June 25, 2008
A call today came through today from the Hyatt sales manager, informing DBC that AGBell has convinced the Midwest Airlines Center and Hyatt Regency to close off the inside walkway that connects the two–closing it off so that AGBell’s and DBC’s conference participants cannot use it.
AGBell does not want their attendees, mostly parents of Deaf children, to come over to the Hyatt Hotel where the DBC Education Conference is being held, presumably because they do not want their people to be exposed to the DBC’s message, and because the DBC conference is free.
Again, AGBell Builds Another Wall!
April 19, 2008
Pope Benedict XVI…..Could you…?
On TV, we observed that you saw the Deaf Choir signing which was seen by millions and millions of people around the world.
And was it beautiful?
But did you realize that ICED, International Congress on Education for the Deaf and AGBAD, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf banned sign language from the deaf community since 1880 in Milan, Italy?
Since 1880, Deaf people have unfairly been treated as being “disabled” by depriving them of using natural, visual sign languages.
Could you convince AGBAD and ICED to give back the Deaf people’s natural visual language(ASL).
Instead of eliminating sign language completely, they should have added oral method ideology as bilingual ideology.
But for 128 years, ICED and AGBAD were shamed under the eyes of GOD!
And now the Deaf community ask you, Pope Benedict XVI to convince ICED and AGBAD that the Deaf people want their language back, but still can have their effort to give speech ideology as long as they stop the bias approach of “oral only method.”
Bilingualism is the reality-based answer for deaf people, here in America and all over the world.
March 18, 2008
Back in 1880 in Milan, Italy, over 90% of the convention attendees (all hearing) decided to start promoting the Oral method for Deaf babies and children more aggressively all over the world.
What bothered me was that why not just add oral training to the already established (sign)language philosophy of Deaf education rather than throw it all away? Completely eliminate natural sign language from all the Deaf babies and children in school?
Just why did the world think that it was alright for oralists at Milan to perpetuate linguicism against the Deaf people’s natural sign languages all over the world?
Was it because the oralists and other people assumed that Deaf people did not have the self-dignity to be concerned about it? Why did Alexander Graham Bell enthusiastically push the resolutions of the Milan, Conference in America?
I am not against speech but WHY eliminate or oppress American Sign Language? It’s the language that enabled me as a Deaf person to finally be able to achieve being a normal person at the age of 19 after being able to interact with another human beings.
I just did not realize the value of American Sign Language until I learned how to use it to interact with others and I understand why those who don’t know ASL are actually very ignorant and have a biased attitude against it, because I was once the ignorant one.
Now back to the question, Why did AGBell try to eliminate ASL? Why not promote bilingualism?
Enough is Enough!
John Egbert
February 7, 2008
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf is NOT restricted by its original certificate of incorporation to promote only the oral method of instructing the deaf.
The original name for the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf was: “American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf (AAPTSD).” The AAPTSD was established by articles of incorporation in the State of New York in 1890. In 1908, it merged with the Volta Bureau, then later, in 1956, changed its name to “Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf”.
From the book:
“Notes and Observations upon the Education of the Deaf”, by Joseph Claybaugh Gordon, published by the Volta Bureau, 1892.
QUOTE from page xlv (emphasis added):
…the announcement of the organization of the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. The purpose of this society was set forth by Mr. Z.F. Westervelt as follows: “It is not a pure oral society: its purpose is to include every one who desires to promote the teaching of speech to the deaf, and it hopes, on this ground, ultimately to take into its numbers all teachers of the deaf and all persons who can be interested in deaf-mute education.”
The society was incorporated in September 16, 1890, under the laws of the State of New York, with DR. ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, of Washington, President, and MR. Z.F. WESTERVELT, of Rochester, N.Y., Secretary.
