Deaf Anthology #63: "DBC/AGB"

Deaf Anthology # 63: "DBC/AGB"
COMMENTARY: Welcome to our first commentary on Deaf Anthology, my observations over the weekend at both DBC and AGB national conference.

I first I was planning on posting the commentary with the Vlog, but was advised to keep them separate. Commentary is my first serious attempt to tackle the issues that confront us in our daily lives. We'll tour inside the exhibition halls of the AG Bell national conference at the Midwest Center here in Milwaukee, then an exclusive interview with the new AG Bell Deaf President Jay Wyatt with our host Ruthie Jordan, an alumni of NTID film school. The Vlog will be posted on Deafread once Ruthie Jordan completed the editing process. I thought it was interesting to note that Jay Wyant was able to walk in front of the Deaf Rally without being noticed, that a Metro bus with an anti-discrimination message in traffic.
Catherine Murphy, media coordinator, of the AG Bell Association of the Deaf granted Deaf Anthology press credentials allowing us to access, to do this worthwhile project, as there are two conflicting viewpoints. One interesting note is that Catherine can sign, having a Deaf brother that graduated from Gallaudet University. AG Bell also provided us with three interpreters, ASL. Oral, and Voice. Any oral interpreters at DBC? We were also able to videotape the DBC Rally from the third floor of the Midwest Center. DBC also granted us unlimited access to their conference at the Hyatt with no restrictions whatsoever. Deaf Anthology is neutral in its journalism efforts, being independent of both DBC and AG Bell, my personal opinion may be biased, yes I do support the original DBC vision that all Deaf child born have the rights to being exposed to ASL, because of having Deaf siblings.My commentary tends to be liberal because of my upbringings. One of the criticism that I often get on Deafread that all previous Deaf Anthology blogs are fictional, yes that is true, and they suggested that with my talents I should be doing something more constructive. Micheal Moore, a well-known controversial producer of documentary films, is one of my role model, it remains to be seen if I'll adopt his style. We were denied access to Paradise Landings, a water park inside the AG Bell convention Hilton Hotel, as we were hoping to film the interaction between oral and ASL families. DBC Barb DiGiovanni wanted be involved in our project to interview AG Bell President Jay Wyant, but AG Bell gave exclusive rights to Deaf Anthology, not to any core members of DBC. AG Bell accepts questions from the general Deaf population, not questions from DBC which are confrontational, questions involves issues that the audience on Deafread may not be familiar with, unrelated to the visions of the organization itself. AG Bell President Jay Wyant time is limited so we were able to ask a few general questions ourselves.

Anyway, remember Hess, the deputy of Hitler, he parachuted into England, hoping to make peace with England. In this case I parachuted over the wall into the AG Bell compound. During the day, I met an interpreter with a CI, I felt like I was on the set of Star Trek, meeting a Borg.

AG Bell has about 4,800 members, with a budget of 3.8 million dollars. 39% of its membership are parents, the rest being professionals or oral Deaf. Are there significant parental involvement in DBC? AG Bell have 40 chapters while DBC have 16 chapters.

The theme of DBC is "Sign from the start...Success for the lifetime!" Success for a lifetime, didn't Rosa Lee mentioned on her show that 70% of the Deaf are on SSI, that's sucess?

The theme of AGB is "Something Big is Brewing in Milwaukee!" Obviously that is the case, but the only missing ingredients is ASL.

In a copy of the latest issue of Voice, among the directory of services are the South Dakota School for the Deaf, Utah School for the Deaf, and the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, describing their oral programs, no mentions of the alternative ASL approach. Only Gallaudet University mentioned that they have ASL in its program.
AG Bell have given Senator Tom Hawkin (D-Iowa) Award of Distinction, supporting the Hearing Aid Tax Credit (S. 1410) and the Early Detection and Intervention Act (S. 1069) and ADA Restoration Act (S. 1881). Both AG Bell and NAD do have some common interest. Will DBC be an affiliate of NAD in the future, or remain a separate entity or a temporary coalition until its goals are achieved or revised.
VRS are giving away t-shirts at both DBC and AGB, it's nice getting something free without applying for a credit card.

The only major business at its AG Bell meeting is the membership approval of revisions to its Articles of Incorporation. In theory, if 14,400 ASL Deaf join AG Bell, they will have the 2/3 majority vote necessary to cause the dissolution.

Met our favorite Mascot, Kaci at his Playhouse, probably the most friendly guy in an hostile environment. Hope that DBC will have its own Mascot that uses ASL. Perhaps DBC can kidnap Mickey Mouse, teaching him ASL in time for the 2010 AG Bell biennial national conference in Orlando, Florida.

