Grumpy Old Deafies

Two videos has been produced by and for Deaf parents in the UK as part of Everyday Adventures in Parenting; with the support of the Parent Know How programme from the Department for Children, School and Families.

My Favourite Day: Lending a Hand. Deaf parents Louis and Paula get involved in their children’s school life (4 minutes 12 seconds).

Moving on Up. Two Deaf families find that after school clubs have allowed them to find new jobs and make the most of existing ones (5 minutes 8 seconds).

Its good these videos have been produced, and portrays the families involved in a positive light.

More videos have been made, and can be found here. However, before you all rush off and click onto the link: I don't see any of them being accessible.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, however, if the government is serious about inclusion it has to make accessibility part of its tendering outputs. No exceptions. Its really not okay to just subtitle two films that feature deaf people, and exclude deaf people from the rest. To do so, is breaking the law. If these films were made accessible, then that would be great.

See also:
Parliament: Deaf Parents Access to their Children's Education

Elsewhere:
Everyday Adventures in Parenting
Parent Know How
Department of Children, Schools and Families
Shiny Red TV

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Last weekend was Glastonbury, which means photos start popping up on Facebook. At the festival there was a DeafZone Tent, and this is one of the many photos snapped:

I have to admit I totally howled out laughing; a nice bit of activism with humour. An obvious dig at the RNID and their ear plugs / Don't Lose The Music campaign.

Photo credit: Maartje De Meulder

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Some of you will have seen this before and it has a USA slant, but gets a point across: D-PAN's Waiting for the World to Change.

Elsewhere:
D-PAN: Deaf Performing Artists Network

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Last night I came across this quote, by Elie Wiesel. I put it on my Facebook page, but thought I'd share it here, as its very relevant:

"Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." Elie Wiesel

Think about it. And please drop us a comment, as to what you think?

The Rebuttal also picked up on the quote, the post is worth a read and has way too many UK parallels.

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Today the EHRC launched the Human Rights Inquiry 2009.

Last Friday I got an e mail from the EHRC telling me there would be a webcast this morning:

The event will be broadcast live over the Internet giving you the opportunity to watch the launch of the inquiry's final report. Visit http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/fairer-britain/human-rights/human-rights-inquiry/ from 10:45 on Monday to join the event.

Secondly, @EHRC was reporting the event on Twitter, reminding us to watch the event. I actually wanted to watch this, because its an area I'm interested in. So by 11.15am, when there was no redirect from the earlier link we were given, I asked a question. I got a reply:

Anyway, no guessing for what came next: it was not accessible for deaf people. I even alerted @EHRC to the problem, but I got no reply.

My complaint to EHRC:

I am a deaf person. Today I tried to watch the webcast at: http://www.hereforeveryone.com/

For part of the webcast (when Jack Straw spoke), an interpreter was partly in the frame of the camera. This was not perfect, as the camera was so positioned that some of his signs were off screen, and secondly there was no mechanism to make the video bigger. I was then surprised, the camera angle changed position so the interpreter was completely out of the screen and I could no longer follow. This continued with wide screen shots of the proceedings. It then went back to part interpreter shots, however the angle was then quickly altered. The open floor / Q&A session, I do not see any interpreter or any other means as to how I can access this live webcast.

This is equivilent of turning off the sound for hearing people, as a webcast is broadcasting. Secondly, there was no subtitles or alternative live broadcast for deaf people who do not use BSL. I do not expect a body charged with the promotion of equality to discriminate against certain classes of people. It is rather ironic that a launch to promote human rights, excludes certain classes of people, no?

Please treat this as a formal complaint against the EHRC. Could EHRC tell me if it thinks it is discriminating against me for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if not, why not.

I shall look forward to hearing from you.

EHRC is so far removed from deaf people its unfunny. Except they cannot see it, because we're on some crusade for mainstreaming equality. Fine in theory, but there lies a central problem with such an approach: to treat everyone the same, is discrimination. Look at any anti discrimination legislation to see this, which is why you get certain schemes such as positive discrimination.

