Monday, November 24, 2014
DC's Marion Barry's Deaf Legacy
The District of Columbia's "Mayor for Life", Marion Barry recently passed away at age of 78 last Sunday morning, November 23rd. Barry was well-known for promoting the civil rights for many people including Deaf people.
The Barry administration vigorously pushed the citywide public transportation provider known as "Metro" to install the TTY ( teletype machines for the Deaf) @ all Metrorail stations in mid-1980's before the passage of the American With Disabilites ( ADA) law in 1990.
Marion Barry's close friend and other Deaf residents founded the "DeafPride" non-profit organization to promote the civil rights for Deaf people within DC area. The organization was riddled with corruption and finanical mismanagement over years. The founder ( Wilson) was rumored for buying yacht and other luxury stuffs with organization funding from the city's finanical allocation. The "DeafPride" organization was located @ 1350 Potomac Avenue, Southeast. The founder was a hearing woman who had a Deaf son.
The Barry administration seems helping several Deaf DC teenagers got the summer jobs over years.
The former mayor attended Rep. Eleanor Horton's public forum on Hillary Clinton's health care reform in 1993 which handful of Deaf DC residents like Barbara Kannappell, Dr. Betty Miller and Robert Mason also attended. Barry arrived very late at the forum. Mason was supposed to hand over papers ( not related to health care reform) to Kannappell. Barry grabbed the seat in middle of Deaf group on the front-row seatings between me and Kannappell. He disrespectfully seized papers intentionally for Kannappell from Mason and browsed papers. Barry finally handed papers to Kannappell. Barry didn't offer any kind of apology for such an inconvience.
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason
RLMDeaf
The Barry administration vigorously pushed the citywide public transportation provider known as "Metro" to install the TTY ( teletype machines for the Deaf) @ all Metrorail stations in mid-1980's before the passage of the American With Disabilites ( ADA) law in 1990.
Marion Barry's close friend and other Deaf residents founded the "DeafPride" non-profit organization to promote the civil rights for Deaf people within DC area. The organization was riddled with corruption and finanical mismanagement over years. The founder ( Wilson) was rumored for buying yacht and other luxury stuffs with organization funding from the city's finanical allocation. The "DeafPride" organization was located @ 1350 Potomac Avenue, Southeast. The founder was a hearing woman who had a Deaf son.
The Barry administration seems helping several Deaf DC teenagers got the summer jobs over years.
The former mayor attended Rep. Eleanor Horton's public forum on Hillary Clinton's health care reform in 1993 which handful of Deaf DC residents like Barbara Kannappell, Dr. Betty Miller and Robert Mason also attended. Barry arrived very late at the forum. Mason was supposed to hand over papers ( not related to health care reform) to Kannappell. Barry grabbed the seat in middle of Deaf group on the front-row seatings between me and Kannappell. He disrespectfully seized papers intentionally for Kannappell from Mason and browsed papers. Barry finally handed papers to Kannappell. Barry didn't offer any kind of apology for such an inconvience.
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason
RLMDeaf
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Upcoming Chaos Around the Globe
Upcoming chaos across the globe -
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel will step down in the mid-term of her 10 years reign.
Her replacement will be the current Female Defense minister as what Merkel groomed her to do that.
Will we see more militaristic Germany since the 1930's.
The European austerity already weaken the European defense force / system so far.
Will the time ripe for China and Russia to challenge Europe thru military threat?
The United States of America will be truly panicked about the military-weakening European Union and will be more likely to draw into the unpredictable chaos.
Ukraine also will drag Russia into unsettling financial chaos and blow up in Putin's face in time for the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014.
The French culture will be declared "dying".
The upcoming language war within Ireland which the Irish government try to revive the Irish language.
China already replace Japan's American film market which will affect the American behavior /mentality significantly after Hollywood hustle and whore herself to please the Chinese film censors.
The American spirit will tolerate the idea of Undemocratic ideals in name of financial progress and peace.
Monday, November 4, 2013
New FCC Leadership in Place with FCC Staff Replacement
Deaf America ought to keep the close eyes on the new Federal Communication Commission (FCC) leadership under Tom Wheeler. The Wheeler's FCC probably could affect our Video Relay Service (VRS) usage.
The new FCC chief recently installed the new FCC team. U better to get know the major players within the FCC agency.
Here is "copy and paste" of The Wraps online news reports :
The new FCC chief recently installed the new FCC team. U better to get know the major players within the FCC agency.
Here is "copy and paste" of The Wraps online news reports :
As he’s sworn in as the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler put his first stamp on the office by naming new staffers who will help lead the commission that regulates broadcasting and telecommunications.
“This team will hit the ground running,” said Wheeler (pictured at his Senate confirmation hearing). “With critical work to be accomplished for the American people and the Internet becoming ever more important in the lives of consumers and businesses across the nation, this team provides an excellent mix of governmental, private-sector and public-interest expertise.”
Also read: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Resigning
Wheeler, a former cable and wireless industry lobbyist, was chosen by President Obama as former chair Julian Genachowski’s replacement. Genachowski stepped down in March after a term that included the FCC signing off on Comcast’s acquisition of NBCUniversal.
