Book Review of Outcasts and Angels: The New Anthologogy of Deaf Characters in Literature by Edna Edith Sayers, Galluadet University Press (2012).

By Jean F. Andrews

CHOICE is a publication which reviews books for academic settings. This book appeared in the April 2013 issue of CHOICE.

Outcasts and angels: the new anthology of deaf characters in literature, ed. by Edna Edith Sayers. Gallaudet, 2012. 361p bibl afp ISBN 9781563685392 pbk, $35.00; ISBN 9781563685408 e-book, $35.00

 

Explaining Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects for deaf and hearing impaired children through an interpreter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fiction helps readers know and understand cultures other than their own in more empathetic and compassionate ways than informational nonfiction can’t accomplish. This anthology does just that. Edna Sayers (Professor of English at Gallaudet Univ.) gathered 32 short stories published from 1729 to 2009 that feature deaf characters. Through clever plotting and character creation, the authors of these stories reveal attitudes of hearing people toward sign language, the challenges and limitations of lip-reading, the difficulty of understanding deaf speech, and the infantilization of deaf people.

Edith Edna Sayers

Sayers notes that the only story in this anthology that advocates for signing is Joanne Greenberg‘s And Sarah Laughed. Sayers also offers writers a useful formula for what she calls a “nonexploitative treatment” of deaf characters in literature: there are at least two deaf characters in a story, these deaf characters converse with each other, and their topic of conversation is about something other than being deaf or the deaf community. This stimulating compilation of short stories with deaf characters will endear, enlighten, provoke, and amuse all readers. This book is highly recommended for undergraduates and graduate students; professionals; general readers.

Jean F. Andrews is a Reading Specialist and Professor of Deaf Studies/Deaf Education at Lamar University.

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When Will They Ever Learn…

By Jean F. Andrews

As The Crackerhead Crumbles

In their popular 1960’s folk song, Peter, Paul and Mary sing the ballad, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” In the ballad, is the echoing refrain, “When Will They Ever Learn,” that points a firm finger at a society engaged in the Viet Nam War, wondering sadly, Where have all the flowers, soldiers and graveyards gone?  This sweet refrain, can also be applied to the many police departments across the country in Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Colorado who repeatedly refuse to give deaf suspects and inmates sign language interpreters during questioning as well as during important events during the arrest and jail intake, processing, orientation and during needed educational and rehabilitation services. Consequently, across the country, police departments have repeated lost legal cases and have had to pay hefty settlements costing the tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Mary Travers’ obituary page. Examiner.com

There is an easy solution.

Simply make it the police department policy to do the following as recommended by the Department of Justice.

A police officer, upon discovering an individual is deaf, by law, must offer the individual an opportunity to request a sign language interpreter. One way the officer may do so is by providing the deaf individual with a visual representation (illustrated below) allowing the deaf individual to make a choice. It depicts the ADA recognized symbol for sign language and includes two hands signing “yes” and “no”. The deaf individual can select “yes” or “no” by pointing to, circling, or signing the choice.

Deaf individuals too would be wise to copy this visual and keep in their wallet in the event they are stopped by a policeman.

 

 

Jean F. Andrews is a Reading Specialist and Professor of Deaf Studies/Deaf Education at Lamar University.

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Two Quick Stories

By Joanne Greenberg

A lifetime of working with the Deaf has given me a wealth of great memories and stories to share. Here are 2 quick ones that come to mind.

Distance Learning Systems, RN Bridge Program

I was in the nursing home, watching deafened elders scratching spidery words on paper. Many of the words were unreadable. A group was sitting, silent and isolated, in chairs along the wall. Isolation in old-age is a terrible thing to bear, I thought. I got to a fragile old man, with whom I communicated, by howling into his ear.

“I have a gift for all of you!” I shouted. “I can come up here and teach you sign language. Even if you are slow, or have arthritic fingers, you will be able to communicate with one another.” He waved me away.

“We may be low,” he growled, “being here, but we’re not that low.”

Hearing Aid Use in Nursing Homes, Part 1: Prevalence Rates of Hearing Impairment and Hearing Aid Use

“Does that mean you’d rather be mute and isolated than use a beautiful and fluent language, to speak to one another?”

“Our dignity is all we have here,” he said, with a look of great distaste. “We don’t flap our hands around, gesturing.”

Before that conversation, I never would have believed that there was such a stigma connected with using Sign language. I thought the urge to speak and be understood could overcome any negative feelings about a strange manner of communication.

As America’s population ages, with people living longer than ever before, hearing loss is becoming more and more prevelent – and more problematic. Evidence now exists tying age related hearing loss to dementia. This story takes place back in the mid-Seventies. I know that acceptance of ASL has increased dramatically, and that’s great. But the language is still somewhat stigmatized, in particular among the elderly who struggle to come to grips with all the losses – physical and mental – that aging brings.

