NAD Got It Right!!
Update from Ottawa Protester:
Rally went very well. We had 300 people show up, this is a good number for this community which invludes ASL/LSQ members. 75 Centre Jules Leger students (CJL is a French immersion Deaf school in Ottawa) showed up and they gave a moving speech about how they wanted better signing skills from their teacher and for many people to learn LSQ so both worlds could communicate, too.
Paul Dewar, a MP from the Parliament (federal leverl) spoke to the crowd on the UN’s Treaty on Disabilities.
A Deaf parent of two deaf children spoke out, a rep from the Canadian Assoc for the Deaf spoke out, there were numerous chants “Deaf Ontario Unitedâ€, “ASL/LSQ curriculumâ€, “ASL/LSQ equalityâ€.
Christine Roschaert and Genevieve Deguire did amazing jobs as mistresses of ceremonies, both narrated in asl/lsq.
In Belleville at the SJW deaf school, 50 students walked out of their class and were reprimanded by their principal…. to community service… by teaching hearing people ASL??? this is a great punishment LOL
In Toronto, I was so shocked at the display of apathy. The Greater Toronto Area has approx 1,000 Deaf people, as well as south and mid Ontario, should have summed up to around 2,000 people.. but only 300 showed up??? ahh.
Anyway…. lets see what the poli-ticks say. tactile luv.
.Â
NAD Supports Deaf Children’s Right to Sign Language:
Remarks by NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins, read by NAD Chief Executive Officer Nancy J. Bloch at the rally.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) joins with the Ontario Association of the Deaf, the Canadian Association of the Deaf, and the deaf and hearing community in Canada, the United States, and around the world to support the language rights of deaf and hard of hearing children in Canada.
Language is a fundamental human right. The Canadian government, through its establishment of anti-sign language policies, is denying the right of deaf and hard of hearing children to language.
Particularly egregious is the policy that parents may choose to obtain a cochlear implant for their child, or they may choose sign language, without the option of choosing both. Such a prohibition against choosing both is contrary to evidence based best practices, the right of parents to make choices for their children, and plain common sense. For the full article click on: http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=2724111
.
CBS News: Ontario’s sign language education falls short, protesters say
Deaf children in Ontario’s are falling behind at school because the province doesn’t properly accommodate children who rely on sign language, argued protesters who rallied outside the Ontario legislature Friday.
In particular, they said, education in American Sign Language and its French counterpart LSQ (langue des signes québécoise) falls short.
“At this point there are absolutely no minimum proficiency levels for teachers, [or] for interpreters that are working within mainstream classrooms,” Ontario Association of the Deaf president Wayne Nicholson said at the Toronto rally.Â
She added that the number of children has been declining because technology such as cochlear implants are allowing many children born deaf to hear, and that poses a challenge. For a full story, click on: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/05/11/ot-deaf-070511.html
.Â
Ottawa: Advocates for deaf sound off at protest
Advocates for the deaf are hoping their message will be heard loud and clear on Parliament Hill today…… According to organizers, 93% of Canadian deaf children are enrolled in oral education programs, but more than half will drop out by the time they reach high school.
Less than 2% of deaf people earn a university degree. In the last two years, the number of students enrolling in post-secondary institutions has been cut in half. For more, http://www.ottawasun.ca/News/National/2007/05/11/4170809-sun.html
 .
Videoclip of D.C. Protest in Front of Canada Embassy:
Various protesters shared their opinions about the policy. Included in the tape is NAD speech. It’s definitely worth watching! My only regret is that I wasn’t able to show up in the protest, but my spirits were with them. :) http://www.signcasts.com/node/118
Commentary: What left me speechless is that the media covering the protests both in Ontario and Ottawa didn’t understand the significance of mandatory AVT with Cochlear Implant Program. Nothing was mentioned about this controversial policy of compulsory AVT for Deaf children eligible for cochlear implants. The reporters totally missed the boat. Or did they? Did they show their support to Dept of Ministry’s philosophy by conveniently omiting this signifcant tidbit. Don’t they understand the loss of parental rights when the they opt for a certain medical procedure and be blocked from exercising what they feel is the best approach for their deaf child, communication-wise?
Kudos to NAD for  its eloquently speech written by Bobbie Beth Scroggin and signed by Nancy Bloch at D.C. protest.  Its message demonstrated the basic conflicts between the AVT therapy, rights of the parents, and the child’s fundamental human right to a language.  I hope deaf protesters in Canada will share this speech with these clueless Canadian reporters. MZ
UPDATE:Â
News Coverage Today:
Ontario Protest:Â http://www.intelligencer.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=525326&catname=Local+News&classif =
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070512.DEAF12/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/
E-mail contact: mishkazena@aol.com
Copyright Mishkazena (TM) 2007
Update from Ottawa Protester:
Rally went very well. We had 300 people show up, this is a good number for this community which invludes ASL/LSQ members. 75 Centre Jules Leger students (CJL is a French immersion Deaf school in Ottawa) showed up and they gave a moving speech about how they wanted better signing skills from their teacher and for many people to learn LSQ so both worlds could communicate, too.
