Sunday, August 30, 2009

AFA UPDATES: INTERNAT DAY OF SL, AG BELL SAYS "NO" CI PETITION

Audism Free America Update:

1. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SIGN LANGUAGES
mark your calendar – international day of sign languages (IDSL) Sept 25 weekend – let us know if you have anything planned in your area that we can help promote
Suggestions:
Fri Black shirts in memory of past suffering / blue ribbon ceremony
Sat Celebration of ASL

Links of interest:
Jon's interview with Bruno of France re: IDSL
International Vlog announcing IDSL 2007
Ella's vlog encouraging IDSL activities 2007
WFD blue ribbon ceremony at Joey Baer's site
DBC Blue ribbon ceremony at the Deaf Bilingual Coalition site



2. AG BELL ASSOCIATION WILL NOT MEET ANY OF AFA'S DEMANDS
AFA received a letter from AG Bell board saying that it rejects all of our demands

Demands: stop excluding ASL from Deaf children's education and lives, stop misrepresenting ASL and Deaf people in the media, stop promoting cochlear implant industry and join us in calling for an impartial and independent investigation of CI

3. CI ARE NOT CONSISTENTLY EFFECTIVE
The keynote presenter, Dr. David Pisoni, at AG Bell conference in St. Louis expressed the need for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to look into the effectiveness of Cochlear Implants.
In his address he explained: Efficacy means “Does the CI work” (run or operate) Answer is yes. Effectiveness means “Does the CI effectively work for everyone” Answer is NO.

FDA needs to measure effectiveness not just efficacy



SIMULATED SOUNDS VIA CI

Link to sampling of simulated sound input via cochlear implants. (sorry this is not accessible to Deaf folks but you can play it for a Hearing friend or family member and see their reaction)
House Ear Institute http://www.hei.org/research/aip/increase_channels.mp3 samples increase from 4 to 8 to32 channels ending with the original sentence being played (what hearing folks hear)

4. AFA PETITION TO THE FDA FOR AN IMPARTIAL AND INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF CI
AFA petition for the FDA - if you have already signed BIG thanks – pls send to others. If you have not yet, pls do so if you too want all the answers. We owe it to the infants, children, parents and adults who have gotten or are considering CI to have all the information possible.
700+ signatures so far – big thanks ALL

Monday, August 3, 2009

Western New York- DAS/Press Advisory

Buffalo Deaf Community

Emily Glenn-Smith
Video Relay: 866-757-5624
Email: emilyglennsmith@tmail.com

PRESS ADVISORY
Monday, August 3, 2009

Deaf Adult Services New Hire Proves Destructive
Deaf Adult Services should be utilized to facilitate access to the deaf community in the public arena.
How can this be possible if DAS is not accessible itself?

Deaf Community to DAS Board “Do the Right Thing!”


Mission of DAS--Deaf Adult Services is committed to creating a bridge between the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Hearing Communities through advocacy, education, case management, counseling and interpreting services that GOVERN EQUAL ACCESS, symbolizing the accords of CULTURALLY AFFIRMATIVE principles in championing the rights of the Deaf.

The Board of Directors of Deaf Adult Services will sponsor a Community Forum to address following demands made by the Deaf Community at their last Board Meeting:

1. An EXTENSIVE search opened for a QUALIFIED executive director to lead the only Deaf agency in Western New York.

2. Equal access to communication in the office for staff members and community members that walk through the agency doors.

3. In the event that no candidates meet your liking, we request at minimum to have someone with knowledge and experience with the Deaf Community and fluency in ASL hired to work as equal counterpart to Mr. Burns.

4. We also request that the current executive director and the Board of Directors go through extensive cultural training to understand the importance of a qualified leader in the Deaf Community.

WHAT: Community Forum regarding the decision of the DAS board’s decision to hire an Executive
Director that is not fluent in American Sign Language or Deaf Culture

WHO: Buffalo Deaf Adult Services and Board, the Buffalo Deaf Club, the Buffalo Deaf, Hard of
Hearing and Hearing Community

WHEN: Monday, August 3, 2009, 7:00PM

WHERE: 2275 Clinton St. Buffalo NY 14206, Buffalo Club of the Deaf

VISUALS: Over 100 members of the Deaf Community in an intense Forum demanding equal access!

Members of the Deaf Community will be available for interviews after the press conference