'Even the slightest bang could leave Maiya in a world of silence' writes Richard Price for the Daily Mail (27/02/12).
At the end of yet another long and tiring day of filming, Rita Simons cherishes the happy chaos of the evening bathtime ritual. At home, as her boisterous twin daughters Maiya and Jaimee splash around in the water, she can shake off the dust – and inevitable trauma – of the EastEnders set and truly relax. There is only one complicating factor: communication.
Maiya is deaf and cannot wear her hearing aids in the bath. But while Rita and her husband have to raise their voices and make gestures to be understood, the other person in the room has no such problems. Jaimee – who has no hearing loss – can communicate to her sister without saying a word, such is their bond.
We all shout because with the acoustics in the bathroom Maiya can hear a bit,’ says Rita, 34. ‘But she can have her back to Jaimee and she seems to know what she’s saying – I might ask Jaimee to pass the shampoo, and without looking at me Maiya will pass it. She’ll then know when Jaimee is going to pass it back. They also have a funny private sign language that they use together.’
Speaking out about her daughter’s condition is rare for Rita, best known for her role as Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap. It’s not because she is ashamed, but because she is determined that Maiya’s life should not be defined by her disability. Indeed, without prior knowledge it would be virtually impossible to guess which of the five-year-old twins is deaf, given Maiya’s perfect speech and tendency to burst into song at any moment.
‘It’s very important to us that Maiya gets the chance to lead a normal life,’ says Rita. ‘She goes to a mainstream school and for the children it’s not a big deal – she’s just Maiya. She sits at the front so she can lip-read but otherwise she’s just another kid in the class.’
Yet the picture has not always been so rosy for Rita and her husband, hairdresser Theo Silverston, 35. Maiya was a sickly child who needed special medical care at birth because she was struggling to breathe. A bad case of jaundice led doctors to keep her in hospital for four days before allowing Rita to take her home. This turned out to be the opening salvo in an agonising process.
While standard postnatal checks revealed that Jaimee’s hearing was perfect, Maiya did not respond at all. The clues were there from the start, yet even now, nearly six years on, there are still unanswered questions.
‘Because of a lot of niggling little illnesses it was six months before they confirmed Maiya had hearing loss,’ says Rita. ‘I went into denial at first, buried my head in the sand and suffered from terrible guilt. Now I want to know everything and anything – even the smallest details – so that we can help her.’
Maiya’s medical problems are complex. She suffers from a defect in her vestibular aqueducts, tiny canals in the bones of the inner ear that house the fluid-filled endolymphatic duct and sac along with a vein and an artery. Their function is not totally understood but it is believed they are necessary for transmitting nerve signals from the ear to the brain.
About one in 1,000 babies is born with hearing loss. The condition, enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVA), affects about one in ten of these children and is thought to be due to a genetic fault. EVAs can be associated with anatomical problems such as Mondini’s deformity, when the cochlea develops incompletely – and this is true of Maiya. It means she is profoundly deaf in her right ear and has severe hearing loss on her left side.
‘We have to guard against bumps on the head for the rest of her life because the slightest bang could damage what little hearing she has and leave her in a world of silence for ever. Even now we still don’t have the whole picture,’ says Rita.
The family is awaiting Maiya’s results on tests for Pendred syndrome. This is an associated condition that causes further deterioration in hearing and affects the functioning of the thyroid gland, which is responsible for creating hormones that balance the metabolism. The sibling of a sufferer has a 25 per cent chance of having the condition, but Jaimee’s tests came back clear.
Crystal Rolfe, audiologist for the charity Action on Hearing Loss, says: ‘EVA can corrupt signals sent to the brain for hearing and balance. It’s really important to have an early diagnosis, as Maiya did, so children can start wearing hearing aids as soon as possible. That way they can learn to speak normally. With further deterioration in hearing a virtual certainty with many of these conditions, quick action is vital.’
Problems with a baby’s hearing may not be immediately apparent in a postnatal check, however, which is why Action on Hearing Loss campaigns for parents to have their children tested again at the first sign of trouble.
By remaining in a mainstream school, Maiya has thrived. Now in her second year, she is one of the most accomplished readers in her class. And thanks to hearing aids which bolster the little hearing she has in her left ear, she is demonstrating an aptitude for acting and singing.
‘Maiya’s ability to speak is incredible, says Rita. ‘Her new thing is to do accents. I heard her playing a game in a perfect Jamaican accent, which she picked up from the TV show Rastamouse.
‘She does a thick Lancashire accent, which is Jane Horrocks from Fifi And The Flowertots. She’s also got a New York accent and some bizarre voice which I think is Romanian – I’m not at all sure where that comes from.
‘It’s incredible when you consider what she’s fighting against. She sings in tune, she’s got great rhythm and she’s a little showgirl.’
Bringing up a deaf child is not without its challenges, however. Last year Rita and Theo were faced with worsening tantrums from Maiya. Invariably the trouble would revolve around getting dressed, with Maiya refusing to put on certain items of clothing because they ‘felt funny’.
Rita says: ‘Maiya would suddenly fly into a rage if you asked her to wear socks. In the end we went to an occupational therapist. It turned out that because Maiya has a diminished sense of hearing, her sense of touch is overly sensitive. It means she gets agitated at the slightest thing.
‘She has balance problems too, which cause her a lot of distress. That’s why she’s constantly on the move, because she only really experiences the problem when she’s standing still.
‘But now we know what we’re dealing with it’s much easier. We do balance exercises, such as standing on one leg, and I’ve bought a bump ball, which she loves being massaged with. It’s a ball covered with bumps and it helps to desensitise her skin.’
Rita and Theo recently decided to learn sign language – a step they resisted initially because they were concerned it would mark Maiya out as different.
‘I don’t want her to miss out on anything because we buried our heads in the sand,’ says Rita. ‘Sign language is a first step. If she needs it I will move her to another school. I’m also looking into the Chicken Shed Theatre company, because I know it does a lot of signing in its productions and that way she will get to integrate with other deaf children.
‘It’s important that Maiya gets to socialise with both the hearing and the deaf communities.’
Cochlear implants – which effectively wire an external microphone directly to the brain, thus providing some hearing – are a possibility, but the procedure is not without controversy and Rita is reluctant to pursue it at the moment.
‘It’s nice to know it’s an option but because Maiya has a degree of hearing, we are cautious. Cochlear implants produce a robotic sound that can be scary for a child who’s been able to hear in the past. And once you bypass the cochlea there’s no going back. It’s irreversible, so if there are any further advances in treatments you can’t take advantage of them.
‘We regard it as a last resort. I have a good friend who is profoundly deaf and her daughter has cochlear implants. I get a lot of advice from her. I know it’s crazy but I still pray for a miracle cure. Of course it’s probably not going to happen, but I’ll never stop dreaming.’
Rita Simons: My Daughter, Deafness and Me, 10.35pm, BBC One, Tuesday 20th March
Monday 27 February 2012
Friday 24 February 2012
Some banks ‘failing’ deaf customers
Banks and building societies are leaving people with hearing loss feeling “financially excluded”, campaigners have said reports the Shropshire Star (24/02/12).
Deaf customers are not receiving equal access to services and lenders’ increased reliance on technology such as telephone banking means they have an even tougher time, Action on Hearing Loss argued.
Campaigners said that half of those with hearing problems surveyed are unhappy with the communication methods they have with their bank or building society.
The charity found from its 6,000 members that some three quarters visit their branch in person, although less than half would prefer to communicate in this way. One third of respondents had experienced difficulties relating to hearing loss or deafness when communicating with their bank or building society.
Roger Wicks, a director of the charity, said: “Some banks are failing people, which can leave them frustrated and isolated, and can lead to them feeling financially excluded. We strongly believe that people with a hearing loss should have equal access to their banking services.”
The study argued that staff do not always understand the “text relay” system for phone communication, which allows customers to type a message which is relayed through an operator.
Action on Hearing Loss, formerly known as the RNID, surveyed 152 bank and building society branches and found that in more than half (52%) there was no induction loop or the loop was not available, switched on or working.
The charity said one anonymous customer had told them about the problems in branch, saying: “(They) try to speak with me through a glass screen. They have counter loop sign but staff don’t know what it is or how it works. There is no deaf awareness.”
A spokeswoman for the Building Societies Association said: “Building societies are very conscious of the various needs of their customers and work hard to deliver their services in a way that is accessible to each individual. This includes induction loops in branches, web secure messaging and documentation and websites available in larger font sizes.
“That said, any consumer problems are of concern and we would like to understand the detail of this survey conducted by Action on Hearing Loss.”
Campaigners said that half of those with hearing problems surveyed are unhappy with the communication methods they have with their bank or building society.
The charity found from its 6,000 members that some three quarters visit their branch in person, although less than half would prefer to communicate in this way. One third of respondents had experienced difficulties relating to hearing loss or deafness when communicating with their bank or building society.
Roger Wicks, a director of the charity, said: “Some banks are failing people, which can leave them frustrated and isolated, and can lead to them feeling financially excluded. We strongly believe that people with a hearing loss should have equal access to their banking services.”
