Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an article about AG Bell and Deaf Bilingual Coalition conferences being held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin starting tomorrow for the weekend. This article was written by Jennine Aquino and Annysa Johnson.

The link to this article is: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel : AG Bell and deaf coalition conferences differ on cochlear implants

Amy Cohen Efron wrote an e-mail response to Ms. Aquino about this article.

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Dear Ms. Aquino,

My name is Amy Cohen Efron, and I live in Tucker, GA. I was given an opportunity to read your article that was linked to DeafRead, the web based aggregator of all kinds of blogs, vlogs (video logs) and articles that focuses on topics about deaf, Deaf Culture and language (emphasizing American Sign Language). The website address is: www.deafread.com

First, I appreciate your time to write up this article and I am very compelled to write my impressions about your article. To be forthright, I am disappointed about your article, since it is unbalanced and slated to one perspective.

This article appeared to be framed at the favor for people who chose to use listening and speaking as the sole approach to teach deaf and hard of hearing children with or without implants. It is very unfortunate to read this way.

First of all, I would like to ask you why did Milwaukee Journal Sentinel used the capitals for AG Bell, and lower case letters for deaf coalition? That appeared as if this article is already biased from the beginning that AG Bell is highly regarded than Deaf Bilingual Coalition. It is unfair to see “deaf coalition” without the key word, Bilingual.

You started with an article by displaying the family of three children who are deaf and using implants as if they are ‘normal’ with playing basketball at their driveway. Where is another example of families of deaf children who wear cochlear implants and using both American Sign Language and Spoken English? That is a very unfair introduction to your article.

Somehow, you may have some kind of assumption that Deaf Bilingual Coalition (DBC) bans spoken language? It is not true. The DBC believes strongly to add American Sign Language as a crucial part of language development for deaf babies who have not received cochlear implants between ages of 6 months to 1 year. This is a crucial language development window that we want to make sure the young infant receives signs, then once they get implanted, continue using signs PLUS spoken language. I don’t see that kind of emphasis on this article. You presented as if there is one option or an another option. Not both.

Why did you use the words, protests? The Deaf Bilingual Coalition is not about protest or demonstration. It is an educational conference with American Sign Language celebration rally. Where did you get an impression that it was a protest? Since 1890’s, The American Association to the Promote the Teaching of Speech of the Deaf was founded by Alexander Graham Bell, which is known as in present, AG Bell, have always hosted their conferences separately from National Association of the Deaf for over 110 years. It is an historical first that Deaf Bilingual Coalition formed a national conference in conjunction with AG Bell International Convention at the same time, to present the families of deaf children with options!

For many years, many parents of deaf child(ren) does not have an access to all of the options available, and unfortunately the vast influence and propaganda of AG Bell with their slogan “Listen and Talk” attracts many families to take this choice without realizing of the long-term consequences.

(Removed one paragraph due to DeafRead’s guidelines)

To learn indepth about Deaf Bilingual Coalition, check www.dbcusa.org

Sincerely yours,
Amy Cohen Efron
Tucker, Georgia