Our Day

On Tuesday February 23, 2010, I and another Stonehill student- Brian, attended "Our Day" at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. "Our Day" is a day of advocacy for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind, and over a hundred representatives came from all over the state to learn about issues affecting the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind community, as well as to meet with their legislators to educate them about and advocate for these pressing issues.

The main issue that the attendants at Our Day were focused on was to fight against the proposed budget cuts to the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Advocates for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind understand that the state has a large deficit, and are therefore they not asking for increases in the budget allotted to the state offices that assist them, but they would just rather that cuts not be made to these offices that are already very poorly funded. The budget for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides for very important services guaranteed under the First Amendment and the Americans with Disabilities Act—the right of the Deaf community to have American Sign Language interpreters. The ASL certification, referral, and training programs provided by the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are vital for Deaf people to participate in the work place and society. By cutting services to the Deaf community, but not other groups of people, the government is saying that the needs of these citizens are secondary and unimportant.

The attendants of "Our Day" wanted to make sure that the needs of the Deaf community were not invisible or pushed to the wayside. The morning part of the program was dedicated to people speaking about issues like the budget cuts. Speakers included Heidi Reed—Commissioner for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Senator Patricia Jehlen, Representative Barbra L’Italien, and Robyn Powell—Assistant Director for the Disability Policy Consortium of Massachusetts. They all reiterated the importance of speaking to your legislators, because just by showing up in their offices, a person really has the ability to make an impact.

After the morning speakers, Brian and I had the opportunity to link up with a large group of other Deaf advocates from the southeastern area of Massachusetts. We went on to visit with Representative F. Jay Barrows who represents Foxborough, Mansfield and Norton, and then with the legislative aids of Senator Mark Montigny (New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and Mattapoisett), Senator Michael Morrissey (Quincy, Braintree, Holbrook, Abington, Rockland), and Representative Antonio Cabral (New Bedford). Members of the Southeast group told the legislators and their aids personal stories. One young man explained how he was in the hospital for an invasive procedure and could not obtain an ASL interpreter for days to explain that he was in horrible pain.

These stories and the sheer number of people that showed up to participate in Our Day seemed to really have an impact in the legislative offices. They were really receptive to what we were saying. Brian told me how he was happy that the legislators and their aids cared about our concerns and were really approachable.

The majority of the attendees of the day long program knew or at least had some understanding of ASL. It was interesting for me because I don't know ASL at all, but attending Our Day made me really want to learn. There were a total of eight designated interpreters at the event and a number of other volunteers, so I was able to communicate with others even though I didn't know ASL. Also, the interpreters were extremely helpful when the regional groups met with the offices of their senators and representatives. But still, I would have really liked to speak with people directly without the use of a translator, so hopefully I will be able to take an ASL class someday. I also think that it is important for people to understand that ASL is not just a form of English- but a totally different language in itself. One of the people in my group did a great job at explaining this because he said if you do the literal translation of "My mother passed away" to ASL, the person receiving the message would think the person said "My mother just walked by." I have talked to a lot of students at Stonehill that think that ASL should be offered more often, and it should count towards the one year language requirement that we must take. Right now I think the ASL class just counts towards a health care major, but from my understanding it is a REALLY popular class. Also you know that it is a popular class because an 8am class usually does not have people fighting to get in!




Overall "Our Day" was a successful event, and Richard Grant, Dean of Academic Achievement and Chairman of the Stonehill Disability Services Committee explains that it is important for students to go visit with their legislators, "to see how government works, and potentially have an impact on the passage of a law and recognize that if students do go, it has a tremendous impact."

If anyone reading this is interested in attending another event like this, sign up for free to become a member of the Disability Policy Consortium of Massachusetts at www.dpcma.org.

disABILITY Simulations

So the other week at one of our meetings the topic of disability simulation activities came up when we were brainstorming ideas for our booth at the body fair on Wednesday. For those of you who don't know, a disability simulation activity is where people get the opportunity to "try on a disability." It is oftentimes done by disability rights groups and usually entails having people "test out wheelchairs" or get blindfolded to "know what it's like to be blind."