Some Deaf have an opportunity to visit Summerfest on the lakefront, the world's largest musical festival, Deaf magician Matthew Morgan and our Children of the Drum troupe from the Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CDHH) will perform on stage.
This is Smokey, stayed tuned for the next episode of Deaf Anthology. Good night, Deaf America!
Deaf Anthology #64: "DBC/AGB II"
COMMENTARY: The Rosa Lee Show was held at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, it is interesting to note that children pick up the repetitious ASL sign. We chat the night away at the Rock Bottom Brewery, mixed crowd with AGB, after a stressful day. Friends are enemies we haven't yet meet.

While this was going on, news come out of Gallaudet is that their reaccreditation been granted, and also that there will be no Bell dormitory at NTID. Alumni paged the good news using AT&T . You can remove plaque but try dismantling Ma Bell.

Both NAD and AGB have been cooperating together on various issues, critics think that DBC created a new wall, setting us back a minute before midnight on the doomsday clock of cultural annihilation.

We may think of DBC being pro-life as each Deaf child should be left in their natural ASL environment and AGB as being pro-choice, leaving the communication mode decision to the parents. CI may become routine as circumcision. Critics think CI as contributing to our cultural genocide.

I noticed that Pepsi-Cola isn't available at the Midwest Center.

John Egbert would our Deaf guru, a reincarnation of Clerc himself, still a member of AGB, a wolf among the flock of sheep. One person can make a difference, leaving an impact on the world.

There is a Great Awakening among the Deaf across America, DBC have finally conquered apathy!
DBC with its grassroots, leadership shared equally, no one will be slighted. Will its structure qualified it as a tax-exempted organization to promote awareness?

I heard rumors that actress Linda Lovelace is at AGB, but unable to confirmed it.

We will probably remember Milwaukee as the battle of the skywalks. The media have no understandings of what's the hell going on, no national exposure, their mindset was that we just wanted to air our grievances, that we have no cause.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article was reprinted in the Chicago Tribune, south of the border. The first article featured a family from Cedarsburg, Wisconsin, all three children are CI Deaf, Ella Mae Lentz, of California was quoted as being "concerned about the audism behind the implants."

NIH estimated that 15,500 children CI in 2006. Karla Gunn, a WSD teacher was quoted, "Deaf babies have a right to access to ASL," this is in agreement with the mission statement of DBC. In summary, it's a matter of choice. This is America, a free country, isn't it, the fundamentalist often attempt to dictate our nation's policy. In the second article, I agreed completely with David Eberwein of DBC that "speech is not a language, it's just a skill. Robert Barden, from Massachusetts, decided to have his Deaf son get a CI because they were unable to become fluent in ASL, despite taking sign language classes. I think there ought be be an article featured a family with Deaf children that uses ASL. Tami Hossler, a mother of a Deaf daughter, among the DBC "protesters" at the rally, says it best, "it's not about us, but about the children," in the conclusion.
Dreamworks Kung Fu Panda, open-captioned format, was being shown in local theatres, probably the only places that ASL and oral parents ever interacted.

The opening ceremony was the Blue Ribbon, an expression of poems in ASL, inspiration, beautiful. I salute them with Pabst Blue Ribbon.

As during the Cold War, a major defector from AGB, Jason R. Curry, of Missouri, promoting a product which allows communication when an interpreter isn't available, we were able to have a friendly chat about our public school experiences.

I remember MJ Bienvenue giving a workshop in Birmingham, lightning struck, causing a blackout. I agreed with Marlon Kuntze that our environment influences our literacy development.

Deafness Research Foundation (DRF) awarded 2,100 grants, totally $24 million dollars. Just imagine if our researchers in Deaf Studies that much fundings.

My time are limited between the two conferences but I did managed somehow to attend a couple of CART workshops at AG Bell, one was on the use of creative technology in the classroom, using the interactive smartboard. The other being the Children Legal Advocacy (CLA), questioning whether the teacher of the Deaf, have the appropriate training, experience, and background to work with oral Deaf children, to meet IEP goals in a LRE setting. They have experiences in handling these cases, filing lawsuits against the school district on their behalf. My impression is that if a teacher can be sued not having the skills to teach an oral Deaf child, then the same can be applied to the teacher who isn't fluent in ASL. Supreme Court decision on the Rawley case were also discussed. It's a coincident that Rawley herself was at DBC. The outcome may have been different nowadays. Power-point presentations can be e-mailed to those who requested them.

"Hearing are Deaf-Impaired" stood out among the t-shirts worn.

DBC brochures were available at the WODHH booth inside AGB, but they were left to be recycled. At that booth, Iris Nelia Aranda, a native of Panama, displays her artworks. She'll be back at the ASL Fest at the Milwaukee Art Museum this fall.
NTID seek revenge, to beat Gallaudet next year at the college bowl.
Pam Holmes, former Board of Trustee, was at the Ultratec booth, she been there!
Deafhood advocate diversity, not if we are splintered into our own agendas, can we compromise our positions, that is satisfying to both parties.
Will there ever be peace?
This is Smokey, stayed tuned for the next episode of Deaf Anthology. Good night, Deaf America!

Revised July 4, 2008

Gary A. Fitts

"Smokey"