UNQUOTE
Link to quote above:
http://www.saveourdeafschools.org/agbad_1892.pdf
The proceedings of a meeting of the Twelfth Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf gives more of Westervelt’s statement, and shows that the original purpose of AAPTSD (now AGBAD) the was to cooperate with all teachers of the deaf, and also that the original purpose was NOT to forbid sign language from being used the classroom:
QUOTE (remark in square brackets added):
It is not a pure oral society…This association has been inaugurated…to enable its members, by organization, to work effectually in harmony with their associates [i.e. other teachers of the deaf] in the profession…It is not the purpose of the association to attempt to induce the schools of the country to become distinctively articulation schools, or in any way to change their character…
UNQUOTE
Link to quote above:
http://www.saveourdeafschools.org/agbad_1890.pdf
The book: “Histories of American Schools for the Deaf, 1817-1893″, gives more information about the founding purpose of the AAPTSD:
http://www.saveourdeafschools.org/agbad_1893.pdf
In 1908, the AAPTSD merged with Bell’s Volta Bureau. The agreement specified that the new merged organization must keep the original purpose of AAPTSD that was listed in AAPTSD’s certificate of incorporation. (See also call number: MSS 162 in the Gallaudet archives, and also: Volta Bureau.)
LINK:
http://www.saveourdeafschools.org/agbad_1908.pdf
Thirteen years prior, in 1895, Edward Miner Gallaudet made a public denunciation of Alexander Graham Bell and the AAPTSD:
QUOTE
Further animosity developed over Gallaudet’s proposal to merge their respective organizations: Bell’s American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf (AAPTSD) and Gallaudet’s Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf (CAID). Bell initially seemed agreeable to the union and showed an interest in pursuing the matter at the AAPTSD meeting at Chautaugua, New York, in July 1894.
By the end of the meeting, though, no agreement had been reached and several members had spoken openly against a merger. Gallaudet was especially irritated by Bell’s enthusiasm to allow as members wealthy promoters who had no affiliation or expertise in deafness. Bell suggested committees be formed by the respective organization to discuss a proposal by the AAPTSD that would allow the creation of three distinct groups. Gallaudet considered the proposal absurd. He perceived these machinations by Bell to be deliberate attempts to lead him on, when in reality Bell had no intention of merging the two organizations.
Gallaudet decided to speak out openly against Bell and oralism and chose the July 1895 CAID meeting at Flint, Michigan, as his battleground. In his paper, read before the whole convention, Gallaudet summarized his dealings with Bell during the past five years. He accused Bell of fanaticism over the pure oral method and called him an outsider who had succeeded only in undermining the professionals working in deaf education. He stated openly that union of the two organizations failed due to Bell’s autocratic manipulations of members of the AAPTSD. Gallaudet maintained that Bell’s organization was unprofessional in character and “essentially a body of promoters,” the majority of whom were not actual instructors of the deaf. Bell was given an opportunity the next day to respond, but Gallaudet viewed his statements as “lame and impotent.” Bell and Gallaudet made no further attempt to speak to one another until five years later.
UNQUOTE
http://blog.deafread.com/pote/2008/05/29/em-gallaudets-full-address-at-caid-re-ag-bell
See also the book:
“Forbidden Signs: American Culture and the Campaign against Sign Language”
“Forbidden Signs explores American culture from the mid-nineteenth century to 1920 through the lens of one striking episode: the campaign led by Alexander Graham Bell and other prominent Americans to suppress the use of sign language among deaf people.”
QUOTING review on Amazon.com (emphasis added):
Forbidden Signs intelligently explores the cultural aspects of deafness, laying out the naturalness of a gesture-based means of communicating by deaf people, exploring the unique aspects by which meaning can be conveyed without the spoken word. In this context, the pseudo-scientific arguments for preventing the use of sign language which predominated for nearly a century are laid bare as the arbitrary and capricious biases of the hearing world. The rise of a quasi-biological notion of eugenics and genetic determinism as well as the construction of a standard of “normalcy” against which deaf people were measured explains both the means and the rationale for the suppression of sign language. The incredible story of the extensive attempts to isolate deaf people and to break up communities of signers that Douglas Baynton has recorded will likely be difficult to imagine by those who know little of the history of deafness in America.