So, if the above is true, how come EHRC streamling of equality is different? Why is suddenly everyone the same from gender right through to disability, on par? Yes I can see its merits, but to also adopt such an approach, means people are starting to fall through the cracks. In fact I don't think deaf people got to the start line. You go to the main EHRC website, and tell me where the BSL is.

There is nothing more I can add, except the webcast is still running as I type this, and still inaccessible. Yep, that's right. I've no idea what the body charged with equality and supposed to be protecting my interests, is saying.

See also:
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

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The Queen's Birthday Honours 2009 has been released. I can only find one deaf related honour:

Order of the British Empire
Members of the Order of the British Empire

Philip Norman SAUNDERS
For voluntary service to Hearing-Impaired People in Bath.
(Bristol)

Who is he? If you know, please leave your comments.

Other possibilities, but more generic:

Order of the British Empire
Members of the Order of the British Empire

Ms Kamini GADHOK
Chief Executive and Professional Director, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. For services to the Allied Health Professions.
(St Albans, Hertfordshire)

Ms Alison Patricia MCCULLOUGH
For services to Speech and Language Therapy in Northern Ireland.
(Newtownabbey, Antrim)

Ms Janet Grace Macfarlane SCOTT
For services to Speech and Language Therapy in Scotland.
(Glasgow)

Comment from Alison: So when is the Honours system going to start acknowledging real diversity?

Elsewhere:
DirectGov - 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List

See also:
[2007] New Years Honours List
2008 New Years Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours 2008
2009 New Years Honours

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Helene Jarmer is to take a seat in the Parliament of Austria or as is properly known, the Republik Österreich Parament.

She will take a seat for Die Grünen, in English, The Greens – The Green Alternative.

Helene is taking over Ulrike Lunacek's (hearing) seat, as she has just been elected to the European Parliament.

Helene is the current President of Österreichischer Gehörlosenbund (Austrian Deaf Association).

Congratulations, Helene and we wish you the best of luck.

Wow, that's makes three Deaf people elected as politicans in Europe! All this is making me feel rather giddy, and it feels kind of surreal. In the space of a few days we also have Dr. Ádám Kósa elected as MEP and Helga Stevens re-elected to the Flemish Parliament.

Isn't it about time the rest of the world started catching up. Where's the Deaf mainstream politicans in your country? Get out there, and be visible.

Elsewhere:
Helene Jarmer, Die Grünen (German - Green Party)
Press Release: Österreichischer Gehörlosenbund (German - Austrian Deaf Association)
The Greens – The Green Alternative (English - Wikipedia)
Österreichisches Parlament (English - Wikipedia, Parliament of Austria)
EUD: Austria (English / sign)
Interview with Helene Jarmer (German plus sign)

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Deaf lawyer, Helga Stevens has been re-elected to the Vlaams Parlement or Flemish Parliament, as a candidate for N-VA. She represents the East Flanders constituency; amassing 12.71% of the vote. You can see the result here. Helga was first elected to the Flemish Parliament in 2004.

As a bonus, here's the video. Helga is on the stage wearing a yellow jacket:

More pictures over at EUD. Huge congratulations, to Helga.

As a bonus, EUD also has some pictures of Ádám Kósa's election.

Elsewhere:
Helga Stevens, official website (Dutch)
Helga Stevens Facebook supporter page
Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA) on Wikipedia, New-Flemish Alliance (English)
Helga Stevens, Wikipedia page (Dutch)
Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA) (Dutch)

See also:
Helga Stevens Elected (Deaf Blawg)
Helga Stevens update (Deaf Blawg)

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The 3rd Sign Circle Camping Festival was recently held in Lancashire.

The festival was covered by Spanish television, TVE, En lengua de signos. Reporting is by Javier Guisado. The item starts at 16:32, if you can make out international sign or read Spanish.

Congratulations to all those who got this festival off the ground.

