long as the Chair is listening, so--

MR. MENDOZA: [laughs] Great, thank you.

[Audience laughs]

SEN. KEHOE: --so I'll determine--I'll determine how long they go [laughing]. But we're prepared to hear, of course, people who have come a ways to talk about the bill, so go ahead, miss.

LICIA KING: Good morning, my name is Licia King and I'm the parent of six-year-old deaf twin girls. We first discovered that the girls had their hearing loss when they failed the newborn hearing screening at birth with their confirmed diagnosis. We were given no information about communication alternatives. A teacher of the deaf did come to our home and we began learning sign language, but we quickly found that that was not well suited for us, as there are no other deaf members in our immediate or extended family. It took a friend for us to become aware of the local listening-and-spoken-language program that ultimately was a better choice for us. While attending this program, both of my daughters received cochlear implants, and by their fourth birthday they had age-appropriate speech and language skills. They're now fully mainstreamed in our neighborhood school, sitting beside their hearing peers. They require minimal support services and are meeting or exceeding state standards. [pause] I cannot stress enough that it is my parental right to make decisions for my children, and it is best to do so with complete information. We live in a country that is based on the freedom to choose, and rarely is there a situation where one size fits all. But for all future parents of children born with hearing loss, I ask that you give them the information they need to make an informed decision that is timely and best for their family situation. Thank you.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you very much. Next please.

LAURA TURNER: Laura Turner representing California Coalition of Option Schools and we're in support of the bill.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you very much.

JANET CHRISTENSEN: Janet Christensen, also of California Coalition of Option Schools. I'm also a parent and a teacher of the deaf and I'm in favor of this bill.

SEN. KEHOE: Very good. Other testimony in favor of the bill? [pause] Folks? Testimony in favor? Alright then I'll ask you three to vacate those chairs. We'll bring up those opposed to the bill--opposed to AB 2077 [sic]. [pause] Alrighty, if you could come up and give us your name and your statement, please? [pause] Good morning.

SHERI FARINHA: [voice of interpreter] Good morning. My name is Sheri Farinha. I'm here representing the California Deaf Newborn Identification Advocacy Stakeholders [CDNIAS] of parents and the Deaf community members. Senator Polanco is very ill and unable to join me today to express our concerns and why we are opposing this bill in its current form. There were amendments that were made during the Health Committee policy hearing and they're not in its current form of this bill, which is why we still stand opposed. I would like to share our concerns regarding the part of the bill that says, quote: "Provides that the State, audiologists, nor Early Start program providers shall incur any costs for implementing this bill." Who will pay for this bill? That's our question. Also, the new fund to be set up will be empty until the state gets contributions? How much money will be needed to cover this entire bill? If no money [is obtained] then what happens to this bill as required? Regarding the advisory panel, we want to make sure that this committee--that the state is responsible under the Americans with Disabilities Act to understand that it absorbs the responsibility to pay for all of the accommodations--whether sign language interpreters, oral interpreters, real time captioning--the state is responsible to pay for that and it's not contingent on any contributions to the fund. We hope that the staff analysis has asked the California Department of Education costs related to everything involved in this bill and whether they were going to absorb the costs. It's really important to have enforcement of the funds, and who will monitor and make sure that the contributions are not in conflict, from any big-time industry with those who are represented on the panel, to make sure that there's no conflict of interest--who is going to monitor that? If the bill is amended, will the Committee be looking at those changes in the amendments? The costs associated with the shipping of the current pamphlet is roughly fourteen hundred audiologists in the State of California that are California licensed. While this bill creates a new professional activity in which the degree, the certification, licensing, does not require audiologists to be knowledgeable in the educational aspect of sign language development, therefore they would be asked to present information to new parents, and that would require an additional training, so I hope that the training costs are included. The Chair of the Health Committee, Senator Alquist, did ask for restrictions on the audiologists, and that's not in the current form of the bill, so we have concerns there. What would that mean? Audiologists, [only] registration, not license required [to practice] in the State of California, not including [knowledge of] aspects related to American Sign Language, and it's really critical that they have training before they are allowed to pass out any kind of materials or information, to be able to intelligently answer questions related to American Sign Language. Also, the bill talks about the pamphlet and collecting information from the advisory panel, as well as collecting written information. We want to make sure that the California Department of Education has a survey and that that information is available in American Sign Language on video on the CDE website. [pause] The bill itself also says that the Department will be able to, or needs to include travel costs--you know that there's automatically some travel costs that affect some panel members. We hope that the Appropriations Committee takes a hard look at all of the different areas of concern and makes sure that the funds themselves--that someone is able to monitor and make sure that it's impartial, and neutral. So thank you for your attention to our concerns.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you. We appreciate your comments.