 ***

40 Cool Dogs Driving Cars

A Deaf girl was driving me to a class. She had asked me to interpret it, and we were on time. Suddenly, she signalled left, and pulled over to the side of the street. We waited. In a moment, I could hear a siren, but barely and far in the distance. Soon, the sound became louder, then stopped suddenly. Just as I was about to ask her, why she had pulled over, a fire truck – lights only – sped past us.

“Why did you pull over? I could barely hear that siren. And it stopped, well before the fire engine came by.”

Masterfile.com

“I saw all the people on the sidewalk, a few blocks back, and they all turned to see something coming,” she said. “It would have been either the fire or the police department – so naturally, I pulled over.”

We waited for a few moments, and then were on our way.

There are many forms of deafness. Some Deaf hear better than we do, but in a different frequency range. I have often heard stories of Deaf people hearing a crying baby or a siren, when no one else could. This however, represents a different skill set. This young woman had trained herself to pay attention to stimulus that we might ignore, knowing that what her ears couldn’t tell her, her eyes could. What matters here is not what she could see, but rather what additional information she could glean from what she saw. A valuable skill indeed.

Joanne Greenberg was born in 1932, in Brooklyn, NY. She was educated at American University and received and honorary Doctorate from Gallaudet University – the world’s only college for the Deaf. She has written 2 books on the subject and has spent decades working with state mental hospitals for appropriate care for the mentally ill Deaf.

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Booking, Medical/Psychological intake, and Classification: Why a Live Interpreter is Critical

By Jean F. Andrews

http://jeffco.us/sheriff/sheriff_T62_R121.htm

While it is commonly accepted to provide interpreters in court, deaf suspects and offenders still struggle to get sign interpreters for arrest, booking, medical/psychological intakes, classification, grievance committee meetings and for translation of the inmate handbook. Most vulnerable are hard of hearing persons who use sign language, and profoundly deaf persons with minimal social speech skills.

A dangerous trend seen in some police departments and jails is the use of video productions that are used in place of live interpreters. These videos are useful for review purposes but because they are not interactive, the video product does not allow the deaf person to ask questions to clarify misunderstandings. The videos give police and jail officials the false impression they are meeting ADA requirements. They are not. ADA is clear. The law mandates the Deaf person must have access to information in the same manner as a hearing person. So slick videos, charades and gestures with jail and police officers speaking slowly do not meet the letter of the law.

Yeah, I don’t think this’ll do ‘er. (BitcoDavid)
http://lordbassingtonbassington.blogspot.com/2012/02/satanic-influence-of-television.html

Granted, jails cannot provide sign interpreters 24/7, but they should be providing live sign language interpreters during times where interactive communication is critical – situations such as the booking, medical/psychological intake, classification and translation of the inmate handbook.

Police and jail officials can avoid costly lawsuits if they put in place policies that require live interpreters in these situations.

Jean F. Andrews is a Reading Specialist and Professor of Deaf Studies/Deaf Education at Lamar University.

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Rosenblum: Sign language supporter awaits White House response

By Jean F. Andrews

[Jean's note: This article was sent to me by Julie Evans, freelance writer.]

• Article by: GAIL ROSENBLUM
• Star Tribune (Minneapolis daily paper)
• January 21, 2013 – 8:47 PM

http://aslfor.us/about/

Adrean Clark insists she’s not an activist, just a hard-working mother who wants to right a wrong. That’s the best kind of activist in my book.

After several pleasant e-mail exchanges, I met Clark last week at a bakery, where we communicated by writing back and forth in her college-rule notebook. If the experience was tedious, the gracious Clark never let on, likely due to years of practice in patience.

Clark, 33, was born deaf to parents who believed that signing would forever lock their daughter into second-class status. So they pushed her to speak and didn’t seek out resources that would help them see American Sign Language (ASL) “as belonging to them, as part of our country’s values,” Clark said.

Clark pushed back in her gentle, focused way — all the way to the White House.

An example of a possible header for the prospective ASL Wikipedia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In November, Clark drafted a petition on the White House’s “We the People” website (petitions.whitehouse. gov) to recognize ASL as an official language, including in schools. Some states already allow students to take ASL as a language, but Clark hopes to broaden that option (and get schools to stop calling this homegrown language “foreign”).

She needed 25,000 signatures in 30 days to be taken seriously. She has nearly 32,000 signatures from Washington state to Washington, D.C. It’s an even more impressive feat after one peruses hundreds of petitions on topics from climate change to legalizing marijuana to firearms. Few come close to the support hers has drawn.

Clark is now awaiting a White House response, which a spokeswoman confirmed is coming. Clark knows she might get something like Thank you so much for your impressive effort instead of We’ll get right on it. But she’s thrilled to have tapped into a passion shared by a growing number of people, both deaf and hearing.

http://signstogether.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html

“This isn’t about me,” she insisted. “I just happened to hit on something the community needs.”

Clark “is big-hearted and idealistic,” said longtime friend and deaf activist Jeannette Johnson. “She isn’t really the type to be confrontational, but when she takes up a cause, she will commit fully to it.”

Johnson met Clark at Gallaudet University when they were freshmen, then reconnected through the deaf social-media world a few years ago. Together, they are creating a nonprofit organization called ASL for America (aslfor.us).