Posted by alison at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Deaf lawyer, Dr. Ádám Kósa has won a seat at the European Parliament! Here's the result (its in Hungarian).

He represents FIDESZ (here's the Wikipedia page in English on FIDESZ (Hungarian Civic Union)).

All I am capable of saying: bloody fantastic news, history has been made! Way to go, Ádám, congratulations! :)

UPDATE:: EUD has some pictures of Ádám's election victory. There is also a video on Facebook, however its in spoken Hungarian.

See also:
European Parliament Elections: Dr. Adam Kosa

Elsewhere:
FIDESZ 2009
Facebook: Adam Kosa for first Deaf European Parliamentarian!
FIDESZ

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BSLBT is now screening a series, Under the Lamp with Carolyn Nabarro. This is a BSL chat style programme, and the guests for the first episode are Stephen Dering, Issy Schisselman and Oliver Westbury. It was produced by Remark! If you missed it or are outside the UK, you can catch it online.

BSLBT's Wicked Series One is now complete, of which there were eight episodes. Again, you can catch up with this online via BSLBT plus its available on the Community Channel (if you want to max your screen).

Comment from Alison:
Its good these programmes are being commisssioned and clearly lots of hard work has gone into getting these off the ground. Well done to those involved.

One wish from me. Someone really needs to think about creating a progamme with some assumed knowledge of the Deaf community. I get bored with watching a lot of the superficial stuff that comes out of both See Hear and BSLBT. Think about it, a lot of your core audience are people who hang around the Deaf community, and who know their stuff. Thus why are programme makers always targeting the most basic level? Sure, on its face it looks like inclusiveness (assume no knowledge), but in fact it shuts many people out and is a waste of valuable airtime. Featuring individuals are a good thing, because it tells stories but it still comes across as somewhat patronising. Squeezing one person per ten minutes, does it really get to know a person and their fundamental beliefs or what makes them tick? I don't think it does. Where's the BSL equivilent of BBC 4? Media people collaborate with academics, and start teaching people at another level. Why isn't a Deaf Studies department getting their work commissioned, bring those journals to life? Not the same stuff that gets rehashed for the billionth time, push those boundaries.

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Today the California Supreme Court upheld a decision on Prop 8, in other words banning gay marriage (existing 18,000 same sex couple marriages stand), in California.

Apart from thinking along the lines of, 'Hello, California! You might like to join the rest of us in 2009 sometime; until then you have no right to call yourself a progressive state. You disgust me', I came across this quote on the Day of Decision:

"No civil rights movement has EVER lost. Never. It is not a matter of if our community will win full equal rights, including marriage. It is only a matter of when. But as in all civil rights movements, we will have to fight like hell for it."

-Robin Tyler, petitioner-case to overturn prop 8

That quote says it all, and perhaps something that deaf people can take heart from and remember. Civil rights battles are never lost, they are eventually won. Just don't get burnt out on the way (anyone who's been there, will be all too familiar). However, for a battle to be won, it needs to be fought. Apathy and fear of challenging the status quo will not get you anywhere: you'll be in the same place decades from now. Think about it, and don't place the work in the hands of a few.

Any discrimination is discrimination, and it impacts everyone. Even if you can tick off majority status for every box, be it ethnic background, age, sex, sexuality and abled bodied. To tolerate discrimination around you, lacks humility plus respect to fellow human beings.

Intolerance of the other and inequality does not just hurt individuals, but whole communities or even societies. And if you're so shallow just to think in terms of money: it hurts that too.

Its activists and people who challenge the status quo everywhere, who change the tide. No-one has ever changed the world nor progressed by towing the line. You should think about lending your support, don't let a few carry that burden for what is ultimately everyone's benefit. Be visible.

Photo credit: bobster855 under Creative Commons

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The EHRC is the body for England, Wales and Scotland that is charged with the promotion of equality. From personal experience, in terms of meeting the needs of individuals it doesn't do this well (if you represent an organisation, your reality is distorted). Furthermore, how far removed it can be from deaf people. Ask yourself this: what has the EHRC done for you?