When I was working in DC I attended a hearing and vision loss support group where the discussion leader had us all put on these glasses that caused us to have limited vision and put ear plugs in our ears. She then gave us all a different task to do- I think mine was searching for a phone book and looking up a particular number. I understand that her intentions were good- she wouldn't be leading a hearing and vision loss support group if they weren't, but I really think these simulations aren't the greatest of ideas.

I know I came out of that exercise feeling frustrated and discombobulated. Also oftentimes people will come out of those simulation activities thinking to themselves "gosh, I'm glad I am not stuck in a wheelchair all day" or "I feel sorry for people who are blind."

Feelings of pity or "glad that's not me..." are not the aim of disability rights advocates. Spending 15 minutes blindfolded or even a whole week in a wheelchair are not going to give a person a true sense of what it feels to be disabled. Pity is the last thing disability rights advocates want people to feel. Also these exercises also seem to be almost mocking in nature?

I found this article to have some pretty interesting insight on the subject of disability simulations. The author, Brew-Parrish, explained, "I AM BAFFLED AS TO WHY nondisabled people see a need to simulate a disability in order to understand our situation. Across our nation in February, we celebrate Black History Month. Is it necessary for people with white skin to paint their faces black to better understand this minority? Should heterosexuals be asked to experience homosexuality so we are not homophobic?"

I feel like we do not need to experience something in order to understand it. Yet we also need to be realistic in saying that there is no way we can truly understand what anybody else is experiencing in his or her life, and that has absolutely nothing to do with disability. I don't have the capability to physically enter into someone else and view the world from their body. I can try to "walk a mile in someone else's shoes" in a purely mental sense and work as best I can to learn about others, but there is no activity in the world that can let people experience what it feels like to be someone else.

Anyway, I hope you all liked this post! Let me know if you have any input or want to write a post of your own.

Stonehillers, don't forget about "OUR DAY" (a day of advocacy for the deaf, deaf-blind, and hard-of-hearing) at the State House tomorrow and a meeting in the group center in the lower commons tonight!

Language and disABILITY

So, I have been loosely following the olympics, as I am sure many of you also have been, and I was watching as Alexandre Bilodeau won the ski moguls to become the first Canadian to win a medal inside the country's borders. The reporters kept saying how exciting this was for Canada and how close Bilodeau was to his little brother with cerebral palsy. The reporters continued focusing on Frederic Bilodeau, but what caught my attention is how they kept saying he was "suffering with cerebral palsy" and how he was "confined to a wheelchair."

Suffering? Confined? Are these really words we should be associating with disability? I've heard other phrases such as "wheelchair bound" and "that person is stricken with..." or "a victim of..." Some people even continue to use terms such as dumb, slow, gimp, midget, mentally retarded, cripple, and so on.

By using these terms we are disabling others. If someone is disabled, who has the right to say they are "suffering"? Or if someone is a wheelchair user, he or she is certainly not "bound" to it.

I think sometimes we don't realize how powerful the words we use actually are and the impact they have on people. By using terms with negative connotations we are oppressing others and I think we need to learn how to speak in such a way that is positive and respectful.

Language and disABILITY is something I am very interested in, so if anybody has any information on where I can learn more, I would definitely appreciate it!

Don't forget about the meeting tonight in Duffy 219 @ 8:30!

Standing Up

As many of you know I consider myself to be a disABILITY rights advocate, and not many people would contest that statement. I feel as if I do a lot of things to promote disABILITY rights awareness on and off campus and I feel pretty good about what I do.