UNQUOTE
(Amazon)(Worldcat)
February 6, 2008
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf - better know as “agBAD” - sent a letter to Pepsico recently on January 31, 2008.
This is from their statement:
“We would also like to remind you that with the amount of money Pepsi will spend on just one 60 second spot to air during the Super Bowl, you could help an untold number families obtain hearing aids and other professional services that are costly and in many cases not covered by medical insurance.”
The writing style in AG Bell’s statement is telling. It shows that they consider themselves to be superior to Deaf people who sign, and that they think deaf people who do not sign are also superior to Deaf people who sign. They are attempting to deprive us Deaf signers of the dignity that we deserve.
Also ironic is the fact that AGBell takes in over 12 million dollars a year, as many of us are aware. And what good does this do for the Deaf community? It does no good at all for Deaf people who use sign language.
I wonder how many parents fear that it would be undignified for their deaf children learn sign language, and who feel this way because of AGBell’s worldwide propaganda campaign? The attempt to smear sign language as being an inferior mode of communication, and for this they should be condemned.
John Egbert
January 31, 2008
Today I was shocked that AGBell have started their movement to have their members to sent in their comments about how they feel about Pepsi’s commercial for the Super Bowl using ASL
AGBell is a very, very powerful organization that have been successful banning sign language (American Sign Language) for deaf babies and children in schools for the last 128 years.
Today, AGBell “asked” all of its members from thousands of emails that was sent out today to make their comment to Pepsi Company.
We all know that majority of the comments will not be in favor of having ASL type commercials in the future. And surely, Pepsi will more likely bow to the pressure of the AGBell’s members.
Many of the Deaf people in the Deaf community are not against speech and sign language, bilingual ideology(ASL and English) for all deaf babies and children in school and we all do know that AGBell and AVT are against sign language(ASL).
If you don’t want AGBell/AVT and their associates to destroy American Sign Language, then we need to contact Pepsi Company to thank them for promoting ASL commercials and ask them to continue to do so.
You can contact Pepsi, http://www.pepsiusa.com/help/help.php?or=
And Thank them for their effort to expose ASL.
Enough is Enough after 128 years of dominating the system to blind the society about the Deaf Community and their language, American Sign Language.
Thank you,
John Egbert
December 20, 2007
Hot debates on Deficit Thinking educated many hearing and deaf people. Few complained that I did not explain the terminology of Deficit Thinking. I thought many other people were doing a good job.
Ok, I will give you an example.
Here is a comment on Mishka Zena’s post,
“AGBell Nazis…Deaf Nazis”
and I copy and pasted it here,
# Ann_C Says:
December 19th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Accountability defines credibility, too.
I agree with DP.
Amy–Eloquent comment.
brenster– John E. of DBC is constantly railing against AGBell and advocates ASL for deaf babies in almost the same breath. It appears to many who read his AGBell.info blog, especially for the first time, that he is advocating ASL only. His anger is getting in the way of his good intentions.
And even you will have to admit there are some on the blogosphere who want only ASL and no other for deaf children, and that is an exclusive approach that doesn’t apply to every deaf child’s situation. CI’s are here to stay, whether any of us like or not, and those of the Deaf culture who propose ASL-only are not getting the big picture.
******************
This commenter said that the Deaf culture who propose ASL-only are not getting the big picture.
Nowhere in DeafRead.com or other blogsphere have the deaf culture proposed ASL only ideology.
There is no, I repeat again, NO ASL only schools in America and it will not work. All deaf schools have English courses and do not forbid English language.
Now here is what is IRONIC!
There are ORAL ONLY schools, as matter of fact, there are many ORAL ONLY schools in America that advocate oral only and forbids sign language.
Now here is another GREAT IRONY!
It seems alright for this commenter above to tell the hearing and deaf people on DeafRead.com that deaf culture propose ASL only.
And while it is all right for many other ORAL ONLY schools to forbid sign language.
