Would you mind me asking you a question that is not about the ########? You do not need to answer if you do not wish to and I will understand.
While researching, I saw that you were removed from a deaf community for suggesting a cochlear implant for an infant. Are cochlear implants an insult to the deaf community? If so is it cultural or do the implants in some way harm the patient?
Again forgive me, as a hearing person, for asking what sounds like an ignorant question and you need not respond.
Thanks again for your input on the ########!
-----------------
Below is my response to the question above by the reporter.
-----------------
First of all the "deaf community" that you heard said that I was removed from them is only the tiny 1.2% of the entire class, the hardcore signers subclass. I was never part of that community since I grew up orally. I am part of the 98.8 of the subclass that is the non-signing subclass known as the "hard of hearing" and the "oral deaf" and I can still be called "deaf" and be positioned as a deaf representative.
And 85% of these signers have no jobs and have a lot of time on their hands to make a lot of noise through their videophones and on the internet about me and other similar leaders like me.
I have been on the UCI's Patient Advocacy Council for almost a decade and am one of the proud fellers who saw the development of UCI's Cochlear Implant Center from the drawing board all the way to its implementation at the UCI's hospital. Also we look into new technology for restoring hearing loss. I am a proud owner of a small yet highly influential website that encourages cochlear implants http://www.tinyurl.com/deafbabies and its heavily despised by the "signer" subclass. Deaf babies getting the implants would live better lives that includes better opportunities and better possibilities to be contributors to society than a drain on them like most of the signers already are.
The people who say that I've been removed from the deaf community are the ones that are being phased out from society as we speak through a number of societal, notably the governmental, and most notably the educational facets such as what happened at recent EHDI conference, and the Indiana School for the Deaf. The land they, the signing deaf, can stand on as their own has been getting smaller and smaller every year.
And just 5 days ago, Ryan Commerson, the man who started all the rage parades against people like me and other oral deaf leaders beginning in 2006, released a youtube video admitting that doing so was a grave mistake. He saw all the things going against the deaf community signers and decided its time to admit it was all a mistake "Reflections on Injustice: Gallaudet Protest 2006" it all began there and spread out.
Soon are the people going to be taking back the negative stuff they said about me and other deaf leaders who will be seeing the light at the end of their tunnels.
I'm glad you asked me this because I happen to be standing in a winning position of this long evolution of the deaf society which had been nothing short of a brutal war.
Richard
--------------
Now the signing deaf leadership needs a new radar!
No comments:
Post a Comment