Googled: Ian Wright v David Beckham
Ian Wright: 2,090,000
David Beckham: 4,510,000
Oh! Never mind, Ian is still my hero!
31 January 2007
30 January 2007
Deaf power!
Remember the rallying cry for the Black Power movement in the 60's and 70's? Say it loud! I'm Black, I'm proud!
The focus of black power advocates was not integration or any other single strategy. Rather, it was improving the status of black people. Same as Deaf power.
Sign it openly! I'm Deaf, I'm proud!
29 January 2007
Nalini's presentation at GDC's 1st anniversary
An email from Nalini Persaud, Guyana, South America
NALINI PERSAUD DEAF CLUB ANNIVERSARY PRESENTAION SUNDAY 28th JAN 2007
Hi my name is nalini persaud and i am deaf. It is wonderfull that we can come here today as friend and family. today I am very happy that we celebrate our first anniversary as a club . It is the first time that we have seen a club like this in GUYANA. Many years ago it was very hard for deaf people to come and meet and share together becaues there was no club .
I love when deaf people meet becaues eveyone is alway nice and firndly. Today is very spcial. It helps to make both the deaf and hearing understand that deaf people are a very important part of GUYANA ;s Community. And now I welcome the hearing here with us. I hope that we will continue to get the support from everyone that we can have a deaf club for many years to come , not only where we can come and meet each other but also where we can learn and be more a part of the normal everyday life in guyana. I will like to see a club where we have smart, educated people maybe even doctors and scientists.
I Know that that this is very possible, I have seen it in other countries. Maybe one day soon we can have our own builid for our deaf club. it would be nice to come to a club where there are computer and televisions and book like in a real world. I know that we just started the deaf club but it is good for us to dream of big things and helpful thing that we can all grow in the club.
Thanks for me to speak here today. To all deaf people, please stand up. HAND UP!!! thank you very much. Please you can see email open reading long time, yesterday was sunday, big good deaf people to the party for food and drink cake to nice people there!!!
YOUR FRIEND SPCIAL TRICIA and two children to come deaf club in felx gym. I know you are happy for deaf club one years ANNIVERSARY.
I MISS YOU ALOT NALINI AND NAVIN & RAVIN LOVE YOU VERY MUCH.
Sign a Petition - BSL at all UK schools
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Introduce the teaching of British Sign Language in all UK schools.
Sign a petition
Deadline on 21st Feb
28 January 2007
TV licence: Blind get 50% discount and Deaf don't
Thanks to Lenka for forwarding this.
Question
TV Licence: Blind people get 50% discount, do you think it is unfairfor deaf people to pay for full TV Licence?
[you need Yahoo ID to vote, you need to visit yahoogroups. com and get aYahoo ID if you dont have one. If you do not have Yahoo ID you cannotvote]
[please give yourself 5 minutes to vote]
Yes it is unfair - deaf people should get same 50% discount as Blind
No - Deaf people should pay full TV LicenceI do not know.
Your vote is shown above. You can change your vote until the poll isclosed on 5th February 2007 and the results will be revealed.
Visit the DUK Poll websitehttp://groups. yahoo.com/ group/deaf- uk/surveys? id=2425791
Happy 1st birthday, Guyana Deaf Club!
Guyana Deaf club opened on 28th Januray 2006. It changed Guyanese Deaf people's lives for better and gain Deaf awareness.
My mum, friends and Cubs members has been celebrating for Guyana Deaf Club's anniversary! Shame, I had to miss their party in Georgetown tonight but I will send them something to cheer them up. 10 Cubs Deaf/hearing members created something for Guyana Deaf club last Friday. They said/signed 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!'. I will send them tomorrow!
An email from Nalini Persaud in Georgetown, Guyana
How are you, I hope you, I am fine ok. i am busy for help deaf club people for big 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY KITTY DEAF CLUB.AND 2pm-gather outside before the cutting of the ribbon to mark the 1year anniversary. Miranda and Rachel make a little speach about the deaf club once the ribbon is cut- drinks and sandwich is served to everyon.
2-45pm - deaf club memorie- speakers talk about how deaf club developed. Laurence, nalini, Khemrajie and james
3pm Joke\ stories- gary,Ian,virgil
4pm- Serve Food
{5pm- Poem you have to be deaf to understand'' Laurence Hallahan and Rachel Saunders
January 28 2007
Your Friend Special Nalini
24 January 2007
Sign petition against upper-class racist Lucy
Sign petition against Lucy Buchanan, the upper-class racist contestant in Channel 4's reality show Shipwrecked. Get Lucy Buchanan OUT now!
Last laugh
Thanks to someone who commented on 'Lucy from Shipwrecked backs British Empire...' as she/he laughed that The Sun is a racist paper. (I deleted that comment for some reason.) Actually I googled 15 websites I read, I really never thought 'The Sun' is a racist paper. Also she/he asked me (she/he laughed) what I was doing reading it, The Sun is not my biggest favourite newpapers/website because of making up stories and silly articles etc. But it shows 4 photographs of Lucy Buchanan on this page, that's why.
I will change the link then... New racism row on Channel 4 show
23 January 2007
Lucy from 'Shipwrecked' backs British Empire...
Oh dear, watching that racist's comment creeped me out. She supports slavery... seriously.
Check it out Lucy Buchannan the racist
CHANNEL 4 was at the centre of a new race row last night — after screening a teenager calling for the return of SLAVERY.
Public schoolgirl Lucy Buchanan’s rant on the first episode of reality show Shipwrecked follows international fury at Jade Goody’s Big Brother bullying of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.
In an outburst aired at just 6.25pm on Sunday, Lucy, 18, said black people were “really bad”, adding: “My mind is completely open to different cultures — but I just do not think they should bring them to Britain.”
20 January 2007
Who & what I miss from Guyana, South America
Ajay is really cool, he improves his Guyanese Sign Language very much!
Nalini is my closest mate, she's brilliant being a Deaf role model who I worked alongside! She is also a new Deaf activist
Nalini's son Ravin is a cool boy! 
Another son Navin is so hyperactive but he's so lovely!
James loves fashion & TV so much!
Tricia is my great mate, she's great, sarcastic, sense of humour!
Jill is so sweet and very beautiful Canadian! 
Leonytne is like my sister, miss her cheekiness so much!
I miss all kids at the Youth club that I founded and lead!
Anita is a cool girl! 
Petra the Pepper! Shes fantastic! 
I really miss facilitating workshops!
Ajay's mother Veta, she is sweet and lively!
Asiyah and Sherika is like my sisters, they are so wicked! They learnt so much since I first met them!Naturally love not medically love
The parent is expecting a healthy baby very soon. They look around the baby shop for their unborn baby like Barbie/Action man or a cute brush. The father is dreaming of his daughter or son becoming a premiership football manager. The mother is dreaming of his daughter or son becoming a princess in England. Their expectations are so high, when it comes to new babies.
The mother is in the labour as the father supports her with breathing. She screamed and foul-mouthed at everyone but for those of pregnant women, that is very normal thing to say. Suddenly, the doctor and nurse’s face is not that the parent is waiting for.
The excited parent’s world turned upside down when they saw their new baby boy. It seems nothing wrong with it. He has got legs. He has got arms. He has got feet. He has got hands. He has got nose. He has got mouth. He has got everything we have. What the hell wrong with him? You wouldn’t see anything wrong with him. He is like every baby in the world.
But for his parent, they think that their black baby boy wouldn’t have a great life as white baby. Yes, just different skin from his parent.
The egotistical doctor or you call it a medical model, he strongly advised the parent to implant the white skin on their black baby otherwise he will struggle being a black person or being a second-citizen. So a newborn baby will improve his language development, white culture, well-manners, have to smile all the time (show his white teeth), talk or walk like a white person does, making a lot of new white friends, he will have a same level as white people academically and professionally if he went to white-only school, even won’t get into trouble like other black people stereotypically or so even his favourite line would be ‘I am not a racist but...’
As the parent openly asked about black people, the doctor suggested black people’s culture will affect their son’s process in the future.
Remember the parent’s expectations, the mother wants to give an Action man for her son’s birthday or the father is dreaming of his son becoming a premiership manager which black footballer rarely get a managerial job. As saying that, they realised it is too much for their son if they refuse to accept the white implant. They agreed with the doctor. They did it for relieving their worry and unhappiness with his blackness. Even before he could spell 'C-H-O-I-C-E'.
Their son has been implanted ‘white’.
The newspaper headlined ‘Good, clean and happy baby!’ The mother said "He is still black but we just want to give love and we know what’s best for my beautiful clean son, look at his face, he looks happy." The black community (some people call black activists 'Troublemakers') backlash at their decision. One of other people's views "The parent know best"… (Echoing)
Sadly, 25 years later, he is at the mental hospital not as a manager, not as a staff, not even as a chef. He is a patient.
It’s all because all so much fuss made him to be somebody, not himself. He is not very happy with himself at the moment…
His life would be very different if the parent invites black role models, not just ignorant or know-it-all medical or 'professional' models.
You can give a lot of love and happiness into your children naturally not medically. You can do same thing for Deaf children too.
By Ashton Phillip
19 January 2007
Deaf world news
Belleville toddler may be youngest with cochlear implants
"We used to wait until kids were 2 to 3 years old but we found ourselves behind the curve," Herzog said. "This puts them on the same basis as their peers. We feel the earlier we place the device the more likely they are to achieve goals and improve language skills and reading skills.
"There is controversy in the deaf community about the devices, which help promote normal speech. Some say they will be the death of sign language and disrupt the heritage of the deaf society.Herzog said he understands the concern but that studies show higher literacy for children with the device.
Liz Collins said they see nothing wrong with sign language but they are both hearing adults and there is no deafness anywhere in either of their families.
more
But there is younger CI baby in the past AllDeaf. I feel so goosebump and emotional when I read one of members' comments > "I feel cry when I saw CI on their small head. My son tried to speak back of CI children but they can't hear him so he tried again to speak front of them but they do if they don't understand them, then they understand right way when my son use sign language & play with him. I feel cry when I watch my sons play together with CI children. As you see that they don't want to learn to speak or hear."
Deaf Org. Responds To Wright Death Penalty Issue
Efforts to get the death penalty thrown out in the murder trial of Daphne Wright have led to a backlash within the KELOLAND deaf community.
Wright is scheduled to go on trial in March for murder and kidnapping in connection with the death of Darlene VanderGiesen. Wright's lawyers say the death penalty in this case would be "excessive" and unconstitutional because of her deafness. But others who cannot hear say those legal claims only add to the stigma of living in a silent world.
more
Teaching Bhagavad Gita, through sign language
He is perhaps the only one in the world to teach the Bhagavad Gita through sign language.
Not that it was a matter of choice for him. Anantadev Das had lost the capacity to hear when he was just a year old.
Going to deaf school first in Mumbai as a nine-year-old, Das, founder of Bangalore-based Sanatana Dharma, an organisation involved in cultural, educational, social and spiritual activities for the deaf, says that he found the answers he was seeking in the Bhagavad Gita, the divine discourse spoken by the Supreme Lord Krishna Himself and the most popular of all the sacred scriptures from ancient India.
It was in school that he first met deaf children wearing hearing aids. He studied the English language, learnt grammar and passed SSC. While some of his friends went to America, he had to stay back, more as an obedient son to his mother than as an option.
In an interview to this website's newspaper, with the help of an interpreter, Das disclosed that before his graduation in History and Philosophy from a university in Mumbai, he was searching for answers to questions like why he became deaf, why people kept fighting each other, hated each other and kept secrets to themselves.
Das then plunged into research, met people belonging to different communities, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike, and finally after reading the Gita, realised that “the body and not the soul was deaf.”
Happiness dawned on him only thereafter.As a special leader and social worker for the deaf, Das who was in Coimbatore for the three-day India Deaf Expo last week, had visited the US and given a lecture for deaf children in a university there.
Currently teaching the deaf the meaning of life through sign language in Bangalore, Das said he wanted people with normal hearing capability to involve themselves more in helping the deaf.
Das has also plans to buy some land and construct a temple for Krishna, possibly in Karnataka.
more
Charity offers sign language lifeline for Deaf children
FAMILIES with deaf children say the Government does nothing to help fund vital sign language classes.
But now a lifeline is being thrown to them by a charity body which has found the cash to lay on free courses in the Reading area.
And Kim Hodges, for the Community Council for Berkshire (CCB), said: "After becoming involved with this project, I have been amazed and appalled at the way parents of deaf children are left to fend for themselves."
The CCB has linked up with Reading Deaf Centre and Reading Deaf Children's Society to offer the only free course available to adults in this area.
The 10-week introductory training programme is aimed at parents and relatives of hearing-impaired children who otherwise have to pay for a college course.
more
'I hoped our baby would be deaf'
Most parents would be distressed to learn that their child had been born unable to hear. But for Paula Garfield and Tomato Lichy, it means daughter Molly can share their special culture. Rebecca Atkinson reports
When a pregnant mother is asked if she would prefer a boy or a girl the response is pretty formulaic - "I don't mind as long as it's healthy." Which, put another way, means: "I don't mind as long as it's not impaired in any way." But what if the expectant mother or father actually preferred it if the baby wasn't "healthy", in the sense that we understand the word, but instead was profoundly deaf?
This is how Paula Garfield, artistic director of the London-based theatre company Deafinitely Theatre, felt when she was expecting her baby daughter, Molly. "When I was pregnant I did hope the baby would be deaf. Obviously, I would have loved a hearing baby equally, but inside, I really hoped she would be deaf like me."
For Garfield and her partner Tomato Lichy, an artist and writer, the diagnosis that Molly was profoundly deaf was a cause for joy rather than sadness. "When the doctor told us she was deaf I really wanted to smile, but I felt I shouldn't because the medical staff obviously thought deafness was a problem. Once we got home we celebrated though."
So, why? The answer, Lichy argues, lies in language. "Being deaf is not about being disabled, or medically incomplete - it's about being part of a linguistic minority. We're proud, not of the medical aspect of deafness, but of the language we use and the community we live in. We're delighted that that is something our daughter can share as she grows up." more
Ugandan Deaf people have been protesting they want their news with interpreters:
THE Uganda National Association for the Deaf (UNAD) has protested the failure by the Uganda Broadcasting corporation-TV to provide for a sign language interpreter during its news bulletins.UNAD director Alex Ndeezi yesterday said since its inception, UBC-TV had denied the deaf important information in news that used to be provided by the defunct Uganda Television (UTV).Ndeezi said the absence of sign interpreters at UBC-TV and other public places such as courts, hospitals and schools was a gross violation of their human rights.
more
Jade Bad-y
I feel so disgrace with Jade because I liked her…
The controversy started on Big Brother over bullies (Vicky Pollard’s best friends) ganging up on Shilpa Shetty, I think that’s both racist and bullying. They disrespected Shilpa’s own culture.
Danielle, Jade, Jo and Jack made their sick comments in their whisper about Shilpa as well as apparently ‘indirect’ racism abuse towards the bollywood star. I didn’t catch who said that as subtitle jumbled up but one of them said ‘She should (bleep) go home’. Also Jade said ‘Shilpa Poppadom’ which is very racist thing to say about. Other people might see it as a joke but I don’t. Even worse, Jack once did say ‘Paki’, I really hate that word. White people invented that word as same as ‘coloured’ and ‘nigger’.
Jade denied herself that she is not racist, she would say for sure… like the infamous phase ‘I am not racist but’ thing bullsh*t, written all over her face already. For me, no matter what she didn’t mean to say such things or influenced by alcohol, she is still racist and a bully. She would be close to become a member of BNP not Black Nice People if she is taking up her bad language again. These girls need to stop picking on her, that’s so childish bullying. Good job, bullying charity were right to drop Jade the ‘campaigner’.
Some people think it’s classism, well, if that’s that, these girls could feel threatened by Shilpa’s successful, good childhood, her looks (she is more beautiful than Danielle) and celebrity status because of colour of her skin. Also Shilpa doesn’t talk about sex, drinking or other things like British normally talk about. White was supposed to be more superior than any other races generally. That’s wrong, we are same human.
Jade’s saying about meeting Shilpa for claiming fame, I think she misunderstood her, preferably she only thinks worse. Way of her saying is clearly an ego. She is famous for being so unintelligent. I think these underclass young girls need to learn class AND cultural awareness!
I am so surprised with Shilpa’s courage to stay for her own accord, I applaud her! Still, lucky for her, Jermanie supports her (oooh Cleo the hypocrite hugged her!).
Shlipa didn't think Jade is racist, actually she didn't hear everything what their gang said behind her back. We saw the full picture.
Although, I may sound harsh but I still watch it because they will make a fool of themselves which I would enjoy briefly (would be better if crowd turn up suddenly due to a ban). Channel 4 doesn’t need to pull Big Brother out as everyone should see what these girls really like. The company suggested ‘Unquestionably good thing’, I agree with them because we (not includes me) are afraid of our British reputation. We still are squeamish, when it comes to racism ON television. I never, never, never seen any racism on British soap opera who produced by white people in my life. Very glorious-utopia. I have seen a few racism scenes on Vee-TV’s Deaf drama – Rush. That’s real life. I was so surprised to see my good mate Charly to act as a racist character, very brave thing to do because not many actors would do it. In fact, it was a black producer of Rush. Mmm.
Before it happened, ironically ‘our future’ Prime Minister Gordon Brown was saying ‘We don’t have a race problem in Britain’. So don’t blame Big Brother (even only for making money out of publicity), blame these ignorant girls. I am so glad it happened consciously.
It will show the level of racism in Britain IF we evict Indian woman Shilpa out of famous English house. I can’t wait for Friday night!
Shame, production team ban the crowd (they are right but it would make a good TV!)
16 January 2007
Ahem..
Hundreds of miles east, at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., Rory Osbrink, 22, of Tustin, Calif., prepares for class. A senior majoring in philosophy and deaf studies at the nation's premier liberal arts college for the deaf, Osbrink has a cochlear implant, too, but he hasn't turned it on in five years. His communication skills weren't improving, he says, and he stopped using the implant. Now he relies primarily on American Sign Language (ASL).
Osbrink got his implant when he was 4. "My parents felt that the more options one has, the more successful one would become," he says. Now, ASL is his "main mode of communication," he says, but "English is another means, especially in my hearing family. . . . No one except for my eldest brother knows any sign language."
I'm glad he is very lucky otherwise his life would be different..
10 January 2007
Oral/Aural or British Sign Language
Oral/Aural or British Sign Language
The biggest issue parents will have to face is that of the communication option they want to adopt. Our experience is that, certainly in the Lancashire area, the option preferred by health and education professionals is oral/aural.
However, our approach is the child-centred one, which acknowledges any option that meets the needs of the individual child. We aim to present the positive and negatives of both options so that parents can make a fully informed decision.
This can include just sign language, just speech and lip-reading or a combination of the two through Signed Supported English, Bi-lingualism etc. The communication option which should be encouraged is the one which makes it easier for the child to communicate and relate to the world and people around them. It may be that deaf children use a variety of communication modes and this is fine as long as children can function successfully through them, sharing as well as receiving information.
Whatever the choice made on behalf of the deaf child, children will make their own decisions once they leave school and start mixing in both the deaf and hearing worlds. Some who have had a purely oral/aural education and communication system get involved in the deaf community in adulthood and soon adopt a signing communication/language option.
Cochlear Implants
Another sensitive issue is that of cochlear implants. The deaf community are opposed to cochlear implants because it is seen as another way of denying a child’s deafness and therefore their cultural identity. It has been promoted by the Media as a `miracle cure` but there is no real evidence for this yet.
The hearing achieved by the cochlear implant, although significantly better than a hearing aid, is not of the same quality as that experienced by 'normal hearing'. Therefore it is not the 'miracle cure' it is sometimes proclaimed to be.
A cochlear implant has to be surgically implanted in the skull, under the skin, and for Deaf people this makes it a very invasive operation. Should the implant not work, or the child choose not to use it, it cannot be easily undone without another operation to remove the internal device. Deaf people are also opposed to the fact that children are not really involved in the decision-making process, which denies the right of the deaf child to choose for themselves.
A common question that parents ask is "Will a cochlear implant make my child hear?" My response is to clarify just what parents know about cochlear implants and whether they are aware of both the positive and negative aspects of their child having one.
It has been shown that success is more likely if a child was born hearing and then becomes deaf. Children who are born profoundly deaf children do not appear to achieve as much. The current policy now is that as many deaf children as possible should be given an implant regardless of the onset of their deafness. It is a fact that some do appear to be successful whilst others do not, but this fact needs to be explained to parents before they can make an informed decision.
There are a number of families who have considered giving their children a cochlear implant. Some have chosen to proceed with the implant and adopt a purely oral communication method. Others have had the implant but carried on using sign language. Others have decided against the cochlear implant. Families still going through this decision making process are put in touch with families from all these groups so they can share their experiences, concerns, reasons why they did what they did. Then parents are able to make the decision themselves.
Medical versus Social Models
There are two prevailing models surrounding the education and support of deaf children.
Medical Model: Deafness is a disability which needs treatment with hearing aids, speech therapy, cochlear implants, special education, etc. It focuses on what the child lacks or is deficient in and seeks to correct the situation through treatment and `normalisation`.
Social Model: Deaf people belong to a separate linguistic minority group, which has its own culture, community and language. Equal access and participation should be the responsibility of the wider community through the provision of interpreters, equal opportunities, etc.
The medical model has dominated the health and education provision for the last century and marginalised many deaf people. However, things are starting to change with provision for deaf children developing in some areas of the country. A number of different areas have now accepted that sign language and deaf adult role-models have a place in the support and development of deaf children. It is hoped that this attitude will become more common throughout the United Kingdom. Providing children and parents with all available information is the best way to secure a child's future. Sometimes parents are in denial.
Sometimes parents think the support they have already received is sufficient for their needs. However, it can soon become apparent that they have not been given full information on the positive and negative aspects of all the options open to deaf children and their families.
Very often they have not been given information about deaf culture, deaf identity and most importantly the deaf community. Some parents are aware of sign language and would like their child to learn it. They should be given the opportunity to do so as it would benefit both themselves and the child.
03 January 2007
Goodbye 2006, hello 2007!
Hope 2007 will have a wonderful year for you and your family! in 2006, I had an amazing year, especially for Guyanese Deaf community! I still miss my Guyanese friends so much over there!
Hopefully I will visit again next year!
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