“ASL is the ‘in’ thing right now,” Johnson said, pointing to ABC Family‘s “Switched at Birth,” which features a main character who signs. Baby Sign is quickly becoming a cottage industry and signing also is helpful to people with Down syndrome and autism, she said.

http://nbclatino.com/2012/10/31/hurricane-sandys-sign-language-sweetheart-lydia-callis/

And during Hurricane Sandy, a surprising star arose — Lydia Callis, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s sign-language interpreter.

“It’s entering the public’s consciousness that ASL is more than just a pretty thing using your hands,” Johnson said. “It’s beautiful, expressive, complex and a ‘language.’ I think people are starting to understand that.”

Clark was born in North Carolina to parents who took the advice of experts and focused on speech and lipreading. But Clark came to breakfast in tears most mornings because she couldn’t communicate.

Her mother finally borrowed a book of signs and the two learned them together. “We’d sign ‘egg’ and ‘more’ and all the good things,” Clark said. “Breakfast became much more calm and positive after that.”

Yet, outside of that kitchen, Clark was discouraged from signing, and praised when she spoke or wrote English. “I wanted to fit in, so I felt embarrassed to sign in public,” she said.

All that changed in high school, when Clark attended the North Carolina School for the Deaf. Her best friend “was a complete ASL geek,” who introduced Clark to the signing styles of famous people, including Patrick Graybill, Clayton Valli, Ella Mae Lentz and Manny Hernandez.

http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/american-sign-language-gets-hands-220801.aspx

“It was a thrill to see the language come alive in their hands, and to feel a part of a unique linguistic community,” she said.

Those role models encouraged her to release her own creativity. Clark began cartooning and illustrating and is now the author of seven books, including “How to Write American Sign Language” (www.adreanaline.com).

Clark is married to John Lee Clark, an editor and writer of poetry who is deaf and blind. They live in Burnsville with their 13-year-old and 9-year-old twin boys, whom they home-school. The three boys are skilled at ASL, but they’re not the only people Clark is happy to teach.

The morning we met, a painter had stopped by the Clarks’ home. She taught him how to sign the word for “dry.”

“He picked it up quickly,” she said.

We all can, and Clark hopes we’ll consider it. “If every American learned ASL and English from birth,” she said, “imagine the amazing heights we could reach through our new linguistic powers.”

gail.rosenblum@startribune.com • 612-673-7350

Jean F. Andrews is a Reading Specialist and Professor of Deaf Studies/Deaf Education at Lamar University.

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How Cool is This!

By BitcoDavid

I received the following e-mail the other day.

http://onlinespeechpathologyprograms.net/

Hello David

I work for OnlineSpeechPathologyPrograms.net, a site that provides info on education and job opportunities for students in speech pathology and relevant fields.

Since American Sign Language and other forms of signed communication are so useful for speech pathologists, we thought it would be useful to our readers to explore some of the best sites on ASL, sign interpretation, and other forms of communication used by those with speech disabilities.

To that end, we’re compiling a list of the Best Sign Language Resources for Speech Pathologists, and deafinprison has been nominated for inclusion!

We’re still open for nominations, so if you know of another great sign language website that would be useful in a speech pathologist’s studies or career, please email me a link!

Warm Regards,

Erin

http://www.extravaganzi.com/orson-welles-citizen-kane-oscar-earns-861542-at-auction/

Well, you know it’s not the award, it’s the nomination – as they say. I’ll have to rent a tux. And there better be red M&Ms in the dressing room.

All kidding aside, I am pleased that they have seen our site, and that they chose it as one of their resources for students and professionals in the field of speech pathology.

If any of you can think of a site that they may also be interested in knowing about, feel free to send a link by clicking “here.”

Again, thank you OnlineSpeechPathologyPrograms.net for the recognition. We here at the massive DeafInPrison.com Plaza are all atwitter.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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An Excellent Video From DeafInc

By BitcoDavid

This video is geared towards Police officers to help them communicate with Deaf individuals. It is a wealth of valuable information for all of us however. It’s extremely well made, making use of split screen and P.O.V. shots. It’s fully captioned and narrated in ASL. Well worth the watch.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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DeafInPrison.com Celebrates its 200th Post!

Image credit – like ya gotta ask?

Deaf InPrison.com – The Sonny Liston of Blog Sites, has published 200 posts. I’m telling you, there were times I didn’t think we’d ever make it this far. A lot of people, a lot of support, and a ton of machinery have worked in concert to make us a reality.

I’m grateful to our phenomenal contributors, our awesome supporters and followers, WordPress and ImageWorks.

I’m also grateful to HEARD, SolitaryWatch and the slew of utterly amazing Blog sites – too many to mention – who have been so supportive and helpful to us. You know who you are, and if you don’t, just take a stroll down our sidebars.

View this document on Scribd

Sonny Liston (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Inclusion, Accessibility and Justice

 

Igor Sevcuk – Beyond Language 2002 (Photo credit: uair01)

I came home to find this posted on the DeafInPrison.com FaceBook page.