And I never have advocated ASL only ideology but AGBell advocates ORAL only ideology.
Now I ask you, is that deficit thinking comments?
John Egbert
December 20, 2007
Before I read Mishka Zena’s Blog, “AGBell Nazis…Deaf Nazis”, I was hoping that the Deaf community wasn’t being labeled “Deaf Nazis” and also was looking forward to read about AGBell Nazis, but I was disappointed.
This was written by a commenter, “Who cares?” And it was not written by Mishka Zena, but the headline of the blog post, AGBell Nazis…Deaf Nazis MAY have been Mishka Zena’s writing.
Anyway, I will clarify the best I can, knowing that I will be dissecting by certain people to find flaws in my English language writing.
Let’s put up this person (Who cares?) first paragraph;
Here’s a fact whether you all like it or not: Hearing parents have a God-given right to make certain decisions regarding their children, even if they are deaf. I have seen a number of deaf blogs claiming this is not so. Hearing parents should HAVE to send their children to deaf schools, even if it meant sending them out of state. Hearing parents should HAVE to choose ASL over CI. I saw one deaf blogger come dangerously close to saying that hearing parents should just have their deaf children taken away, so that those children could be raised by deaf.
One or several person or blog doesn’t represent majority of the Deaf people that believes parents do have the right to make decisions for their children. There is no doubt that organizations such as NAD, DBC, etc do not support the idea of telling parents what to do, but they believe that they should be educated before making a final decision.
Those other suggestions, hearing parents should HAVE to send their children to deaf schools, Have to choose ASL over CI, etc are actually from few deaf people and you need to understand that most of these deaf people have been victimized by the deprivation from organization such as AGBell and its associates.
Second paragraph;
If I had a deaf child and was doing research to try and help me in my decision of what to do, I would be very turned off by the blogs on Deaf Read. What you all need to do, instead of making yourselves look like a bunch of Deaf Nazis, is foster respectful and caring outreach to these people. Show them why it would be better to chose bi bi education, instead of oral only. Let them see happy well-adjusted Deaf adults with careers, homes, and families. Even if the parent choses CI, who says that child can’t also learn ASL and have both?
To “Who cares?”
Again, some of the blogs don’t represent the majority of the Deaf community. You have to understand that there are some angry deaf people that have been victimized in the oral culture schools and lied about American Sign Language as a inferior language.
There are many, many Deaf people that care and do want to help you in a very nice, professional approach. These Deaf people are not Nazis.
Besides the point, Nazis were oppressors and the Jews were victims, just like most Deaf people, they were victims too and want to help hearing parents. And not only they were victims, they have escaped the reality of mono-lingual world and learned bilingual, ASL and English. And once those Deaf people found paradise using ASL and English which is bilingual, it was so, so hard to be humble about it and not tell the world about it, especially you and other hearing parents.
Many of these Deaf people cherish that Deaf Bilingual Coalition was formed.
But there are also some misguided deaf people that are unable to achieve bilingualism and they get into DeafRead to divide the community hoping to prevent ASL to be accepted because of their failure to have the fluency level using ASL. The Deaf community understands their frustration.
Now back to Mishka Zena’s title of the post,
AGBell Nazis…Deaf Nazis
I wonder why nothing was written related to “AGBell Nazis”
Is AGBell and Associates, Nazis? Read this from a hearing parent and you decide if parents make their own informed decision or forced by guilt from AGBell and their associates?
In 1995 a miracle took place in Lafayette, IN. A young couple in their very early 20’s had a given birth to a deaf baby. The medical professional’s gave the “hearing impaired” diagnosis with much grief. We were sent out into the world to raise a “handicapped” child without any referrals but a pat on the back for good luck.
Ahhh…so much research on a mother’s behalf…the loss of self and employment to figure out how to best raise a deaf baby.
