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Recent Posts
- Alison Greathouse’s Photos on DBC CA Rally, Thank you!
- May 15th – John Egbert and Matthew Moore Book Signing Event!
- Tara Lynn Lanning’s photos of DBC CA Rally, Thank you!
- Cat Cassidy’s photos of DBC CA Rally, Thank you!
- Liann Osborne’s photos of DBC CA rally, Thank you!
Here’s a signed-in visitor to your website! You look familiar. I know you from somewhere. Nevertheless, you presented yourself very well! I was pleased.
DBC California……You Rock!!! Being visible, being proactive, positively representing, and supporting ASL for Deaf babies is so important for opening eyes and minds… I am very proud of all of you!
Thanks for the beautiful movement! CI and ASL are perfect but not without ASL. Any mode communication like PSE is fine.
I wish to go, but I’m not in CA. Good luck and you have my support!
Hi Kristen,
I was surprised to see you after years! Please send me an email to get in touch with me. Thanks!
Good representing keep up good work you have my support
wish you GOOD LUCK I dont live in CA.
Read the reports and it gave me goosebumps. Awesome success and way overdue!!! I am glad to hear some of the AGB Deaf attendees comments! Looking forward to see some major accomplishments in the future. ( really soon!)
Yes, I agree with that!
Signed
hello i agree her i wish i live in caif i will support her but i hope successfully in future ….really important soon … smile ………lord will care it ……
YES TRUE WHAT I DID LEARN SPEECH THERAPY WITH PERSON CLEAR NOT BLOCK TO SEE.. IN THE PAST WHEN I WAS SMALL..
TRUE KEEP ASL FOREVER.. AS MY THREE HEARING BOYS DOING GREAT USE ASL AND ENGLISH EITHER VERY WELL.. THEY SUPPORT ME AND THEIR DAD TOO.. AS OUR FAMILY TOGETHER.
KEEP UP ..
TERRIE OF PA
I am a Deaf Senior Citizen. Having been deaf for over 70 years and an ASL user I support your efforts for Deaf babies to use ASL as soon as they are born. There is proof that Deaf children of Deaf Parents who use ASl since birth succeed more than Deaf children born to hearing parents who did not communicate until too late. Like French language is for the French, Spanish for the Spanish, Arabic for Arabs, Sign language is for the Deaf. I hate it when they try to deprive the Deaf of their own natural language. Who do they think they are.
you’re a beautiful signer and great example… Thanks for bieng for us and others How important to us!
Your comment is clearly and beautiful. I believe that ASL is a must and very power. I had bad and good experience between without and with ASL in my childhood!
I had been training to learn lip reading and talk as oral school for five years and go to hearing high school then join deaf world in Seattle Community College. know little english and history toward oral school because of learning lip reading and talk more time so now i learn lot thru deaf world as getting asl thru deafs. Now i can do english better and learn more history thru asl. Right now i am happy as asl person. As i wish to getting asl in my child time.
Beautifully expressed and clearly understood! Esp without putting on any type of labels, we are one big family with a common bond! let’s have more like you in each city across the country and around the world!
That’s AGREEABLE!!! Remain ASL ALIVE!! I did learn speech at WSD and got a lousy grade in Speech class. I learned nothing & should get a Booby diploma. Ha! AGBAD likes to hurt the deaf babies via a stupid-mean surgery. A BIGGEST MURDER! SHAME ON AGBADDDDD. Money is not everything and even can’t buy happiness. BS.. ASL is a TRUE language. – Period!!!
Hola Kristen,
Your DBC is really a positive-oriented message which will enrich the lives of deaf youngsters and bring them into the well-adjusted deaf individuals with all basic human functions from superior reading to writing skills.
Many people seems know me for my harsh messages on cochlear implants. I am much willing to play the role of “henchman” and “practical”/”logical” hitman (not an ideological hitman) to make the proponents of the AVT and suppressors of deaf civil rights to roll over on roads (metaphor).
So the media, educators of the deaf and parents of deaf youngsters will see you and other DBC as “angel of deaf children” and agent of positivism. Other deaf activists and I are willing to undergo the roles of heavies or bouncers on the deaf blogosphere to make people see you and other DBC people as reasonable ones to negoitate and make deals with.
