The Obama Adminstration Failed To Accompany Deaf Americans' Language Access for the ACA Law

In the meantime of the nearer deadline to January 1, 2014 for getting registered for the health insurance coverage among the millions and millions of uninsured individuals prior to the mandatory requirement by the Affordable Act Care of 2010 federal law known as the ACA or "ObamaCare".

The majority of Deaf American citizens and undocumented Deaf individuals still do not have any language access to understand the federal law for the health insurance coverage requirement or face the severe fine by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The federal government under President Obama's leadership and the Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services, Kathleen Selbus surely failed the millions and millions of signing Deaf Americans and other deaf individuals whose lack the full language comphrension of the complicated ACA law without providing the full language access within the ACA website. The primary language among signing and culturally Deaf Americans are the use of American Sign Language (ASL).

The Affordable Care Act website clearly not provide the equal language access for the millions and millions of signing & culturally Deaf American citizens nor provide the gestural sign language for the  undocumented Deaf individuals.

The Obama Adminstration provided numerous language access from Arabic to Spanish language on the ACA website while failed to provide the equal language access for the signing & culturally Deaf Americans and undocumented Deaf individuals.

Other deaf individuals whose attended the non-traditional educational settings of the Deaf like the public / private schools or schools specialized in audio-verbal therapy (AVT) to deny the use of any sign language which many of them lack the full language development or understanding of many reading materials. Those educational settings often undermine many deaf students from reaching their language acquisition potentials. The following individuals end up relying upon the use of American Sign Language or other means of gestural languages to grasp the concept and understanding of any given subjects.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) also failed to ensure that the millions and millions of Deaf Americans and the undocumented Deaf individuals to have the full language access to the ACA website thru the use of  American Sign Language (ASL) and gestural sign language. NAD never did anything to make sure that the Deaf America to comply with the Affordable Care Act law before many Deaf Americans are innocently being fined.

Evidently, too many Deaf Americans and undocumented Deaf  individuals completely having such an anxiety attack or total misunderstandings of what the ACA law all about from the social media postings.

Handful of low-income Deaf Medicaid and Medicare recepitents' health insurance coverage have been unjustly taken away without any due process because many states trying to save $$ for other uninsured hearing individuals.

The National Association of the Deaf ( NAD) never give any assistance to the emotionally distressing and language-deprived Deaf individuals how to deal with the systematic exclusion of their given health insurance coverages meeting the poverty level guideline, ex. making the formal request for an appeal hearing to keep / continue their state health insurance coverage. The direct assistance were privately given by the author of this blog without getting paid or formally recognized.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason ( RLM)
RLMDEAF

Constitutional Amendment to Protect American Sign Language

That is the time for us, Deaf America to mobilize to get the constitutional amendment to protect our minority or community language use with American Sign Language (ASL).

My 2006 "RLMDEAF" blog posting did urge Deaf America to get the congressional legislation for the protection of our minority / community language use known as American Sign Language. That blog posting mysteriously disappeared into thin air. Don't know how it disappeared.

This PDF attachment from the European Union is an excellent reading for how to get the constitutional amendment to protect our ASL from being assaulted upon, denied, watered down, dismissed, scorned, misguided and mangled.

http://www.inclusionexclusion.nl/site/?download=Tina%20Ferle%20Manca%20Setinc%20-%20constitutional%20protection%20of%20minority%20languages%20in%20the%20EU.pdf

Handful of Asian countries like Indonesia already had the legal protection of minority / community language. Australia ever have the congressional protection of indigenous language (s), too.

Let's get busy to get in the coalition with the allies of language rights to make the constitutional amendment to protect ASL as a minority / community language before the election of 2014 !

Please sign up for the coalition - ASL as Protected "Minority /Community Language" to get the U.S. Congress and the linguistic communities across the United States of America.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason
RLMDEAF blog / vlog

REAL SHAME ON ACCESS HOLLYWOOD AND SEAN BERDY!

After viewing the YouTube posting of the Access Hollywood's latest interview with Sean Berdy on the issue of cochlear implant storyline within ABC Family Channel's " Switched at Birth" (SAB)  tv show.

No open captions or visibility of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter in front of camera for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing YouTube viewers to  understand and follow what the given questions to Berdy by the Access Hollywood interviewer.

That is so unfair to deprive the Deaf and Hard of Hearing TV audience to struggle or feel lost what is going on with the Berdy interview.

Sean Berdy and his agent and the ABC Family Channel publicity unit is also responsible for the lack of accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing YouTube viewers. All involved parties should make
sure that the accessibility for the Deaf and Hard if Hearing YouTube viewers being provided with open captions either provide the transcript readily attached to the YouTube posting.

The Access Hollywood should re-post the Berdy interview with open captions real soon as possible for the fans of ABC Family Channel's " Switched at Birth" . Thanks in advance.

