Deborah Kendrick commentary relating to disabled

Mall of America's branch of Abercrombie & Fitch's case and I like & agree with her commentary: Disabled just want to fit in, and the rest of us can help

Millions among our vast minority dubbed "disabled" have acquired the status with conditions that cannot be seen. Diabetes, dyslexia, asthma, hearing impairments or bipolar disorder are not readily apparent conditions, but they are disabilities. People who have these disabilities -- as well those within the minority whose disabilities are visible -- long for nothing so much as to just fit in. None of them should be required to wear a placard announcing their difference and, if they or their caregivers can articulate a disability-related need when it arises, the not-yet-disabled among us should learn to tune in and catch on.

I am not completely deaf and sometimes.........

I have a hard time communicating tough issues over the phone as a customer with businesses. I don't have a TDD and tried working with them via computer but their staff are not the people I need to talk to. They use staff who are not familiar with business issues to communicate the issues to key staff which frustrates the communication more. That delays more which costs more.

So I have my wife who is hearing who deals with the telephone conservations. Sometimes, they won't talk to my wife simply because she is not "Jim" and my wife explains that she is like a relay operator but better. Most of the time they work but some business won't accept her.

How can businesses deal with the needs that hearing impaired people have? There is an awful lot that they can do in configuring those to make communication easier and better, and they do not do that. Not enough attention is paid to that and, as a result, they are struggling to communicate in environments that their best friend would not want to impose on them. They don't treat their customers as their best friends.

We want something that meets our need, and we want it to meet it now. We do not want to wait for months to solve that problem; we want to do it now. Because if you have to wait, they will cause us to lose our motivation, and it makes things much more difficult and at the end, the businesses wins while the deaf/hearing impaired customers loses while waiting to find communication solutions to solve the actual issue.

Discrimination: Two Cases in Ohio

I believe the laws were mostly useful for raising the level of awareness and consciousness. However, the aging and disability rights movements are still educating people about the structural and attitudinal barriers in the United States and similar industrialized countries that are the fundamental cause for the discrimination and oppression faced by many people. We must remove physical, emotional and spiritual barriers that are often discriminates.

Case # 1: Woman wins ageism lawsuit Hotel worker who was replaced by younger women to get $420,000, Charlotte Thomas, who was 67 when she was fired by the Marriott Courtyard Hotel.

Case # 2: The state law banning discrimination against pregnant women does not protect new mothers who take unauthorized breaks to use a breast pump, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled yesterday. LaNisa Allen, then 35, was fired in August 2005 by the outerwear manufacturer Totes/Isotoner in West Chester after a supervisor caught her pumping milk during her scheduled work time.

Survey: The Hot Issue: Do you think the woman who took unauthorized breaks to use a breast pump should have been fired?

Deaf Culture and Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell's influences of audism is still effective even today through his organization. I have been watching many of the wording of AG Bell's promotion of their organization. I can see they are not accepting deaf culture as fact of life. My main issues is Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing's (AGBell's) negative attitude towards the Deaf culture in general.

Audism basically means those who discriminate or stereotyping against Deaf culture. Audism means a system of practice, behavior, belief, or attitude. Stereotypes, biases, and misconceptions leap into one’s mind. Stereotyping has created by showing incorrect judgment of a possibility by making people into stereotypes that leads to myths. Nowadays, it is hard to tell the difference but I believe that with today's technology and disability discrimination laws that are out there, there should not be any ignorance. My only conclusion is that people are doing audism rather than being ignorant.

Alexander Graham Bell had helped banning deaf people getting married. His reason was he thought deaf people are growing becoming a race with the language that is not graceful for him. He thought preventing deaf people getting married would prevent from deaf people growing. His opinion was deaf people need be fixed and speak only that would help them better life. deaf people suffered oppression by Alexander's ignorant and audism for 120 years.

Audism is a negative or oppressive attitude towards deaf people by either deaf or hearing people and organizations, and a failure to accept deaf culture, one example would be the refusal or failure to use sign language in the presence of a sign language-dependent person is considered audism. We must remember that the Deaf culture is based on the heritage and traditions of the Deaf community, not about deafness itself. We are to treat all deaf individuals equal opportunity to understand all aspects of the deaf community, culture and education. This is really about about non-culturally Deaf people learning to accept Deaf culture & language without judgments.

What we should do is have diplomacy to have all organizations who work with deaf individuals be united that we all get together in alliance to accept all aspects of deafness.

Some 22 members of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Mets fans have marked Opening Day at Citi Field with a pregame protest over the nearby subway station.

Audism, Struggles and Growth

Audism basically means those who discriminate or stereotyping against Deaf culture or hearing-impaired individuals. Audism means a system of practice, behavior, belief, or attitude. In the deaf culture, calling someone an audist is akin to calling someone a racist. People who have audist attutides are considered to be audists. Many of us are sharing our insights from our first-hand experiences with deafness. Often when we think of the disabled, we often think only of those who are in wheelchairs or are otherwise, visible physically impaired. However, the word can also refer to the deaf community, though many deaf persons do not consider themselves to be disabled. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Mostly, we deal with socially and professionally disabled more than deafness.

Many disability obstacles such as discrimination, attitudes, ignorance, stereotyping, or alienation are still around by all of us whether we realized them or not. Stereotypes, biases, and misconceptions leap into one’s mind. Stereotyping has created by showing incorrect judgment of a possibility by making people into stereotypes that leads to myths. Audism, like racism and sexism, is discrimination against deaf and hearing-impaired individuals. However, I do acknowledge that there is a significant difference between ignorance and audism. Nowadays, it is hard to tell the difference but I believe that with today's technology and disability discrimination laws that are out there, there should not be any ignorance. My only conclusion is that people are doing audism rather than being ignorant.

In spirit, the purpose of Christianity with disabilities is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life. Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”

A Christian who is rooted deeply and very fruitful, who concentrates on the eternal root system of his or her life is going to bear fruit upward, but if he or she concentrates on the eye-appealing temporal things, he or she may end up a rootless failure. A person who is elated by success and is cast down by failure is still a carnal Christian. At best, his or her fruit will have a worm in it. God's timing is infallible. He takes every factor and contingency into account. We often want to pluck unripe fruit, but He will not be pressured into premature action. A mature Christian disciple will not stumble because of apparently unanswered prayer. A mature Christian disciple will not, however, adopt a fatalistic attitude when he or she examine his or her prayers and seek to discover the cause of failure.

Jesus said in John 15:1-2, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more." With the Holy Spirit and love, we can and will walk in the Spirit because Christ produces the fruit in us through His GRACE. In "the sufficiency of God’s grace" in the worst of human circumstances is that when a person is weak in a temporal sense while the person is strong spiritually by God's Grace in eternal sense.

Jesus also said in John 15:5, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." Carlo Carretto explained it nicely, “We are the wire, God is the current. Our only power is to let the current pass through us”. We must remember that we are still in the flesh even though we have Christ in us. It is the Holy Spirit's conviction that God’s design for us is to be radically transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2) Our hope for this radical transformation is by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13). With the Holy Spirit and love, I will walk in the Spirit, Christ produces the fruit. It is Christ through the Holy Spirit produces power, love, sound mind through us. Christ helps us. Without Christ, we are nothing. Our faith is not in our works. Our faith is the generator of our works. Faith produces works. Works reveal faith or the lack of it. Being is expressed in doing. Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, without the Holy Spirit, we can't have faith and without the Holy Spirit, we can't be spiritual. Faith will express itself in faith deeds not just words alone. Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

In my own experiences, God lead me to what I call "coincidences" in my life which perhaps God will make sure that His wills will be done at His right time and place. God will yet have His way while at the same time, as responsible forgiven sinner, I also must make my choices in any situations I may face. Often I make decisions when I think that they are part of God's will however, circumstances will make me change directions. Someone has said “Life is God’s novel. Let Him write it.” (Isaac Bashevis Singer). My life is like a pencil in God’s hand, He does the writing and the pencil has nothing to do with God’s writing. We often try to alter our circumstances to satisfy ourselves, instead of letting God alter us. God does not desire to destroy our will, but to sanctify “our will into His will”.

The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident: they may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God. We are to allow the Holy Spirit do what He will through us and see what He does with us. God tests His real disciples more severely than lukewarm ones.

True life is:
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 20:24, Proverbs 21:1, Jeremiah 10:23, Romans 8:28-29, Matthew 10:29-30)

Our faith should recognize the fact that God is in control of our lives. Whether we believe it or not, it's a fact that God is in control of the world. If we don't believe it, we are just robbing ourselves of the enjoyment of the fact.

Judge me all you want, just keep the verdict to yourself

My wake-up call about my life, my marriage and my future occurred in between 2002 and 2003 during the time I was struggling and dealing my life-changing illness. I always love "history". What is "true maturity"? Maturity means acting responsibly; it means learning from my mistakes and trying not to make the same ones over again. Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way.

Learning the hard way. Is there a difference between a rumor and a piece of gossip? A rumor is a piece of information or a story that has not been verified, meaning that the person telling it doesn’t know if it’s true or false. A rumor might be true, it might be partially true and partially made up, or it might be totally made up. Unless somebody can definitely say that a story is real or fake, it will stay a rumor.

Never make a defense or an apology until you are accused. ~King Charles I

If I wronged a special friend and I want to fix it but unable due to avoidance. Obviously, my human heart is very selfish. My heart is the source of my emotions, thoughts and motives. My heart is the place of conscience. My heart is the part of my being where I desire, deliberate, and decide. I have faults like everyone else. When confronted, I will repent and ask for forgiveness. When I am not confronted and rumors are going around, then I am unable to defend myself from exaggerations (false rumors).

I have learned over the years that Christ's definition of Beatitudes (Matthew 5) contradicts Flesh's (the world’s) definition of happiness.

There are people so addicted to exaggeration they can't tell the truth without lying. ~Josh Billings

Man is inclined to exaggerate almost everything - except his own mistakes. ~Author Unknown

Private matters from someone who knows the details of one person's situation, and then speaking those things to others when a person should not do so. If there are past hurts, or unresolved conflicts, keep them to yourselves unless you confront the accused and have your story verified.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting. ~William Arthur Ward

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. ~Paul Boese
It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. ~William Blake, Jerusalem

Without forgiveness life is governed by... an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation. ~Roberto Assagioli

World of Ignorance

What does it really mean? World of ignorance. We know we can maintain our integrity only by admitting our ignorance; and that very ignorance will encourage us to search for better understanding carefully.

The author who wrote about Hellen Keller explained Hellen's struggled in this world for her as a deaf and blind individual who was trying to live her life in this world. In this world, Judgemental is one of many obstacles that many with Disabled have faced over the years such as discrimination, attitudes and especially, ignorance.

Another issue is bias. Bias is a term used to describe a tendency or preference towards a particular perspective and ideology. A bias could lead one to accept or deny the truth that is often very "one-sided" while ignoring the other.

What is this thing called knowledge anyway? What is this thing called ignorance? Can we know anything with one hundred percent certainty?

This quote come to mind:

The pleasures of ignorance are as great, in their way, as the pleasures of knowledge. ~Aldous Huxley

And this quote:

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. ~William G. McAdoo

Our society is saturated with ignorance. I like this quote, It is a mistake always to contemplate the good and ignore the evil, because by making people neglectful it lets in disaster. There is a dangerous optimism of ignorance and indifference. Helen Keller

Helen Keller was a pioneer of education for the deaf and blind and an open advocate for women's rights. She is best known for overcoming her own challenges with being deaf and blind and advocating better educational and working conditions for the seeing and hearing disabled. She even received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work on educational and working rights for the deaf and blind around the world. Her name and likeness repeatedly crop up in everything from children's picture books to episodes of South Park. Banal jokes about Keller and her disabilities are common among schoolchildren and on the Internet.

With ALL disabilities, the world is full of ignorance and only handful of the world truly understands what people with disabilities really go through in their lives.

Karen and Steak 'n Shake

Karen who I have nominated for Gratitude with Attitude Award is still not getting answers from Steak 'n Shake which you can read more about it in Disaboom.

I won't be visiting Steak n Shake until the company do something about their situation for their customers with disabilities.

May is "Better Speech and Hearing Month"

I have been thinking of the comments regarding my post Disability Harassment
Some of the comments were:

When I was a kid, only the deaf kids at Mark Keppel school (ASL) bullied me while Field (oral) school deafies didn't.

Students never bullied a hearing aid user at Maryland School. It was at Gallaudet when the user experienced the first ridicule and was asked, "Why hearing aids? You from St. Mary's at Buffalo?" To which the user replied, "You have a single-track mind!" and walked out.

When growing up with my old hearing-aids that were very visible, I have faced my own bullies, mostly from fellow deaf students. I was being bullied by those who didn't considered me deaf enough. By nature, all of us are bias therefore it is very easy for us to be bias. Its a struggle in this world for hearing-impaired people who is trying to live our lives in both deaf and hearing worlds. There's nothing wrong to live in a Deaf culture and there's nothing wrong to live in a Hearing culture life so I don't have to choose one but rather "both".

Now that I have Multiple Sclerosis, I am trying to live my life against the barriers of many "able" mindless people.

