National Geographic Response: Evolving???

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National Geographic's Response to AFA's letter about BELL! play (to see our letter go to this link or scroll down http://audismfreeamerica.blogspot.com/2013/09/18-september-2013-john-m.html)

Dear Karen Christie, Ruthie Jordan and Patti Durr:

Thank you for contacting the National Geographic Society regarding last week’s performance of Jim Lehrer’s “Bell.”

National Geographic is fully aware of the fact that many members of the Deaf community do not hold Bell in high regard.  Instead of avoiding this issue, we chose to address it in the play, and also during a post-performance panel. Dr. Brian Greenwald of Gallaudet University, an expert on deaf culture and history, who is also completing a biography about Bell and the deaf community was a member of the panel.  He mentioned Bell's evolving views on this issue. Whatever Alexander Graham Bell's early views on deafness, please know that National Geographic fully appreciates a supports a culturally diverse world. 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Sincerely yours,

Julie Crain

National Geographic Society

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rescor@ngs.org
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AFA's original letter to the National Geographic Society

18 September 2013 

John M. Fahey, Jr.,

President/ CEO

National Geographic Society

1145 17^th Street N.W.

Washington DC 20036-4688

Dear Mr. Fahey,

This letter serves to express serious concerns related to how your organization “reflects the world” through the National Geographic Live: BELL! play. 

The world of the play BELL! ignores the grave injustices that Alexander Graham Bell has fostered upon Deaf people.  It ignores his systematic attempts to deny Deaf children sign language and efforts to “teach” Deaf people “to forget they are Deaf.”  It is acknowledged that AG Bell was the Chief architect and advocate of the oral/aural only method of educating Deaf students in the United States, and

-worked to ban the use of ASL in the classroom

-worked to deny Deaf people the right to be educators

-worked to stop Deaf people from socializing with

and marrying other Deaf people

-worked to abolish Deaf publications, organizations, schools and conventions

Today, we know that pure oralism--the denial of a fully accessible visual language—leads to language and cognitive deprivation as well as lags in social-emotional and identity development.  In practice, many oral/aural only programs have resorted to physical and emotional abuse to stop Deaf children from using sign language or gestures.

In his ‘love for the Deaf,” AG Bell consistently refused to work with our organizations when they reached out to him.  As ex-President of the National Association of the Deaf, George Veditz wrote in AG Bell’s obituary (1922):

“ It was not so much the education of the deaf, per se that Dr. Bell was interested in as the oral method…The deaf as a class have had little cause to love him because of the nature of his interference in their affairs… Dr. Bell’s influence upon the American deaf has been negative. They would have welcomed him with open arms and gloried in his interest in them had this interest been expressed in a manner they could approve. He did not choose this last.‘Tis true, ’tis pity; Pity ’tis, ’tis true.”

As a grassroots Deaf social justice network, Audism Free America (AFA) works to challenge the ideological foundations of audism in America---foundations that were put into place by Alexander Graham Bell.   Audism is attitudes and practices based on the assumption that behaving in the ways of those who speak and hear is desired and best. It produces a system of privilege, thus resulting in stigma, bias, discrimination, and prejudice—in overt or covert ways—against Deaf culture, American Sign Language, and Deaf people of all walks of life.   Sadly, one of the legacies of AG Bell, which still “shapes the world we live in today,” is audism.

Furthermore, it is appalling to learn the Deaf people today are still expected to passively accept the sanitized version of “AG Bell the genius inventor” (and what of the plagiarism and forgery charges?) celebrated by the play, BELL!  The efforts on the part of your organization to promote the play to Gallaudet University students is a shameless attempt to eradicate the true history of AG Bell and to minimize the detrimental role he has played in the education of Deaf people.  Are the students to forget that in 1891 during a congressional committee hearing concerning appropriation for the college, AG Bell criticized the training Deaf teachers as “detrimental?”  Are they to forget he said when addressing Gallaudet students in the past, “…I am sure there is no one among the deaf who desires to have his affliction handed down to his children?”

Your organization professes to “promote the conservation of the world's cultural, historical, and natural resources” and to “care about the planet.”  Does the National Geographic Society today, unlike its second president, care about and appreciate the natural human biodiversity represented by Deaf individuals globally?  We call on you to celebrate your 125 years by making a public statement to Gallaudet students as well as Deaf people worldwide that the National Geographic Society acknowledges the harmful history of AG Bell and today embraces the human, linguistic, economic and civil rights of all peoples—including Deaf people.

Let freedom roll!

Karen Christie, Ruthie Jordan and Patti Durr for Audism Free America

Cc:

Gary E. Knell, next President/CEO

 gknell@ngs.org

Meg Calnan

 mcalnan@ngs.org

Mary Jeanne Jacobsen

 mjacobse@ngs.org

AFA Letter to Dr. Hurwitz of Gallaudet: Promoting BELL!

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21 September 2013

Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz, President

Gallaudet University

800 Florida Ave NE

Washington, DC 20002

Dear Dr. Hurwitz,

We are contacting you because it has come to our attention that the National Geographic Society’s play, BELL! has been promoted by Gallaudet University and students have been informed of discounted tickets for this event. Perhaps in celebrating Gallaudet’s sesquicentennial there has been a lapse in institutional memory.

In 1891 during a Congressional committee hearing concerning appropriation for a request to establish a teacher training program at your college, AG Bell said:  “The employment of deaf teachers is absolutely detrimental to oral instruction, and the training school proposed by President Gallaudet should therefore not be supported by the United States….we cannot trust it to train teachers…” 

When AG Bell addressed the Literary Society at the college he said, “…I am sure there is no one among the deaf who desires to have his affliction handed down to his children.”  These words of such an influential person certainly impacted how Deaf college students and organizations viewed their own future and community.

The world of the play BELL! ignores these and other grave injustices that Alexander Graham Bell has fostered upon Deaf people.  It ignores his systematic attempts to deny Deaf children sign language and efforts to “teach” Deaf people “to forget they are Deaf.”  It ignores his work to abolish Deaf publications, organizations, conventions and schools.   It is a tragic legacy of the father of audism which still “shapes the world we live in today” and which many of your students still experience.

It is appalling to imagine that Deaf college students today are expected to passively accept the sanitized version of “AG Bell the genius inventor” (and what of the plagiarism and forgery charges?) celebrated by the play, BELL!  This appears to be a shameless attempt to eradicate the true history of AG Bell and to minimize the detrimental role he has played in the education of Deaf people.

As an educational institution of higher learning, it is your responsibility to educate your students. Promoting the play without first hosting a forum to educate students about AG Bell sends the wrong message—both to your students and people beyond Gallaudet. 

Unfortunately, the deadlock between your venerable President of 50 years, Dr. Edward Miner Gallaudet and AG Bell did not end with their fight over the establishment of a teacher-training program.  It simply went national, and reverberates even today as your students sit and watch BELL! ignorant of how this man impacted their college, their history, and their lives. 

Let freedom roll!

Ruthie Jordan, Patti Durr and Karen Christie for Audism Free America

Cc:

Genie Gertz, PhD, Dean

College of Arts and Sciences

Catherine Murphy

public.relations@gallaudet.edu

Stephanie Johnston

via sbg@gallaudet.edu 

AFA letter to National Geographic Society about BELL

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18 September 2013 

John M. Fahey, Jr.,

President/ CEO

National Geographic Society

1145 17^th Street N.W.

Washington DC 20036-4688

Dear Mr. Fahey,

This letter serves to express serious concerns related to how your organization “reflects the world” through the National Geographic Live: BELL! play. 

The world of the play BELL! ignores the grave injustices that Alexander Graham Bell has fostered upon Deaf people.  It ignores his systematic attempts to deny Deaf children sign language and efforts to “teach” Deaf people “to forget they are Deaf.”  It is acknowledged that AG Bell was the Chief architect and advocate of the oral/aural only method of educating Deaf students in the United States, and

-worked to ban the use of ASL in the classroom

-worked to deny Deaf people the right to be educators

-worked to stop Deaf people from socializing with

and marrying other Deaf people

-worked to abolish Deaf publications, organizations, schools and conventions

Today, we know that pure oralism--the denial of a fully accessible visual language—leads to language and cognitive deprivation as well as lags in social-emotional and identity development.  In practice, many oral/aural only programs have resorted to physical and emotional abuse to stop Deaf children from using sign language or gestures.

 

In his ‘love for the Deaf,” AG Bell consistently refused to work with our organizations when they reached out to him.  As ex-President of the National Association of the Deaf, George Veditz wrote in AG Bell’s obituary (1922):

“ It was not so much the education of the deaf, per se that Dr. Bell was interested in as the oral method…The deaf as a class have had little cause to love him because of the nature of his interference in their affairs… Dr. Bell’s influence upon the American deaf has been negative. They would have welcomed him with open arms and gloried in his interest in them had this interest been expressed in a manner they could approve. He did not choose this last.‘Tis true, ’tis pity; Pity ’tis, ’tis true.”

As a grassroots Deaf social justice network, Audism Free America (AFA) works to challenge the ideological foundations of audism in America---foundations that were put into place by Alexander Graham Bell.   Audism is attitudes and practices based on the assumption that behaving in the ways of those who speak and hear is desired and best. It produces a system of privilege, thus resulting in stigma, bias, discrimination, and prejudice—in overt or covert ways—against Deaf culture, American Sign Language, and Deaf people of all walks of life.   Sadly, one of the legacies of AG Bell, which still “shapes the world we live in today,” is audism.

Furthermore, it is appalling to learn the Deaf people today are still expected to passively accept the sanitized version of “AG Bell the genius inventor” (and what of the plagiarism and forgery charges?) celebrated by the play, BELL!  The efforts on the part of your organization to promote the play to Gallaudet University students is a shameless attempt to eradicate the true history of AG Bell and to minimize the detrimental role he has played in the education of Deaf people.  Are the students to forget that in 1891 during a congressional committee hearing concerning appropriation for the college, AG Bell criticized the training Deaf teachers as “detrimental?”  Are they to forget he said when addressing Gallaudet students in the past, “…I am sure there is no one among the deaf who desires to have his affliction handed down to his children?”

Your organization professes to “promote the conservation of the world's cultural, historical, and natural resources” and to “care about the planet.”  Does the National Geographic Society today, unlike its second president, care about and appreciate the natural human biodiversity represented by Deaf individuals globally?  We call on you to celebrate your 125 years by making a public statement to Gallaudet students as well as Deaf people worldwide that the National Geographic Society acknowledges the harmful history of AG Bell and today embraces the human, linguistic, economic and civil rights of all peoples—including Deaf people.

Let freedom roll!

Karen Christie, Ruthie Jordan and Patti Durr for Audism Free America

Cc:

Gary E. Knell, next President/CEO

 gknell@ngs.org

Meg Calnan

 mcalnan@ngs.org

Mary Jeanne Jacobsen

 mjacobse@ngs.org

When Taking a Stand...

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When Taking a Stand...

AFA has been hosting events beginning with the 2009 AG Bell Volta Rally.  We would like to share with the community responses to our advocacy. The most inspiring experiences, of course, have been the folks who have shown up with really pure hearts to take a stand for Deaf children’s rights and take a stand against the continued suppression of the language and culture of Deaf people via various institutions/organizations and systems such as AG Bell and EHDI.  These individuals have been amazingly courageous---they have stood on the grounds of their previous oral only schools and institutions in their hometowns and said ‘enough!’  They have rallied at AG Bell conferences in a 100+ degree heat wave; they have marched and celebrated ASL and Deaf pride at our nation’s capital.    These folks have shared their own experiences at vigils and we all have worked together to move ahead as survivors of an audist society.  We celebrate you and you have kept our spirits on the right path.  Thank you for standing.

At the same time, we feel we need to share with all of you other responses to our activism.  In response to the on line article in the Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/08/understanding-deafness-not-everyone-wants-to-be-fixed/278527/), the AG Bell representative accused protestors of having “made bomb threats at a convention center, stormed into conferences, defaced historical property, and harassed parents of children.” 

For the record, since AFA is made up of truth seekers -
1. We have never made any bomb threat at any convention center - it would not be in alignment with our principles of peaceful nonviolent resistance. 

2. We have never stormed into any AG Bell conferences – we did walk into one AG Bell 2011 conference session on Cultural Competency and engage in a peaceful sit-in.  

3. We have not defaced historic property – we did apply a bit of blue painters tape on the AG Bell Volta Bureau’s bronze plaque while a patrol car drove by and a civil rights lawyer was present. Nothing was desecrated or defaced.  Just AG Bell’s true face being shown and that is what they are objecting to.

4. We have not harassed parents – We have stood on sidewalks with signs of truth and flashing “I-LOVE-YOU” waves and we have engaged in honest dialogue with parents. 

We are making the invisible visible and that has resulted in AG Bell Association, a leader in the EHDI movement, and other groups and individuals to categorize us as extremists and lop outrageous and false accusations against us in an effort to discredit and distract.  AG Bell’s defensive reply to the Atlantic article and other attacks against us are indication that we are getting the truth out there.

But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?

~ Martin Luther King, Jr “Letter From Birmingham Jail” April 16, 1963

Criticism leveled at AFA also happens from Deaf people in the blogspere in response to our events.  We have been criticized for exercising our first amendment rights of freedom of speech and assembly and to petition the Government.  We have been attacked and slandered over standing for justice and equality for all.  The latest attacker is criticizing AFA for not welcoming abusers into our activism.  AFA stands with survivors of oppression such as racism, sexism, heterosexism – not just audism.  It is flabbergasting and disappointing to see Deaf individuals and organizations invest more courage in unjustly criticizing AFA while protecting or ignoring the true oppressors.  Again, we take these defensive reactions as indicators that we are making positive impacts.

 AFA recognizes that some people and/or organizations are not comfortable with soul force, truth force or think it should only be applied selectively.  AFA understands that not everyone is comfortable with peaceful direct confrontation.  We call upon those who are not able to abide by peaceful civil disobedience and truth force, to not become obstructionists or detractors. 

In looking back to 50 years ago this month and the civil rights march on Washington,  Martin Luther King Jr. said, “In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.”  We, AFA, have been striving truthfully to follow this principle and we express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have stood with us. 

Media Misrepresentation: Sample letter

Greetings all...

Frequently, we are bombarded with media misrepresentations and insults to Deaf people, our language and our culture. One of AFA's missions is to unmask audism via media misrepresentation.  We encourage you all to participate in addressing this form of audism in all types of media outlets (print, online, televised forms..etc.).  Below is a sample letter you can use....

thank you for joining with us and working toward audism-free America!!!

Let Freedom Roll!

AFA

 SAMPLE LETTER 

Date

Dear _________________________

Media today is extremely powerful.  Your publication has recently engaged in media misrepresentation of Deaf people which is a form of audism. We request that you cease and desist such prejudicial practices and instead use the power of media to promote truth and justice. 

Audism is attitudes and practices based on the assumption that behaving in the ways of those who speak and hear is desired and best. It produces a system of privilege, thus resulting in stigma, bias, discrimination, and prejudice—in overt or covert ways—against Deaf culture, American Sign Language, and Deaf people of all walks of life.

If your journalistic integrity calls you to cover Deafhood and ASL justly, please feel free to share your link with us so that we can help to promote your good work.

Thank you,

your name

 

NAD Pres. Candidate S.A. Farinha Answers AFA Qs

Audism Free America (AFA) contacted the NAD board candidates with questions - see this link
http://audismfreeamerica.blogspot.com/2012/06/afas-question-to-nad-pres-vp-and-sect.html

Sheri Ann Farinha's answers are below.

AFA thanks Ms. Farinha for her prompt and thorough responses.

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June 27, 2012

Dear Audism Free America:

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your four questions.  In my humble opinion, those questions should be the prerequisite of any candidate applying for office of the National Association of the Deaf.  Although the majority of the work is may be done by the NAD Headquarters staff, the President and board also advocate to ensure that certain goals are met, and serve as living examples of the NAD’s mission.

1.Please give us 3 examples of how you have worked to end audism in America.

Only 3 examples? Smile.

I have always been an activist and supporter of social justice for all.  I moderated the first workshop on racism that also included discussion on audism at the 48th NAD Conference in Palm Springs in 2006.  Since that time, I have conducted numerous workshops, trainings and online group discussions on diversity issues discussing racism and audism (for example in Sacramento with NorCal Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Deaf People of Color Conference in Oregon).  

The AB2072 bill in California last year was a prime example of audism!  When we led the effort to defeat AB2072, we included Deaf representatives and allies from diverse organizations. As a result, our legislators heard from quite a number of Deaf people.  Our mantra was the term that is being used for the 2012 NAD Conference…”nothing about us without us.” It became our rallying cry throughout the halls of California legislature. We showed legislators that we are a people to be reckoned with. We succeeded in somewhat hijacking and modifying the bill with our amendments.  When the Senators voted on AB2072, some commented on the Floor that, “I learned so much from Deaf people. The next time we have a bill about Deaf people, we should talk with them.” That was unprecedented. AB2072 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger using a rationale which incorporated our talking points. 

Now we have a new advocacy coalition, “Stakeholders for ASL & English (CAL-SAE)”, which I co-chair. We write letters protesting any misinformation about ASL and Deaf people. Check out: www.yestoasl.com.  CAL-SAE has set up a Media WatchDog to alert our community when there are inflammatory misinformation about Deaf people and ASL. Word goes out to communities throughout the State of California to send letters. I use social media to ask those outside the State to also do likewise.  Last year we met to discuss our legislative priorities, and one of the top ones was to combat EHDI and to advocate for legislation requiring bilingual language acquisition benchmarks during early identification and intervention programs.  

When we were pushing for the word -- audism -- to be defined in the dictionary, I was among those who sent in letters.  

2. Please identify specifically how can you lead in a way that NAD will improve its image in taking a strong stand in upholding the rights of Deaf citizens to ASL in the face of mounting oral only forces.

First of all, I believe, “Together, We Can, and We Will.” My colleagues in California will tell you that I make things happen. The oral-only force is rearing its ugly head everywhere now. Now, what would I do to help the NAD to take a stronger stand? 

I would begin with lobbying the federal offices on education and legislators for substantial changes to the federal structure of EHDI (Early Hearing Detection & Intervention). With proper framing, we should be able to convince the higher-ups to move EHDI to Department of Education under OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) instead of the Center of Disease Control. We have dismal educational outcomes for our Deaf students because they either lack or have impoverished language skills. For us to fix “Deaf education,” we MUST get to the root of the issue. The issue is the language acquisition that often gets delayed in families with Deaf children.

We all talk about the irony of how ASL is good for hearing babies, but ASL is withheld from Deaf babies and their families. I propose we take ACTION by proposing either legislative or judicial action or both!

Now, we should also have a concurrent strategy tackling policy adjustments to IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Some of the adjustments should include inserting language benchmarks and appropriate language and development outcomes for both IFSPs and IEPs. Currently, when a family wants to receive ASL services, they have to fight tooth and nail. It is incredulous that Deaf students may not get tested for language development till they are in second grade.  We know it is then too late! 

Finally, we need to lobby to get Congress to pass the United Nations Convention on Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which supports linguistic human rights, i.e. natural sign language for Deaf people and professionals who are proficient in our language. 

With these legislative mandates in place, it would be easier to convince the medical and service fields as well as families that it is OK to be Deaf!  

I believe that we should collaborate with other organizations to gather educational tools and data supporting our position on bilingual education, the importance of early language acquisition, and positive self-images.  We must have a healthy discourse and an on-going dialogue about the dismal results of oral-only “options.”

We need to show them the benefits of ASL and English bilingualism. The more we emphasize the bilingual approach, the “oral-only” method of communication will become less attractive.   The more we insist on supporting LANGUAGES: ASL and English, the more educated the public will be about the derogatory phrase of “communication options.” Supporting bilingualism -- ASL and English -- we can show it is indeed a win-win situation for the Deaf child and the parents. 

Much more education and training regarding audism is needed. Enlightened people can become allies to eradicate audism and all “isms” This should be the ultimate goal. When we share the same resources, we become all powerful together.

We must become more visible showing the benefits of ASL in newspapers, magazine articles, TV commercials, etc.  Where is the PR showing our side of the story against all those PR blitz about spoken language tools like Cochlear Implants in children.  We need our own PR blitz showing Deaf children using ASL and especially the advantages of ASL for ease in communications and educational achievement.  We should do a better job of celebrating ASL, Deaf Culture and Community. 

One of my goals as President is to see a Political Action Committee (PAC) formed for legislative advocacy and PR blitzes to achieve our commitment to “protect, promote, and preserve our linguistic and human rights.”

“Yes we can, and we will!

3. Please share how you envision AFA and NAD working together in the future.

Both organizations have similar goals to protect and preserve our linguistic rights.  NAD has participated in rallies hosted by AFA. I believe AFA has supported NAD in many of its goals as well.  When AFA and NAD may differ perhaps, is in tactics used to call for attention on some of the important issues, we need to keep our channels of communications open and our primary mutual goals in clear sight.  

Many people continue to misunderstand “audism.” We need an intensive campaign to educate both the Deaf and hearing masses the injustice of audism.  I am open to new ideas!

More importantly, when key issues surface that are blatant examples of audism, and/or any of the “isms,” I hope to see NAD and AFA jointly file complaints, and ask other organizations to join, too.

I think it is really important to mention that we are now at a point in our lives where there are other parts about us that may also be dealing with oppression and discrimination. More than ever, our community recognizes Deaf plus being a woman, or Deaf plus being Black, or Deaf plus being gay, or Deaf plus being something.  It is no longer just “Deaf.” It is now Deaf plus other human characteristics.  We are Deaf/Deaf-blind/Deaf-autistic/Deaf/multi-disabilities who are also women, black, Latina, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and so forth – in short, we are a cross section of all humanity.    Deaf people have been marginalized and discriminated against since the beginning of time, and while the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities,  section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other laws have done much to pave the way to improve our access and a mechanism to file complaints when discrimination happens, there still remain prejudices and attitudinal barriers that we need to see removed. 

The whole point about this issue is to raise awareness and open up a dialogue to help us all come to a better understanding of why DIVERSITY is an important word in our vocabulary, and why the different parts of our Deaf Community feel strongly about the other “side” of their lives which may be dealing with oppression.  NAD and AFA can collaborate on greater awareness, empathy, educational materials, media and action to foster healthy and constructive self-perceptions. 

4. Please explain how the NAD election process can be changes to include direct voting by its membership.To change the voting process requires a new motion to change the bylaws at the conference.  Due to the fact that the deadline has passed to submit changes to the bylaws last May, it means that any motions from the floor passed at this upcoming conference, will be in effect the following two years.

I support new ideas seeking to redo the election process to be more transparent and open to allow all members to vote. It is definitely an incentive to become a member and thus to have a voice in the process. 

It will be important to first examine the feasibility, and determine how this can work.  The new board can and should work with NAD Headquarters on this goal. My campaign has sparked a huge wave of positive interest in Deaf Democracy, and I hope to see more people engage in discussions on how to make the elections a participatory process while also having delegates at the NAD conference.  

AFA’s quote: “Let Freedom Roll” ~ absolutely. Freedom starts with us. We must be the individuals we wish to see within the organization we love and are duty-bound to protect forever.

Thanks for all YOU are doing to make this world a better place for Deaf people everywhere.  Again, thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts.  Feel free to contact me again if you have more questions. 

My best,

~Sheri

Sheri A. Farinha

Candidate for President 2012

National Association of the Deaf

Email: SheriAnnFarinha@gmail.com

Twitter: @NADVOTESheri

Website: www.sheriannfarinha.com