Paul Dewar, a MP from the Parliament (federal leverl) spoke to the crowd on the UN’s Treaty on Disabilities.
A Deaf parent of two deaf children spoke out, a rep from the Canadian Assoc for the Deaf spoke out, there were numerous chants “Deaf Ontario Unitedâ€, “ASL/LSQ curriculumâ€, “ASL/LSQ equalityâ€.
Christine Roschaert and Genevieve Deguire did amazing jobs as mistresses of ceremonies, both narrated in asl/lsq.
In Belleville at the SJW deaf school, 50 students walked out of their class and were reprimanded by their principal…. to community service… by teaching hearing people ASL??? this is a great punishment LOL
In Toronto, I was so shocked at the display of apathy. The Greater Toronto Area has approx 1,000 Deaf people, as well as south and mid Ontario, should have summed up to around 2,000 people.. but only 300 showed up??? ahh.
Anyway…. lets see what the poli-ticks say. tactile luv.
.Â
NAD Supports Deaf Children’s Right to Sign Language:
Remarks by NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins, read by NAD Chief Executive Officer Nancy J. Bloch at the rally.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) joins with the Ontario Association of the Deaf, the Canadian Association of the Deaf, and the deaf and hearing community in Canada, the United States, and around the world to support the language rights of deaf and hard of hearing children in Canada.
Language is a fundamental human right. The Canadian government, through its establishment of anti-sign language policies, is denying the right of deaf and hard of hearing children to language.
Particularly egregious is the policy that parents may choose to obtain a cochlear implant for their child, or they may choose sign language, without the option of choosing both. Such a prohibition against choosing both is contrary to evidence based best practices, the right of parents to make choices for their children, and plain common sense. For the full article click on: http://www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=2724111
.
CBS News: Ontario’s sign language education falls short, protesters say
Deaf children in Ontario’s are falling behind at school because the province doesn’t properly accommodate children who rely on sign language, argued protesters who rallied outside the Ontario legislature Friday.
In particular, they said, education in American Sign Language and its French counterpart LSQ (langue des signes québécoise) falls short.
“At this point there are absolutely no minimum proficiency levels for teachers, [or] for interpreters that are working within mainstream classrooms,” Ontario Association of the Deaf president Wayne Nicholson said at the Toronto rally.Â
She added that the number of children has been declining because technology such as cochlear implants are allowing many children born deaf to hear, and that poses a challenge. For a full story, click on: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/05/11/ot-deaf-070511.html
.Â
Ottawa: Advocates for deaf sound off at protest
Advocates for the deaf are hoping their message will be heard loud and clear on Parliament Hill today…… According to organizers, 93% of Canadian deaf children are enrolled in oral education programs, but more than half will drop out by the time they reach high school.
Less than 2% of deaf people earn a university degree. In the last two years, the number of students enrolling in post-secondary institutions has been cut in half. For more, http://www.ottawasun.ca/News/National/2007/05/11/4170809-sun.html
 .
Videoclip of D.C. Protest in Front of Canada Embassy:
Various protesters shared their opinions about the policy. Included in the tape is NAD speech. It’s definitely worth watching! My only regret is that I wasn’t able to show up in the protest, but my spirits were with them. :) http://www.signcasts.com/node/118
Commentary: What left me speechless is that the media covering the protests both in Ontario and Ottawa didn’t understand the significance of mandatory AVT with Cochlear Implant Program. Nothing was mentioned about this controversial policy of compulsory AVT for Deaf children eligible for cochlear implants. The reporters totally missed the boat. Or did they? Did they show their support to Dept of Ministry’s philosophy by conveniently omiting this signifcant tidbit. Don’t they understand the loss of parental rights when the they opt for a certain medical procedure and be blocked from exercising what they feel is the best approach for their deaf child, communication-wise?
Kudos to NAD for  its eloquently speech written by Bobbie Beth Scroggin and signed by Nancy Bloch at D.C. protest.  Its message demonstrated the basic conflicts between the AVT therapy, rights of the parents, and the child’s fundamental human right to a language.  I hope deaf protesters in Canada will share this speech with these clueless Canadian reporters. MZ
UPDATE:Â
News Coverage Today:
Ontario Protest:Â http://www.intelligencer.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=525326&catname=Local+News&classif =
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070512.DEAF12/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/
E-mail contact: mishkazena@aol.com
Copyright Mishkazena (TM) 2007
May 12th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Power to the people!! I am proud of these participants chanting their messages to the Parliament with the support of NAD. Good move! No one should be deprived of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!