Recently the EHRC had a press release Commission's enforcement team takes on more than 300 cases in first 18 months, and goes onto state:

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has now used its enforcement powers on 337 occasions.

So I got my MP to ask such a question in parliament:

Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many completed cases originating in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) England the Equality and Human Rights Commission has taken up on behalf of individuals since its inception; and how many such cases concerned (i) disability discrimination, (ii) sexual discrimination and (iii) racial discrimination.

Maria Eagle (Liverpool, Garston, Labour)

Between October 2007 and 31 March 2009, the Equality and Human Rights Commission undertook 203 completed cases on behalf of individuals:

(a) 191 cases originated from England;
(b) Eight cases originated from Scotland; and
(c) Four cases originated from Wales.
(i) 179 completed cases concerned disability discrimination;
(ii) 10 concerned sexual discrimination; and
(iii) 14 concerned racial discrimination.

Three cases concerned more than one strand of equality.

Okay! Let me get this straight. The glossy press release says 337 cases. The parliamentary written answer says 203. What gives? No synchronised statistics makes me think someone is lying somewhere. Place that on top of a huge annoyance, and one is not a happy bunny.

Next point. FOUR cases in Wales. Four? Hello? I would really like to know what the Welsh EHRC has been doing for the past eighteen months, and exactly how many millions are they being paid for seemingly next to nothing as far as output goes? Joe Public the taxpayer should be annoyed too, that's your money that's being wasted. Can anyone realistically accept a bill of millions (to run EHRC) to come up with four cases, value for money? You can talk policy until the cows come home, but without enforcement we're not going to get anywhere. And if someone out there really believes that's the the extent of discrimination in Wales, ha! Currently I have six open files, all instances of discrimination, just stuff I've experienced. I've approached the EHRC for mediation, and got nowhere. The result, they just wasted my time. More about this, maybe, in another post. The point is, that's just one individual: there's more out there.

Looking at the above figures, we have: 88.11% cases around disability, 4.9% relating to sexual discrimination, 6.86% pertaining to race and 1.47% of mixed strands.

The whole point of social policy is to take your casework. Spot trends. Take the major trend, and turn it into some major policy rethink plus campaigning. To adopt this approach, is not major rocket science, but rather common sense. Let trends speak, you can talk general policy streamlining all you like but they are no more than abstract ideas. Get led by practice.

Additionally, how come little news items that feature on the EHRC's news page relate to disability? If you see any mention of the EHRC in the media, it always seems to be about gender. Why isn't the public face of EHRC reflecting discrimination ratios? If you follow EHRC on Twitter, you'll understand the lack of disability updates.

And for a final bonus, let me ask you this. Where was the EHRC when deaf people complained about ITV (removal of regional BSL input for the news)? Where was the EHRC when deaf people complained about genetics and how the Department of Health completely failed to include deaf people in consultation? Where is the EHRC when deaf people are trying to campaign for updated telephone access? Exactly what does it understand about BSL recognition? So it goes on ....

And one last question: exactly why isn't the EHRC's website in BSL? The body that is supposed to take a lead against discrimination, is discriminating against BSL users. Instead you've got this tokenistic crap, and you still need to navigate the English first.

This body needs a serious leadership rethink because right now, its not working. EHRC, championing equality and human rights for all. Not.

Source:
They Work For You
Hansard

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The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, in Ireland was established in 2000, which includes abuse in deaf schools.

The Commission's Report [PDF], [HTML], along with an Executive Summary [PDF], [HTML], has been released.

The Executive Summary mentions deaf schools. Firstly:

Chapter 13 deals with the final Christian Brothers’ School investigated by the Committee, St Joseph’s School for the Deaf, in Cabra. This was not an Industrial School but was a residential school for boys from the age of eight who were profoundly or partially deaf. This school was also investigated on a document only basis. It was the subject of Eastern Health Board Investigations in the 1980s which revealed disturbing levels of sexual abuse and peer sexual activity amongst boys who were resident there. These documents reveal a persistent failure on the part of school Authorities to protect children from bullying and abuse.

