If I was to be paid a tenner for hearing that phrase (along with 'deaf and mute') since the beginning of the year, I tell you that I'll become a thousandairesS.. o joke!
Seeing that many people are not able or fail to connect the necessary dots between hearing and speaking ab nitio, I have had to ask them to imagine what it means to speak the way they do. Did they imagine it into existence? How do they know the 'I' in words should be pronounced as an 'ee' or an 'ai' without looking at a dictionary or hearing someone say it.
Using the word 'dumb' is a no-no. Dumb in today's speak means 'stupid' and deaf people are certainly not that! I have come across the usage of 'speech-impaired' as a politically correct term but I do not think that it is accurate. Simply because many deaf people CHOOSE not to speak or prefer to use sign language. Another word 'unvoiced' brings up some varying reactions as is the word 'silent'.
The word 'deaf' is enough and acceptable by for many deaf. There is no need to waste ink or carbon dioxide to add '...and dumb'. Really.
Saturday 28 April 2012
Thursday 26 April 2012
Deaf discrimination
Yet again, I received another complaint about deaf people being discriminated against. I just cannot help but wonder if it is deliberate. I will recount and you can make up your mind on that.
Yesterday, I was told that in Adamawa State 105 Persons With Disabilities got employed by the state government (laudable effort in itself). But can you guess how many out of the 'fortunate' 105 were deaf? Guess? Guess again... Just TWO! Believe me, Adamawa State has a high proportion of deaf people and a number of them are educated. To make matters worse, none of the educated deaf was hired/appointed. Now don't get me wrong...it would be nice for an uneducated deaf to work in their state Civil Service. What would they be working as a result of their illiteracy? I won't answer that questi
on but I am sure that you'll have a fairly good idea. My take on this is the 2deaf people who were hired should go back to school to improve their literacy so they stand a better cchance in life than being consigned to a miserable life down at the lowest rung of the Civil Service.
It is totally unfair that the Special Assistant to the Adamawa State Governor on Disability Matters not to have consulted first with each disability group. And extremely unfair of him to do the pickings himself and not pick the deaf graduates.
So you can see why I earlier asked if the deaf discrimination is deliberate.
Yesterday, I was told that in Adamawa State 105 Persons With Disabilities got employed by the state government (laudable effort in itself). But can you guess how many out of the 'fortunate' 105 were deaf? Guess? Guess again... Just TWO! Believe me, Adamawa State has a high proportion of deaf people and a number of them are educated. To make matters worse, none of the educated deaf was hired/appointed. Now don't get me wrong...it would be nice for an uneducated deaf to work in their state Civil Service. What would they be working as a result of their illiteracy? I won't answer that questi
on but I am sure that you'll have a fairly good idea. My take on this is the 2deaf people who were hired should go back to school to improve their literacy so they stand a better cchance in life than being consigned to a miserable life down at the lowest rung of the Civil Service.
It is totally unfair that the Special Assistant to the Adamawa State Governor on Disability Matters not to have consulted first with each disability group. And extremely unfair of him to do the pickings himself and not pick the deaf graduates.
So you can see why I earlier asked if the deaf discrimination is deliberate.
Saturday 21 April 2012
Sad passing of UK's first deaf MP
Yesterday, the first deaf MP Lord Jack Ashley passed away at the age of 89 years old..
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mobileweb/2012/04/21/lord-ashley-of-stoke-dead-disabled-rights-campaigner_n_1442469.html?1335006271
Disabled rights campaigner Lord Ashley of Stoke, the first deaf MP, has died aged 89, it was announced on Saturday.
The Labour peer passed away last night after a short illness, according to his family.
BBC presenter Andrew Marr, who is married to the peer's columnist daughter Jackie Ashley, said: "Lord Ashley of Stoke, the former Labour MP Jack Ashley, died last night, April 20, after a short illness at the age of 89."
Jack Ashley won the seat of Stoke-on-Trent South in 1966, but lost his hearing less than two years later after an unsuccessful ear operation.
He recalled in his autobiography that the last voice he heard was that of the late rugby commentator Eddie Waring.
After initially fearing he would be forced to give up politics, Ashley learned to lip-read.
Other MPs, including political foes such as Prime Minister Edward Heath, turned towards him during Commons debates so he could get a clear view of their mouths.
Lord Ashley also worked hard to modulate his speaking voice, which he could no longer hear.
However, his deafness never affected his combative attitude.
"Early on when I first lost my hearing, I think people were a little fearful about attacking me. But as I re-established my confidence, that soon fell away," he said.
As his fame as an advocate for disabled rights grew, Lord Ashley became president of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.
He also played a major role in the campaign for better compensation for children disabled by the drug Thalidomide, which was given to mothers to treat morning sickness during the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1993, a year after he was made a life peer, Ashley's hearing was partially restored by a cochlea implant, an electronic device which stimulates the nerves in the inner ear.
Lord Ashley worked in a factory after leaving school at 14, becoming a shop steward and a local councillor.