The study argued that staff do not always understand the “text relay” system for phone communication, which allows customers to type a message which is relayed through an operator.
Action on Hearing Loss, formerly known as the RNID, surveyed 152 bank and building society branches and found that in more than half (52%) there was no induction loop or the loop was not available, switched on or working.
The charity said one anonymous customer had told them about the problems in branch, saying: “(They) try to speak with me through a glass screen. They have counter loop sign but staff don’t know what it is or how it works. There is no deaf awareness.”
A spokeswoman for the Building Societies Association said: “Building societies are very conscious of the various needs of their customers and work hard to deliver their services in a way that is accessible to each individual. This includes induction loops in branches, web secure messaging and documentation and websites available in larger font sizes.
“That said, any consumer problems are of concern and we would like to understand the detail of this survey conducted by Action on Hearing Loss.”
Deaf golfers seek funds boost
The English Deaf Golf Association represents the interests of over 200 golfers with all levels of hearing loss and deafness writes Bob Waters for GoldMagic.com (24/02/12).
It will be staging its national championships at Luffenham Heath Golf Course near Ketton, Rutland from June 2-4.
Later in the year the EDGA will be sending a team to compete in the World Deaf Golf Federation championships at Tsu Country Club near Osaka, Japan in October. The event had been under threat since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami which struck the coast last year but officials have given it the green light.
Among those taking part will be architect and budding course designer Ben Stephens, who created the testing Normanton course beside Rutland Water. He said EDGA is desperately seeking funding for the trip.
“We’re on the lookout for sponsorship and would appreciate any help towards sending teams to international events, “ he says. “Over the past few years the strength in depth of the England team has enhanced our ability to be successful in both individual and team events at world level and we’d love for this to continue.”
Leading the campaign will be current EDGA champion Martin Anderson from Pocklington, East Yorks, who claimed the title at Hunley Hall in Brotton, North Yorkshire with a gross score of 321 over 72 holes. The EDGA also won the Deaf Home internationals at Castleknock, near Dublin.
For further information on how you might help their cause, visit: www.englishdeafgolfassociation.com
It will be staging its national championships at Luffenham Heath Golf Course near Ketton, Rutland from June 2-4.
Later in the year the EDGA will be sending a team to compete in the World Deaf Golf Federation championships at Tsu Country Club near Osaka, Japan in October. The event had been under threat since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami which struck the coast last year but officials have given it the green light.
Among those taking part will be architect and budding course designer Ben Stephens, who created the testing Normanton course beside Rutland Water. He said EDGA is desperately seeking funding for the trip.
“We’re on the lookout for sponsorship and would appreciate any help towards sending teams to international events, “ he says. “Over the past few years the strength in depth of the England team has enhanced our ability to be successful in both individual and team events at world level and we’d love for this to continue.”
Leading the campaign will be current EDGA champion Martin Anderson from Pocklington, East Yorks, who claimed the title at Hunley Hall in Brotton, North Yorkshire with a gross score of 321 over 72 holes. The EDGA also won the Deaf Home internationals at Castleknock, near Dublin.
For further information on how you might help their cause, visit: www.englishdeafgolfassociation.com
MBE for Welwyn Garden City school governor
A GOVERNOR at a WGC school travelled to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE for services to deaf children writes Ross Logan for Welwyn Hatfiled Times (24/02/12).
Tricia Kemp received her medal from the Prince of Wales during a ceremony last Tuesday.
The 58-year-old has been a governor at Knightsfield School for hearing impaired children for 10 years, where her son Alex, now 23, was a pupil. She was so impressed with the school that she used to drive Alex 50 miles from her home in Barnes, south west London, to Knightsfield in WGC every day.
She was joined at the palace by Alex, husband Steve and eldest son Jamie, 27.
Tricia said: “I was very proud and delighted to receive the honour, and hope that in some way it can be used to promote awareness of the difficulties faced by deaf children.
The pupils who attend Knightsfield School are very fortunate to be taught by professional teachers of the deaf in ideal acoustic settings.
This is not the case for many deaf children who are unable to reach their potential simply because they have not had access to enough of the right support throughout their education.
My son is now studying for a BA in graphic product Innovation and I know he would not have had this opportunity without the excellent grounding he received at Knightsfield School.
It is an exemplary school of which I am proud to be a governor.”
Knightsfield headteacher Lucy Leith said: “Tricia’s done absolutely tremendous work for our governing body. She’s a tremendous asset to our governors and parents. We’re absolutely thrilled about this. It’s fantastic news.”
Tricia Kemp received her medal from the Prince of Wales during a ceremony last Tuesday.
The 58-year-old has been a governor at Knightsfield School for hearing impaired children for 10 years, where her son Alex, now 23, was a pupil. She was so impressed with the school that she used to drive Alex 50 miles from her home in Barnes, south west London, to Knightsfield in WGC every day.
She was joined at the palace by Alex, husband Steve and eldest son Jamie, 27.
Tricia said: “I was very proud and delighted to receive the honour, and hope that in some way it can be used to promote awareness of the difficulties faced by deaf children.
The pupils who attend Knightsfield School are very fortunate to be taught by professional teachers of the deaf in ideal acoustic settings.
This is not the case for many deaf children who are unable to reach their potential simply because they have not had access to enough of the right support throughout their education.
My son is now studying for a BA in graphic product Innovation and I know he would not have had this opportunity without the excellent grounding he received at Knightsfield School.
It is an exemplary school of which I am proud to be a governor.”
Knightsfield headteacher Lucy Leith said: “Tricia’s done absolutely tremendous work for our governing body. She’s a tremendous asset to our governors and parents. We’re absolutely thrilled about this. It’s fantastic news.”
Deaf sex slave case described accused as 'very bad old man'
A woman claims she was imprisoned in a cellar and used as a domestic servant writes Paul Britton for Salford Advertiser (24/02/12).
The woman, who is deaf and cannot speak, told police that she had sex with Ilyas Ashar ‘many, many times’. A jury, who have now watched recordings of all 14 of her interviews, have been told that she was trafficked into Britain from Pakistan at the age of between 10 and 12 in 2000 by Ilyas Ashar, 83, and his wife Tallat Ashar, 66. It is also alleged she was beaten, raped and sexually assaulted.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was interviewed by police through a sign language expert.
She told officers in an interview: “He is a very bad old man. Why would he want to have sex with me? He has got a wife. I was only little. I was very young. He is an old man.”
It is alleged the woman was locked in a cellar as a child at Ilyas and Tallat Ashar’s home on Cromwell Road, in Eccles, Salford, and was made to work, cook and clean for no money.
The jury has been told that she was forced to sleep on the cellar floor without toilet or washing facilities.The couple are on trial at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court and deny all the charges that they face.
The woman told police that she had sex with Ilyas Ashar at the house, in the cellar and the bedroom.
She also claimed that sex happened at other houses.
She said: “It was many, many times. Then one day I was talking to the old lady [Tallat Ashar]. I said that the old man [Ilyas Ashar] was having sex with me and the old lady was shocked about it.”
The woman said that Tallat Ashar hit her on being told of the alleged sex. She claimed the sex stopped after she told Tallat Ashar. Earlier, the jury was told that the woman was made to sweep up leaves outside the couple’s home, do housework at other people’s homes and lift heavy boxes containing football shirts and mobile phone covers that she packed in the cellar. She also cleaned houses in Pakistan, the court heard.
The woman, who was found by police at the house in 2009, said she received no payment from the Ashars. She is now due to give evidence to the court in person through a signer over a videolink.
Ilyas Ashar denies charges of false imprisonment, human trafficking and 12 counts of rape.
Tallat Ashar denies charges of false imprisonment, trafficking, sexual assault and unlawful wounding.
The couple, and their daughter Faaiza Ashar, 44, also deny benefit fraud charges.
The woman, who is deaf and cannot speak, told police that she had sex with Ilyas Ashar ‘many, many times’. A jury, who have now watched recordings of all 14 of her interviews, have been told that she was trafficked into Britain from Pakistan at the age of between 10 and 12 in 2000 by Ilyas Ashar, 83, and his wife Tallat Ashar, 66. It is also alleged she was beaten, raped and sexually assaulted.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was interviewed by police through a sign language expert.
She told officers in an interview: “He is a very bad old man. Why would he want to have sex with me? He has got a wife. I was only little. I was very young. He is an old man.”
It is alleged the woman was locked in a cellar as a child at Ilyas and Tallat Ashar’s home on Cromwell Road, in Eccles, Salford, and was made to work, cook and clean for no money.
The jury has been told that she was forced to sleep on the cellar floor without toilet or washing facilities.The couple are on trial at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court and deny all the charges that they face.
The woman told police that she had sex with Ilyas Ashar at the house, in the cellar and the bedroom.
She also claimed that sex happened at other houses.
She said: “It was many, many times. Then one day I was talking to the old lady [Tallat Ashar]. I said that the old man [Ilyas Ashar] was having sex with me and the old lady was shocked about it.”