Keep up the great works for the Cailfornia DBC Chapter! See you and others at Minneopolis this July!
Warm regards,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
One word: “Amen”.
Just a slight note: the national DBC conference will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this summer.
Thank you, everyone, for your positive comments! It was a beautiful, successful day!!
-Jenny
i agree with you. i support to asl sign for teach children. ASL are real beautiful hands talk. god bless all of world people.
thank you smile
Hello Kristen,
I am really apprepriate about ASL support and also different sign language their life and their successful of future. I grew up in Florida that I went to private school that is not sign language just oral many times. And then, I went to college for education AA, BS and MA degrees that I learned lots for ASL and PSE, too. I have lots books for deaf education and deaf story, too that I fall in love it.
Also, I agree with you what you said everything that is true. You are right everything. I know that I rather natrual deaf born than cochelear implant that is not worthy for life. Also, deaf people can do anything what they want to be sucessful their life.
SIncerely,
Jacqueline C. Baez
Madison, WI
I AGREE with u about DBC and I want to sign but I do not live in California…darn… Signed it for me.
I was reared oral deaf, never learned ASL until after I was married. I was fortunate to attend the Omaha Hearing School.
ASL never helped me earn money or helped me get a job. Communication is the ability to Hear and if you are not hearing and communicate well you cannot earn a decent living since no one wants to put up with a deaf or hard of hearing person. Employers can’t be bothered communicating with ASL. Many employers will not hire you unless you can converse or communicate using proper english and even then you are stuck with low pay no advancement and duties no one wants.
Apparantly many oral deaf are either lazy or mildly retarded, since they obviously never learned English and grammar so they want to cop out and use ASL instead of using their voice.
I know a deaf gal who went to Community College and came out just the same as when she went in. They were suposed to help her improve her voice communication but all they did was teach her some kind of public speaking?? and that is NOT helping her to communicate with other people effectively!, most hearing people cannot understand her?? Why? Mainstream schools don’t want to waste their time with oral deaf or deaf, they just want to pass them as quickly as possible whether they learn anything or not, they simply dumb down the curriculum so they can pass them. Ci is the way to go! and necessary for higher learning and better earning wages. I don’t qualify for CI but many do. Take advantage of it.
Argee with you to keep ASL for deaf babies as babies need to learn and can tell parents what babies need .
i support that and i love to come there but how.
WOW! I love what I’m seeing with my very own eyes. I agreed 100% with DBC’s causes and definitely very positive approachment! Wish I can be there but I live in VA. Make noise for us all who live in VA! Way GO, DBC!!!!!!!
I FULLY SUPPORT YOUR GOAL TO TEACH DEAF BABIES ASL, THAT IS THEIR RIGHT. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. I WISH I COULD BE THERE TO JOIN THE RALLY BUT I DO NOT LIVE IN CALIF. BONNIE
We respect American Native people who have their ancestry, culture and language. Should we inject the genetics (the similiar race of skin color, hair texture, and eye shape or color) white race into American Native people to be Caucasian? Or, forcing to use English as their primary language. The common tenet of CI with the strict of educational settings is to impose the practices in a doctrine of oralism: “SPEECH” & “AUDITORY” without access any alternative communication mode – American Sign Language.
95% of deaf child’s parents who make the upmost choice in using oralism because the parents do not use fleuently ASL. (That is the one utmost debate nowdays) It puts us in no position to agrue or debate with doctors, educators, scholars, and the parents from their perspectives with the ultimate goal which is to be “CURED FROM A DEAFNESS.” But, It failed! Unfortunately, it brought the sufferings that are enduring for many years….
I strongly believe myself who is Deaf as part of ethnic group, not as disabled person. A being deafness from newborn is commonly recognized as universal physical characteristics. I am from an unique genetic markers as blood group of my ancestry with common history, language, cultural traits. I am very proud!
“In our last generation of era, we are the last ethnic group that share our ancestory’s language and culture” and we need to perserve our culture and the community.”