Despite the extreme emphasis on speech and hearing and getting the cochlear implant…my husband and I couldn’t just dump off our baby at a local daycare with hopes that “everything would be fine” while the only stimulation offered by staff would only be auditory. The First Steps Early Intervention Program for Special Needs offered talking directly into my baby’s face and loud toys and music with hopes for a miracle of hearing something…anything! I couldn’t rest at night knowing my baby would be bored all day without visual stimulation. I set out to learn sign language! I contacted the library for video’s, local schools, childhood deaf peers and public school interpreters. I made long distant phone calls to every state to find out the current belief system and medical outlook on “how to raise a deaf child” and was referred to the John Tracy Clinic, Hear Indiana, Shhhh, and AGB. I did the John Tracy Clinic parent coorespondent “courses” and copied signs from the “Joys of Sign Language Book” while scotch taping the signs to my walls in our apartment. Our daughter went to speech therapy and I learned signs on my own. Something was missing though…the signs weren’t grammatical and speech was not working. I hadn’t met any deaf adults! Where were they? Riley Hospital offered nothing to us. No support for meeting the Deaf Community. We discontinued our daughter’s hearing tests there after it was determined our services were no longer welcomed nor needed because we didn’t want a hole drilled into our child’s head with hopes for hearing.
In the meantime, our baby was growing and increasingly bored and just looked into space for anything stimulating to catch her eye.
When my husband, (Purdue Graduate), and I were denied ANY sign language resources and support from Purdue’s Speech and Hearing Clinic….our persistence paid off!!! Despite the “professional” advice from the clinic…we found the Deaf Community and learned ASL. I drove from Lafayette to the deaf school in Indianapolis four days a week. My daugher was 12 months. I drove home at the end of the school day with my eyes burning and dry. This was a LONG day often followed by migrane headaches but well worth every cent and every minute. My mind racing with excitement to teach the ASL signs to my husband after he would return home from work or Purdue classes. Each new sign was documented on the refridgerator as we were finally able to communicate with our baby girl! A connection was made and we started feeling closer as a family! My sadness towards having given birth to a deaf baby was no longer a daily struggle. She would be just fine as long as we kept her within the Deaf Community.
Our daughter is now 12 yrs old and functioning on a “normal” level academically, socially, emotionally and intellectually! She is a bright little lady with much to offer the world! She is happy and doing well in life despite what we were told from THE CLINIC at Purdue. (Chasing down a deaf employee in the halls of the clinic and having a meeting WITHOUT an interpreter paid off! I still have the notes from that meeting and the deaf man advocating ASL and not the implant.)
Ironically, this meeting took place in a waiting room in Purdue’s Speech & Hearing Clinic while the snooty secretary informed me of no sign language resources and passed judgement and “abuse” issues onto me for wanting to learn ASL as a way to raise our daughter.
I wonder how many other parents went through such discrimination before giving in to the “professionals” who seem to have it all figured out when it comes to hearing parents giving birth to deaf babies!
I hope that Purdue’s clinic will change their philosophy and mission…PLEASE listen to the Deaf Community and parents having walked the halls of the clinic seeking to learn sign language with OR without the use of the implant and speech. I was encouraged to purchase musical toys and put the volume on high with hopes that my daughter would some day hear any level on the auditory scale. Instead my husband and I raised our hands and learned ASL!
The “professionals” seem to be the ones that are handicapped!! A speech referral is easy to make! Driving to the clinic is easy! Being a deaf child and having to focus on hours upon hours of speech and then constantly expected to improve is not easy and is abuse! Expecting parents to shutup and follow the medical advice of speech therapy is unethical! If a mother of four raises each of her children to be disciplined the same way…resentment and ineffective results occur. Why? Because each person is different and has different ways of learning. Each person has ethical rights to be offered accommodations, respect, and love through acceptance. The same goes for the Deaf. Deaf people have the same emotions as hearing.
The Deaf Community is beautiful and no medical “professionals” will ever understand by remaining one sided.