Here are the new appointments, and their FCC-provided biographies:
Ruth Milkman, Chief of Staff. Ms. Milkman served as Chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau from August 2009 to June 2011, and from June 2012 until the present. From June 2011 to June 2012, Ms. Milkman was Special Counsel to the Chairman for Innovation in Government. Previous experience at the Commission between 1986 and 1998 included serving as Deputy Chief of the International and Common Carrier Bureaus, and as Senior Legal Advisor to Chairman Reed Hundt. Ms. Milkman also was a founding partner of Lawler, Metzger, Milkman & Keeney, LLC and served as a law clerk to the Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Philip Verveer, Senior Counselor to the Chairman. Ambassador Verveer served from 2009-2013 as U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy at the U.S. Department of State and, before that practiced communications and antitrust law in the government and in private law firms for more than 35 years. Ambassador Verveer’s previous service at the Commission includes tenure as the Chief of the Cable Television Bureau, the Broadcast Bureau, and the Common Carrier Bureau, where he participated in a series of decisions that enabled increased competition in video and telephone services and limited regulation of information services.
Gigi B. Sohn, Special Counsel for External Affairs. Ms. Sohn has served since 2001 as the President and CEO of Public Knowledge and, from 2011-2013 as the Co-Chair of the board of directors of the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG). She has served on the board of the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC) and on the Advisory Board of the Center for Copyright Information. In October 1997, President Clinton appointed Ms. Sohn to serve as a member of his Advisory Committee on the Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters.
Diane Cornell, Special Counsel. Ms. Cornell has served as Vice President for Government Affairs at Inmarsat and Vice President, Regulatory Policy at CTIA, The Wireless Association. Ms. Cornell previously worked at the FCC, where she served as a Legal Advisor to three Commissioners, Chief of Staff of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and Division Chief in the International and Common Carrier Bureaus. Ms. Cornell is a former President of the Federal Communications Bar Association and was previously a director of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). Ms. Cornell will have responsibility for issues in the International Bureau, as well as for FCC process reform.
Daniel Alvarez will serve as a legal advisor to the Chairman, with responsibility for issues in the Wireline Competition and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureaus. Mr. Alvarez has practiced law at the firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP since 2005.
Renee Gregory will serve as a legal advisor to the Chairman, with responsibility for issues in the Office of Engineering and Technology and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, as well as incentive auction issues. Ms. Gregory has worked at the Commission since 2012, first as a legal advisor to Chairman Genachowski and then as Chief of Staff of the Office of Engineering and Technology. Previously, she practiced law at the firms of Wiltshire & Grannis and Holland & Knight.
Maria Kirby will serve as a legal advisor to the Chairman, with responsibility for issues in the Media, Consumer and Governmental Affairs and Enforcement Bureaus. Ms. Kirby has served since 2012 as a legal advisor to the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Previously, she worked in the New York City Office of Federal Affairs and for the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell.
Deborah Ridley, Confidential Assistant to the Chairman. Ms. Ridley has more than 20 years of executive administrative experience. She has held positions in the federal government, the banking industry and private not-for-profit organizations. Her titles have included Executive Assistant, Office Manager and Conference Services Manager. Most recently, she served as the executive assistant to the Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Sagar Doshi, Special Assistant to the Chairman. Mr. Doshi is a graduate of Stanford University who has worked at Google and Protocol Link, Inc.
Jon Sallet will serve as Interim Director of the Technology Transitions Policy Task Force and will become Acting General Counsel upon General Counsel Sean Lev’s departure before the end of the year. Mr. Sallet has been a partner in three law firms, O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Jenner & Block and Miller, and Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin, and served as Chief Policy Counsel for MCI Telecommunications, later MCI WorldCom. Mr. Sallet also served as Director of the Office of Policy & Strategic Planning for the Department of Commerce, and was a law clerk to the Honorable Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and the Honorable Edward A. Tamm of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Jon Wilkins, Acting Managing Director and Advisor to the Chairman for Management. Mr. Wilkins will join the Commission from McKinsey & Company, where he has been a partner in McKinsey’s Telecommunications, Media, and Technology practice since 2003. He served on the Obama-Biden Transition Project in 2008 as a member of the senior leadership group for agency review. Earlier in his career, Mr. Wilkins also served at the FCC in the Office of Plans and Policy in 1998-1999, working on digital television, cable, and broadband policy development efforts.
Roger Sherman, Acting Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Mr. Sherman previously served as the Democratic Chief Counsel to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and as Democratic Staff Director to its Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. During the 111th Congress (2009-2011), Mr. Sherman was Chief Counsel for Communications, Technology, and the Internet, and during the 110th Congress (2007-2009) he was Deputy Chief Counsel at the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Mr. Sherman also worked for Representative Henry Waxman as a legislative assistant from 1990-1992 and as a legislative aide to Senator Alan Cranston from 1989-1990. Prior to returning to Capitol Hill in 2007, Mr. Sherman spent 10 years as a Director of Regulatory Affairs and Senior Attorney at Sprint Corporation and practiced law at the firm of Wiley, Rein.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
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
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
Sunday, August 25, 2013
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
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
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
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
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
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