 

http://webhost.bridgew.edu/atwerskyglasner/inclusion.htm

 

Who I am:  Dr. Aviva Twersky Glasner, Ph.D. is a Criminal Justice Researcher and the proud mother of a deaf son.  My son goes to an ASL intensive school in Massachusetts, the Learning Center, and I have been learning sign language (I am still struggling) so that I can have conversations with him.  I have done extensive research and published in the area of deafness and the justice system and would like to hear from you.  The primary focus of this research is to learn about difficulties (if any) experienced as a result of the your deafness or other disability, making communication difficult.

they have embedded, a very compelling and interesting video. It is from YouTube, so captioning is available.

 

The site author goes on to ask the following of viewers,

 

1. Have you ever been stopped by a police officer?  If yes, why?
2. How did you communicate with the officer?  Was it difficult?
3. Did the officer get a sign language interpreter?
4. Have you ever been the victim of a crime or had reason to contact the police?
5. How did you communicate?  Was it difficult?
6. Have you had to interact with emergency service personnel, i.e. EMT’s or firefighters?
7. When interacting with either the police, EMT’s, firefighters or court personnel, did they ever say to you “read my lips?”
8. Did you request a sign language interpreter?  Did you get an interpreter?
9. Did any of these personnel try to enlist one of your family members or friends to act as an interpreter?

No log in links are provided, but the author has posted her e-mail at the bottom of the page.

 

 

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Blacks and Whites Use Different Sign

The September 18th edition of the Washington Post – Health & Science section reports that even in the language of the deaf, race makes a difference. This story by Frances Stead Sellers of the Washington Post:

Carolyn McCaskill remembers exactly when she discovered that she couldn’t understand white people. It was 1968, she was 15 years old, and she and nine other deaf black students had just enrolled in an integrated school for the deaf in Talledega, Ala.

When the teacher got up to address the class, McCaskill was lost.

Image courtesy of Washington Post

What intrigues McCaskill and other experts in deaf culture today is the degree to which distinct signing systems — one for whites and another for blacks — evolved and continue to coexist, even at Gallaudet University, where black and white students study and socialize together and where McCaskill is now a professor of deaf studies.

Full graphic from Washington Post

You can learn more by clicking on the following link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/sign-language-that-african-americans-use-is-different-from-that-of-whites/2012/09/17/2e897628-bbe2-11e1-8867-ecf6cb7935ef_story.html

 

 

 

Deaf Awareness Week – Day 3 PetFinder.com

This is Marlee. She’d give some lucky Human an awful lot of love.
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/10866056

PetFinder.com has set up a whole Web site devoted to finding homes for deaf dogs and cats, in celebration of Deaf Awareness Week. Page after page of wonderful, loving, rescue animals that need a little extra attention, because they’re deaf. Research has shown that teaching deaf dogs to follow basic Sign language commands isn’t difficult at all.

PetFinder. com is a huge organization, and I applaud them for using Deaf Awareness Week as an opportunity to help not only these wonderful and needy animals, but to help us as well. Deaf or hearing, there’s nothing in this world that can love you like a dog. These animals have 50 millennia of breeding specifically for that purpose – to love Humans.

I’m glad to help support them in this worthy cause – and at this most propitious of times.

“Milo”
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/9979382

The good news is that as I click through these links, I find a surprising number of animals that have already been adopted. So, although that means the pool is diminishing, it also means that these forgotten members of our society have been saved. And in the world of animal rescue, where there are far too few no-kill shelters, those dogs and cats that aren’t adopted quickly – are far too often, destroyed.

I have always been a supporter of PetFinder. com, but I really love the idea of having a drive to rescue deaf animals during Deaf Awareness Week. It speaks volumes as to the amount of heart this organization’s executives have.

Congratulations, PetFinder.com – DeafInPrison.com gives you two thumbs up.

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You Learn Lessons in Some Strange Places

I was at my endocrinologist‘s clinic this morning – wowing him with my stellar

Speak Out: Sign language interpretation (Photo credit: Grant Neufeld)

physicality – when an interesting exchange took place. It appears, that his patient immediately after me, required an interpreter. “Sign language?” I asked, obsessive individual that I’m known to be. “Nope, Spanish,” he said. “Problem is, they won’t wait – they’re such prima donnas,” he lamented.

He went on to tell me that that the interpreters and translators, employed by the hospital will stay as long as necessary when they’re actually doing their job, but they will only spend 15 minutes in the waiting room. “Then, they just up and split. They don’t care that we may have a problem case that’s holding up everybody else. They don’t get how hard it is, being a doctor, I guess.”

“No,” says I. “That’s not it at all. It’s the hospital itself. The bean counters upstairs feel that if an interpreter is sitting on her fundament in the waiting room, she’s not earning her pay. I’ll bet you anything they’re told they won’t be paid for time not actually interpreting.”