Bless you! I support you 100%!
frances
March 25, 2008
Hi…
Very interesting commentary and I support Kristine’s viewpoint on ASL and Deaf Culture. In order to gain nationwide support, we may need to enlist help from celebrities like actress Marlee Matlin, actor/ director Henry Winkler and actor John Rubinstein who are advocates of ASL. I would like to have these celebrities do a documentary film with deaf advocates who are professional and reputable persons in the Deaf Community. We may need support from parents affiliated with the American Society for Deaf Children to give account about their experience with their deaf children.
hi, very clear comment!!! yeah, i remember very well as a child/teenager, i had speech therapy until i was about in middle school, i no longer had speech therapy and i do not recall that there was no speech therapist at my school at that time. anyway, when i was a child, i remember that the therapist at my home in front of my mom and sisters tried to speak to me by covering her mouth. i really could not hear at all, except wearing hearing aide for testing until my sister whispered at me without anyone else looking at her by saying “jeffrey” so i said jeffrey. then they said yeah, that was right. i did wear hearing aide just to feel sounds, not words at all until i realized it was not worth to me because i knew that it would not help at all and i quit wearing it after a year, i think. when i was in middle school, i had speech therapy 2-3 times a week and there was new special device that improved voices and speech. when i went home to visit my parents and family for weekend, they noticed my speech/voice was very improved alot and could understand me very clear. it did work for pretty while until i started living on my own, my speech/voice changed (except those who reconize my voice/speech no matter how bad my speech/voice are, they would understand me! you know what i meant). well, i looked back and thought what waste time for speech therapists help deaf children!! i m still totally deaf and cherish my deafness and deaf culture!! i will not allow anyone to change my speech at all and am very proud for who i am!!
I am very inspired by your message and yes you’re right about AGBell. I was oral the first 5 years before I picked up SEE when I was 6 in Dallas and to this day, I still speak and lipread, but my lipreading skills are deteriorating over the years.
When I first went to Gallaudet, I had a culture shock, seeing over 2,000 DEAF students all over the campus, I didn’t know ASL very well. Now I do know ASL and PSE, I love to sign more than I speak!
I do agree that it’s hard and harder for Deaf children to learn to hear what’s being said behind the piece of paper or whatever they use to hide their faces!! It was hard for me when I wore hearing aids. I used to talk on the phone with hearing friends in high school and now I can’t.
I’ve lost the rest of my hearing since 1987, when I threw my hearing aid to the wall because my father was yelling at me like a maniac! I was abused most of my life and today I have not seen my parents for 6 years, I realized that they’d never accepted me for WHO I am – Deaf. They took out their frustrations on me because I couldn’t HEAR them. I don’t have a realtionship with my parents anymore, I cut them off in August 2003 after I found out that my father had stolen my accident insurance money.
I have 2 brothers with whom I don’t communicate much anymore. I’ve tried to communicate with them, but one of them always starts arguing with me and I couldn’t take it anymore, so I stopped calling them.
ASL is very precious to me and I wish it was precious to my family, it’s very unfortunate that my family is so dang dysfunctional.
Thank you for your message and I wish I could come to California to join you for the rally, unfortunately I live in Minnesota. BUT I am THERE in spirit!!
Kate
AWWW!!! i got late news !! Today is 3/26/08…. I wish join you for protest rally ,I don’t support agbell programs at all.
I’m born deaf and grew up oral in Wyoming Deaf School in Casper. I have enough experience of abuses. I learned ASL at 16 when my parent moved to Utah for their job, I went to mainstream school and they have resource class that i never knew they have other deaf students using ASL instead of oral, I join them and learned asl from them as make new friends.
Now, I’m 50, live in other states. I’m proud with deaf wife, 7 coda kids, 11 grandkids with 2 deaf stepadoption grandsons, all my wife side family fully asl communication instead of my family side don’t .
god bless you !
Hi Kristin, didnt see you for long time since last time i saw ya with Nathan and others.. Dang i wish i would be able to attend this but i live in other state.. wish there have one here for this kind rally.. I agree what you said… ASL is important to everyone to all of us..
Keep it up !!
wink..
I am impressed with your asl very clearly. I agree that different level of deaf, hard of hearing, or whatever you call is called “DEAF” once! End of discussion!! Of course deaf babies can learn sign languages quickly and I notice that hearing parents start to learn sign and teach hearing babies too. That is neat. Way to go! I support you all the way for deaf babies. I have deaf son and am so excited to teach him asl. He is 9 months old now.