Well, the other day I was a pretty crappy advocate (pardon my French.) I was at my work- a hospital, and it was just me and one of my VERY superiors around and I heard him on the phone saying horrible awful things about someone with a developmental disability. In fact, he was even imitating her and making fun of her and it was making me absolutely sick to my stomach. I can't go into much more detail, just because of the line of work I am in, but take my word for it- the stuff my superior was saying was disgusting, mean, and hurtful, and I and the person he was on the phone with were the only people who heard it.

What did I do about it?

Nothing. Unless you count a dirty look, but in my opinion dirty looks don't count as advocacy.

Ever since work this past Friday I've felt horrible because I didn't say anything just because this man was my superior. I was afraid and I didn't want to cause "drama" in the work place.

I should have said something. I should have reported him, but I didn't.

However even though I didn't stand up to this person who was treating a person with a disability as if they didn't matter, it got me thinking a lot. From that point on I made a vow to myself, that even if I am eating lunch with the President of the United States and he makes a comment as offensive and sickening as my superior did, then I am going to say something about it.

Advocacy isn't something you just do when it's convenient and easy for you, but its something you need to do in every aspect of your life. I hope you all will take this vow with me- to advocate for disABILITY rights 100% of the time.

Ally

Peter Wong and disABILITY

Long time no post! I got a little lazy over the holiday break... but now that I'm back at Stonehill this blog will be in full swing again!

Anyway,I'm a political science and communication double major here at Stonehill, so I've been working pretty hard to meet those requirements... but now that I am a 2nd semester senior I have two elective spots, so I signed up for two healthcare classes taught by Professor Dahlin- HC 103 Introduction to Gerontology and HC 170 Disability? I decided to take gerontology because as some of you may know, in addition to disABILITY rights issues, I also am extremely passionate about elder issues.

But anyway, HC 170 Disability? is described as follows:

What do the words disability, handicapped and challenged really mean? In what ways am I disabled and how can I use that knowledge? What has science contributed to our challenged populations? What are the personal and societal values toward challenged populations? How have history and religion contributed to those values? Am I, are we, doing enough? Students review personal and societal fears about disability, learn to confront and change negative attitudes and values, understand medical causes, effects and treatment of a wide range of clinical disorders, and develop a belief and value system which includes positive attitudes toward the emotionally and physically challenged.

I entered into my first session of Disability? this past Thursday for a two and a half hour session, and was amazed by what I had learned. Professor Dahlin had brought in his dear, long-time friend, Peter Wong to introduce us to the subject of disABILITY.

Dahlin explained to us that over 25 years ago when Wong was a teenager, he had met him at Lakeville State Hospital. The professionals at the hospital had diagnosed Wong as profoundly developmentally disabled, and they did not expect him to live much longer. According to an article in the Boston Herald written in 1997, the hospital workers believed that, "with his condition, the result of oxygen deprivation during birth, Wong could not swallow and would probably choke to death." Dahlin, an occupational therapist, had quickly figured out that Wong was definitely not developmentally disabled. He had cerebral palsy and was tested as having an IQ measuring over 140.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (www.ninds.nih.gov) defines Cerebral Palsy as such:

"The term cerebral palsy refers to any one of a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination but don’t worsen over time. Even though cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it isn’t caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. It is caused by abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements. The majority of children with cerebral palsy are born with it, although it may not be detected until months or years later. The early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before a child reaches 3 years of age. The most common are a lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements (ataxia); stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity); walking with one foot or leg dragging; walking on the toes, a crouched gait, or a “scissored” gait; and muscle tone that is either too stiff or too floppy. A small number of children have cerebral palsy as the result of brain damage in the first few months or years of life, brain infections such as bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis, or head injury from a motor vehicle accident, a fall, or child abuse."

Anyway, as an occupational therapist, Dahlin had spent a month with Wong, teaching him how to swallow so that he would never have to be fed with a syringe again (which was what the Lakeville State Hospital workers were doing). Dahlin and Wong had reconnected years later, when Wong was already an adult, living a successful life in an apartment in Park Square. Wong is famous in the city of Boston- not for his disABILITY, but for the cart he runs right in front of the Burberry Store (at which he frequently shops at). He started out selling beverages, but later on he and Dahlin had developed a line of hats (cleverly named HandiCaps) which proved to be a very successful business endeavor.