MS. FARINHA: --I'm here to answer any questions.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you. Is there--I'm going to go to Senator Alquist, the chair of our Senate Health Committee, after the testimony is finished, but first let me see. Is there any additional testimony opposed to AB 2077 [sic]? Please come on up? Any other testimony opposed, you should be coming up now. [pause] Alright, sir, tell us your name and your statement?

BOYCE HINMAN: Yes, thank you. Yes, I'm Boyce Hinman. I'm with California Communities United Institute and sadly, we must oppose this bill. We do not believe that referring the parents to an audiologist will result in a fair and accurate description of all of the options available for the parents and for their children, and we think the legislation needs to be amended to make sure that that happens, and so, as I said, regretfully we oppose the bill.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you.

MR. HINMAN. Thank you.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you. Any additional testimony for, or against, AB 2077 [sic]? Seeing none.

MR. HINMAN: 2072.

SEN. KEHOE: Beg your pardon. I'm looking at the wrong line--2072. Thank you very much. Senator Alquist, you have some comments?

SENATOR ELAINE ALQUIST: I do have some comments.

SEN. KEHOE: And we do appreciate your work on this bill in the Health Committee.

SEN. ALQUIST: Thank you, and I do appreciate Assemblyman Mendoza's work on this bill. I and my staff have spent hundreds of hours on this one bill. In fact, somebody even said to me, you know, are you--why did you even take on this issue? I took it on because I care about these children and because once a week, for all of my four years in college, I volunteered at the Illinois School for the Blind in Jacksonville, Illinois where MacMurray College is. And I worked with children who had multiple handicaps. So I really care about the children, and we here are doing something to make something better for children, and this really has become a really good bill. One thing I'd like to--well, several things. One, the opposition keeps talking about the Department of Education. Well, the opposition really wanted the Department of Education to house this bill, should it become law, and now they're bringing up some other issues which I'm sure the Appropriations staff can deal with. Assemblyman Mendoza, for his part, took every single amendment that we asked, except one, which he agreed to but just time-wise it did not work out for him to take it till now, and we're hoping--and I will say exactly what the amendment does, and I'm hoping that this can be done while the bill is on suspense here in Appropriations. I asked the author to incorporate language in the next committee to prohibit audiologists from steering parents toward a particular option and from influencing the parents' decision beyond their scope of practice. [pause] That is fair. The assemblyman agreed to it. I hope that it will be taken here in Appropriations. I've not seen any language from the opposition--any compromise language on this issue and I believe that this particular amendment will truly see to it that the audiologists are not doing anything inappropriate, which is the opposition's main concern, and I understand that, I get that, and this amendment will take care of that issue. I really hope that this bill will make it out of both houses [and] be signed into law, because it is time that parents who have babies who cannot hear have options presented to them in a timely fashion, and that means all options so that parents can decide what they want for their child, and that is what this bill does. So I really ask for your support.

[Senator Kehoe speaking with microphone turned off.]

SEN. ALQUIST: Will you take the amendment?

[Senator Kehoe continuing to speak with microphone turned off.]

SEN. ALQUIST: I would love to make the motion, but I believe it's in the bill's best interests and the children's best interests to hold the bill on suspense and take the amendment that I just addressed.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you Senator Alquist, and I will just explain the process a little bit, because Senator Alquist's remarks, I think, uh, I agree with. The bill meets the requirement for--the criteria for suspense because there are costs of about a hundred and twenty-six thousand dollars in coming years. The amendments that will be author's amendments that Senator Alquist referred to are policy amendments with no fiscal impacts, so taking care of those on suspense will not change the fiscal status of the bill. We will--unless there's further comments from members, I'll take Finance and then we'll close this.

(Department of Finance staff member:) The potential costs of convening the panel and preparing the pamphlet are unknown at this time. Preliminary estimates from the Department of Education range between three hundred thousand and four hundred thousand dollars for travel and printing costs. However we do know that the bill stipulates that no state funds will be used, and the provisions of this bill are dependent upon the determination by the Department of Finance, that sufficient funds have been collected and deposited into the special fund created for this purpose. We do continue to note that there could be potential cost pressures as a result of this measure should private funding not become available.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you. Then without further comment and without objection, the bill goes to the suspense file and we'll work with the author on the amendments between now and Thursday.

MR. MENDOZA: Yes, we will be working--actually we started working with your staff already as far as how we could reduce the costs [of the bill]. Hopefully the bill will get out of suspense.

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you.

MR. MENDOZA: Thank you, Madam Chair--

SEN. KEHOE: Thank you, Mr. Mendoza. We will continue now with file order. Let's see we have Mr. Beall--Colonel Cook, I think you're up now with two items, AB 308 and AB 2784.

[End excerpt]

[Transcript is unofficial.]


LINK TO VIDEO (00:09:35 to 00:26:04):

https://www.calchannel.com/channel/viewVideo/1631

CORRECTION OF INCORRECT INFORMATION

Correction: Several individuals' factual correction come to the attention of the RLMDEAF blogger that a number of statements in this "VERY POWERFUL LETTER TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT" were slightly incorrect.

Here is the corrected information from the Deaf Canadian reader -

RLM, One small correction: Gary Malkowski wrote to one provincial government in Canada. (Newfoundland government). The responsibility for controlling education falls to the provincial government rather than the federal government. Hope this helps. :) Shel

RLMDEAF's reply - "RLM said... Shel,

Yes, I have to make a correction about some factual errors within my blog posting.

Many thanks for pointing out such an error. I truly appreciate it very much.

RLM

Do you want to change that word "several" in your post? ("..regarding several Canadian Schools for the Deaf closings..."). He is only writing about one closing, not several.
--B

Robert, Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_and_Labrador Gary is talking about one school closing (not two). The name "Newfoundland and Labrador" is a single province. B

RLMDEAF's reply - "Oh I see! I will make a correction. Thanks for bringing up this subject to my attention"

Enclosed letter from the former DEAF Canadian elected representative from Ontario Province (region) to the Canadian Ministry of Education regarding several Canadian Schools for the Deaf closings in violation of the United Nations Statement of Human Rights. Canada did sign the agreement with the United Nations -

Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 7:58 am Eastern Time
(Attachment)
Open Letter from Gary Malkowski to Darin King, Minister of Education, re pending closure of the Newfoundland and Labrador’s Provincial School for the Deaf
OPEN LETTER

August 7, 2010

Hon. Darin King
Minister of Education
Department of Education
3rd Floor, West Block
Confederation Building
100 Prince Philip Drive
St. John's, NL A1B 4J6
education@gov.nl.ca
DarinKing@gov.nl.ca

Dear Hon. Dr. Darin King, Minister of Education

Re: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Provincial School for the Deaf Closure

As former Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for York East and Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Education, 1990-1995, I am taking this moral duty to write this letter of concerns and recommendations to reserve the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s decision regarding Provincial School for the Deaf in St. John’s in the light of the Government of Canada’s ratification of United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (March 11, 2010), 21st International Congress on The Education of the Deaf 2010 Vancouver New Era Accord, (July 19, 2010) and Charter of Rights and Freedom (i.e., Supreme Court of Canada’s Eaton decision regarding the need of continuum of educational placements, including provincial school). See details at http://www.queensu.ca/humanrights/hreb/disabilities/mainpages/Grismer_opp.htm for your background information.

I wish to express grave concerns of the decision of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Provincial School for the Deaf closure and its serious implications without having proper consultation with Deaf community, parents of deaf and hard of hearing children in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and external experts on Deaf Education issues. Furthermore, you may not get full accurate and professional information provided by your own civil servants, Minister’s office, Premier Office, and groups who may engage in the practices of ideology of Education of the Deaf (i.e., downsizing, discouraging, eliminating or depriving sign language and Deaf school without knowing its serious implications; many new parents of deaf children are not aware of potential risks/side effects of Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) educational programs in school boards until their children experience mental health and language problems in their later life. There is no checklist for teachers of deaf and parents of deaf children to identify mismatched communication and acting-out behaviours).