I am focusing on "better living" more than better hearing, better speech and better body. I know my hearing, speech and body are not going to get better. However, my "life" CAN get better. I am doing what is BEST for me because this is my life. Many obstacles such as discrimination, attitudes, ignorance, stereotyping, or alienation are still around me whether I realized them or not. They are not going to effect or control my life. For me to really understand "quality of life" is to effectively use knowledge and technology to improve my own quality of life.

Disability Harassment

When growing up with my old hearing-aids that were very visible, I have faced my own bullies when I was in middle school but I have learned to endure and survived. In high school, I was not bullied once because I simply learned to stand up for myself and became respected by my fellow students. What really helped is that I was an athlete who made varsity soccer team as a freshman. Not many people with disabilities can do that.My only disability during high school was my deafness and I was able to do anything that hearing kids can do but hear. I need to add that when I was at deaf school, I was being bullied by those who didn't considered me deaf enough. Finally, I left the school and handled the bullies at the "hearing schools" better than I did at the deaf school.

Today, the society is generally supportive of people with disabilities but the key to education for the society to be more supportive begins in school. Bullying against those with disabilities is a problem that plagues the society. For years, the federal government always have been aware that that children with disabilities may be singled out for being “different”,less powerful and more vulnerable than other students. Many schools deny that there is a bullying problem. One good example is in Pennsylvania's school about A Palmerton Area High School student fed up over being bullied time and time again has pleaded with the school district to step up and take action. When schools don't take action, what happens then, in Louisville, Kentucky, two Jefferson County students are charged with terroristic threatening after the boys planned to attack their bullies. In Chicago, Ryan, his 13-year-old son who took his life after years of torment at the hands of a school bully. In my homestate, Massaschusetts, state health officials release prevention guide in battling bullies. They are taking a "proactive" steps to prevent bullying. It won't be easy but its a start.

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.” Harvey S. Firestone

"If you let a bully come in your front yard, he'll be on your porch the next day and the day after that he'll rape your wife in your own bed.” Lyndon B. Johnson

"Bullies are always cowards at heart and may be credited with a pretty safe instinct in scenting their prey.” Anna Julia Cooper

Why some countries are still using this term: "a deaf and dumb person"?

Like in Africa and similar countries as this one article for an example, Sprayer robs deaf and dumps' mobile phone

Whenever someone is using "Deaf and dumb", I am amazed that people are still doing it. Anyone using the word "dumb" in such context is .... well ... very ignorant.

When using the "dumb", when applied to deaf people who do not speak of an archaic term (the use of a form of speech or writing that is no longer current) that is considered very offensive. Of course, the word "dumb" also has another more common meaning now that implies stupidity, which is certainly not applicable to most Deaf people.

Just my morning's venting after reading an article.

Have a good weekend.

Education regarding Audism should be promoted more often to educate the ignorants

Audism, like racism and sexism, is discrimination against deaf and hearing-imparied individuals however, I do acknowledge that there is a significant difference between ignorance and audism. Nowadays, its hard to tell the difference but I believe that with today's technology and disability discrimination laws that are out there, there should not be any ignorance. My only conclcusion is that people are doing audism rather than being ignorant.

From Australia's news regarding discrimination of Deaf passengers

The disability watchdog says that an airline's over-zealous interpretation of safety regulations regardin Deaf passengers has led to greater discrimination against people with disabilities. "There have been endemic problems in airlines over the past few years where people with disabilities have been refused carriage because of their disability," Federal disability discrimination commissioner has revealed that the problem isn't limited to on company but rather, many companies are doing the same thing.

Airline slammed on deaf policy

Yesterday, I posted about an airline wanted deaf people to have a carer when flying. Deaf people are not disabled, they just can't hear but they are able to do everything as much as hearing people can do. In fact, we use our eyes more than hearing people so we are able to see things more than hearing people. We are able to pick up little things that hearing people often misses. Read the article written by Associated Press reported that "Beethoven would not be allowed to fly alone if he were alive today." After four deaf passengers were alloweed on board, a flight attendant gave them a note written by the cabin manager saying: "In future, so you know, you'll need to travel with a carer for safety reasons."

Ignorance of some people hearing people is still a problem around the world.

Deaf people need a carer? Huh?

carer (plural carers)
someone who looks after another, either as a job or often through family responsibilities. In England and Australia, "carers" are defined in law as being unpaid family members, partners or friends who help a disabled, ill or frail person with the activities of daily living.

Deaf man 'humiliated' when Tiger says 'bring a carer', This happened in Australia

Tiger Airways deaf to discrimination claims?

Public servant Adrian Doyle, 38, said he was left humiliated in Tasmania last month when he, his wife Julie, and two friends, Robyn and Steve May, who are all in their 30s, were told they could board the plane only if they organised - and bought a seat - for a sign language translator.

Diversity and Accepting one another

Like many other cultures in this world, Deaf culture shares a common sense of pride in their Culture and language (i.e. ASL). There are different levels of self-pride of the Deaf culture and there is nothing wrong with pride unless it interferes diversity and unity of other cultures in this world. Unity of cultures results from a group of people coming together to form a community around shared experience, common interests and respecting each other. Like any other cultures in this world, Deaf culture is an identity just as much as Scottish culture which also an identity.

The problem with using pride in the wrong way leads to prejudices and discrimination. Militant "Deaf Pride" activism is one of them and I see these activists as an arrogant minority trying to impose its will on everyone else. Whether the culture will accept hard of hearing individuals or whether hard of hearing accept the Deaf culture. This is about feelings, attitudes, perspectives, and personal lives of each individual deaf/hard of hearing persons. In terms of advocacy, we need to look at various agendas that should be discerned carefully to make sure we don't sound like a militant. We can over-come our flaws by remembering that our own pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes because pride is a fundamental flaw of our nature.

What we all need is diversity and unity with proper pride with our cultures. We all are living in the same country and we are actually living in a society that we all have to live together.

I recorded ‘Cold Case' however due to

CBS Sports, Cold Case didn't start until later so I could not finished watching it after 35 minutes (I think). So, I can't say too much about the show but I do want to say about the common assumptions by hearing people (actors) are pretty much on the mark. Assumptions are always the problem but hey, we all live in the world of assumptions. Often "assumptions" leads to arguments that begs the question may one in which a premise presupposes the conclusion in some way. Such an argument may be valid in the sense in which logicians use that term, yet provides no reason at all to believe its conclusion. Most people are not even aware that they are operating based on a set of rules because they are invisible and they may be ignorant on certain issues. Each group (i.e. Deaf Culture) shares its own set of basic assumptions which differ from the assumptions underlying the other groups (i.e. Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, community).

Assumptions and stereotyping doesn't substitute for cold hard facts about people and cultures. We all faced the fact that you assumptions were proven wrong in the past and we will be wrong in the future.

I am going to help my daughters with their income tax and I might be back tonight.

Jim

My younger days... the only deaf swimmer on the team

I have been been swimming in the water since I was very young and been on many swim teams over the years all the way up to my 30's. Back in the 60's and 70's when I was on various swim teams, during swim meets, I had one disadvantage that other swimmers had that I didn't was to hear the "starter". They were able to dive off the block before I could react so I was always last in the water. During the 3 year period that I was in my highest peak in swimming by coming in "first" in many events for butterfly and freestyle. I wonder what my "timings" would be if I started at the same time against other swimmers? Would I have been ahead of them like Mark Spitz did in the Olympics?

This is one of those I keep thinking and wondering "what if". LOL Believe me, I have alot of those. Today, swimming pools now have the technologies for the deaf who is able to start at the same time as "hearing" swimmers. I wished I had that when I was younger. I believed my best "time" for 50 meter freestyle was under 26 seconds and that was with "late start from the block". I can't remember my other times like my IMs and Butterflies. If I started at the same time, it would have been 24 or 25 seconds (I think).

Oh speaking of sports and I started attending my local public school (hometown)when I as about 12 years old which I was the only deaf student in the entire class. I played football when I was younger (in early 1970's) during my junior high school days but I gave up because the coaches didn't want me to play because I could not hear. All I asked for is play on the defense which was a no brainer. So, instead, I played soccer and I did well in that sport. In high school, I was the only freshman who made on the varsity soccer team and I was thankful for the coach to give me an opportunity. He was a tough coach and treated me like other players. Whenever I messed up, I get yelled at like he did with my teammates. I will always respected him for that. I considered me "able" regardless of my hearing loss. I wished there were more coaches like him during my younger days.

The deaf youth have it made over the years and didn't experienced as much as I did when I was younger. I am praying that this will continue to change over the years for the better. I am saying this for all disabilities, not just deafness.

A deputy who was videotaped dumping a paralyzed man out of his wheelchair onto a Tampa jailhouse floor turned herself in.

Deputy Arrested in Wheelchair Dump Video

Suspended Deputy faces a charge of abuse of a disabled person, a third-degree felony.