Please look at this enclosed link - http://watch.accesshollywood.com/video/switched-at-birth:-sean-berdy-explains-the-cochlear-implant-controversy/2495657252001

I personally urge u to contact the Access Hollywood and Sean Berdy and the ABC Family Channel via email directly -

http://www.accesshollywood.com/contact

http://www.nbcumv.com/mediavillage/distribution/nbcutd1/contact

http://abcfamily.go.com/feedback

http://www.fanmail.biz/113278.html. (Sean Berdy) 

Reach Sean Berdy via Twitter - 

https://mobile.twitter.com/SeanBerdy

Ever call all listed phone numbers! 

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason of Los Angeles and Washington, DC
RLMDEAF blog/ vlog
rlmdeaf@hitmail.com

Truth About Our Fourth of July!

Truth About Our Fourth of July !

FYI, the pre-revolutionary colonists were real bratty and spoiled ones, who expected everything free or at no cost. 

The British king and the Parilament made the major mistake with the "salutary neglect" during the colonial rules until the end of "French and Indians" War. 

The British government was in deep monetary debts from spending on wars. So the colonists did not pay their fair shares on the cost of security and protection against the Native Americans after the Proclamation Line of 1763 got issued. 

The pre-Revolutionary colonists had most "freest" people on the world at that time, but they just don't want to pay the fair shares on taxes! In the end, the colonists just whined and revolted the words of Thomas Paine, an author of "Common Sense". 

Look at today's America! Our government declared the war on whistleblower s like Snowden, financed the forced cochlear implant surgeries on our Deaf babies and kids without their own consent/permission like the cattle brandings and "Listening and Speaking Language" programs against Deaf signing kids. 

Why didnt America prosecute the Big Banks for the major economic damages against the American people??? Our government didnt these things from what the Icelandic government done in past few years!

I could go much further, but let's stop for now. We need to take a hard look at our country what we are all about. 

I like the quote - We are Americans, but create our dependency on China to supply and discharge our cheaper fireworks. 

What are we really doing to ourselves?? Celebrate the Fourth of July ?? Don't think so! 

Should We Really Worry About Obama's FCC Chairperson Nomination - Wheeler ??

For past ten years, the lives of Deaf Americans got more intertwined and greatly affected by the Federal Communication Commission generally known as the FCC than in the past 70 years.

After the existence of Video Relay Service (VRS) and Videophone (VP), the FCC led the communication policy greatly affecting the use of relay service - text and video services. This agency also do the payment allocation from the Telephone Relay Services (TRS) to cover the cost of interstate and local VRS calls among Deaf VRS/VP users.

For past few months, there were such a speculation about the replacement of FCC chairman after the Obama's re-election for bringing Obama's personal stamps on the FCC policies and leadership rudders. Names were suggested among the FCC advocates and communication industry.

http://business.time.com/2013/02/21/as-fcc-chiefs-term-nears-end-speculation-mounts-over-possible-successor/

To no available, the National Association of the Deaf  (NAD) and the organizations of the Deaf seems not bother to make the efforts to see the replacement for the FCC chairperson to remain the Deaf-friendly policies.

NAD had been cowardly backing off from pushing the inclusion of low-cost monthly broad width coverage for the low-income Deaf people for the purpose of VRS/VP use at their private residence.

http://www.nad.org/issues/civil-rights/communications-act/21st-century-act

NAD sacrificed the low-income Deaf people to preserve the 21th Century Communication Access legislation from being bonked out. The low-income Deaf people got sidelined from getting the equal access for the use of VRS/VP at home which the hearing low-income people regularly benefits from the Lifeline program for years.

The hearing low-income Americans greatly benefit from the  which they would be not deprived from
the phone access in any way. The hearing senior citizens in District of Columbia usually pay only one dollar for the monthly phone service while low-income elderly Deaf people have to pay the costly service for the broad width use for accessing to the VRS/VP at their residences.

Look at what the FCC offer the low-cost phone assistance programs for hearing low-income individuals since 1985 - http://www.fcc.gov/lifeline

Is that really fair for the low-income or elderly Deaf Americans to be burdensome with the costly of broad width access?? 

The FCC under the Obama Administration vigorously fought for the Net Neutrality policies to be in place to assist the Rural America. The communication industry fought back against the costly installation of broad width line along the rural area which the Obama administration lost the major court case. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/technology/07net.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Look at Presidential candidate Barack Obama's promises in 2007 - http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9806707-7.html

The Obama administration flinched on the issue of Net Neutrality in 2010 -
http://www.care2.com/causes/the-obama-administration-flinches-on-net-neutrality.html

The main question for all of us, Deaf America - Should we really worry about President Obama's nomination of FCC chairperson replacement - Wheeler, the lobbyist for wireless and cable industry?? 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/30/obama-fcc-thomas-wheeler/2124719/

We need to think over and what to do next for ourselves within Deaf America.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason
RLMDEAF
rlmdeaf@hotmail.com

Need Your Immediate Help, Deaf America To Get the Dalma Lami Cancel His Trip

We, Deaf America could get the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Animal Welfare Society, the Deafhood supporters, Audism Free America (AFA), Audism Free Zone and other mores to show our real DEAF POWER to get the Dalma Lami to cancel his visit to the University of Wisconsin campus next May 15th to protest the university's arrogant and pathological and paternalistic attitude toward Deaf people in general.