Provincial Court of Saskatchewan (August 19, 2005) Judge Orr recognized that physicians and medical personnel, audiologists, educators, child protection workers and others are undoubtedly caring and capable professionals. It was clear that, throughout, as they should, these people acted in strict accordance with the policies, directives and mandates of the governmental or other bodies for which they work. Unfortunately, the best efforts of these fine people failed to avert a terrible disaster in the life of a little deaf boy.

The judge ruled that American Sign Language (ASL) must be offered to Deaf children as a communication option in the early years. This the clear message contained in a landmark Saskatchewan court decision. At issue in this court is the philosophy of Saskatchewan Pediatric Auditory Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC), the publicly funded pre-school program offered to deaf children in the province. SPARC follows the the restrictive “auditory-verbal” approach which focuses only on restoration and remediation of hearing and speech.

You may not realize or may not be aware of that your Ministry of Education is promoting a one-sided system – auditory-verbal supports and education that do not make ASL resources and services available to Deaf children available in School Boards across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador while Provincial School for the Deaf in St. John’s is only ASL resources and services available to Deaf children in the province.

In Ontario, Akamatsu, Musselman and Zweibel, 2000, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto research studies have showed that there were 93% of Deaf children are initially enrolled in auditory oral programs. By preschool, down to 67% are educated orally; by elementary, down to 58% are educated orally;

By adolescence only 31% are educated orally; and 62% shift from oral to signing programs for Deaf children between the early preschool years and adolescence.

The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS), a social service agency, serving deaf and hard of hearing consumers reported that there is growing higher number of demands of that deaf and hard of hearing students and youth received CONNECT Mental Health Services, General Support Services, Employment Services and Literacy Programs as a result of inappropriate educational placements (i.e., without appropriate sign language supports in school boards and lacking of “first” language mastery has life-long negative effects). This translates into the high cost of inappropriate educational placement including the educational costs, employability costs, emotional costs and financial costs for social support services (i.e., prison, mental health services, underemployment, unemployment, and social assistance).
CHS documented information that many parents of deaf and hard of hearing children, deaf and hard of hearing youth and teachers of deaf reported their experiences of reported inaccessible communications and attitudinal barriers in the classroom in school boards in several provinces across Canada. The examples of students’ experiences include mismatch communications between student and his/her parents and family, inaccessible communications between student and his/her teachers, low expectations, mislabeling, social isolation, cyber bulling, bullying, harassment and discrimination (i.e., denial of communication access services such as sign language interpreters, captioning services, lack of captioning in any media format).

Deaf school and natural sign language are clearly a human right and educational right of Deaf children. See the World Federation of the Deaf’s Policy Statement on Education Rights for Deaf Children at http://www.wfdeaf.org/pdf/policy_child_ed.pdf

For your latest background information, please refer to read International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED)’s press release at http://www.iced2010.com/pdf/Press%20Release.pdf and ICED Vancouver 2010 Accord on New Era: Deaf Participation and Collaboration and its Statement of Principle at http://www.iced2010.com/pdf/Statement%20of%20Principle%20and%20Accord%20for%20the%20Future(1).pdf

In response to the Government of Canada and Newfoundland’s ratification of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ICED Vancouver 2010 Accord and Charter of Rights and Freedoms, may I make a recommendation for Newfoundland and Labrador Ministry of Education to reserve the decision of Provincial School for the Deaf closure and establish Advisory Committee to Minister of Education on Future Direction of Provincial School for the Deaf, including appropriate representatives of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Deaf Community, external experts on Deaf Education issues, and Parents of Deaf Children group who wish to send their children to Provincial School for the Deaf to ensure that the continuum of educational placements including Provincial School for the Deaf are available to meet the actual needs of all Deaf and hard of hearing children and students in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador ?