The woman said that Tallat Ashar hit her on being told of the alleged sex. She claimed the sex stopped after she told Tallat Ashar. Earlier, the jury was told that the woman was made to sweep up leaves outside the couple’s home, do housework at other people’s homes and lift heavy boxes containing football shirts and mobile phone covers that she packed in the cellar. She also cleaned houses in Pakistan, the court heard.
The woman, who was found by police at the house in 2009, said she received no payment from the Ashars. She is now due to give evidence to the court in person through a signer over a videolink.
Ilyas Ashar denies charges of false imprisonment, human trafficking and 12 counts of rape.
Tallat Ashar denies charges of false imprisonment, trafficking, sexual assault and unlawful wounding.
The couple, and their daughter Faaiza Ashar, 44, also deny benefit fraud charges.
Appeal for witnesses after deaf man attacked by gang
A DEAF man was robbed by a gang of five men in an attack at Torre Valley North playing fields in Torquay reports thisissouthdevon.co.uk (24/02/12).
The 29-year-old victim was taking a shortcut when he was surrounded by the gang in dark-coloured clothes.
Because of his hearing problems, he did not know what they were saying as they bundled him into bushes before fleecing his pockets and stealing his wallet and cash.
Now police are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area to help identify the attackers.
Det Sgt Andy Turner said: "We really need the public's help with this.
"The victim is deaf, although he can lip read and can partially hear sounds.He had been taking a shortcut through from Avenue Road to Rathmore Road when the robbery happened between 10.20pm and 10.30pm on Friday, February 17. He was surrounded by five men and was backed into bushes by a tree. We are trying to trace a group of five men aged between 17 and 30 who were all dressed in dark clothing. They ran off in the Avenue Road and Old Mill Road direction. We have been looking at CCTV but we want to hear from anybody who was in the area at that time."
He asked anybody who was in the area to ring police on 08452 777444 or contact CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference FT/12/1212.
The 29-year-old victim was taking a shortcut when he was surrounded by the gang in dark-coloured clothes.
Because of his hearing problems, he did not know what they were saying as they bundled him into bushes before fleecing his pockets and stealing his wallet and cash.
Now police are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area to help identify the attackers.
Det Sgt Andy Turner said: "We really need the public's help with this.
"The victim is deaf, although he can lip read and can partially hear sounds.He had been taking a shortcut through from Avenue Road to Rathmore Road when the robbery happened between 10.20pm and 10.30pm on Friday, February 17. He was surrounded by five men and was backed into bushes by a tree. We are trying to trace a group of five men aged between 17 and 30 who were all dressed in dark clothing. They ran off in the Avenue Road and Old Mill Road direction. We have been looking at CCTV but we want to hear from anybody who was in the area at that time."
He asked anybody who was in the area to ring police on 08452 777444 or contact CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference FT/12/1212.
Monday 20 February 2012
Online protest over 'deaf MP' decision
NZ Parliamentary Services refuses to fund support for deaf MP Mojo Mathers reports Voxy.co.nz (20/02/12).
A 22 year old Wellington student has upped the pressure on Speaker Lockwood Smith by triggering an online protest against his decision not to support Green MP Mojo Mathers.
In a new twist to the social media storm that has broken out over the issue, the Speaker has been inundated with more than 1000 emails from people signing a Change.org petition protesting his refusal to cough up the required funding.
VUW media design student Merrin Macleod started the petition late last week when she heard news reports that Dr Smith was refusing to have Parliamentary Services pay for the electronic notetaker that would allow Ms Mathers to participate in Parliamentary debates.
"It just seemed so bizarre that the woman who had made history by becoming the first profoundly deaf MP was being forced to use her own staffing hours to participate in Parliamentary proceedings in the same way every other MP can," said Merrin.
"It was such a clear case of discrimination, I felt I had to do something about it."
Merrin decided to start a petition on Change.org, recently described by The New York Times as "the go-to site for web uprisings". The petition calls on the Speaker and New Zealand Government to pay for live closed captioning of Parliamentary proceedings. Merrin said not only would this provide a solution for Ms Mathers, but it also would benefit the thousands of New Zealanders who are deaf or hearing impaired.
Merrin shared the petition via Facebook and Twitter and emailed a number of disability groups seeking their support. By 2pm Monday, support for the petition had grown to more than 1000.
Comments posted on the petition site indicated the depth of feeling about the issue.
"It is a very simple human rights issue of equity of participation," wrote one supporter.
"It is critical that democratic representation is available to all New Zealand citizens. People with disabilities have been too long marginalised from representation at this level," wrote another.
Merrin said she was also disappointed the Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia, had refused to speak out on what was an important issue for the disability sector.
For live signature updates on Merrin's petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/speaker-of-the-house-of-representatives-pay-for-live-closed-captioning-of-question-time-debates-in-the-parliament
A 22 year old Wellington student has upped the pressure on Speaker Lockwood Smith by triggering an online protest against his decision not to support Green MP Mojo Mathers.
In a new twist to the social media storm that has broken out over the issue, the Speaker has been inundated with more than 1000 emails from people signing a Change.org petition protesting his refusal to cough up the required funding.
VUW media design student Merrin Macleod started the petition late last week when she heard news reports that Dr Smith was refusing to have Parliamentary Services pay for the electronic notetaker that would allow Ms Mathers to participate in Parliamentary debates.
"It just seemed so bizarre that the woman who had made history by becoming the first profoundly deaf MP was being forced to use her own staffing hours to participate in Parliamentary proceedings in the same way every other MP can," said Merrin.
"It was such a clear case of discrimination, I felt I had to do something about it."
Merrin decided to start a petition on Change.org, recently described by The New York Times as "the go-to site for web uprisings". The petition calls on the Speaker and New Zealand Government to pay for live closed captioning of Parliamentary proceedings. Merrin said not only would this provide a solution for Ms Mathers, but it also would benefit the thousands of New Zealanders who are deaf or hearing impaired.
Merrin shared the petition via Facebook and Twitter and emailed a number of disability groups seeking their support. By 2pm Monday, support for the petition had grown to more than 1000.
Comments posted on the petition site indicated the depth of feeling about the issue.
"It is a very simple human rights issue of equity of participation," wrote one supporter.
"It is critical that democratic representation is available to all New Zealand citizens. People with disabilities have been too long marginalised from representation at this level," wrote another.
Merrin said she was also disappointed the Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia, had refused to speak out on what was an important issue for the disability sector.
For live signature updates on Merrin's petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/speaker-of-the-house-of-representatives-pay-for-live-closed-captioning-of-question-time-debates-in-the-parliament
Deaf community puts hope in new phone technology
Getting heard isn’t easy when you’re deaf writes Brent Wittmeier for the Edmonton Journal (20/02/12).
Changing a doctor’s appointment, ordering pizza, dialing 911: all are next to impossible without hearing. But Edmonton’s deaf community hopes Canada’s telecommunications regulator will change that.
Linda Cundy provides a concise summary of the debate over mandating the national adoption of a Video Relay Service — an interpreter and webcam phone system — after an 18-month trial for approximately 300 Alberta and British Columbia households ended last month, at a cost of over $3.2 million.
“(From) their perspective (the phone industry’s), it’s a financial hardship,” said Cundy, through interpreter Tiffany Goodkey. ”Our issue is accessibility.”
When she’s not consulting on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing students for Edmonton Public Schools, Cundy is secretary for the Alberta Association for the Deaf. And despite having never heard her own voice, she’s downright vocal when it comes to the Video Relay System.
Speak with Cundy and you’ll only hear taps and thumps, whispers and punctuations of her breath. But Cundy’s hands and face reveal a world of words, visual vocabulary summoned to combat the “oppression” experienced by Canadians who can’t hear.
There are no hard statistics for how many deaf Canadians are out there. The Canadian Association of the Deaf estimates one in ten have hearing loss. One-tenth of those people, or one per cent of the population, are estimated to be deaf. Based on figures from the 2011 census, that’s roughly 36,000 deaf Albertans.
“We can never win the number game,” Cundy said. “But our needs are extremely high. We don’t fit into the disabilities group, we don’t fit into the literacy and language minority group.”
The piloted video system allows deaf people access to real-time phone conversations via a webcam and monitor interface supplied by Utah-based Sorenson Communications. American Sign Language interpreters mediate phone calls: the deaf person uses video to communicate, the hearer relies on a regular headset. The technology has been available to deaf Americans since 2002.
Without the video system, deaf Canadians either have to rely on email and texting, or older and slower text-based phone technologies. At her home in Edmonton’s southern community of Magrath, Cundy demonstrates the process on a TTY teletype device — a phone-based contraption used since the ‘70s — as well as the modern, desktop computer equivalent, IP Relay. Both technologies require a keyboard, as well as an operator on the line to relay typed responses. It’s slower and often disjointed. And if all the operators are busy, conversations simply can’t happen.
Having lost access to the Video Relay System with the end of the pilot project, Cundy talks about problems with her IP Relay when she called a Chicago hotel to change a reservation.
“It was just left ringing for half an hour,” Cundy said. “There’s no way of communicating whether or not the operator’s not there. Are they closed, are they busy, is nobody available? It’s a small barrier, but a barrier nonetheless.”
The evolution of video and phone technology — and arguments for its regulation in Canada — has gone on for nearly a decade. Even before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission finally approved a trial in 2008, many deaf Canadians had already acquired the necessary equipment for calls south of the border. Cundy said some deaf Canadians even found ways to illegally access American call centres for domestic calls.
In 2003, Telus expressed openness to forays from the Alberta Association of the Deaf. But with a labour disruption and management changes, talks never progressed. The next year, the Canadian Association for the Deaf began fighting for the video technology at the national, regulatory level.
In 2008, the CRTC finally approved a trial of the Video Relay System, paid through deferral funds, which is money generated early in the decade from artificially high telecommunications prices mandated to encourage competition. Most of the $650-million surplus was later rebated or used to provide broadband to rural Canada, but a small percentage was set aside for future accessibility projects.
Beginning in July 2010, Telus offered the system to 311 households in Alberta and B.C., employing 150 sign-language interpreters at a cost of $2.03 million in deferral funds. A similar trial was offered by Bell Canada in Ontario and Quebec. The CRTC later allowed Telus to draw another $1.2 million — nearly half of its remaining deferral funds — to extend the trial an extra six months, ending Jan. 15.
Data, interviews and surveys from the trial are being compiled into reports to be submitted at the end of February. The CRTC has said it will make a decision about the feasibility of a national service next year.
Since January, the Canadian Association for the Deaf has gone into high gear defending and promoting the technology, launching an online petition and meeting with federal Conservative, Liberal, and NDP representatives to defend the system. Deaf organizations have encouraged letter writing to local politicians and rallies in support. At a January rally at Calgary’s CRTC office, 150 participants showed up. Another 100 showed up early February at a town hall meeting in a west Edmonton hotel. But Cundy said it takes extra effort, and hired translators, to get their message out.
Although some argue that existing IP Relay technology is sufficient, Cundy’s plea for the technology is linguistic. She refers to herself as bilingual — American Sign Language is her first language, English her second — and talks about the “long, long, drawn out history” of deaf people not given full access to the visual communication that allows their entry into language. But sign language has its own grammar, syntax and regional dialects; few deaf people can easily translate its visual ideas into English without loss of flow and sense.
“I’m comfortable in English and I’m comfortable in sign language, but not many deaf people are fluently bilingual,” Cundy said. “If you’re fluent in Spanish and forced to try to communicate in English, that’s not going to be successful. I’m fluent in ASL, but forced to type in English.”
Problems with text-based technology get amplified with other complications. Cundy is on a committee for deaf Albertan seniors in nursing homes, where Alzheimer’s and arthritis compound hearing problems to make communication even harder. After a lifetime of being left out of the conversation, Cundy says the video technology can open up a world of language for those people.
“We’re extremely advanced at this point,” Cundy said. “With all the advanced technology, we should be able to include and incorporate deaf people.”
Changing a doctor’s appointment, ordering pizza, dialing 911: all are next to impossible without hearing. But Edmonton’s deaf community hopes Canada’s telecommunications regulator will change that.
Linda Cundy provides a concise summary of the debate over mandating the national adoption of a Video Relay Service — an interpreter and webcam phone system — after an 18-month trial for approximately 300 Alberta and British Columbia households ended last month, at a cost of over $3.2 million.
“(From) their perspective (the phone industry’s), it’s a financial hardship,” said Cundy, through interpreter Tiffany Goodkey. ”Our issue is accessibility.”
When she’s not consulting on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing students for Edmonton Public Schools, Cundy is secretary for the Alberta Association for the Deaf. And despite having never heard her own voice, she’s downright vocal when it comes to the Video Relay System.
Speak with Cundy and you’ll only hear taps and thumps, whispers and punctuations of her breath. But Cundy’s hands and face reveal a world of words, visual vocabulary summoned to combat the “oppression” experienced by Canadians who can’t hear.
There are no hard statistics for how many deaf Canadians are out there. The Canadian Association of the Deaf estimates one in ten have hearing loss. One-tenth of those people, or one per cent of the population, are estimated to be deaf. Based on figures from the 2011 census, that’s roughly 36,000 deaf Albertans.
“We can never win the number game,” Cundy said. “But our needs are extremely high. We don’t fit into the disabilities group, we don’t fit into the literacy and language minority group.”
The piloted video system allows deaf people access to real-time phone conversations via a webcam and monitor interface supplied by Utah-based Sorenson Communications. American Sign Language interpreters mediate phone calls: the deaf person uses video to communicate, the hearer relies on a regular headset. The technology has been available to deaf Americans since 2002.
Without the video system, deaf Canadians either have to rely on email and texting, or older and slower text-based phone technologies. At her home in Edmonton’s southern community of Magrath, Cundy demonstrates the process on a TTY teletype device — a phone-based contraption used since the ‘70s — as well as the modern, desktop computer equivalent, IP Relay. Both technologies require a keyboard, as well as an operator on the line to relay typed responses. It’s slower and often disjointed. And if all the operators are busy, conversations simply can’t happen.
Having lost access to the Video Relay System with the end of the pilot project, Cundy talks about problems with her IP Relay when she called a Chicago hotel to change a reservation.
“It was just left ringing for half an hour,” Cundy said. “There’s no way of communicating whether or not the operator’s not there. Are they closed, are they busy, is nobody available? It’s a small barrier, but a barrier nonetheless.”
The evolution of video and phone technology — and arguments for its regulation in Canada — has gone on for nearly a decade. Even before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission finally approved a trial in 2008, many deaf Canadians had already acquired the necessary equipment for calls south of the border. Cundy said some deaf Canadians even found ways to illegally access American call centres for domestic calls.
In 2003, Telus expressed openness to forays from the Alberta Association of the Deaf. But with a labour disruption and management changes, talks never progressed. The next year, the Canadian Association for the Deaf began fighting for the video technology at the national, regulatory level.
In 2008, the CRTC finally approved a trial of the Video Relay System, paid through deferral funds, which is money generated early in the decade from artificially high telecommunications prices mandated to encourage competition. Most of the $650-million surplus was later rebated or used to provide broadband to rural Canada, but a small percentage was set aside for future accessibility projects.
Beginning in July 2010, Telus offered the system to 311 households in Alberta and B.C., employing 150 sign-language interpreters at a cost of $2.03 million in deferral funds. A similar trial was offered by Bell Canada in Ontario and Quebec. The CRTC later allowed Telus to draw another $1.2 million — nearly half of its remaining deferral funds — to extend the trial an extra six months, ending Jan. 15.
Data, interviews and surveys from the trial are being compiled into reports to be submitted at the end of February. The CRTC has said it will make a decision about the feasibility of a national service next year.
Since January, the Canadian Association for the Deaf has gone into high gear defending and promoting the technology, launching an online petition and meeting with federal Conservative, Liberal, and NDP representatives to defend the system. Deaf organizations have encouraged letter writing to local politicians and rallies in support. At a January rally at Calgary’s CRTC office, 150 participants showed up. Another 100 showed up early February at a town hall meeting in a west Edmonton hotel. But Cundy said it takes extra effort, and hired translators, to get their message out.
Although some argue that existing IP Relay technology is sufficient, Cundy’s plea for the technology is linguistic. She refers to herself as bilingual — American Sign Language is her first language, English her second — and talks about the “long, long, drawn out history” of deaf people not given full access to the visual communication that allows their entry into language. But sign language has its own grammar, syntax and regional dialects; few deaf people can easily translate its visual ideas into English without loss of flow and sense.
“I’m comfortable in English and I’m comfortable in sign language, but not many deaf people are fluently bilingual,” Cundy said. “If you’re fluent in Spanish and forced to try to communicate in English, that’s not going to be successful. I’m fluent in ASL, but forced to type in English.”
Problems with text-based technology get amplified with other complications. Cundy is on a committee for deaf Albertan seniors in nursing homes, where Alzheimer’s and arthritis compound hearing problems to make communication even harder. After a lifetime of being left out of the conversation, Cundy says the video technology can open up a world of language for those people.
“We’re extremely advanced at this point,” Cundy said. “With all the advanced technology, we should be able to include and incorporate deaf people.”
Deaf girl abandoned in hospital
Blessing Namara, aged 13 is deaf and gives a sweet smile that shows very white teeth when you approach her hospital bed writes Gladys Kalibbala for New Vision Uganda (20/02/12).
Unfortunately, behind her charming smile hides the misery of a teenage girl who was abandoned at the reception desk of CoRSU hospital, Kisubi on January 15 this year. An unidentified woman reportedly from Mubende district said she was only helping the orphaned girl when she brought her to the hospital.
Sadly before the administration at CoRSU concluded how she could be helped, the woman vanished leaving her behind.
For years, Namara has been moving on her knees and hands because of disabilities in her legs and her hands. With that much friction over time, her limbs have visibly become rough.
Operation
According to Irene Nabalamba, the Public Relations & Program Development Officer at CoRSU, Namara was recently operated on and it is hoped she will be able to walk in the near future.
“Namara is deaf and she also had severe bilateral clubfoot which had never been treated before since her birth,” Nabalamba explained.
She added that communication with her is very difficult.
“She cannot even speak in sign language and has not been able to direct anyone to where her home could be,” Nabalamba noted.
The Hospital has approached several children’s organizations looking after abandoned children but because she is physically disabled and above 10 years, no organization is willing to take her. Other organizations reasoned that, at 13 years, “she is too big”.
Appeal
The Sister of Providence Home Nkokonjeru has agreed to take her in but says she can only provide accommodation.
Namara will have to be taken to a Special Needs school like Bishop Brown in Mukono for a start and later on to Ntinda School for the Deaf for her primary education. This all requires money to pay for school fees, scholastic materials and other basic needs, besides she will need to see an ENT and a speech specialist to examine why she cannot hear or talk.
“All this will cost money and that’s why she needs people who can stand by her during this trying time.”
Nabalamba noted that education is the only way to help her become self-reliant after being abandoned by her family.
According to her, there is need to establish whether Namara can be able to hear or not and asks well-wishers to come forward and take her to ENT professionals.
“That’s why we are appealing to Good Samaritans to come to her aid and take her to school for the deaf,” Nabalamba appealed.
Interest in drawings
Namara spends time making drawings she copies from the TOTO Magazine pull-out of the New Vision paper.
“She seems to be a bright child but since none of us can communicate with her, we cannot tell whether she has ever been to school or not,” explained Nabalamba, adding that the girl is clean and that she used to bath and wash her clothes before the operation.
Nabalamba calls upon government and other actors to come out and help provide free medical care, special needs education and other basic necessities to children with disability.
“Such is the plight of children with disabilities. Many parents abandon them in different places like hospitals, villages and other places where many times they are left to die off,” she observes.
She acknowledges that with good care, such children can also grow up into productive adults.
“Parents should not abandon children with disability. They should instead stand by them as they mature into responsible adults,” Nabalamba concludes.
For any form of assistance towards Blessing Namara , please call +256 782 995 841
Friday 17 February 2012
Deaf & hard of hearing callers will be able to text message 911
Trial program will open emergency services to hearing or speech impaired writes Gillian Shaw for the Vancouver Sun (17/02/12).
When James Henderson called 911 he was desperate to get help for his wife Nancy, who was choking. But Henderson is deaf and when he wasn’t able to communicate the details of the emergency on the call, it took more than 40 minutes for help to arrive.
The incident had a happy ending when the pill that had blocked Nancy’s throat dislodged and she was able to recover on her own. But it underscored the difficulties that people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment face when they are trying to reach 911.
It helped to spur the launch of a three-month trial announced Thursday that will allow people who can’t communicate with 911 operators over voice calls to text from their cellphones instead.
The trial, announced by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, involves participants in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and the Peel Region. It’s aimed at testing the system and gathering data for a report on the feasibility of rolling out the program nationwide.
“It’s a huge safety issue for someone to be able to get hold of 911 services in a timely manner,” said Mandy Conlon, provincial accessibility coordinator for the Canadian Hearing Society’s 911 improvement project. “There are definitely people who have not been able to get a timely answer to their 911 calls specifically because of this issue, they don’t have access to 911 the way a hearing person does.”
Conlon said in the case of the Hendersons, who live in Brantford, Ont. and are both deaf, the husband left the phone off the hook and went to help his wife, believing that his call would result in emergency services being dispatched immediately.
However, with 911 call centres getting misdialled through pocket and prank calls, people who are deaf or can’t communicate with the operator for another reason aren’t able to rely on simply leaving the phone off the hook to get emergency services to their door.
The trial, in which registered participants will make test texts to 911 is expected to have at least 120 participants, about 40 in each region, said Conlon. She said the technology works with newer-model cellphones, regardless of whether they are Android, Apple or some other operating system.
Telus, which provides the back-end technology for 911 services in British Columbia and Alberta and works with E-Comm in Vancouver, is participating in the trial through its 911 work and as a wireless carrier.
Telus spokesman Shawn Hall said this is the first time texts will be able to be combined with voice calls to 911 operators. The 911 system already helps operators locate people who are calling from cellphones, relying on either GPS or the triangulation of cellphone towers.
“What this texting service does is it essentially bolts that location technology onto text messaging functionality so someone who is deaf, or who has a speech impairment and can’t talk to the 911 operator, can text the relevant information,” said Hall.
“It’s important that it works this way because it combines the powerful aspects of a voice call, particularly that location functionality with texting, and if you are unable to speak, you will be able to text information — such as ‘there’s a fire,’ ‘my spouse has had a heart attack.’
“This will help bring the best possible 911 services to someone who is deaf or who has a speech disability.”
When James Henderson called 911 he was desperate to get help for his wife Nancy, who was choking. But Henderson is deaf and when he wasn’t able to communicate the details of the emergency on the call, it took more than 40 minutes for help to arrive.
The incident had a happy ending when the pill that had blocked Nancy’s throat dislodged and she was able to recover on her own. But it underscored the difficulties that people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment face when they are trying to reach 911.
It helped to spur the launch of a three-month trial announced Thursday that will allow people who can’t communicate with 911 operators over voice calls to text from their cellphones instead.
The trial, announced by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, involves participants in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and the Peel Region. It’s aimed at testing the system and gathering data for a report on the feasibility of rolling out the program nationwide.
“It’s a huge safety issue for someone to be able to get hold of 911 services in a timely manner,” said Mandy Conlon, provincial accessibility coordinator for the Canadian Hearing Society’s 911 improvement project. “There are definitely people who have not been able to get a timely answer to their 911 calls specifically because of this issue, they don’t have access to 911 the way a hearing person does.”
Conlon said in the case of the Hendersons, who live in Brantford, Ont. and are both deaf, the husband left the phone off the hook and went to help his wife, believing that his call would result in emergency services being dispatched immediately.
However, with 911 call centres getting misdialled through pocket and prank calls, people who are deaf or can’t communicate with the operator for another reason aren’t able to rely on simply leaving the phone off the hook to get emergency services to their door.
The trial, in which registered participants will make test texts to 911 is expected to have at least 120 participants, about 40 in each region, said Conlon. She said the technology works with newer-model cellphones, regardless of whether they are Android, Apple or some other operating system.
Telus, which provides the back-end technology for 911 services in British Columbia and Alberta and works with E-Comm in Vancouver, is participating in the trial through its 911 work and as a wireless carrier.
Telus spokesman Shawn Hall said this is the first time texts will be able to be combined with voice calls to 911 operators. The 911 system already helps operators locate people who are calling from cellphones, relying on either GPS or the triangulation of cellphone towers.
“What this texting service does is it essentially bolts that location technology onto text messaging functionality so someone who is deaf, or who has a speech impairment and can’t talk to the 911 operator, can text the relevant information,” said Hall.
“It’s important that it works this way because it combines the powerful aspects of a voice call, particularly that location functionality with texting, and if you are unable to speak, you will be able to text information — such as ‘there’s a fire,’ ‘my spouse has had a heart attack.’
“This will help bring the best possible 911 services to someone who is deaf or who has a speech disability.”
Blind and deaf Carlisle man left alone at home
A blind and deaf Carlisle man was left home alone after his elderly mother was taken into hospital writes Phil Coleman for News & Star (13/02/12).
The brother of Alan Foley, who is unable to speak, see or hear, has hit out at social services, saying he needs proper support and should never have been left alone overnight after his mother went into hospital.
His only protection is a Careline alarm – but as he cannot talk, his brother David, 58, believes it is of little use.
Their mother Lorna, 82, who Alan has lived with in the family home in Peel Street all his life, was hospitalised on Monday after she broke her hip in a fall.
Mr David said she was not expected to make a recovery for at least 14 weeks, leaving Alan, 56, at home with some support from carers.
Officials from Cumbria County Council’s Adult Social Care Department have agreed to spread out the 22 hours of home support he gets from Cumbria Deaf Vision. He will also spend several hours with the Glenmore Trust on Thursdays.
But David, who is offering his brother support whenever he can, said Alan now needs a higher level of support, given the severity of his disability. He said: “Our father died a couple of years ago, and since then my brother had depended on our mother. My biggest fear has always been that there should be a contingency plan if anything such as this happened, and I was assured that something would swing into place if ever our mother was taken ill. When I was on my way to see our mother in hospital I was shocked to later learn that Alan had been left on his own for the first time in 56 years in the house that night. It’s been that way since Monday".
“On Monday, I phoned social services and they offered to have the police break down the door but I did not want to further traumatise my brother. He’s in a state of shock.”
He said his brother’s only protection while at home was now a Careline alarm, but as Alan cannot talk it would be of little immediate use.
He added: “I’d like to see Alan in to some kind of sheltered accommodation because he is clearly vulnerable.”
David said he had written to Cumbria County Council, suggesting that his brother, who is among the most vulnerable people in the community, had been let down.
A county council spokesman said: “After meeting his family earlier this week, this client’s care arrangements were altered to better suit his needs following the change in circumstances.
“We have also reassured him and his family that we are looking at what the best care arrangements will be for him in the long-term.
“As we would do in any situation like this we will meet with the client and their family after a week to examine how the new arrangement is working to see what, if anything, needs to be changed.”
His only protection is a Careline alarm – but as he cannot talk, his brother David, 58, believes it is of little use.
Their mother Lorna, 82, who Alan has lived with in the family home in Peel Street all his life, was hospitalised on Monday after she broke her hip in a fall.
Mr David said she was not expected to make a recovery for at least 14 weeks, leaving Alan, 56, at home with some support from carers.
Officials from Cumbria County Council’s Adult Social Care Department have agreed to spread out the 22 hours of home support he gets from Cumbria Deaf Vision. He will also spend several hours with the Glenmore Trust on Thursdays.
But David, who is offering his brother support whenever he can, said Alan now needs a higher level of support, given the severity of his disability. He said: “Our father died a couple of years ago, and since then my brother had depended on our mother. My biggest fear has always been that there should be a contingency plan if anything such as this happened, and I was assured that something would swing into place if ever our mother was taken ill. When I was on my way to see our mother in hospital I was shocked to later learn that Alan had been left on his own for the first time in 56 years in the house that night. It’s been that way since Monday".
“On Monday, I phoned social services and they offered to have the police break down the door but I did not want to further traumatise my brother. He’s in a state of shock.”
He said his brother’s only protection while at home was now a Careline alarm, but as Alan cannot talk it would be of little immediate use.
He added: “I’d like to see Alan in to some kind of sheltered accommodation because he is clearly vulnerable.”
David said he had written to Cumbria County Council, suggesting that his brother, who is among the most vulnerable people in the community, had been let down.
A county council spokesman said: “After meeting his family earlier this week, this client’s care arrangements were altered to better suit his needs following the change in circumstances.
“We have also reassured him and his family that we are looking at what the best care arrangements will be for him in the long-term.
“As we would do in any situation like this we will meet with the client and their family after a week to examine how the new arrangement is working to see what, if anything, needs to be changed.”
Deaf debate: Caught between two worlds
The story of deaf teenagers who chose not to have implants offering the "sensation of sound" generated a huge response report the BBC News (17/02/12).
Our previous feature focused on two young deaf women, Meghan and Sara, divided over the use of implants.
Readers touched by the issue share their perspectives:
I became profoundly deaf at the age of seven, in 1952. I wore a hearing aid through much of my life, but sounds and voices were still inaudible. My means of communication was lip reading. I never heard my children's voices.
I had a cochlear implant in 1996, I had no fear at all. My thoughts were just to hear again.
After the implant I can now hear my grandchildren. Isn't science great?
Suzanne Parkinson, Beverley, East Yorkshire
I am deafblind. While I was losing my hearing, I had been forced to wear hearing aids and various hearing devices. Even now, I have to wear a hearing device to hear.
It's nothing like hearing, because all it does is amplify how bad my ears process sound. Syllables sound too blurry to me. I would benefit from deafblind sign language, which is done at chest level so the deafblind can feel it so they can see it with their hands. But I have not found anyone that will teach it to me. They would rather force hearing devices on me.
Why should I feel like an inconvenience to others?
Mina, Kelowna, Canada
I was not born deaf but became deafened after illness at nine to 10 years old. I have never been accepting of my hearing loss and I had a cochlear implant fitted at 15.
It's the best decision I was ever given the privilege to make. It totally transformed my life and helped me cope greatly with the sudden loss of hearing.
It's not for everyone but those who have it truly appreciate and value the sensation of sounds they now have access to. I wish Meghan all the very best with her rehabilitation and studies.
Dee, London
After 50 years of hearing culture, I found myself introduced into deaf culture. I spent two years learning to sign and lip-read and met some fantastic deaf people. I learned from them that each individual has to decide where they wish to be.
In the same way that they chose to stay with deaf culture, I chose to stay with hearing culture and now have a vibrant soundbridge implant that, although not a cochlear implant, works by activating the bones in the middle ear. I now enjoy around 90% of normal hearing.
By being "in the middle", I learned so many coping strategies from profoundly deaf people and owe them many thanks. A very personal choice that I would not have understood had I not met and discussed the issue with deaf people.
Ken Wardropper, Ilkley
I envy those who are strongly connected to the deaf community. With hearing parents and friends I never was able to explore that side of myself until university. I get hearing aid upgrades every now and then. It is still such a shock when you find a new sound. However, it makes me sad that I never heard it before.
By being an inbetweener of the deaf and hearing communities, I find myself working very hard to hear. I lip read and concentrate to keep up with hearing people. When I finally take the aids out it is very liberating that I can switch off, enjoy the silence and be deaf.
Flo, Maidstone
I cannot help wondering what Sara is going to do with her life. The "Deaf World" she refers to presumably means people who use British Sign Language and is a small one.
Estimates vary but the figure normally quoted is 50,000 in the UK. It's not in any sense a world. How will Sara cope outside her family circle where she will meet very few other deaf people?
It's misleading, too, to subsume all people with hearing loss under one heading "deaf". It makes more sense to divide them into three groups - the hard of hearing who are very numerous and who get a lot of benefit from hearing aids; those who become profoundly deaf as adults, like myself; the group Sara belongs to, those deaf from birth.
These three groups have different needs but all have a good chance of participating in society as a whole helped by some marvellous technology like cochlear implants, some commonplace technology like TV subtitles, email, SMS texts and textphones and greater awareness of the nature of deafness in the general public.
John Newton, Preston, Lancs
Brian Palmer, Birmingham, UK
I have three-year-old twins, born prematurely and consequently one daughter has a hearing loss. As a parent, you are so worried about what the future holds for your child yet this programme was so positive that I'm sure it gave hope to lots of parents in my situation. Good to see that this "invisible" disability is being discussed.
I finished the programme thinking that if my daughter is anything like the intelligent, sassy, confident, happy teenagers in the documentary, then I will be one happy mum!
Jenny Cassie, Ingatestone, UK
Cochlear implants
Our previous feature focused on two young deaf women, Meghan and Sara, divided over the use of implants.
Readers touched by the issue share their perspectives:
I became profoundly deaf at the age of seven, in 1952. I wore a hearing aid through much of my life, but sounds and voices were still inaudible. My means of communication was lip reading. I never heard my children's voices.
I had a cochlear implant in 1996, I had no fear at all. My thoughts were just to hear again.
After the implant I can now hear my grandchildren. Isn't science great?
Suzanne Parkinson, Beverley, East Yorkshire
I am deafblind. While I was losing my hearing, I had been forced to wear hearing aids and various hearing devices. Even now, I have to wear a hearing device to hear.
It's nothing like hearing, because all it does is amplify how bad my ears process sound. Syllables sound too blurry to me. I would benefit from deafblind sign language, which is done at chest level so the deafblind can feel it so they can see it with their hands. But I have not found anyone that will teach it to me. They would rather force hearing devices on me.
I consider myself fine and normal as a deafblind person.
Why should I feel like an inconvenience to others?
Mina, Kelowna, Canada
I was not born deaf but became deafened after illness at nine to 10 years old. I have never been accepting of my hearing loss and I had a cochlear implant fitted at 15.
It's the best decision I was ever given the privilege to make. It totally transformed my life and helped me cope greatly with the sudden loss of hearing.
It's not for everyone but those who have it truly appreciate and value the sensation of sounds they now have access to. I wish Meghan all the very best with her rehabilitation and studies.
Dee, London
I became deaf 15 years ago and it was extremely traumatic for me. My identity as a hearing person was gone, and initially I just couldn't cope.
After 50 years of hearing culture, I found myself introduced into deaf culture. I spent two years learning to sign and lip-read and met some fantastic deaf people. I learned from them that each individual has to decide where they wish to be.
In the same way that they chose to stay with deaf culture, I chose to stay with hearing culture and now have a vibrant soundbridge implant that, although not a cochlear implant, works by activating the bones in the middle ear. I now enjoy around 90% of normal hearing.
By being "in the middle", I learned so many coping strategies from profoundly deaf people and owe them many thanks. A very personal choice that I would not have understood had I not met and discussed the issue with deaf people.
Ken Wardropper, Ilkley
I envy those who are strongly connected to the deaf community. With hearing parents and friends I never was able to explore that side of myself until university. I get hearing aid upgrades every now and then. It is still such a shock when you find a new sound. However, it makes me sad that I never heard it before.
By being an inbetweener of the deaf and hearing communities, I find myself working very hard to hear. I lip read and concentrate to keep up with hearing people. When I finally take the aids out it is very liberating that I can switch off, enjoy the silence and be deaf.
Flo, Maidstone
Meghan highlights the challenges of being deaf in her first month at university
I cannot help wondering what Sara is going to do with her life. The "Deaf World" she refers to presumably means people who use British Sign Language and is a small one.
Estimates vary but the figure normally quoted is 50,000 in the UK. It's not in any sense a world. How will Sara cope outside her family circle where she will meet very few other deaf people?
It's misleading, too, to subsume all people with hearing loss under one heading "deaf". It makes more sense to divide them into three groups - the hard of hearing who are very numerous and who get a lot of benefit from hearing aids; those who become profoundly deaf as adults, like myself; the group Sara belongs to, those deaf from birth.
These three groups have different needs but all have a good chance of participating in society as a whole helped by some marvellous technology like cochlear implants, some commonplace technology like TV subtitles, email, SMS texts and textphones and greater awareness of the nature of deafness in the general public.
John Newton, Preston, Lancs
If my daughter is anything like the intelligent, sassy, confident, happy teenagers in the documentary, then I will be one happy mum”End Quote Jenny Cassie
I could relate to many of the comments made in the programme. I belong to neither the deaf or hearing community as I have impaired hearing, I hate my hearing aids because I am just not used to hearing all these sounds. I exist in a sort of no-man's-land, belonging nowhere.
Brian Palmer, Birmingham, UK
I have three-year-old twins, born prematurely and consequently one daughter has a hearing loss. As a parent, you are so worried about what the future holds for your child yet this programme was so positive that I'm sure it gave hope to lots of parents in my situation. Good to see that this "invisible" disability is being discussed.
I finished the programme thinking that if my daughter is anything like the intelligent, sassy, confident, happy teenagers in the documentary, then I will be one happy mum!
Jenny Cassie, Ingatestone, UK
Cochlear implants
- A surgically implanted electronic device that can improve hearing by stimulating the auditory nerve
- Although an implant cannot restore hearing to normal it does give the sensation of sounds.
- Not suitable for all deaf people and those considering the surgery have to undertake in-depth hearing, speech and language, educational and psychological assessments
- About 500 adults, aged between 15 and 59, receive cochlear implants in the UK each year
Friday 10 February 2012
Police to investigate death of Deaf man
A Levin man who died after police told him he was to be arrested has been named this morning as 65-year-old Godfrey Easton writes Mathew Grocott for Manawatu Standard reported by Stuff.co.nz (10/02/12).
The neighbour who called police to Mr Easton's house said he was misunderstood.
Judy Shelland lived next door to Mr Easton and called police on Tuesday evening after an argument during which he kicked her door.
Police spokeswoman Kim Perks said that, after neighbours were spoken to, police told Mr Easton he would be arrested, at which point he collapsed.
"He hadn't been physically arrested," she said.
"He had been advised he was going to be arrested."
Ms Shelland said Mr Easton was deaf and had difficulty communicating with people.
While they had had arguments in the past few weeks, she was sad he had died.
He had at times been yelled at in the street because he could not talk, she said.
"He was clean and tidy, well dressed. It's sad he's gone," Ms Shelland said."
Mrs Perks said police were called after a report that a person was being disorderly at an address in Bristol St about 6.30pm.
"There was some sort of dispute with someone that lived nearby," she said.
"It's not clear at this stage what that was over.
"The complainant rang up to report that this other individual was behaving in a disorderly way," Mrs Perks said.
Another neighbour, Edith Farrand, said she heard yelling on Tuesday evening but did not know what was being said.
Ms Farrand said she "broke down and cried" when she found out Mr Easton had died.
She moved to the street three weeks ago.
"I got on with him quite well," she said.
Mrs Perks said police were investigating what had happened. An Independent Police Complaints Authority investigation would also take place, standard practice when a person dies immediately following contact with police.
Police were at the flat throughout yesterday, investigating the scene. Mr Easton's body was removed about 2.40pm.
After Mr Easton collapsed, police called for an ambulance and placed him into the recovery position but his condition deteriorated and attempts by ambulance staff at the scene to revive him were unsuccessful.
The neighbour who called police to Mr Easton's house said he was misunderstood.
Judy Shelland lived next door to Mr Easton and called police on Tuesday evening after an argument during which he kicked her door.
Police spokeswoman Kim Perks said that, after neighbours were spoken to, police told Mr Easton he would be arrested, at which point he collapsed.
"He hadn't been physically arrested," she said.
"He had been advised he was going to be arrested."
Ms Shelland said Mr Easton was deaf and had difficulty communicating with people.
While they had had arguments in the past few weeks, she was sad he had died.
He had at times been yelled at in the street because he could not talk, she said.
"He was clean and tidy, well dressed. It's sad he's gone," Ms Shelland said."
Mrs Perks said police were called after a report that a person was being disorderly at an address in Bristol St about 6.30pm.
"There was some sort of dispute with someone that lived nearby," she said.
"It's not clear at this stage what that was over.
"The complainant rang up to report that this other individual was behaving in a disorderly way," Mrs Perks said.
Another neighbour, Edith Farrand, said she heard yelling on Tuesday evening but did not know what was being said.
Ms Farrand said she "broke down and cried" when she found out Mr Easton had died.
She moved to the street three weeks ago.
"I got on with him quite well," she said.
Mrs Perks said police were investigating what had happened. An Independent Police Complaints Authority investigation would also take place, standard practice when a person dies immediately following contact with police.
Police were at the flat throughout yesterday, investigating the scene. Mr Easton's body was removed about 2.40pm.
After Mr Easton collapsed, police called for an ambulance and placed him into the recovery position but his condition deteriorated and attempts by ambulance staff at the scene to revive him were unsuccessful.
National Awards' Search For Regional Stars In Deaf Communications
The hunt for the UK's finest deaf communicators has begun as leading awarding body Signature launches its fourth annual awards today reports Signature (10/02/12).
Regional nominations for the 2012 Signature Annual Awards, which celebrates those who are making a positive contribution to the lives of the deaf community, opened today (Wednesday 8 February 2012).
Forming part of Signature's celebrations to mark its 30th anniversary the 2012 Signature Annual Awards, which will be held later this year, is searching for the brightest stars in deaf communications.
Signature is looking to uncover the inspirational stories behind the UK's teachers and learners who are helping to break down the barriers to communication that deaf and deafblind people regularly face.
Alongside honouring the talents of the country's regional Teacher of the Year and Learner of the Year, Signature is also looking for the individuals and organisations worthy of its national awards including Community Spirit, Communication Professional of the Year and the prestigious Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for Outstanding Contribution.
Chief Executive of Signature, the leading provider of accredited sign language qualifications, Jim Edwards, said: "Since the launch of the Signature Annual Awards in 2009 we have uncovered so many truly inspirational individuals and organisations that have shown a real passion for creating a society in which deaf and deafblind people have full access.
"Given the fantastic work that has been carried out across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over the past 12 months in improving deaf awareness I am certain there is still a wealth of talent waiting to be discovered.
"The 2012 awards will be an extra special event for Signature as we celebrate our 30th year, so as well as honouring the outstanding work of today we will also be commemorating the progress of deaf communications over the past three decades."
In 2011 the Signature Annual Awards celebrated the exceptional achievements of 22 regional and eight national winners. Clark Denmark, who is leading the way in British Sign Language teaching and research, was honoured with the Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for Outstanding Contribution for his tireless dedication to deaf studies. Meanwhile Tara-Eve Forkin was named Young Learner of the Year after successfully completing her BSL Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in just two years.
Nominations for the regional Teacher of the Year and Learner of the Year awards can be submitted at www.signature.org.uk/awards until Wednesday, 2nd May 2012.
Shortlisted nominees will be announced on 16th May 2012, with the regional winners being unveiled on 13th June. Each regional winner will then progress to the national final later this year when the UK's Teacher of the Year and Learner of the Year will be chosen.
Regional nominations for the 2012 Signature Annual Awards, which celebrates those who are making a positive contribution to the lives of the deaf community, opened today (Wednesday 8 February 2012).
Forming part of Signature's celebrations to mark its 30th anniversary the 2012 Signature Annual Awards, which will be held later this year, is searching for the brightest stars in deaf communications.
Signature is looking to uncover the inspirational stories behind the UK's teachers and learners who are helping to break down the barriers to communication that deaf and deafblind people regularly face.
Alongside honouring the talents of the country's regional Teacher of the Year and Learner of the Year, Signature is also looking for the individuals and organisations worthy of its national awards including Community Spirit, Communication Professional of the Year and the prestigious Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for Outstanding Contribution.
Chief Executive of Signature, the leading provider of accredited sign language qualifications, Jim Edwards, said: "Since the launch of the Signature Annual Awards in 2009 we have uncovered so many truly inspirational individuals and organisations that have shown a real passion for creating a society in which deaf and deafblind people have full access.
"Given the fantastic work that has been carried out across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over the past 12 months in improving deaf awareness I am certain there is still a wealth of talent waiting to be discovered.
"The 2012 awards will be an extra special event for Signature as we celebrate our 30th year, so as well as honouring the outstanding work of today we will also be commemorating the progress of deaf communications over the past three decades."
In 2011 the Signature Annual Awards celebrated the exceptional achievements of 22 regional and eight national winners. Clark Denmark, who is leading the way in British Sign Language teaching and research, was honoured with the Joseph Maitland Robinson Award for Outstanding Contribution for his tireless dedication to deaf studies. Meanwhile Tara-Eve Forkin was named Young Learner of the Year after successfully completing her BSL Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in just two years.
Nominations for the regional Teacher of the Year and Learner of the Year awards can be submitted at www.signature.org.uk/awards until Wednesday, 2nd May 2012.
Shortlisted nominees will be announced on 16th May 2012, with the regional winners being unveiled on 13th June. Each regional winner will then progress to the national final later this year when the UK's Teacher of the Year and Learner of the Year will be chosen.
Deaf girl 'kept in a cellar and made to work as a slave'
A deaf girl of 10 was trafficked into the UK, repeatedly raped, kept in a cellar and treated as a virtual slave for almost a decade, a court heard today reports the Telegraph (10/02/12).
The orphaned youngster from Pakistan, who is profoundly deaf and has no speech, was locked in a cellar each night where she would sleep on a concrete floor and by day was forced to work for no money and was sexually assaulted, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester was told.
But it was a ''mystery and matter of concern'' how a child that age could get through immigration and there may be ''significant and proper'' criticism of the Border Agency, whose role had a ''good deal to answer for'', the prosecutor said.
Although supposed to be employed as a domestic help, she was never paid and just given food and lodging, Mr Cadwallader told the jury.
Instead the girl was made to cook, clean, do the washing and ironing for the Ashars and clean the houses and cars of their family and friends, the court heard.
She was also kept in the cellar to work for hours packing football shirts and clothes and mobile phone covers, the jury was told.
''They would be upstairs while she was doing the work,'' Mr Cadwallader added.
''She was the subject of forced labour in that she was made to work for Ilyas and Tallat Ashar as a domestic servant and do other work for them and members of their family.
''In essence it is the prosecution case that she lived in a state of servitude when she entered the Ashar home in Pakistan, then later when she was brought to this country in June 2000.
''The Crown say she was the ideal target for this exploitation as she is and was extremely vulnerable. ''The Crown's case is she was physically abused. She was sexually abused, which included being raped by Ilyas Ashar.
''She was exploited economically, in that benefits, state benefits in this country, were obtained in her name, the money being kept by the Ashars.
''At night the door at the top of the stairs down to the cellar was locked and bolted so she could not get out during the night.
''There were no washing or toilet facilities in the cellar so that if she needed to use the bathroom during the night she had to bang on the cellar door in the hope that she was heard and the door opened.
''On other occasions, during the day, presumably when she displeased Tallat Ashar, she was pushed into the cellar, pushed down the stairs and the door locked.
''She would sit there for hours crying and locked in,'' Mr Cadwallader told the jury.
The alleged victim had no family or friends in the UK and had never been to school in Pakistan or Britain.
She cannot read or write and the only people she knew in Britain were the Ashars, who told her both her parents were dead.
She was however taught to write her signature - so her name could be used to claim benefits, it is alleged.
Despite her disabilities the victim has an average, or higher, intelligence level, the jury was told.
Mr Cadwallader added: ''We believe you will find her to be a remarkably resilient young woman who tells things as they are.''
Ilyas and Tallat Ashar both deny two counts of human trafficking into the UK for exploitation and a single count of false imprisonment.
Ilyas also denies 12 counts of rape, Tallat denies one count of sexual assault and unlawful wounding and the pair along with their daughter Faaiza, 24, deny charges of benefit fraud.
The case continues.
The orphaned youngster from Pakistan, who is profoundly deaf and has no speech, was locked in a cellar each night where she would sleep on a concrete floor and by day was forced to work for no money and was sexually assaulted, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester was told.
Her alleged abusers were Ilyas Ashar, 83, and his wife, Tallat Ashar, 66, who deny charges of false imprisonment, human trafficking, sexual offences, violence and benefit fraud.
If their alleged victim displeased them she would be forced into their cellar where the girl would ''sit there for hours crying and locked in'', the court heard.
They kept the girl, now aged between 19 and 21, at their home in Cromwell Road, Eccles in Salford, Greater Manchester, after bringing her into Britain from Pakistan in June 2000, Peter Cadwallader, prosecuting, told the jury. The victim's true age is not known but it is thought she was aged between 10 and 12 when she came to the UK, allowed in by immigration on the basis she was to work as a domestic servant.
But it was a ''mystery and matter of concern'' how a child that age could get through immigration and there may be ''significant and proper'' criticism of the Border Agency, whose role had a ''good deal to answer for'', the prosecutor said.
Although supposed to be employed as a domestic help, she was never paid and just given food and lodging, Mr Cadwallader told the jury.
Instead the girl was made to cook, clean, do the washing and ironing for the Ashars and clean the houses and cars of their family and friends, the court heard.
She was also kept in the cellar to work for hours packing football shirts and clothes and mobile phone covers, the jury was told.
''They would be upstairs while she was doing the work,'' Mr Cadwallader added.
''She was the subject of forced labour in that she was made to work for Ilyas and Tallat Ashar as a domestic servant and do other work for them and members of their family.
''In essence it is the prosecution case that she lived in a state of servitude when she entered the Ashar home in Pakistan, then later when she was brought to this country in June 2000.
''The Crown say she was the ideal target for this exploitation as she is and was extremely vulnerable. ''The Crown's case is she was physically abused. She was sexually abused, which included being raped by Ilyas Ashar.
''She was exploited economically, in that benefits, state benefits in this country, were obtained in her name, the money being kept by the Ashars.
''At night the door at the top of the stairs down to the cellar was locked and bolted so she could not get out during the night.
''There were no washing or toilet facilities in the cellar so that if she needed to use the bathroom during the night she had to bang on the cellar door in the hope that she was heard and the door opened.
''On other occasions, during the day, presumably when she displeased Tallat Ashar, she was pushed into the cellar, pushed down the stairs and the door locked.
''She would sit there for hours crying and locked in,'' Mr Cadwallader told the jury.
The alleged victim had no family or friends in the UK and had never been to school in Pakistan or Britain.
She cannot read or write and the only people she knew in Britain were the Ashars, who told her both her parents were dead.
She was however taught to write her signature - so her name could be used to claim benefits, it is alleged.
Despite her disabilities the victim has an average, or higher, intelligence level, the jury was told.
Mr Cadwallader added: ''We believe you will find her to be a remarkably resilient young woman who tells things as they are.''
Ilyas and Tallat Ashar both deny two counts of human trafficking into the UK for exploitation and a single count of false imprisonment.
Ilyas also denies 12 counts of rape, Tallat denies one count of sexual assault and unlawful wounding and the pair along with their daughter Faaiza, 24, deny charges of benefit fraud.
The case continues.
Tuesday 7 February 2012
Miss Deaf America upset she's unseen at Super Bowl
Lack of coverage of Miss Deaf America as she signed the national anthem at the Super Bowl writes Jamie Sotonoff for the Daily Herald (07/02/12).
During the Super Bowl, television cameras showed everything from Eli Manning's young family to hip-hop singer M.I.A.'s obscene gesture. Yet, they didn't for one second show the National Association of the Deaf's Miss Deaf America Rachel Mazique — an Arlington Heights native and Hersey High School alumna — as she signed the national anthem and “America the Beautiful.”
Mazique doesn't believe she appeared on the stadium's Jumbotron, either; wasn't invited to stay for the game; and wasn't placed near singers Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton.
Even though she says she was never promised television exposure (but was told to smile the whole time, just in case), her treatment at the big game has upset many people in the deaf community, especially those in the suburbs. Now her supporters are rallying for an apology from NBC and the NFL through an online petition at change.org.
As of Monday night, more than 1,000 people had signed the petition, including some from as far away as New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
“We are very upset by this,” said Angie Kubiak of Mount Prospect, who is deaf and whose husband and three sons also are deaf. “We waited and waited to see Rachel appear to perform, only to be disappointed. Everyone of all ages in the deaf community across the country was expecting to see Rachel Mazique appear on TV, even if only for a few seconds. We thought we would see something even go on the Internet. She has nothing from NBC.”
No one from the NBC or NFL could be reached for comment Monday night.
Mazique said she was grateful to sponsors PepsiCo and EnAble for allowing her to sign at the game as the NAD ambassador but was “very disappointed” about the missed opportunity to show the world American Sign Language. She questioned the point of her appearance, since her signing wasn't visible to an audience.
“The hope was to bring national visibility to songs signed in ASL. It would have been wonderful to showcase ‘America the Beautiful' and the national anthem in ASL on television,” she said. “I truly hope that this becomes a teachable moment for everyone involved, and that American Sign Language renditions of these iconic songs are broadcast in future Super Bowls rather than being a token gesture.”
Mazique, who now is teaching and working on her Ph.D. at the University of Texas, is hailed as a role model for the deaf community. By keeping her out of the spotlight on what turned out to be the most watched television show in history, NBC and the NFL missed a chance to show the world that deaf people can be successful and that sign language is beautiful, said petition creator Kate Spencer, a former college classmate.
“What an insult,” Kubiak said.
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