He studied at Oxford and Cambridge on scholarships, and worked as a producer for the BBC before entering parliament.
Andrew Marr added: "The campaigner for the rights of the disabled, who had been the first ever deaf MP, won major victories for the victims of the drug Thalidomide, for victims of army bullying, and for victims of domestic violence.
"He is survived by his three daughters, Jackie Ashley, Jane Ashley, and Caroline Ashley."
Jackie Ashley paid tribute to her father on Twitter:
Ed Miliband led the tributes from politicians and peers:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mobileweb/2012/04/21/lord-ashley-of-stoke-dead-disabled-rights-campaigner_n_1442469.html?1335006271
 |
| courtesy of the huffington post website |
The Labour peer passed away last night after a short illness, according to his family.
BBC presenter Andrew Marr, who is married to the peer's columnist daughter Jackie Ashley, said: "Lord Ashley of Stoke, the former Labour MP Jack Ashley, died last night, April 20, after a short illness at the age of 89."
Jack Ashley won the seat of Stoke-on-Trent South in 1966, but lost his hearing less than two years later after an unsuccessful ear operation.
He recalled in his autobiography that the last voice he heard was that of the late rugby commentator Eddie Waring.
After initially fearing he would be forced to give up politics, Ashley learned to lip-read.
Other MPs, including political foes such as Prime Minister Edward Heath, turned towards him during Commons debates so he could get a clear view of their mouths.
Lord Ashley also worked hard to modulate his speaking voice, which he could no longer hear.
However, his deafness never affected his combative attitude.
"Early on when I first lost my hearing, I think people were a little fearful about attacking me. But as I re-established my confidence, that soon fell away," he said.
As his fame as an advocate for disabled rights grew, Lord Ashley became president of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.
He also played a major role in the campaign for better compensation for children disabled by the drug Thalidomide, which was given to mothers to treat morning sickness during the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1993, a year after he was made a life peer, Ashley's hearing was partially restored by a cochlea implant, an electronic device which stimulates the nerves in the inner ear.
Lord Ashley worked in a factory after leaving school at 14, becoming a shop steward and a local councillor.
He studied at Oxford and Cambridge on scholarships, and worked as a producer for the BBC before entering parliament.
Andrew Marr added: "The campaigner for the rights of the disabled, who had been the first ever deaf MP, won major victories for the victims of the drug Thalidomide, for victims of army bullying, and for victims of domestic violence.
"He is survived by his three daughters, Jackie Ashley, Jane Ashley, and Caroline Ashley."
Jackie Ashley paid tribute to her father on Twitter:
Ed Miliband led the tributes from politicians and peers:
Friday 20 April 2012
Disability and media
Yesterday morning (19th April), I attended a seminar on 'Disability and media' which was organised by the Disability Rights Coordinator of CBM, Dr. Duro Onota who is partially-sighted.
Quite a handful of the media/ press women and men came. I think that they were mostly from tv. And of course, some members from the disability community were present.
We all know the very influential role that media (be it tv, radio, newspapers,social media) play in shaping the perception of the public. When I say 'very influential', I mean exactly that. It does seem that some presswomen/men are making efforts to present Persons With Disabilities with a positive image rather than as objects of pity.
It was encouraging to see that they paid attention and participated in the group discussions. During the group discussions, we covered unacceptable terms or phrases used to describe PWD like ' deaf and dumb/mute, cripple/lame, invalid, handicapped, spastic, mentally retarded, deformed, polio victim, afflicted (by), suffering (from), mongol'. The list is inexhaustive.
We also talked about issues for media campaign like inclusive education, inclusive development, passing the Disability Bill into law and for the Nigerian film Industry aka Nollywood (to cast PWDs and for criptwriters to include PWDs in their scripts)s
Quite a handful of the media/ press women and men came. I think that they were mostly from tv. And of course, some members from the disability community were present.
We all know the very influential role that media (be it tv, radio, newspapers,social media) play in shaping the perception of the public. When I say 'very influential', I mean exactly that. It does seem that some presswomen/men are making efforts to present Persons With Disabilities with a positive image rather than as objects of pity.
It was encouraging to see that they paid attention and participated in the group discussions. During the group discussions, we covered unacceptable terms or phrases used to describe PWD like ' deaf and dumb/mute, cripple/lame, invalid, handicapped, spastic, mentally retarded, deformed, polio victim, afflicted (by), suffering (from), mongol'. The list is inexhaustive.
We also talked about issues for media campaign like inclusive education, inclusive development, passing the Disability Bill into law and for the Nigerian film Industry aka Nollywood (to cast PWDs and for criptwriters to include PWDs in their scripts)s
Disability and media
Yesterday morning (19th April), I attended a seminar on 'Disability and media' which was organised by the Disability Rights Coordinator of CBM, Dr. Duro Onota who is partially-sighted.
Quite a handful of the media/ press women and men came. I think that they were mostly from tv. And of course, some members from the disability community were present.
We all know the very influential role that media (be it tv, radio, newspapers,social media) play in shaping the perception of the public. When I say 'very influential', I mean exactly that. It does seem that some presswomen/men are making efforts to present Persons With Disabilities with a positive image rather than as objects of pity.
It was encouraging to see that they paid attention and participated in the group discussions. During the group discussions, we covered unacceptable terms or phrases used to describe PWD like ' deaf and dumb/mute, cripple/lame, invalid, handicapped, spastic, mentally retarded, deformed, polio victim, afflicted (by), suffering (from), mongol'. The list is inexhaustive.
We also talked about issues for media campaign like inclusive education, inclusive development, passing the Disability Bill into law and for the Nigerian film Industry aka Nollywood (to cast PWDs and for criptwriters to include PWDs in their scripts)s
Quite a handful of the media/ press women and men came. I think that they were mostly from tv. And of course, some members from the disability community were present.
We all know the very influential role that media (be it tv, radio, newspapers,social media) play in shaping the perception of the public. When I say 'very influential', I mean exactly that. It does seem that some presswomen/men are making efforts to present Persons With Disabilities with a positive image rather than as objects of pity.
It was encouraging to see that they paid attention and participated in the group discussions. During the group discussions, we covered unacceptable terms or phrases used to describe PWD like ' deaf and dumb/mute, cripple/lame, invalid, handicapped, spastic, mentally retarded, deformed, polio victim, afflicted (by), suffering (from), mongol'. The list is inexhaustive.
We also talked about issues for media campaign like inclusive education, inclusive development, passing the Disability Bill into law and for the Nigerian film Industry aka Nollywood (to cast PWDs and for criptwriters to include PWDs in their scripts)s
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Deaf people are left out......again!!!!
I have just sent an email to one of the researchers from my alma-mater (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) who is involved in a BIG project in Burkina Faso. It is a radio campaign to reduce child mortality. Why do researchers, media companies keep forgetting that deaf people cannot readily access radio campaigns for obvious reasons??!
It is a very good initiative as it is life-saving.....for those who can hear the messages because the project involve targeted 60second message on the radio and radio phone-in programmes. The project was launched in early March and will run over a period of two and a half years. You can see the issue here?
In the email, I politely requested that the deaf population be involved in THIS campaign in one way or the other. They just have to find a way of doing that. Not doing that means that the deaf community gets marginalised for 2.5years and unfortunately bear the sad burden of child loss if they don't or can't access these messages.
Here is the link: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2012/radio_campaign_launches_burkina_faso.html
And the article:
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Development Media International (DMI) have launched a cluster randomised controlled trial of an innovative child survival intervention.
It is a very good initiative as it is life-saving.....for those who can hear the messages because the project involve targeted 60second message on the radio and radio phone-in programmes. The project was launched in early March and will run over a period of two and a half years. You can see the issue here?
In the email, I politely requested that the deaf population be involved in THIS campaign in one way or the other. They just have to find a way of doing that. Not doing that means that the deaf community gets marginalised for 2.5years and unfortunately bear the sad burden of child loss if they don't or can't access these messages.
Here is the link: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2012/radio_campaign_launches_burkina_faso.html
And the article:
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Development Media International (DMI) have launched a cluster randomised controlled trial of an innovative child survival intervention.
The project is funded by the The Wellcome Trust and the Planet Wheeler Foundation, set up by the founders of the Lonely Planet travel series.
The campaign – launched on March 7 - involves the broadcast of targeted 60-second health messages on the radio and radio phone-in programmes that will run for the next two and a half years.
The messages, developed by the School in collaboration with DMI and other partners, are designed to change the behaviour of pregnant women and mothers through increased awareness and information, and reduce the number of children dying before their fifth birthday in Burkina Faso.
The study represents the first time that the impact of mass media on lives saved has been either modelled or measured.
Lead investigator Simon Cousens, Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “We’ll be measuring the impact using a robust scientific methodology: a cluster randomised controlled trial. It will be the largest, most rigorous evaluation ever conducted of a mass media intervention and it will be exciting to find out how many lives can be saved using this approach.”
The first radio spots will promote exclusive breastfeeding – a behaviour which reduces the risk of a child dying from diarrhoea or respiratory infections. The spots will be broadcast on seven community radio stations in the West African country of Burkina Faso which have partnered with DMI to deliver the campaign.
“The project is innovative in three ways”, said Roy Head, Managing Director of DMI. “Firstly, we’re broadcasting messages on all causes of death, not just individual issues. Secondly, we’re broadcasting very intensively: ten spots per day, and two hours of phone-in programming every night on every station. Thirdly, we’ll be measuring the impact more rigorously than has ever been done before. We’re hoping to prove that we can change behaviours on a scale large enough to save a lot of lives.”
Here is the equation that many people do not get:
IS EQUAL TO:
OR.................
Yes really!!
Here is the equation that many people do not get:
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| From tumblr website |
| AND |  | |
IS EQUAL TO:
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| From photosofcutebabies.com |
OR.................
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| From glamquotes.com |
Yes really!!
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