I went to the U.S. Department of Labor site, and found this link:

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Media-and-Communication/Interpreters-and-translators.htm

Two sign language interpreters working together as a team for a student association meeting. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

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Hunter Spanjer, 3-Year-Old Deaf Boy, Told By Preschool To Change Way He Signs His Name (VIDEO) – From Huffington Post

Hunter Spanjer signing his name — threatening or not?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/hunter-spanjer-3-year-old_n_1836159.html#slide=more245952

This story originally appeared in the Huffington Post, and was brought to my attention by HEARD. The article contains a video which is not captioned, but you can read the story as well.

In a move blasted by rights groups, a 3-year-old-deaf boy has been told by his Nebraska school district to change the way he signs his name because the gesture resembles shooting a gun.

Apparently, the boy’s name in Sign looks somehow similar to a weapon – although I can’t quite imagine how.

Hunter Spanjer uses the standard S.E.E., Signing Exact English. He crosses his index and middle fingers and waves them slightly to signify his name. And, Grand Island Public Schools‘ policy forbids any “instrument” that “looks like a weapon,” reported NCN.

You can read the rest of this story at Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/hunter-spanjer-3-year-old_n_1836159.html#slide=more245952

Learning sign language (Photo credit: daveynin)

 

 

Related articles

• Furor arises over deaf boy’s name sign, which looks like a gun (omaha.com)
• Nebraska family, school at odds over deaf boy’s ‘gun-like’ sign language name (educationviews.org)
• School Board Victimizes 3-Year-Old Deaf Boy (personalliberty.com)
• Why Can’t This Young Boy Sign His Name at School? (lipreadingmom.com)

A Brief Update

Logo for Thousand Kites, a non-profit organization aimed at prison reform. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After quite some time, we are finally in a correspondence with Thousand Kites Campaign: Justice Silenced. They publish videos about prison reform and discrimination against the Deaf. I’m in the process of getting them to release some of those videos to us for captioning and publication here on DeafInPrison.com.

Pat Bliss’s 22nd chapter of the story of Felix Garcia’s arrest, trial and eventual conviction is finally up on Bliss-2. This is the definitive story of the trial of a Deaf man who has spent the last 30-odd years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Look for this image anywhere on our site, and you will find links to the latest news and blog posts from around the Web.
Image: Creative Commons License.

You may have noticed that we’ve added a number of RSS feeds in both our left and right sidebar columns. These feeds will provide the latest links from a number of news services and resources that we think you may be interested in. Please click on some of these links while browsing our site.

The 6th installment of our video interview with Felix Garcia is up now. There are 2 installments left in the series, and they will be coming on line over the next couple of weeks. In this installment, Felix talks about communication issues between the hearing and the Deaf. He gives us some insight into the linguistic differences between Sign and spoken English. He also talks about his self taught computer skills – and about his trial.

Pat Bliss and I are working on getting a letter up on the site that will tie into an automated mailing to members of the Florida Cabinet, regarding Felix’s release.

Chart showing prison population in selected countries of the world per 100,000 population Data taken from World Prison Population List (eighth edition) by Roy Walmsley International Centre for Prison Studies, King’s College, London, 2008 Value for China includes 850,000 held in administrative custody (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HEARD – an organization we have a deep and abiding respect for – is working on a similar letter campaign, and if possible, we will try and tie the two projects together. Also, HEARD has honored me with an administration position on their FaceBook page. Posts on our site should start appearing on their page just as soon as all this broken code starts doing what it’s supposed to do.

Here’s a closing pic for you.

Johnny Cash was a huge advocate of prison reform. As well as performing at some of America’s most notorious prisons, Cash advocated prison reform at his July 1972 meeting with United States President Richard Nixon. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles

• A Letter From Felix Garcia to HEARD (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• Finally! Felix #6 is Up! (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• Miranda, Hearing Juveniles and Deaf Juvenile Offenders (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• What I Learned from a (Deaf) Baseball Player – From Lipreading Mom (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• Could Taylor Swift End Up Performing For Deaf Audience? (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• More News from HEARD (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• Reading Levels and the Jail Medical Psychological Intake Form (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• Deaf Three-Year-Old Not Allowed to Sign His Name Because It Violates Preschool’s Weapons Policy [Video] (gawker.com)
• What I Learned from a (Deaf) Baseball Player (lipreadingmom.com)
• After a Break; Felix Part Five (deafinprison.wordpress.com)

Reading Levels and the Jail Medical Psychological Intake Form

This is the internationally recognized symbol for accessibility (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The majority of deaf adults cannot read the jail/prison medical/intake form without the aid of a certified sign language interpreter. However, rarely do jails and prison provide deaf inmates with interpreters. This can and does result in human tragedy.

The medical/psychological intake form is a one-page form that is given to the inmate during the booking or intake process when the individual is jailed. In our research using a computerized readability program, this form was found to be written at the 9.5 reading grade level. This means that a hearing student in the 5th month of the ninth grade could read it.

In fact, the average reading grade level of deaf adults is at the third to fourth grade level so it is impossible for them to read this document. Part of the problem is that the document is filled with complex grammar structures and complex vocabulary such as monitoring, medication, disabled, aggressive, suicidal, allergic reactions, depression, substance abuse. The criminal justice system should be providing a qualified sign language interpreter during this segment of the jail intake procedures because of the importance of getting accurate information and the life-threatening consequences .

On the form, there are typically two parts: In Part one, the form details the inmates’ medical history. For instance, the inmate will be asked to answer questions related to family medical history, any major surgeries recently have, any history of heart attack, diabetes, or high blood pressure, the types of medication currently taking, dosage and frequency of medication and the kinds of allergies the inmate may have. Other questions relate to history of alcohol, tobacco and drug use.

Prison 2 (Photo credit: planetschwa)

A second section relates to psychiatric history. The inmates are asked to answer questions related to any history of a mental health disorder, history of depression, any attempts at suicide, or have they been treated for a substance abuse in a treatment facility. The inmates must read a final statement saying they understood everything on this questionnaire and sign it with their name.
In one recent case, in a western state, a deaf man in a city jail was not provided an interpreter when shown the medical/psychiatric intake form. He smiled and nodded when the deputy checked off the yes or no boxes. The deputy assumed that the deaf inmate understood what he was being asked. The deputy also assumed that lipreading and reading were effective communication modes for this deaf man. The deaf inmate was placed in a cell apart from the hearing inmates because the jail officials assumed it would be safer for him.
The deaf inmate hung himself in his cell.

This human tragedy and blatant defiance of the jail/prison officials against the Americans with Disabilities Act point to the need for jails and prisons to have policies that mandate the use of certified sign language interpreters for signing deaf persons during the booking and medical/intake process.

Deafinitely Theatre

Deafinitely Theatre is a British theater group that utilizes Deaf actors and crews to put on plays in Sign. Here’s what they say about themselves on their own Web site.

Deafinitely Theatre was set up in 2002 by Artistic Director Paula Garfield with Kate Furby and Steven Webb.

We are an independent, professional Deaf-led company.
Our productions are made from a Deaf perspective and aim to empower Deaf culture, identity and pride locally, nationally and internationally.

We create productions in British Sign Language (BSL) and English, which can be understood by everyone and yet retain BSL as the leading language throughout, on and off stage.

With a great lack of Deaf Theatre and millions of Deaf people worldwide, we aim to provide a stage for untold Deaf stories, reflecting and exploring Deaf culture by bringing it front stage.

Deafinitely Theatre aims to build a bridge between Deaf and hearing worlds by showing plays to both groups as one audience. Our plays set out to correct the misconceptions about the Deaf world – as well as correcting Deaf peoples’ misconception of the hearing world.

Here’s the Contact information:

Deafinitely Theatre
Unit 20
Deane House Studios
27 Greenwood Place
London NW5 1LB

Tel: 020 7424 7360.

(Images courtesy of Deafinitely Theatre.)

 

Not Everything is Captioned

An Old Philco Predicta TV. This was the iPad of its day. Image courtesy of http://antiqueradio.org/philc12.htm

Sometime ago, a Deaf friend asked me to interpret the 10:00 News. Captioning doesn’t always work with live TV feeds from on scene reporters, so I was glad to comply.

“All of it,” she said.

“Sure.”

First, was a statement that the President said the country was on an even keel. Things were improving. This was said by the reporter, whose name was featured.

“Who is saying that, the President or the reporter?”

Then the President said the same thing.

“Huh?” my friend said.

“Shut up,” I said sweetly. Next the head of a citizens group in Chicago stated that the President is completely wrong. Things are not getting better, they’re getting worse. This was said by another reporter. Then we saw the citizen’s group representative saying the same thing.

“He said the same thing. How do we know who is right, and on what basis is their estimate made?”

“Shut up,” I said cheerily. Then we had commercials, which I interpreted.

“Ridiculous” she said.

Then, a report of a fire, a couple of hit and runs and a drive by shooting. More commercials. The weather – self explanatory. Lastly, a reporter told us, that he was speaking from the gold reserve center at Fort Knox, Kentucky. If the drain of gold leaving the United States isn’t stopped in 3 days, the country will be left with huge gold deficits which would result in an immediate crisis.

“Oh my goodness!” cried my friend. “How could this terrible thing have happened? Won’t the government marshall all its powers to stop this – what a crisis!”

“Crisis, nothing” I said, and I turned off the set. “We get crises every evening. I never heard of this one before – and I know I’ll never hear it again. Choose your cataclysm. But, you wanted the news that hearing people get – and you got it.”

“But it doesn’t make any sense.”

“That’s why they call it the boob tube.”

“But…”

“Shut up,” I said, “and drink your brandy.”

The One Lovely Blog Award

August 1, 2012

I received a message recently, nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award by Marsha Graham of iPhonePhotoMaven at http://iphonephotomaven.wordpress.com/awards/#comment-410. (She publishes several other blogs – her fingers are bleeding on the keyboard.)