The reporters are something else..they are clueless when it comes to covering about deaf related issues (remmy Washington Post on Gallaudet protest?) but they need to take the responsibility to learn every aspect of the case to cover the story promptly.
Awesome punishment I ever heard in my life by the principal to make these students teaching hearing people ASL!! Wow, really interesting decision. Students should walk out more often, heh?
Statistics are so relevant when making decisions. I am appalled that there are 93% oralists and only 2% made it to college. Come on Candian Parliamentary members, wake up!!
As I just posted about the quality of deaf ed programs in America, we would have to look into making major changes in the post-secondary programs to promote cultural and language education and reduce the focus on pathological approach as well.
May 12th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
A representative or two from the World Federation of the Deaf should have participated in a Canadian rally. Sweden is the best role model in the world! It is mandatory that teachers in schools for the deaf learn SSL. Also, a Swedish agency equivalent to the USA’s VR would monitor hearing parents who are to take SSL in order to expose SSL to their deaf children. (It is no wonder that deaf Swedes arriving at Gallaudet are
multilingual: SSL, Swedish, ASL, and English!
May 12th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
I want to see the study showing these statitics. These figures are unacceptable. Shame on Ministry of Education!
I think the protesters did a fab job! *hands waving*
May 12th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Kudos NAD for doing that now it is USA schools turn.. What will you do??? I am willing to sign up for NAD if you do something about the school..
Keep it up making hand noises, vloggin, typing blogging and so forth…
Unity for Deaf Children now!!!!
May 12th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Ya ya ya ! hands waving! Deaf/HH Children come first than $$ and many more!
May 12th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
The thing is CI is a medical procedure and Canada has a national health care system which is governmentally operated and based on socialism principles. Canada is evolving into a Socialist Democratic country.
This is where socialism and democracy clash. Democracy principle is upon elected representation and captialism whereas socialism is based on homegeny.
Current Canadian health care system makes health and medical decisions for all Canadians. CI is a medical procedure therefore the Canadian health care indeed can dictate upon what the receipents of the CI surgery shall do for follow up care and therapy. Their perception is that money spent on CI to promote spoken language defeats the purpose of the getting the CI surgery therefore they have to force their hands upon accepting aural and speech therapy and forego ASL as a language or communication mode.
However their operating system continues to be that of democracy. The socialistic Canadian health care system is infringing upon their democractic counterpart to force this ASL law. Legally and constitutionally, they make medical and health care for their fellow Canadians, and they can infringe upon the democratic aspect of their government to safeguard the tax money spent on CI surgeries.
However, that does not justify their stand on forcing Canadians to make these choices - if they want to keep their ASL, they have to sacrifice the option to have CI surgery or if they want CI, they have to sarifice ASL - that is if they pass the law.
Canada’s democratic process is complicated by the socialistic health care. Socialism governmental and legal procedures differs from that of democracy. Their movitiation is often to protect the economics and social equality and they make legal decisions based on those rather than upon elected representation. This is where it gets interesting - how can they interwine these two existing governmental system where health care is concerned?
Hopefully the protest is loud enough for the people involved in health care policy to hear and listen and change their positions on forcing Deaf Canadian CI receiptents to forgo ASL. NAD can do much to educate Canada. We Americans can help our fellow Canadaians to get them to hear them.
May 13th, 2007 at 8:12 am
Cy, I am not sure if the Ontario province is aware of the interference of parental rights from a private AVT group controlling the C.I. industry. My understanding is that it’s not the national health service providing this service, but it contracts with a private medical organization with a compulsory policy.
May 13th, 2007 at 11:27 am
I am wondering if the Deaf Community can get together all providence sue the country health system for being biased.. or soemthing if this doesn’t work out??? I don’t how the legal system works but.. .hey if they continue to be blind and trample on parents right to decide what is best for their children… why not sue??
May 14th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Here is Deaf Chipmunk’s response to Cy’s vlog.
http://deafchipmunk.blogspot.com/2007/05/response-to-deaf-tea-times-deaf.html
February 28th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Hello,
That’s not true!!!
I was leader of group to protested that day and I am former of SJW student and recently graduated last June.
It’s not 50 students walk out of classes!! it was 21!!!! it’s half of high school student number.
It was successful!! it was difficult to not rumor without teachers, principal and staff know!
Principal punished us for leave classes that’s it. We host the community on Samual Greene’s Day. We plan and host the event and presentation about S. Greene (our first deaf teacher at SJW and graduated at Gallaudet U.). history. That’s simple job. eh?
Please it is clearly information.
Thank you
KC