I look forward to receiving a prompt response from you soon. Thank you for your time and serious consideration to reconsider your decision,

Sincerely

Gary Malkowski
Canada’s only Former Elected Deaf Parliamentarian
gary.malkowski@sympatico.ca

cc: Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations
Markku Jokinen, President, World Federation of the Deaf
Rt. Hon, Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
Hon. Michael Ignatieff, Federal Liberal Leader of Official Opposition
Jack Layton, Federal Leader of Canada’s NDP and M.P. Toronto-Danforth
Premier Danny Williams, Newfoundland and Labrador
Yvonne Jones, Liberal Leader of Official Opposition, Newfoundland and Labrador
Lorraine Michael, NDP Leader, Newfoundland and Labrador
Hon. Diane McGifford, The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
Dr. Andrew Parkin, Director General, The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
Jim Roots, Executive Director, Canadian Association of the Deaf
Chris Kenopic, President & CEO, The Canadian Hearing Society
Jennifer Sooley, President, Newfoundland and Labrador Association of the Deaf

[End open letter]

SOURCE: Save Our Deaf Schools e-distribution (SODS)

ASlize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Let Me Simplify 'Audism' For You

J.D. is a real godsend to the Deaf America what he simply define
"A U D I S M". His video ought to be the mandatory requirement for all DEAF and HEARING pre-college classrooms to view and understand what "audism" really stands for.

The title of enclosed "YouTube" video is "Let Me Simplify 'Audism" For You!

I dearly worship J.D. for his "punch in the face" ASL. Hope to see more of J.D. in near future. I seen this video before, but still want to show his video to hearing ASL students about the real beauty of ASL.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Joseph Kennedy and AB 2072

The story of Joseph Kennedy, JFK's father and Hollywood major actress Gloria Swanson back to the early Hollywood years (1900s-1920s) surely remind us much of such a similar parallel between Kennedy/Swanson and parents of deaf babies/youngsters with the AB 2072. How come??

Actress Gloria Swanson desperately asked Joseph Kennedy for his help with the financial troubles. Kennedy had a well-known reputation for being very successful businessman and financier for Hollywood. Kennedy agreed to re-organize Swanson's finances, then had endless sexual liaisons with the major Hollywood actress.

In the end, Joseph Kennedy made himself very R I C H and left Swanson extremely POOR at her own expense.

What is the point of story about Joseph Kennedy and Gloria Swanson with the AB 2072?

The California Coalition consisted of the cochlear implant makers and schools specialized in AVT are doing the same thing to parents of deaf babies and youngsters whose really desperately seek for the true miracles of turning their own kids into fully functional beings.

In the end, deaf kids get shortchanged from the deficiency of educational foundations if the kids are really deprived from using the natural language of the deaf to lead very productive life.

Although, Arnold Schwarzenegger (Arnie) married to Joseph Kennedy's family. Arnie and the rest of California State Legislature ought to remind themselves about the shameful past of the Kennedys especially what Joseph Kennedy done to Rosemary Kennedy, the eldest daughter of the Kennedy Dynasty.

Joseph Kennedy was a well-educated person with a lot of money and power, but he ended screwing up his own eldest daughter with the option of lobotomy (the enclosed source below from the PBS website on the documentary of lobotomies in America) -

From the 1930s through the 1950s, lobotomies were all the rage. It took an American, Dr. Walter Freeman, to revolutionize the procedure by making it quick and easy.

You may have heard reference to someone performing a lobotomy with an ice pick and assumed it was a joke. Unfortunately, it was not. Freeman's technique was to stick an icepick into the brain through the eye socket, then hacking the frontal lobe free by swirling it around in there.

World War II caused a huge surge in psychiatric patients, and the easy fix had never looked better. Additionally, a growing body of psychiatrists believed lobotomy might be an effective way to treat such "psychiatric disorders" as Communism, homosexuality, nymphomania and general godlessness.

In 1949, about 5,000 lobotomies were performed in the U.S. Some estimates place the total number of lobotomies performed in the U.S. from the 1930s through the 1950s as high as 50,000.

Kennedy's sister Rosemary received one of Freeman's ice-pick lobotomies, resulting in a severe mental impairment that left her paralysed, incoherent, and incontinent. According to some accounts, Rosemary had suffered from a mild mental retardation, which the lobotomy was supposed to fix.