Wong had never let his disABILITY stop him from doing what he wanted to do. In class, he had told us that Cancun was one of his favorite vacation spots, and he had visited there frequently. He has met numerous celebrities and athletes. A picture of Wong is even displayed in the Smithsonian! Wong is very friendly and talkative, and willing to answer questions about himself. In class we all asked him questions about his favorite athletes, whether or not he was involved in disABILITY advocacy, and even what the hardest part of having a disABILITY was. He answered all of the questions thoughtfully and truthfully.

Dahlin had invited Wong to the first class of the semester since almost the very beginnings of him teaching the class. I think it was great to have him there, because any preconceived notions that anyone in the class had about disABILITIES were thrown out the window.

The question mark in the title of class is important because it emphasizes the question what does being disABLED really mean? I think that's why I named my group The disABILITY Enlightenment Project. I want to emphasize the ABILITY and pay less attention to the "dis-."

I am excited for this class and I am really glad I got the chance to meet Peter Wong.

Anyway, for all you students, don't forget! First disABILITY Enlightenment Project meeting of the semester tonight @ 9PM in Duffy 219! Be there or be square!

Deaf Culture

So, earlier in the semester I wrote a research design paper for my Communication Theory capstone class on Deaf culture, something that I have recently developed an interest in. So I figured I'd use some excerpts from my paper to explain it a little better.

Deaf culture is something very few people understand or really even acknowledge as a culture in and of itself. Many do not understand the difference between “Deaf” and “deaf.” According to Padden and Humphries (2005, p. 1) “Deaf” describes the cultural practices of a group within a group. Padden and Humphries explain that the larger group, “deaf” refers to the “condition of deafness, or the larger group of individuals with hearing loss without reference to this particular [Deaf] culture.” People who are “Deaf” see hearing loss as a difference rather than a disability. They also see it as a culture which could be comparable to an ethnic identity and this is because they have their own language and cultural beliefs. To persons whom identify with Deaf culture, being Deaf is no different than being African-American, Asian, or Latino. It is also important to recognize that one can be Deaf without being deaf and one can be deaf without being Deaf.

With the relationship and communication between deaf and hearing come issues of power and superiority. Harlan Lane, in his chapter “Construction of Deafness” in The Disability Studies Reader (ed. Davis, 2006, p.84) he quotes Deaf leader MJ Bienvenu as saying “How can we fight for official recognition of ASL and allow ourselves as ‘communication disordered’ at the same time? … We are proud of our language, culture and heritage. Disabled we are not!” Oftentimes language constrains D/deaf persons, automatically putting them in a position of less power. The first reason is because clearly the primary means of communication in the United States is done by speaking English. D/deaf persons who chose to communicate using ASL are already at a disadvantage because they are already in the minority. Personally, I have always had a problem with the word “disability” because the prefix “dis-” means away, not, or negative, therefore it gives the connotation of being the opposite of ability. Language oppresses disabled persons and words and phrases like “deaf,” “hearing impaired,” and “hard of hearing,” often carry a negative stigma.

Cochlear implants are a subject of debate in the D/deaf community—they are devices that are implanted surgically that enable persons who are profoundly deaf or hearing impaired to receive a sense of sound. It is important to understand that these are not amplifiers and that results do vary with these devices depending on factors such as age. These devices are a subject for debate because many members of the D/deaf community see them as a threat to Deaf culture Lane (1992, p. 216) explains that these implants are aimed to regulate and eliminate deaf culture, language, and community. Because many see Deaf culture as similar to an ethnic group and a defining factor of their identity, asking a person to consider a cochlear implant would be like asking a black person to consider changing their skin color to white. By changing a person from D/deaf to hearing, you are altering their identity and changing the way they integrate into society and how that person sees him or herself as a human being. I previously mentioned issues of power dynamics between deaf and hearing, and by implanting a cochlear implant in a person, one is assuming that hearing is better than deaf and that deafness is something that needs to be cured like a disease.