Thank you, Marsha, for your nomination. I’m glad you enjoy DeafInPrison.com.  We work hard at presenting news and information regarding the issue of Deaf incarceration, in an interesting and enjoyable format. Accepting this award is an honor, and a great opportunity to mention some of the blogs that have had an influence on us.

There are five guidelines for accepting this award:

Link back to the blogger who nominated you.

1. Paste the award image on your blog, anywhere.
2. Tell seven facts about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award.
4. Contact the bloggers that you have chosen to let them know that they have been nominated.

Seven facts about me: (Since I’m the editor/administrator for this blog, but neither the site owner – publisher, nor the sole content creator, I feel it necessary to share some of the wealth.)

1. When I’m not blogging, I’m a pro-am boxer. That is to say that although I don’t make money fighting for purses, I train like a pro – 12 round fights at 3 minutes a round. I fight once a week, and spend about 2 hours a day training.

2. DeafInPrison.com is the brainchild of Joanne Greenberg from an impetus by McCay Vernon. Dr. Vernon was looking to co-author a book on the subject, but Ms. Greenberg convinced him of the advantages of an online approach.

3.  My Gravatar is Jack.  Jack is a Chow-Lab mix. He was born to a dog-fighting ring in Georgia, and due to his lack of size was unceremoniously left by the side of the road with his mother and siblings. His mother was hit and killed by a passing car, and the rescue organization – Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue – found him, starving and afraid – suckling at her corpse. They sent him up to Northeast Animal Shelter – a no kill shelter – in Salem, MA.

4. If you’ve been watching our video series, Felix Garcia in His Own Words, you’ve undoubtedly been impressed by the job done by our wonderful interpreter. Here’s something I didn’t know about ASL interpreting. In this world of self-promotion and overnight Internet fame – the ASL interpreter views her work in somewhat the same light, as does a doctor or a priest. That is to say that they want to keep their names out of the public view, and maintain a confidentiality regarding their clients.

5. I have lived many past lives. I’ve been an audio-video engineer, a computer engineer, a rock and roll soundman, a cabbie, a truck driver and numerous things that are a lot less pride-worthy. Most recently, however, I was a Diabetic. I was obese – at a body fat percentage of over 30%, and I almost died of Diabetic shock before my diagnosis. I have beaten the disease, using diet and exercise. My blood work has been that of a non-Diabetic for the last 3 years, and I’ve been off any medication. Doctors generally view this as impossible.

6. Not all Sign is ASL. Apparently, in Guatemala the Deaf speak Lensegua. Some quick research reveals that just about every country has a unique version of Sign language. There is also a Lingua Franca version called International Sign, and another American form called Signed Exact English. ASL however, is the big dog in the tall grass. It’s the 4^th most commonly spoken language in the World.

7. DeafInPrison.com is constantly seeking content. We need to hear from anyone who’s Deaf and has been – or is currently – incarcerated or has interacted with Law Enforcement. Conversely, we need to hear from those on the other side of the glass, so to speak. If you are a Corrections Officer or Police Officer who has interacted with the Deaf, please contact us. This is extremely important. We want nothing more than to tell this story fairly, and with both sides represented.

————————————-

The next part of the award is nominating other bloggers:

1. Improving Police

http://improvingpolice.wordpress.com/  A blog site by a former Police commissioner, who works to improve the way policing is done.

2. Nanoy Manga

http://nonoymanga.wordpress.com/ Teaches the art of Manga, and religiously follows DeafInPrison.com. I can always count on a “Like” from him, and that earns my gratitude.

3. Lipreading Mom

http://lipreadingmom.com/ A blogger – and actual real life writer – discusses what raising hearing children is like for a HoH individual.

4. MadMike’s America

http://madmikesamerica.com/ My mentor and inspiration. They have an army of contributors, post like a Colorado wild fire, and have a vast readership. If DeafInPrison.com ever becomes even 1/10^th as huge – I can die and go to Heaven.

5. Law Office of Marsha Graham

http://attorneygraham.com/ One of Ms. Graham’s many blogs. All this and a working attorney. Where does she find the time?

6. Another Boomer Blog

http://anotherboomerblog.wordpress.com/ - This too, is a Marsha Graham blog. Her support for the DeafInPrison.com project has been invaluable, and if it were up to me, she’d win her own special award.

7. Ricky’s Medical Blog

http://rickysmedicalblog.wordpress.com/As mentioned above, I like to climb into a ring with a 200 pound bone-breaker and throw it around. So, dare I say it – I’m pretty buff. Well, this guy makes me look like the proverbial 90 pound weakling. He’s also a doctor, a personal trainer and a behavioral scientist. His articles are factual and informative – and they deal in science – not rumor, mythology or urban legend.

8. Prisonmovement’s Weblog

http://prisonmovement.wordpress.com/ One of the sites that I consider a sister site to DeafInPrison.com. We commonly reblog each other, and their cause is much in sync with our own. A great site, and one that I’m proud to associate myself with.

9. Terpshands

http://terpshands.wordpress.com/ One area, which DeafInPrison.com concerns itself with, is ASL interpretation. The need for qualified interpreters is great. Terpshands is such an interpreter.