Another of Freeman's patients was up-and-coming young actress Frances Farmer, considered by many to be "the next Garbo". After being arrested for disorderly conduct and subsequently stigmatized as a Communist sympathizer, Farmer was involuntarily institutionalized and progressively treated with every failed snake-oil psychiatric technique known to science in the 1940s.

During a decade spent in and out of institutions, Farmer was subjected to barbarous treatment, some medical and some simply abusive. Finally, Freeman came calling with his ice pick in hand. (There is some controversy about whether or not Freeman actually used the ice pick on Farmer, but she was definitely one of his patients, and he was a bit of a one-trick pony.) Farmer fared better than Rosemary Kennedy... arguably. She didn't end up a vegetable.

Instead, she had the "good fortune" to remember her torturous asylum ordeals, even as she spent the rest of her short life battling psychiatric traumas far, far worse than the run-of-the-mill neuroses that landed her in the asylum to begin with.

Most U.S. states have today totally banned involuntary lobotomies, but there is no federal statute on the topic, so check your jurisdiction if you want to be certain there isn't an ice pick out there with your name on it.

So the California State Legislature and Arnie should be solidly reminded of what Joseph Kennedy done to actress Gloria Swanson and Rosemary Kennedy with the so-called miracle of human intervention and correction.

PLEASE DRAFT THE REVISED AB 2072 BILL TO MAKE REAL FAIR FOR PARENTS OF DEAF KID/INFANT AND DEAF CHILDREN THEMSELVES. NO TRICKS UP INTO SLEEVES. THANKS.

ASLize yours,

Robert L. Mason (RLM)

RLMDEAF blog



Sunday, August 8, 2010

"Mother of Sociology" Discovered to Be Deaf Herself

The sociology field never acknowledged the true contribution of DEAF individual to the sociology field which many sociologists and well-known individuals like Karl Marx, Engles and other respectable sociologists used her methodology of sociological research.

No questions about how the audism and sexism played in suppressing many deaf individuals' true contributions to our own human existence.

Jason Tozier explained more in this enclosed video -

Thursday, August 5, 2010

VP Users Will Pay Higher Monthly Internet Access

The S3304 federal legislative bill removed the provision on the lower broadband access fee for low-income/working class/elderly deaf people along with the recent FCC decision's abandonment on the Net Neutrality goals. Both government efforts for ensuring the equal accessibility via Internet access will result in the higher monthly Internet access due to the excessive bandwidth uses along with VP calls.

The Obama Administration's goals were the enactment of the Net Neutrality to make such an affordable monthly broadband access fee for the low-income/elderly and struggling "working class" deaf people SEEMS totally flattened for GOOD.

That will left to the mercy of very few monopolistic telecommunication industry to feel its own oats and whims to justify the excessive bandwidth feed charge for the deaf VP users.

The VRS industry would be greatly affected by the latest occurrences - the U.S. Senate removed the provision within affordable monthly Internet access fees and the recent FCC decision to abandon the effort for the Net Neutrality - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/05/fcc-net-neutrality-effort_n_672472.html So the VRS calls will be dramatically drop to its lowest call numbers ever they seen within the entire industry lifespan.

Deaf America and the VRS industry will face real uncertainty coming on the way!

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

"Signs of the Time" New Documentary

This newly-released documentary film left me moved with tears about the real time for the society at large to realize the true contributions of deaf baseball player with the creation of hand signals entirely changed the baseball games all over the world -

http://www.signsofthetimemovie.com/dvd/2/

Here is the past campaign to get the Baseball Hall of Fame to pay the formal honor to "Dummy" Hoys -
http://www.redszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65084

http://www.dummyhoy.com/introduction/

http://hubpages.com/hub/YOURE-OUT-The-orgin-of-Umpire-Signals

Here is an impressive biography of Dummy Hoys -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_Hoy which Hoys' children ended up became judge, the House of Representative, etc....

For many decades, deaf people knew about the origins of football huddle begun at the National Deaf-Mute College (Gallaudet University now), Washington, DC, but more and more historians finally discovered about deaf people created the "football huddle" -

http://fookembug.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/invented-the-american-football-huddle-by-deaf-football-player/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huddle

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason