We *Are* Effecting Change
Amidst the uproar over the AG Bell’s letter to Pepsi, I thought it was worthwhile to recognize that we are making a difference for the better and celebrate that. We have more than two oral/CI deaf individuals learning American Sign Language, thanks to the DeafRead vlogs and blogs.
They are: Kim of Living The Questions, Val of Tales from a CI Gal, Abbie of Chronicles of A Bionic Woman
Then we have Jodi, a hearing mother of a deaf CI child, learning Italian Sign Language (LIS). In her blog she directly acknowledged us on DeafRead for prompting her to learn the language.
And lest people think all deaf oralists support AG Bell’s letter to Pepsi – they do not. Meryl of Bionic Ear Blog wrote an entry opposing the letter.
That shows the power of our vlogs and blogs. We are making a difference. People are listening to us and even taking up our languages.
If we want to make a greater impact and effect change even more, then I encourage all of you to join NAD and donate money to the organization. With our individual knowledge, words and money put together, we will inspire others to discover the truth about our culture and language. ASL and our culture will be brought into the light, despite AG Bell.
Update: Another person is learning ASL! Jennifer, a deaf CI user of Surround Sound left a comment below, stating she too is learning ASL, thanks to DeafRead.
35 Comments
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IamMine said,
February 6, 2008 at 10:55 am
This is really encouraging, DP!
I WILL join NAD…as soon as I get some of my money BACK from the government!
By joining NAD from all walks of life in the Deaf Community, we CAN make it stronger and making more differences in people’s life!
YES WE CAN!
Thank you, DP!
ASL Risen said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I just want to know how change the TMobile and Go America donate to NAD??? HOW??? We are totally BROKE and cannot afford donate our other extra money to NAD from our paying monthly bills to that pager services!
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:06 pm
You can always change pager services. Transfer to Sprint. And you can tell TMobile and GoAmerica, “You donated to AG Bell, so you lose my money. Bye to you!”
That’s what you can do.
ASL Risen said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:09 pm
But what if they do still charge me for monthly services because I am STUCK with that dummy contract!!!
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I don’t know, ASL Risen. Find a loophole if you can and break the contract. Do you have a friend who can help you figure out a loophole in the contract?
Either that, or wait until the contract finishes then transfer to another company like Sprint.
But it only costs 11 cents a day to join NAD. 11 cents per day.
Jennifer said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I’m learning ASL, too…it’s taking me some time, because I’m doing it totally on my own, but the vlogs are helping tremendously. I can learn more from them than from a book any day
. I agree…the blogs and vlogs are effecting a change in the Deaf/HOH/CI community…and I, for one, like it 
. I have to say, too, that I have been made to feel at home on the Deaf blogs…and appreciate it so much. We hard of hearing/CI users don’t fit into the hearing world entirely, and don’t fit into the Deaf world entirely, either, and it’s an odd spot to be in sometimes. Being welcomed is a wonderful feeling…thank you 
ASL Risen said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:14 pm
How much Sprint per month?
IamMine said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:16 pm
*smiles at Jennifer*
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I have no idea. It depend on your zip code and what you want.
Go to http://www.sprint.com and click on plans. If you still have problems, you can contact Sprint’s support.
ASL Risen said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:23 pm
DP, thanks for your info but I prefer to contact Deaf Sprint because that website is too confusing for my busy brain!
seekgeo said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Hey ASL Risen, I sell Sprint pagers, contact me if you would like to know more and I can help you with. As for contracts, sometime we can find loopholes but sometimes we have to stick with it if nothing else until it expires.
Can anyone fill me in, T-mobile donated $$ to AGBad, is the information correct? I’d be totally surprised!
Funny you mentioned this, I spoke with one of readers last night, he is profoundly deaf but grew up orally so he never learn ASL anyway, we talked on iChat video for the first time last night, I was impressed how he started to learn ASL, you’d have to see his face how so HAPPY he is.
He explained to me how he learned ASL by watching my videos so when he reads the captions, he would pick out words that I signed to match the word then he wrote down on paper to practice. He showed me his papers and it was LONG list, ha ha. We will meet again on video soon so we can practice together more. The more ASL signers, the merrier!
Hugs
-SG
ASL Risen said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Oh BIG THANK YOU Seek Geo!!! Yeah, I saw that T-Mobile from “go america” on that Jay’s vlog called “Guess Whos Donating AgBAD?” I will contact you with my email asap.
anna s said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Jennifer and the others who may be interested,
The BEST online site to learn ASL is http://www.lifeprint.com. It is FREE! Click free lessons and start on Level 1. On thatsite, you can also enjoy reading about the d/Deaf community if you lick Lifeprint Library also in the same website.
Cochlear implants and Natural Sign Language (or any other forms of sign systems) are compatible! Believe me. I never once regretted introducing ASL/CASE to my CI kid. He is progressing wonderfully especially in the area of listening and speaking. His world is so unlimited!
Bon Voyage!
Mishkazena said,
February 6, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Yes, I agree. It was very encouraging to see so many people, moms of c.i. kids or deaf oral people with c.i.s, showing interest in learning sign language. We all are learning from each other. I even have one strong c.i. proponent saying she had learned some stuff about ASL, including some that she realized was myths. How exciting to be a part of the union of two very different cultures.
Bill said,
February 6, 2008 at 1:00 pm
And bill is learning ASL! Well, going to the classes anyway.
Not well enough to feel confident enough to talk walk by and wave “hi” to “those people over there waving their hands”.
passingthru said,
February 6, 2008 at 1:54 pm
try sprintrelaystore.com i haven’t bought from there yet…been keeping an eye on Sprint…I enjoy the remaining blog at deafpagers.com but since the owner died recently, am hesistant about doing business with deafpagers.com
Jean Boutcher said,
February 6, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Jeannette (DP),
I greatly appreciate your positive thinking
about DeafRead. I wholeheartedly agree with
you that DeafRead is an A plus plus plus!
DeafRead helps the NAD become more recognisable!
White Ghost said,
February 6, 2008 at 2:10 pm
*Red Flag*
I looked into the AG Bell’s website and they seemed that they had pulled the letter to Pepsi. I linked the search area and there is none!
Sending the letter to Pepsi from AG Bell about the underprivileged families who do not have the health and medical insurances is absurd and lame.
I want to point out that AG Bell has received millions of dollars from the donors.
They have helped millions of the underprivileged families who do not have the health and medical insurances nationally and internationally to obtain hearing aids and CI.
They should have known better like that.
Per the AG Bell’s letter, they tried to put Pepsi into the “blameworthy” for not provide the $$$$ to the underprivileged families.
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 6, 2008 at 2:12 pm
It’s not surprising. AG Bell knows they screwed up. I was just told today from a source that quite a few parents who were members of AG Bell have now resigned from the organization in protest. So…
seekgeo said,
February 6, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Woo hoo.. that’s a great news about a few members have now resigned. Can anyone find out who they are and let’s welcome them to our community?
-SG
Mishkazena said,
February 6, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Not surprising. Some parents with c.i. kids have publicy denounced that letter, too. They now see a side of AGBell Association they never saw before.
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 6, 2008 at 2:25 pm
*grins* I don’t know. My source wouldn’t name the parents. But it is awesome news. I might blog about it later. It deserves its own blog post.
Mishkazena said,
February 6, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I checked AGBell Assc site and the letter is still there.
Li-Li's mom said,
February 6, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Hi DP — yes, you ARE making change for the better!!
I’m a member of both NAD and AGBell, and I wrote a strongly worded letter back to AGBell in response to the email I had received from them that encouraged its membership to write Pepsi and object to the ad. I explained my wholehearted support of the ad, and outlined why I felt that AGBell’s negative campaign violated their role as an agent of deaf advocacy and misrepresented a significant cohort of their membership.
I’ve not yet resigned, because I’m hoping that I can effect more change from within than from outside the organization, but I was astounded by how they approached this situation, furious at their objection to the ad, and am now looking at them very differently.
I’ve only gotten the following email response to my letter as of today, but look forward to seeing a summary of the feedback they’ve gotten in their next issue. Now might be a good time for those who haven’t yet written them directly to do so.
“Thank you for taking the time to send us your comments regarding AG Bell’s communication to the Pepsi Corporation about its recent Super Bowl commercial, “Bob’s House.” All comments received are appreciated as AG Bell encourages an open dialogue and the sharing of different perspectives on issues facing the deaf community.
Please look for a summary of feedback and comments in the next issue of AG Bell’s electronic newsletter, AG Bell Update.”
On another, more pleasant topic, anna s, I can’t wait to start using that lifeprint site. I need all the help I can get to keep up with the wee one, who may soon outdistance me in vocabulary development — not a good place for a mom to be with the terrible twos a week away! DeafRead is an awesome source of great ASL vlogs for those of us learning and practicing the language without a lot of daily ASL input in real life. SG may want to consider a new career in online education for all of us ASL-learning “students.”
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 6, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Thanks for clearing that up, MZ. Muchly appreciated!
White Ghost said,
February 6, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Thanks, MZ.
Now we want to make sure if we get the right campaign position against the AG Bell’s idea to put the reprimand words onto Pepsi about the underprivileged families’ needs.
ASL Risen said,
February 6, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Oh Im back to your blog while I was so busy with too many emails recently! Now about related on “Deaf Work Places” and pls do go view on my video response on one Deaf Vlogger’s DeafTV Video link:
http://www.deafvideo.tv/watch/5891
So that’s why it’s important for the Hearing and Deaf to be good teamwork on any work place! I hope you will understand my points in regard to respect us, Deaf Hard Working People, Deaf Single Working Moms, Deaf Working Parents and etc….
Im ready to sign off my PC for the rest of this day (today). Thanks so much for accepting my comment! Hugs, S
Jennifer said,
February 6, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Anna, thanks for the Lifeprint site…I’ve been over there this afternoon and it’s awesome…and DP, thanks so much for the mention!! *hugs*
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 6, 2008 at 3:49 pm
*smiles and hugs back* Welcome.
jodi said,
February 6, 2008 at 5:24 pm
…the support and feedback has been very positive and the ability of so many people to objectively discuss issues allows me to remain openminded. I have always wanted to learn the language, strange that it’s happening now. Thanks for your comments and interesting blogs…Jodi
kim said,
February 6, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Yep–Actually I’ve been learning ASL for awhile, but what you’ve all done for me is to help me accept where I’m at on this deafness path if that makes sense.
I understand D/deaf culture better and where I belong in the community. Before I joined DeafRead I wasn’t at all sure I belonged. Now I feel part of the community and that motivates me to care more about Deaf issues I didn’t previously recognize as relevant to my deaf experience. You’ve opened my eyes. I don’t feel I’m viewing the world the same way. This is a good thing. 
Soon I am bringing some late-deafened folks on board with DeafRead. I hope they’re welcomed. The late-deaf often don’t realize how deaf they are. They’re resistant to deafhood.
Embracing it is the only way to live with it. Thanks so much for what you’ve all done for me.
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 6, 2008 at 8:35 pm
*smiles* I’m glad you feel part of this community, because you are. All of you guys are.
Rini said,
February 7, 2008 at 1:00 am
Nice comments in all of this. I too, as a C.I user, am learning ASL basically on my own and through webcam with asl users. I am also helping in teaching my family to sign so that they can tell a bit of what they’re saying more clearly to me. peace!
Abbie said,
February 9, 2008 at 10:34 am
DP!
Thank you so much for your mentioning me! It is really fun to learn and I already have a couple people that I practice with to make sure what I just learned doesn’t go out of the window.
As for the AGBell situation, I’m neither a member or a supporter of their organization but I disagree with how poorly the letter was written. If the letter was written to the tune of, “I would like to work with Pepsi and EnAble to create another commercial,” I would have supported that.
Abbie
valerie said,
February 10, 2008 at 1:46 am
Thanks for pointing me out. I am trying and it is difficult. I hope to get better with alot of practice and trying not to read lips. It is a challenge but a good one.
Valerie