AFA's letter to Senator Richter demanding apology

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Letter Audism Free America sent to Florida Senator Richter and CCed Chairman Arron Bean demanding an apology for offensive, false, and unjust remarks he shared during the open Health Policy Committee meeting.  The letter was also sent to the Democrat minority leader, Senator Sach, and the Tallahassee newspaper.

March 30, 2013

Dear Senator Richter

The remarks you read and made in your closing statement to the Health Policy Committee on May March 20, 2013 in favor of SB 1240 are offensive, highly prejudicial and unjust.  [See below]  We call upon you to issue a public apology.  You clearly judge people based on their ability to hear and speak and not on the content of their character.  Your reading of an unjust and inaccurate email and your added commentary portraying Deaf people who do not speak as limited, helpless, isolated and impotent is wrong and has no place on the Senate floor or records.  This blatant mischaracterization of Deaf ASL people is not acceptable, especially by an elected official.

Deaf ASL people are not LIMITED, sir.  In fact it is you who exhibits a significant limitation in your thinking and awareness.  Deaf ASL people are multilingual and multicultural - they can and do save people from drowning, tell their parents "I love you," ask for directions and GIVE directions, and not only order and deliver pizza but they actually own restaurants and MAKE dough.

So if you are truly worried about the ability for Deaf people to function in a Hearing world - you will work to remove bias, ignorance, and prejudice such as the type you just submitted for legislative consideration.

Speech and audition are already a part of services offered to Deaf infants and children.  Oral / Aural programs deny Deaf children the right to a fully natural and accessible language.  Systematic Oralism has been condemned by the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) 2010 New Era agreement and accord for the future as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of Person's with Disabilities, the World Federation of the Deaf Education Rights for Deaf Children, the World Report on Disability by the World Bank & the World Health Organization, the Babbidge congressional report, the Commission on the Education of the Deaf (COED) congressional report and a recent GAO report on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.

We request that you issue a public apology for your disrespectful, unjust, and inaccurate statements immediately.  We also invite you to read and endorse this letter at the next Senate hearing on this subject.

Let Freedom Roll,

Ruthie Jordan, Patti Durr, and Karen Christie on behalf of Audism Free America

cc: Arron Bean, Chairman
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Senator Richter’s closing statement to the Health Policy Committee on May 20^, 2013:

Time 102:30 http://www.flsenate.gov/media/videoplayer.cfm?EventID=2443575804_2013031241

“Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. You notice

when people waived and support, they said, ‘We need this information.’

Members, that’s purely what this bill does. It gets information to them. It doesn’t

direct, it doesn’t force, it puts the information in the parent’s hands.

And, relative, I think there is a challenge in front of the bill, with the funding.

And, I’m open, will be very open to understanding that because I want to see that

these parents get it.

Today, the parents have to “opt in” to get that information, otherwise they don’t get

it.

And in my quick close, I’m just going to read an email that came in, its brief and it got my attention. 

Richter reading from email:

‘Parents always tell me that they wanted their child to hear or say, I love you,

benefit from the wisdom and love of grandparents, ask for directions if lost or in

need of a restroom, order a pizza and be able to simply shout out for help when

needed. Imagine how hard it would be to find someone who understood sign

language when you were frantic because a sibling is drowning. When someone can

only communicate with less than 1 in 5000 people.’

Richter adding commentary “like those that are talented, like these wonderful people here. They’re fluent in sign.”

Richter returns to reading the email ‘The world becomes a much smaller place.  It’s understandably hard to find a job, so you might end up lonely and marginalized.

Bucking a trend,

Richter’s commentary “as Senator Joiner pointed out,”

Richter returns to reading the email ‘is difficult under any circumstance,

and in this instance, it is terribly hard.

If a deaf person never had a choice, his or her best chance for happiness might

be…restricted to the signing deaf culture. But a choice is possible today, and over

time, it will be less expensive.’

Richter’s commentary “And I ask for your support of this bill that we’ll keep

moving through and working on.”

NAD apologies to AFA

July 21-23, 2011 Audism Free America hosted rallies in front of the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC to protest the Alexander Graham Bell Association and their Listening and Spoken Language Symposium.

On July 22 Friday at 7 pm there was a Vigil at the AG Bell Association headquarters - The Volta Laboratory and Bureau. During this vigil a few pieces of blue painters trim tape were placed over some words on the Volta Bureau plaque so that the words Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing could read as Alexander Graham Bell Association for the ... Hearing

Later that evening Sean Gerlis - National Association of the Deaf (NAD) designated representative for the AFA rally and the AFA meeting with the Dept of Education posted on facebook and tweeted:
“On behalf of Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Prez of NAD & myself, we NAD do not condone this behavior from @endaudism to desecrate AGB's building.”

July 23 Saturday morning AFA sent an email to NAD CEO Howard Rosenblum and
CCed Sean Gerlis and Dr. Bobbie Beth Scoggins explaining the incorrectness and inappropriateness of the term "descrate" and that no defacing took place. We also requested a public apology.

On the Evening of July 27 Wed we received an apology from Dr. Scoggins, NAD president, and we asked if we could share this reply with the public. In the evening of July 29 Fri we received a reply from Dr. Scoggins that it was fine to do so. Here is the NAD's reply below.

We look forward to future activism and advocacy as we work collectively to combat audism and ensure equality and justice.

Let Freedom Roll,
Audism Free America
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On Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 7:24 PM, Bobbie Beth Scoggins wrote:

Hi cherished AFA Members,



This is to let you know that the NAD was pleased to be present at the rally, and to support your cause in principle. It is imperative that all deaf children grow up with and benefit from American Sign Language in their education, as well as in their social and identity development. We look forward to continuing the mutual advocating on this issue with you.



I sincerely apologize for any confusion that may have resulted from the unintended use of "desecration." We respect your right to express your freedom of speech, and ask that you respect the NAD and its position that we do not engage or participate in any activities that will affect the property of others.



Our mission, vision and values are strong and consistent with what you are trying to do. We hope that both the AFA and the NAD can move forward with our collective work to advocate for all deaf children and their right to acquisition of American Sign Language.



Thank you,
Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD President

ICED's Reply to AFA re: Apology and Our Follow Up Response

AFA had requested that ICED formally apologize for the ICED 1880 Milan Congress resolutions proclaiming the pure oral method to be superior and the law of the land in Deaf education. ICED's response is below as is AFA's follow up reply.


July 6, 2010

To Claire Anderson and the 2010 ICED Planning Committee,



Thank you for your letter in acknowledging the concerns expressed by Audism Free America (AFA) regarding the lack of apology that appears to be forthcoming from ICED for the 1880 Milan Conference resolutions.



While we appreciate the uniqueness of the organizational structure of ICED, there is clearly a continuous history of the Congress as your website traces the lineage of the current Congress back to 1878. In addition, those of you who take on the organizing of the conference do so under the banner of ICED. The explanation of the ICED organizational structure dangerously veers toward an attempt to deny accountability.



Nevertheless, we hope that you can look positively at other cases in which governments/organizations/individuals have made public apologies. For example in 2008, the Australian Prime Minister formally apologized to the indigenous Aboriginal peoples. This acknowledgement of the pain and suffering was caused by laws and policies enacted centuries ago. This apology is a first step toward healing. There are countless other precedents of apologies made in recent years:


Jewish People:

In 1994 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America apologized for the strong anti-Jewish statements made by Martin Luther and the lasting effects his words had on the church and future generations

In 1998 the Roman Catholic Church apologized for its inaction during the Nazi Holocaust.


Native People:


In 1998 the United Church of Canada issued an apology to former students of United Church Indian Residential Schools in regards to cultural assimilation and child abuse.


African-American People:


In 2008 the American Medical Association issued a formal apology for discriminating against black physicians, which did not end until the 1960s

In 2008 and 2009 the US House of Representatives and the US Senate apologized for slavery and Jim Crow injustices.



Deaf People:



None.





Your awareness of some of the devastating effects of the 1880 ICED Resolutions as “wrong” lends support for a formal apology. Scholars have noted that the concept of regret contains no right or wrong associated with the action. In addition, “regret” communicates that the consequences of the resolutions were unintended or something ICED had little control over.



We believe your intentions in working with the BC Deaf Community are good, but you should do the right thing. Be accountable. We are owed an apology.



Let Freedom Roll,



AFA

AFA's vlog and letter to ICED re: APOLOGY

Vlog explains AFA's position on the importance of an "apology"
letter to ICED:
Audism Free America (AFA) announces our grave discontent that the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) refuses to apologize for the ICED resolutions of 1880 at their Milan Congress. This infamous resolution erroneously and unjustly declared "the incontestable superiority of speech" to be the rule of the day in Deaf education resulting in decades of abuse (physical, emotional, social, spiritual, educational, and linguistic) and the removal of Deaf people from the classrooms and boardrooms of Deaf schools across the globe,

In declaring our discontent with ICED's refusal to acknowledge and apologize for their role in the ICED Milan 1880 resolutions we heed ML King Jr's words of "We must have the spiritual audacity to assert our somebodyness."

The resolutions were unjust and have never formally been rescinded or apologized for by ICED. We understand that ICED has been in negotiations with the British Columbia ICED Apology Committee and have reached an agreement for a "new beginning" document which does not include an apology. While we were always puzzled as to why the concept of an apology should have ever been a negotiable matter, we were assured numerous times that an apology was in order and would be forth coming. The latest information we have is that no apology will be granted.

In the spirit of asserting our somebodyness, AFA asserts that the apology is owed to us and those who came before us and will come after us. Now is the time for standing - not for yielding.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu stated "I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights."

We are only requesting that which is right, just, and good - and long overdue - an apology for your ICED MIlan 1880 resolutions.

Let Freedom Roll,
AFA