In addition, the documents revealed that physical punishment of these children continued into the mid-1990s and that staff were protected by management when physical abuse was discovered.

It is significant that the Industrial Schools owned and managed by the Christian Brothers did not keep a Punishment Book as was required by the Rules.

You can read the full report on St Joseph's School for Deaf Boys, Cabra ('Cabra'), 1857-1999 [PDF], [HTML]

The Executive Summary also touches on further deaf schools:

Chapters 15 and 16 are brief reviews of documentary evidence in relation to two schools that offered residential care to deaf girls: St Mary’s Girls Cabra which was run by the Dominican Order of Nuns and Beechpark run by the Daughters of Liege. Oral hearings were not conducted into these schools and there was not a significant amount of documentary material discovered to the Committee. Most allegations of abuse referred to the harshness with which the policy of oralism was imposed on children who were deaf and who instinctively used sign language as well. Whilst the wisdom of imposing oralism was a separate matter and one which the Committee could not comment on, the methods of enforcing it were at times too severe.

In general however, the standard of care in these schools was good and particular efforts were made to ensure that the children received the best possible education.

In general, girls’ schools were not as physically harsh as boys’ schools and there was no persistent problem of sexual abuse in girls’ schools although there was at best naivete´ and at worst indifference in the way girls were sent out to foster families. A number of girls did experience sexual abuse at the hands of ‘godfathers’ which they were either unable to report or were disbelieved when they did report it.

There was a high level of emotional abuse in girls’ schools, which was a consistent feature of these institutions.

The full reports on St Mary's School for Deaf Girls, Cabra [PDF], [HTML] and Mary Immaculte School for Deaf Children (Beechpark) [PDF] [HTML]

The BBC's website also lists ten of the main findings.

Comment from Alison:
I've not read these reports yet, but firstly I wanted to say those people who spoke out have my respect. I cannot comment in depth (since I've done no reading, nor do I know anything by way of background). However, one thing that did particularly strike me when pulling together this post, was the comment around oralism and its harshness. Is this a first, for such an inclusion into an official document on abuse (please use the comment box)? It also made me think about the law, and how deaf people are rarely listened to. Exactly how many decades have we heard the same complaints around oralism? One has to ask, where's the protection of vulnerable groups and who decides the standards (and the law)? Who is the law to protecting? Perhaps one day, hearing people will start listening to deaf adults, for guidelines. With all the best intentions in the world, hearing perception of the world distorts. A bit like asking those in charge of the workhouse in the last century, "Are you abusing the children in your care?" Of course the answer is always going to be no.

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The 2009 European Parliament Elections takes place in June.

Deaf lawyer, Dr. Ádám Kósa from Hungary will be standing at the forthcoming elections, as a candidate for FIDESZ. Wikipedia has information in English on FIDESZ (Hungarian Civic Union). Adam's official statement:

It would be a great honour and privilege to represent the interests not only of people with disabilities, but the whole nation as the first Deaf and sign language user to represent in the European Parliament.

A profile of Hungary's candidates can be seen on FIDESZ 2009. Adam also has a Facebook group, Adam Kosa for first Deaf European Parliamentarian! which has some links to other videos. Whatever your political affiliations, this should be celebrated and supported.

As a side point, the wider issue of the importance of disability within European elections has been highlighted by the European Disability Forum, with a a website Disability Votes Count. Here's a video by the same:

I commend the effort behind this, and any mode to drive a point across for the importance of diversity Diversity is crucial to any conversation (politics included), as privilege transforms assumptions. In other words reshapes what you think is the norm or perception, and this becomes a skewed sense of reality.

However, this information is available in various written languages. Is it not ironic for a website promoting access (andreceived funding for the same), there's no information available in signed languages?

In any case, we hope that you'll vote in the forthcoming elections and I know I'm rooting for Adam, even though (being UK based) I can't vote for him.

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