Wow… even though AGBell died years, years ago, his power still emerges. *sigh* Go ASL!
DEAR ASL,
I REALLY APPRECATION SURPRISE WHAT YOU SAYS IT ON THE VIDEO. I LEARNING ABOUT THE ASL AND ENGLISH SO FAR I AM USUALLY ASL. I DONT LIVE IN CA. ANYWAY….
PLS. KEEP IT UP IN THE FUTURE AS MUCH AS CAN DO IT TO SHOW THEM TO PROVE IT AS SUCCUCEFULLY IN THE FUTURE. GOD IS REALLY TAKE CARE OF IT AND GOD LOVE DEAF PEOPLE AND KEEP SPIRT AS FAITH IN YOURSELF.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL DEAF PEOPLE..
JUST FRIEND,
DONNA THOMAS
What A Beautiful Presentation and beautiful visual signing!!
ATTN: Kristen, It is a true story. When I was a teenager in the late 1950s I could understand ASL easily with my sweet girlfriend in my dark car at a drive-in theatre. How about AGB educated people (Lip reading only) in a dark car? Use a cigarette lighter or flashlight before talking? ASL is a champion (PERIOD)
Wow! Well said. I grew up hearing culture and experienced Deaf culture. I am inspired what you said is very clear. I believes that everyone continues to teach our hearing community to learn about ASL. Many of them want a easy way out and follow the society that acceptable today. We, ALL, need to make that changes to make the society to be more acceptable to use ASL today!
hi, Oh Boy!!!! there Agbell goes again. I know that ASL is the only answer to the problems to every deaf indivdual and help them greatly with the communication skills. social skills. ,behavioral skills and expressioanl and facial skills.etc. what can agbell do for the deafies..nothing except the lips and ears .degrade them with their rights of being freedom choices… that is totally loss!!! hope we the deaf community have the right to educate the hearing to undertand the difference and the choices. thks for this information. keep thisup:) KH
Horrah, Double THUMB UP! Keep up Tall Walking! There is Indian, Foreign people, Hispanic, whatever,etc,etc, you allow them continue with their language rights so where is ours (deaf language?) No Way to destroy our first language ASL! Keep up Tall Walking for ASL !!! Darrell
I agree with what’s said about A. G. Bell…pray you guys will succeed with what you are trying to do to hinder A. G. Bell with its craziness for deaf babies… Continue on!
LONG LIVE ASL!!! I am behind you all the way. You presented very beautifully and very clearly. I went through speech therapy when i was young. It didnt help me well. I strongly use ASL. Since I am a Sub Science Teacher at deaf school. Even thou teaching was not my experience but i was offered to teach science. Middle school kids love me and cherish me. Why? I use ASL daily. I have two hearing daughters.Their first language was ASL. Way to go, ASL.. smile.
I can not understand AG Bell people. It is a fact that with sign language or ASL, the Deaf lead a normal life. They understand everything everyone says individually, in groups, plays, lectures, etc. through signs. They can not lead that life with hearing people no matter if they’ve had two cochlear Implants, extensive speech and lipreading therapy. They still don’t understand everything hearing people say and would not be able to share their interests such as with music, singers. They still feel left out of hearing groups and lonely. So AGB, please see the big advantage of ASL, the Deaf can lead a normal life with other Deaf the way hearing people do with other hearing.
Wow. . that’s good point I never thought about that I agree w/ her. I was live in California few years ago, now I lived in Oregon and I will support her. I went through speech therapy when I was deaf young seem easy in the 60’s but now it worse than before, whoa! Unbelievable. I used to ASL and speech no matter for me. I keep them in my prayer. God will take care of deaf children and He loves the world mean you.
I agree with u Kristen. U r doing good job .. Hope they will support deaf children.. Wish I could be there in California to support. God bless everyone..
I agree with you 100% and since I am living in Wyo. Wish I could be there to voice most things in deaf childrens’ lives.
I am really against the hearing parents who wanted to have their babies to have CL without any ASL or attend the school for the deaf as they needs to learn the deaf social life which is very important.