***********************************
To “Who cares?”, please don’t say that Deaf are Nazis but maybe a few do act like one due from their past experience in the reality of AGBell/Associates one-sided ideology. Its the feedback from being victimized.
John Egbert
December 19, 2007
Thank you, Candace, for explaining about the difference between deficit thinker and deficit thinking. I am learning everyday to be careful how to use words.
What I had meant was the deficit thinking should be eliminated from DeafRead.com and we should empower each other the betterment in Deaf education and language for babies and children in schools.
Some of you still don’t know me but I was impress with Jean Boutcher’s comment in Ella’s vlog and how true that English is my second language which was forced upon me before I learned ASL. I would like for you to read what Jean said.
Before I copy and paste Jean Boutcher’s comment on this post, I apologize for creating a misunderstanding about censorship of someone’s blog rather than it should be their deficit thinking.
COPIED AND PASTED from Ella’s vlog by Jean Boutcher, Dec. 17th 2007 at 1:54pm…….
Having done the exegsis on all blogs and comments in regard to “Deficit Thinking”, I have come into a conclusion that those who have thrown stones at John Egbert have misunderstood the essence of John’s message.
More often than not have I read that hearing
people admit that they have misspoken — or miswritten, for that matter. Unquestionably,
those who have castigated John must have misused maybe more words in their lifetimes.
Is criticising John the way to purify themselves? Only Jova knows.
Albeit making himself clear every now and then that he is the paragon of AGB, those who criticise him actually hide their heads in the sand. Nowhere has John condemned CI, oralism, Cued. Very matter-of-factly, he still exercises the speech. Stay with me.
What John objects to in all of his blogs is AGB’s comdemnation of the use of sign language.
Is this objection reasonable? Verily! Look at ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and NAACP. An objection would raise should anyone ever make a racist slur against the Jewish people and the black people. They righteously do so. What happened when Mel Gibson expressed his negative thoughts regarding Jewish people? ADL objected! What happened when Don Imus did the same thing insulting the black cheerleaders. NAACP objected.
Why do some people forbid culturally Deaf people to object when hearies discourage sign language?
John is deaf. He was forced to learn a second language without learning his NATURAL sign language which is verily his birthright.
Not for a nanasecond do I believe that John really means when he said to censor. Back to square one, hearing people are sometimes stuck or search for a right word or are at a total loss with words and eventually use a wrong word. Even foreigners who can read and write in English are still stuck with a right word in a second language and would ask me, “How do you say it?” When consulted,
they would begin to realise that they did not mean what they initially said. Train go sorry? Forever? Ostracising John forever? Non! Non! Deaf people would be apt to ask if a blogger would care to clarify or elaborate and would, thereafter, quickly and readily understand deaf people who are stuck with words in a second language. What John really meant in his blog (12/16/07) was that he wants AGB to fully accept sign language as the birthright of deaf people.
In the closing, it is quite taxing to see
some people accuse culturally Deaf people
as “deaf fanatics.” Au contraïre, they are
not. They merely treasure, value, and defend
Deaf culture and ASL. Are the French unreasonable for objecting when American-
English businessmen attempt to colonise or
bastardise the French language by advertizing “Le Car” instead of “La voiture”? Certainly not. Therefore, the
French Minister of Culture righteously
defended the French language by fining an
American businssman. The same can be said
about deaf people.
December 16, 2007
At the 2008 DeafRead Conference in San Francisco on February 2nd, I think that the Vloggers and Bloggers should have a discussion about removing the Deficit Thinkers and ban them from DeafRead.com.
Would you think NAACP allows articles or blogs that makes fun of African American people???????
And I am not the only one that have concerns about those deficit thinkers, many have complained about these sickos too.
DeafRead needs to step up and remove those Deficit Thinkers and those Deficit Thinking people can create a blogsite of their own, DeficitThinkers.com.
Should someone have a poll and see what the faithful DeafRead.com Blog/Vlog readers feel about the parasites deficit thinkers before 2008 DeafRead Conference?
Say what your opinion about this.
John Egbert