Deaf America repeatedly tell the society at large that we really do not need to be FIXED at all.

We, Deaf people have our own rich and precious language, culture, norms and way of life for centuries!

Here is the info to get in contact with listed individuals and the Dalma Lami to boycott the visit and panel discussion until the University of Wisconsin to issue out the formal apology to us, Deaf America that is not necessary to fix Deaf people everywhere with their human mechnical ears experiment on poor and long-suffering cats and other animals in name of science.

http://www.news.wisc.edu/21585

If any of you are not able to open the attached link above.

Here is the University of Wisconsin official news posting -

The Dalai Lama arrives for a visit to the Waisman Center, escorted by Richard J. Davidson, in 2010.

Photo: Jeff Miller

Event organizers today announced that the Dalai Lama will visit Madison on May 15, 2013, to lead "Change your Mind Change the World 2013," a series of panel discussions with thought leaders from a variety of fields, including neuroscience, economics and sustainability, moderated by Arianna Huffington and Daniel Goleman.
The event is co-hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center and the UW-Madison Global Health Institute.
"The dialogues at Change your Mind Change the World 2013 will revolve around how science, economics, environments, emotional intelligence and health care can combine to make the world a healthier, happier place," says Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds.
During the panel discussions, the experts will present their best work on global health and sustainable well-being, organizers say. The Dalai Lama will respond to these insights and add his own thoughts and encouragement of how to continue to bring these ideas forward in the world.
"Unsustainable consumption of natural resources now threatens the health of our planet and, subsequently, our human species," says Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute. "Attendees will be challenged to explore new and interconnected solutions to global health problems. The complexity of these issues requires it."
Panel discussions will take place at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison and will feature:

• His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, leader of Tibetan Buddhism, internationally revered spiritual leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner, lifelong science aficionado;
• Don Berwick, national leader on health care quality, former CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, recent administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;
• Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine, author of The New York Times bestseller "The Emotional Life of Your Brain";
• Daniel Goleman, psychologist, science journalist, author of The New York Times bestseller "Emotional Intelligence," named one of the 25 "Most Influential Business Management Books" by Time magazine;
• Arianna Huffington, author, syndicated columnist, founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post;
• Ilona Kickbusch, director of the Global Health Programme at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva; interdisciplinary advisor on promoting health globally;
• Lord Richard Layard, professor, economist, director of the Center for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, co-author of the United Nations' "World Happiness Report";
• Jonathan Patz, whose work on global climate change led to a Nobel Peace Prize, director of the Global Health Institute and founding president of the International Association for Ecology and Health; and
• Mattieu Ricard, bestselling author, translator, photographer and Buddhist monk, author of "Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill," dubbed "the happiest person in the world" by popular media.

Tickets will go on sale in April 2013. For more information or to sign up for the pre-sale list, visit the Change your Mind Change the World website.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason
RLMDEAF

Who the FUCK the University of Wisconsin's Board of Regents Think??

That really APPALLED me most about the University of Wisconsin's Board of Regents' latest responses to the unimaginable and horrific "ongoing" experiments and mindless tortures on cats with their own dignifed names for the purpose of perfecting the human mechnical ears known as the fucking "cochlear implants".

LOOK at the UoW's Board of Regents' official response :

http://www.news.wisc.edu/21478

If any of you are not able to open the attached link above. Let me post the copy and paste of
the Regents' response -

UW-Madison response to Board of Regents PETA protest

Feb. 7, 2013

2 27

Following today's protest by actor James Cromwell at the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Eric Sandgren, director of the UW–Madison Research Animal Resource Center released the following statement.
"Today's events are just another attempt by outside activists to draw attention to a cause. They have attacked and distorted this research -- which has very real benefits for people who are deaf -- from every angle imaginable. Exhaustive independent investigation by the USDA, which regulates the use of animals in research, concluded that PETA's allegations are baseless."
For more information about UW-Madison's animal research program, visit http://animalresearch.wisc.edu/

Jesus Christ!  We, Deaf America and the rest of global deaf community DO NOT need any fucking medical research to restore our hearing loss (in their own terms). We, Deaf people around the world
really are doing very FINE!!!

Global warmings and climate changes are really most IMPORTANT research to prevent any chaotic factors to make our lives more unbearable without substainal foods and environmentally-comfort weathers.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason