Jim's DEEP Thoughts

Consultants relating to Deaf Education
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Louisiana State Department of Education officials have chosen three consultants to recommend changes at the Louisiana School for the Deaf following the arrests on indecent behavior charges of 5 people connected to the school. See StoryI am really curious what changes they are looking into? I know its about improving the safety of this school but almost every school h...
Tech Sat, May 10 2008 · hide this blog

Karen and Steak 'n Shake
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Karen who I have nominated for Gratitude with Attitude Award is still not getting answers from Steak 'n Shake which you can read more about it in Disaboom. I won't be visiting Steak n Shake until the company do something about their situation for their customers with disabilities.
Language Audism Tech Wed, May 07 2008 · hide this blog

Grant provides $25,000 for hearing aids
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation gave the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing grant of $25,000 to help provide hearing devices and other assistive technology for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals who cannot afford to pay for them on their own.The same foundation that gave WGBH $1 Million to support the public broadcaster's work in maki...
Media Language Tech Wed, May 07 2008 · hide this blog

May is "Better Speech and Hearing Month"
Jim's DEEP Thoughts I have been thinking of the comments regarding my post Disability Harassment Some of the comments were: When I was a kid, only the deaf kids at Mark Keppel school (ASL) bullied me while Field (oral) school deafies didn't. Students never bullied a hearing aid user at Maryland School. It was at Gallaudet when the user experienced the first ridicule and was asked, "Why h...
Higher Education Language Audism Education Culture Tue, May 06 2008 · hide this blog

Hearing loss affects all forms of relationships
Jim's DEEP Thoughts A survey indicates that 48 percent of the respondents feel that their marriages have suffered because of their spouses' hearing loss. About 57 percent feel their spouse is reluctant to get his or her hearing checked and 46 percent feel that denial is the number one reason their significant other is hesitant to get his or her hearing checked. Hearing loss is one of the...
Tech Mon, May 05 2008 · hide this blog

Spotlight Business run by people with Disabilities
Jim's DEEP Thoughts I have been thinking that I might create a "Spotlight" businesses run by people with disabilities especially Deaf and Multiple Sclerosis. I would prefer find businesses in Ohio but I am more than happy to post about any businesses in the United States. I will post "Spotlight Business run by people with Disabilities" as I whenever I come across a business which could ...
Culture Sun, May 04 2008 · hide this blog

Focusing on having humor with an attitude...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Humor is a powerful emotional medicine that can lower stress and dissolve negative situations. A healthy sense of humor is related to being able to laugh at oneself and one's life. Laughing at oneself can be a way of accepting and respecting oneself. When I was younger dealing with my deafness. It was not my deafness that was causing me problems. The sources of my pro...
Tech Sat, May 03 2008 · hide this blog

Disability Harassment
Jim's DEEP Thoughts When growing up with my old hearing-aids that were very visible, I have faced my own bullies when I was in middle school but I have learned to endure and survived. In high school, I was not bullied once because I simply learned to stand up for myself and became respected by my fellow students. What really helped is that I was an athlete who made varsity soccer team as...
Audism Education Fri, May 02 2008 · hide this blog

Deafness is a culture or disability or both?
Jim's DEEP Thoughts This post is mostly for parents of deaf children who are trying to understand deafness. In the past few years, the phrase "disabled people" have been changed "people with disabilities". A disability is a body function is impaired compare to the usual normal healthy abilities of a body and within a body, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impa...
Language Culture Thu, May 01 2008 · hide this blog

An example of a parent of a deaf child asking the right...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts A parent have written a very good letter to AG Bell regarding cochlear plants forhis child (born April 20, 2008) who was found to have profound hearing loss. Surgery is the main thing that concerns him and his wife that they want answers before pursuing this. I am very curious if AG Bell will respond to him and his wife in clear, accurate, and perhaps unbiased informa...
Thu, May 01 2008 · hide this blog

Deaf411 Launches "Deaf-Friendly Cities in the U.S."
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Project What Does a City Need to Accommodate Deaf Residents? Deaf411 will research and compile information on which cities are deaf-friendly. Is your city friendly to Deaf residents? Go to Deaf411 Online
Language Culture Wed, Apr 30 2008 · hide this blog

Unbiased Organization for Parents of Deaf and Hearing Loss...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts I have been reading more about the organization I have learned in the past few months. This organzation will REPLACE AG Bell for parents who are seeking sound advices of what to do with their children who suffered hearing loss. This is a parent-driven organization. The members are very diverse who are very open minded and willing to learn everything unconditionally wh...
Language Tue, Apr 29 2008 · hide this blog

Fellow Blogger on Magazine Cover
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Abbie of “Chronicles of a Bionic Woman is on the cover of the Hearing Loss Magazine's May/June 2008 issue. You can see the issue and download article in pdf format in Cindy Dyer's blog.I am impressed with the cover and the article. I think you might enjoy this as well.
Tech Tue, Apr 29 2008 · hide this blog

Members of Cultures such as Deaf clubs.....
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Hi,After posting yesterday about American Sign Language(ASL)Only, I have had many thoughts and more thoughts after reading the comments from ASL Only post.One comment from Shel90 who said: I agree...my question is why do AGBAD and other oral-only organizations insist on English-only. It seems like these organizations and people who support them have that "only-me" att...
Culture Sat, Apr 26 2008 · hide this blog

I would love to see AG Bell members
Jim's DEEP Thoughts come in our blogs and make their own thoughts known to us so that we can start communicating with them. NOT arguing or threatening them because those will make matter worst. I believe that they might be afraid to share their side because of some extremists will them. I have seen that happened in blogging world in the past and there is no way we can control the extr...
Culture Sat, Apr 26 2008 · hide this blog

ASL-only issue
Jim's DEEP Thoughts American Sign Language(ASL)is a language used by the Deaf culture and there are so many people using ASL today that ASL is probably the fourth most commonly used language in the United States. Within the Deaf community, there have been talk about having "ASL-only" community (online or in person). "ASL-only" cannot be done in the United States because the United State'...
Language Culture Fri, Apr 25 2008 · hide this blog

Update: St. Mary’s School for the Deaf
Jim's DEEP Thoughts McCarthy will lead St. Mary’s trustees
Education Wed, Apr 23 2008 · hide this blog

Accepting the changing of the Deaf Culture like any other...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts After watching the movie last weekend, there were many conversations about it and the Deaf culture itself. I am thinking: How do we deal with opinionated individuals who are not willing to be open-minded about their Deaf culture's traditions, belief systems, and behaviors that will change no matter what? I love cultures and I admire people who support their cultures....
Culture Tue, Apr 22 2008 · hide this blog

Dear Abby: Card and Deafness
Jim's DEEP Thoughts In today's paper, Dear Abby received a letter relating to Deafness. You can read it here Card would be handy to explain deafness
Culture Mon, Apr 21 2008 · hide this blog

Old Deaf culture and New Deaf culture
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Last night, my wife and I were watching the movie called Hallmark’s Sweet Nothing in My Ear, I realized something and told my wife that I am seeing the "Old Deaf culture and New Deaf culture" in this movie. I believe this movie is accurate in many ways. I was watching carefully of one character who played the deaf grandfather in the movie and he has portrayed many o...
Media Culture Mon, Apr 21 2008 · hide this blog

Some in deaf community upset over school's billboard
Jim's DEEP Thoughts I bet ya that AG Bell is behind this by influencing school officials who now believes the sign is positive. A billboard promoting an Omaha school for the hearing impaired is drawing fire from some in the community it’s trying to serve, with some deaf people saying they’re insulted by the sign’s message. I said earlier in my blog: Audism, like racism and sexism, is dis...
Culture Sun, Apr 20 2008 · hide this blog

Deaf, hearing roles posed challenges
Jim's DEEP Thoughts From the Columbus Dispatch, today's edition
Media Language Art and Storytelling Tech Culture Sun, Apr 20 2008 · hide this blog

School for Deaf bond issue
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Financing for the new R.I. School for the Deaf will be managed by Lehman Brothers Inc., which will serve as lead manager for the issuance of $31.3 million in Certificates of Participation The school, to be constructed on a site off Branch Avenue.
Media Education Sat, Apr 19 2008 · hide this blog

News Update on St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo
Jim's DEEP Thoughts The teachers union at St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo has voted “no confidence” in the school’s superintendent, high school principal and Board of Trustees’ executive committee.When an organization votes no confidence, the organizations must either:resign, or seek a dissolution and request a selection of new board members.
Education Sat, Apr 19 2008 · hide this blog

Understanding disabilities including deafness
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Many obstacles such as discrimination, attitudes, ignorance, stereotyping, or alienation are still around by all of us whether we realized them or not. Stereotypes, biases, and misconceptions leap into one’s mind. Stereotyping have created by showing incorrect judgements of a possibility by making people into stereotypes that leads to myths. I have discovered that ste...
Tech Culture Fri, Apr 18 2008 · hide this blog

Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Site with information: ExplanationThe BillProvide a tax credit of up to $500 per hearing aid, available once every 5 years, towards the purchase of such hearing aid, available to: 1) individuals age 55 and over, or 2) those purchasing a hearing aid for a dependent.
Tech Legal Fri, Apr 18 2008 · hide this blog

Blogger's commentary regarding upcoming movie
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Michael Russnow, a blogger where you will find his blog in the "The Hufftington Post" website. Recently, he posted his blog about Political Correctness on TV Sometimes Goes Too Far: Is it Really Better to Be Deaf?At the end of his blog, you will find some interesting comments. Jim
Language Art and Storytelling Tech Culture Fri, Apr 18 2008 · hide this blog

Joining AG Bell to change their Agendas
Jim's DEEP Thoughts To change Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf's agendas, we must get involved as stakeholders. In reality, change should not be done for the sake of change but rather a strategy to accomplish some overall goal. To begin with, there are strong resistances to change and we will need to educate those who are resisting change to understand why we need to change....
Language Audism Tech Thu, Apr 17 2008 · hide this blog

Today In History: April 15
Jim's DEEP Thoughts In 1817, the first American school for the deaf opened in Hartford, Conn.In 1865, President Lincoln died, several hours after being shot at Ford's Theater in Washington by John Wilkes Booth. Andrew Johnson became the nation's 17th president.In 1912, the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg.
Tue, Apr 15 2008 · hide this blog

Deaf man: Outdated phones kept me in jail
Jim's DEEP Thoughts claims he couldn’t call his family because the jail has older text phones As usual, the government is behind on technology, especially when it comes to deaf and other disabilities.
Language Tech Legal Tue, Apr 15 2008 · hide this blog

Report called for on arrests at deaf school
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Officials not aware of five of the six recent arrests involving allegations of indecent behavior with juveniles who attend the school. This is not good news.
Media Legal Sun, Apr 13 2008 · hide this blog

Why some countries are still using this term: "a deaf and...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Like in Africa and similar countries as this one article for an example, Sprayer robs deaf and dumps' mobile phoneWhenever someone is using "Deaf and dumb", I am amazed that people are still doing it. Anyone using the word "dumb" in such context is .... well ... very ignorant. When using the "dumb", when applied to deaf people who do not speak of an archaic term (the...
Sat, Apr 12 2008 · hide this blog

Education regarding Audism should be promoted more often to...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Audism, like racism and sexism, is discrimination against deaf and hearing-imparied individuals however, I do acknowledge that there is a significant difference between ignorance and audism. Nowadays, its hard to tell the difference but I believe that with today's technology and disability discrimination laws that are out there, there should not be any ignorance. My ...
Audism Fri, Apr 11 2008 · hide this blog

From Australia's news regarding discrimination of Deaf...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts The disability watchdog says that an airline's over-zealous interpretation of safety regulations regardin Deaf passengers has led to greater discrimination against people with disabilities. "There have been endemic problems in airlines over the past few years where people with disabilities have been refused carriage because of their disability," Federal disability di...
Media Fri, Apr 11 2008 · hide this blog

Airline slammed on deaf policy
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Yesterday, I posted about an airline wanted deaf people to have a carer when flying. Deaf people are not disabled, they just can't hear but they are able to do everything as much as hearing people can do. In fact, we use our eyes more than hearing people so we are able to see things more than hearing people. We are able to pick up little things that hearing people of...
Media Fri, Apr 11 2008 · hide this blog

Deaf people need a carer? Huh?
Jim's DEEP Thoughts carer (plural carers)someone who looks after another, either as a job or often through family responsibilities. In England and Australia, "carers" are defined in law as being unpaid family members, partners or friends who help a disabled, ill or frail person with the activities of daily living. Deaf man 'humiliated' when Tiger says 'bring a carer', This happened in A...
Language Audism Culture Thu, Apr 10 2008 · hide this blog

Accepting Cultural Changes
Jim's DEEP Thoughts In the old days, most cultures were strong on ethocentrism but today, many cultures still are strong but have learned to be humbled in order to live in a society that have many cultures. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture is superior to that of other cultures. Various cultures will always be running against the prevailing movement of society with indiv...
Culture Thu, Apr 10 2008 · hide this blog

Diversity and Accepting one another
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Like many other cultures in this world, Deaf culture shares a common sense of pride in their Culture and language (i.e. ASL). There are different levels of self-pride of the Deaf culture and there is nothing wrong with pride unless it interferes diversity and unity of other cultures in this world. Unity of cultures results from a group of people coming together to for...
Culture Tue, Apr 08 2008 · hide this blog