10. CrimeDime

http://crimedime.com/ Mentioning CrimeDime here is as much an honor as it is a pleasure. They too, are what I consider a sister site to our own, but they’ve been of immeasurable help to me in starting DeafInPrison.com. They interviewed me, and published it as a four part series. My head still won’t fit through my front door. I’ve said this before, but CrimeDime – you guys are the bomb!

11. iPhonePhotoBlogging

http://iphonephotomaven.wordpress.com/ So, along with all her other talents, Marsha Graham is also a photographer. And just to make matters more challenging, she creates all this beautiful work with an iPhone.

12. Ellexa Press LLC

http://www.ellexapress.com/ Not exactly a blog site, per se, but the home of one of DeafInPrison.com’s favorite interpreters.

13. H.E.A.R.D.

http://www.behearddc.org/ Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf. Again, not necessarily a blog site, but they’ve been relentless in both their fight to aid Deaf prisoners, and in their support of DeafInPrison.com.

14. Blog Catalog

http://www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/deafinprison-1 This is a blog site aggregator. Once listed on here, they help promote your blog. It’s kind of like the Zagat guide for bloggers. Civilians can go here to read reviews and ratings of your blog.

15. Solitary Watch

http://solitarywatch.com/ The Web site of Jim Ridgeway. He’s the journalist who interviewed Felix Garcia in prison, from which we’ve made our hugely successful video series. Mr. Ridgeway has worked for prison reform and the abolishment of solitary confinement – for many years.

A Radio for the Deaf

[It's a rare pleasure to get some good news from a Deaf prisoner, and this letter is one example. As I write Felix Garcia's story, I thought I would like to share this letter from him, with you - our readers.

Pat Bliss]

Image Courtesy Pat Bliss

4-12-11

Ms. Patricia Bliss

Hello Mom! Yesterday they called me to the property room and gave me my special radio and a letter from you. It was the day before yesterday that I called you on the phone. Wow Mom. The radio works great with this new hearing aid. Right now I have several Christian stations in preset. I have 88.9, 94.5, 91.5 and 89.7. And they’re great. I sing in Sign language. I can’t understand all the words but Mom this is great. I love it so much. It’s the hearing aids that made the difference. I can see now with a very strong set of hearing aids I can do almost anything. I let all the other Deaf try out the system using my new hearing aid and they were shocked on how strong this new hearing aid is. The radio does not work on any of their hearing aids except for one guy which shocked me also. I still have my old hearing aid and it works with that one but nothing like this new one. It still does not work with the T.V. and that’s because there is something wrong with the T.V. or the box but I get Christian stations and Christian songs. Yeah!!!!!

This morning I did a Bible study at 5 in the morning on 88.9 called Weapon of Praise, Psalm 9:1-3 and 2 chronicles 20:1-22. It was great. The Lord has truly blessed me this day. What other Christian music can I get? Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy,

Oh, I like this song that’s on now. It’s called “When I’m Alone with You.” {Calling me away when I’m alone with you – your glory shines, when I’m running again – all I have is you – you break this heart of stone}.

Image courtesy Pat Bliss

God, Mom. It feels so good to hear Christian music again. I love God so much. It’s my way of singing to Him. I cry out in songs with Signing. He loves us Mom, God is good. He really watches out for us. I just want to be around Him so much. Music, music, music. I’m so happy. This morning I prayed – for Jesus to wrap me up in this music and hide me. I slept so good last night.

He will make all things new, as we wait, as we watch, come because he is calling you. Just now I looked at the guy and said wake up. God loves you, and tomorrow is not promised, don’t miss out on the truth. Don’t let it pass you by. You may not get another chance. From the beginning of time, God has reigned and there is no other. Don’t be fooled by a false God. You owe it to yourself. Jesus is the only way. Be a rising star on the winning team. Look around you at this horrible place. Now look out that window at God’s creation, a lizard, a butterfly, the trees and the sky. God is good – all the time.

Happy Mother’s Day

Mom

I love you

Your Son

[Letter transcribed by BitcoDavid]

Go Directly to Jail

Jail Cell at Alcatraz. Image courtesy of Wikipedia

 

Being an ex-con is hard enough.

Many of the educational opportunities available to people in prison are not available to the deaf inmate. We hear of men graduating high school and even of completing college by taking advantage of the volunteer-run programs that tutor and teach.I know three people who conduct such programs as well as programs for simple pleasure and improvement – poets in prison, being one.  In our federal and state institutions the deaf stand outside the options provided for help and training.  Unless members of the deaf  support world stand up to help, these programs and others will never be available to the deaf prisoner.

Education may be the brightest hope prisoners have and a hand extended to help might be of great advantage in the lives of deaf prisoners in and out of the correctional system. Being an ex-con is hard enough.  The social cost is already great. I’m not trying to appeal to professional interpreters, but to people in the larger deaf community who know Sign–sisters, brothers, friends.  If you want to do something good, go to jail, go to prison.  If my Sign weren’t so lousy, I’d be there, myself.