I do hope someone would go to Congress, Senators or legionators to fight for them to pass the law that children could not be foreced to have CL till they are 18 years old. Also that all the hearing parents must learn the ASL for their children’s sakes. I would love to go to senators and yell at them but I am too old and am dying..
My wishes is for deaf people to fight at senators, congress and legionaters to pass a few laws.
wish you lot of good luck.
Hiya Kristen..
I especially agree with ASL bringing families together. Awareness needs to be presented and advocated. In my experience I have seen ASL users being isolated by their own family. Luckily not in my case but unfortunately towards others.
Would it be too much to direct our attention towards the arts, media, and medical fields rather than directed at AGBell? I feel we will be understood and embraced if we cease to fight AGBell and increase our presence in CONGRESS.
In this case Help me understand why we must hinder AGBell and not bypass them towards legislations and lobbyists?
Lets preserve ASL by NOT feeding fuel to the fire but to remove conflict by finding another approach. Example, how is it that Spanish language is widely acknowledged and not ASL? I would think they overcame some obstacles and perhaps we could, not “should” find another approach.
Long live ASL!
HEY KRISTEN,
I DO AGREED WITH YOU. I DIDNT EVEN KNOW ABOUT AGBELL UNTIL MY DEAF COUSIN FROM KANSAS EMAILLED ME. I COULDNT BELIEVE IT SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM BEHIND YOU ALL THE WAY. IS THERE ANY SOURCE THAT I CAN BE REACH IN PENNSYLVANIA? THAT’S WHERE I AM FROM… HOPE THAT YOUR RALLY WILL SUCCESS…. BEST OF LUCKS, LANCE
Wow, I am glad one of my friend gave me this link. Once I saw you and reminding me of YLC 97 big time heh- HUG TIGHTS will look out for you more often- smiling
Wishing you great luck!!!!!! I ‘m not in Ca so I will be thinking of you all
I would say that AGB is still very much backward in their thinking and thoughts. Or else we would not teach our babies American Sign Language which is the best way to go! Even Oprah is in support to prompt in teaching babies sign language. Many actors/actresses are taking sign language to teach their babies! How can ASL be so wrong! ASL is the best language for the Deaf folks in USA. Any sign language all over the world is perfect for their deaf people. Respect their choices!
Nutty AGB! YAY for ASL!!!!!!!!!!!
We all the family support ASL with deaf babies. We are from Ohio and never like A G Bell as well.
SUPPORT ASL FORVER!!!!!!!!!!
GREAT JOB VERY VERY IMPRESS WITH UR SPEECH AND KEEP IT GREAT JOB MY SUPPPORT GOES OUT 100% SMILE BLESS EVERYONE HEART
we are support “DEAF’
and support you
All deaf babies or losing hearing should be asl. I hate that kind of paper cover their mouth or cover their face. It makes me what are they doing. Deaf is really don’t hear at all. I know mostly parent are afraid and lost their interesting. Thats makes deaf feel terrible hurts and feel they don’t love/ I have been though my life. SUPPORT ASL for rest of life.
I would like to have my applause with waving hands high above my head to DBC. God Bless You All! See Yay at Wisc. Wink!
I am who you are. Alleluia! I am a strong deaf advocate which I do on the job. I am trying to encourage the community to comply with our rights of communications. I met this family and this one peculiar 2 year old hearing girl came up to me and sign milk, mom and dad while her parents look at their child. I ask how this child learn from Baby Einstein signing so to this day this child still uses signs. The parents believe that this language does enrich the lives of the children to become strong in what they can do at that age. I was blessed to have this child walk up to me and sign.
Congratulations to Kristen for able to announcement about
ASL and lip reading is not for deaf people… as they go out into
world and find out that lip reading doesnt help them at all why? Due to hearing people WILL not help fully to them what
they heard or talk with others to let them know…so all they do
tell them “nothing” and leave them alone…as they are just too
lazy to explain them what’s going on…that’s what many , many
deaf are angry over it…and still they are hunger from you all
to know whats going on….thats important for them to know!
No wonder they prefer to be among with other deaf people in order to pick up newsy informations with ASL!!!!