Law & Order — 'Driver is Deaf' visor card program still in...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Maryland Residents: The sheriff's office adopted the Maryland Sheriff's Association's "DRIVER IS DEAF" visor card program in 2002 The cards are available at the Law Enforcement Center at 110 Airport Drive East in Frederick, at the Brunswick Police Department at 20 E. A St. and the Thurmont Police Department at 10 Frederick Road, she said. They can also be found at the...
Language Legal Mon, Apr 07 2008 · hide this blog

Health Coverage for Hard of Hearing
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Karen, my fellow blogger wrote in blog about an issue that effected me over the years. You can read more about it at her blog: Insurance Companies Don't Cover Hearing Aids--Let's Change That This blog is geared for citizens who lives in Illinois. For the longest time, in Ohio, most health insurance companies do not cover hearing-aids. Last year or the year before, ...
Tech Sun, Apr 06 2008 · hide this blog

Visor Communication Card Program for the Deaf & Hard of...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Over the years, there were cases in other states when police officers shot deaf men due to an alledged communication breakdown. The card is such a simple tool and pro-active in its protection similar to the medical alert bracelets people wear. Many states have similar Visor Communication Card Program for the Deaf. I live in Ohio and I don't know or aware of any simila...
Language Legal Sun, Apr 06 2008 · hide this blog

Deaf Woman's Dog to escape fast moving fire
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Elizabeth Harrison and her daughter who is also deaf escaped the burning building safely. Read more from Phoenix, AZ news.
Culture Sun, Apr 06 2008 · hide this blog

Deaf wife and Hearing Husband
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Marlee Matlin will appear in the upcoming movie about the wife deaf and the husband is not just like me and my wife. I am deaf (husband) and my wife is not. Jeff Daniels will appear in TV movie called "Sweet Nothing in My Ear," which airs April 20 on CBS. When Jeff got the part, he ordered a 20-hour series of (signing) tapes and studied. More about the movie, Jeff D...
Media Language Tech Culture Sat, Apr 05 2008 · hide this blog

Decision to move Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program will
Jim's DEEP Thoughts move to Chappelow next year when University Schools (a charter school) decided this week it will no longer house the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program for Greeley-Evans School District 6 in nothern Colorado. The school's decision caught not only parents, students and supporters off guard but also the school district officials.Do you know what is interesting? Read this...
Education Fri, Apr 04 2008 · hide this blog

School pays deaf man $175,000 settlement
Jim's DEEP Thoughts the school discriminated against him by failing to provide required interpreting services in the classroom. Being ignorant of the laws or ignoring the laws are not valid excuse for those who has to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and the Rehabilitation Act specifically requires schools to provide reasonable acc...
Higher Education Language Legal Fri, Apr 04 2008 · hide this blog

Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Amish Culture
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Orthodox Amish culture do not allow hearing aids since they are considered "technology" and technology isn't permitted in Amish culture. Non-orthodox Amish and Mennonite people have cross-overed to the other side to live among the people who use technology. People often confuse the Amish and Mennonites that they think there's no difference between the two. Even though...
Tech Thu, Apr 03 2008 · hide this blog

Responding to discontent of staff, students and parents,...
Jim's DEEP Thoughts steps down at St. Mary’s School for the Deaf and also,a popular math teacher may be rehired, possibly within weeksThat's great news. Have a great day everyone. Jim
Education Thu, Apr 03 2008 · hide this blog

University Schools pull plug on deaf program
Jim's DEEP Thoughts Greeley-Evans Local School District 6 in northern Colorado, citing disappointing test scores and a non-aligning curriculum, the district had sought more oversight over the program, which serves 31 students.We are seeing more of this, I wonder what they would do with funding from the Federal Government's Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (if they have any fro...
Education Thu, Apr 03 2008 · hide this blog

NTID's 40th Anniversary Reunion
Jim's DEEP Thoughts I am debating to decide whether I should attend NTID's Reunion that will take place on June 26 to 28, 2008. Ever since I left NTID in 1981, I never attended any of the reunions but I did visited NTID during my stop overs when traveling to MA from Ohio on Interstate 90. I have been getting emails and letters from NTID about the reunion and I am looking at this site Ann...
Higher Education Wed, Apr 02 2008 · hide this blog

AG Bell is very quiet lately
Jim's DEEP Thoughts I am not aware of any news or any actions coming from AG Bell other than their upcoming conventions. On June 27, 2008, AG Bell members will gather in Milwaukee for AG Bell’s 48th Biennial Convention wearing those ugly t-shirts. I was looking at one of the sponsors for the convention and noticed that Gallaudet University is one of them. AG Bell does not use ASL, promot...
Audism Culture Tue, Apr 01 2008 · hide this blog