Basically in my research design paper, I wanted to learn more about this idea of Deafness and how it affects communication dynamics within the D/deaf community, particularly within families that have conflictual views on the subject. I also think that hearing people don't understand why D/deaf persons would want to continue being deaf. I believe we need to work towards a mutual understanding not only between deaf persons who identify with Deaf culture and those who don't, but also hearing and D/deaf persons.

A lot of my influence for this study was based on a documentary titled Sound and Fury by director Josh Aronson. The tagline of this documentary is “If you could make your deaf child hear, would you?” It follows a few sets of interrelated families and their struggles in decision making on the subject of cochlear implants. By watching this film I was able to learn a lot about Deaf culture—things I would not have picked up on by just reading about it.

Check Out This YouTube Clip!

I liked this film because although there is a lot of literature on deafness as a "condition," there is not a lot written about Deaf Culture. This 2000 film was definitely something that had to be created to increase understanding about the topic.



I also found it interesting how some communities are hotspots for Deaf culture, whereas other communities do not even think about increasing options for the D/deaf community. When I was in D.C., I felt like things were much more accessible for the D/deaf community. Like if I attended a government meeting, there would be ASL interpreters as well as sternographers recording everything that was spoken and projecting it up onto a big screen. Hopefully one day this will be the norm everywhere.

Anyway, that is all for today!

P.S. Everyone is almost on break! That means no excuses you guys! Contact me to write a blog post of your own

Follow-up on last post

So I just got an E-mail from Father Denning about the content of my last post, where I explained that there were a series of list-servs that involved language towards the gay community. Father Denning (Vice Presiden for Student Affairs) said the following:

Dear Students,

During this past week I have been made aware of a string of emails on the student listserv that contain malicious and offensive statements. I want to both acknowledge and thank those students who courageously challenged their classmates about using either hurtful or biased language on the student listserv; however, I am still, as are my colleagues in the office of Student Affairs, very troubled by the language used and the tenor of the discussion. On Monday, I, along with Pauline Dobrowski, Dean of Students, went to the Student Senate to raise our concerns regarding this discussion and the overall use of the student listserv. The Senate felt that the listserv can be an effective tool to communicate with the student body about activities on campus, as well as to raise issues of concern.

Because of advocacy by the Student Senate and Student Government, the listserv will remain in its current form at this time. However, please know that if there is another string of emails that speak against the dignity of the human person, those students who are found responsible will, minimally, lose their access to the College’s email service. In addition, the College will, at that time, reevaluate the overall value of the listserv as it currently exists on our campus.

I want to remind you of a core value of Catholic Social Teaching and Stonehill College: the dignity of the human person. There are no qualifications on that dignity. When a member of the Stonehill community is verbally attacked, harassed, or belittled because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, disability, or religion, then not only that person who is the target, but also our entire community, suffers greatly. I would encourage us all to think again about the words we speak and write to one another. Do our words reflect our core values and the core values of this institution? I would also remind you that all of us are accountable for what we have written in the public domain, which includes the student listserv.

I know this is the last day of classes and imagine that you are all extremely busy with finishing papers and preparing for finals. Please know of my thoughts and best wishes for you at this time. I hope that the winter break is a moment to enjoy family and friends and that you find a moment or two to relax. I hope, too, that as we return on the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, we might find reason to work together to shape the Stonehill community so that it reflects our core principle of upholding the dignity of the human person through our treatment of each other with respect and compassion.

Sincerely,
Fr. John

I think it was great that he took a stand against the malicious and offensive statements people were making in a public domain, and that he stood up for the idea that no member of the Stonehill community should be verbally attacked, harassed, or belittled because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, disability, or religion.

Like I said before, I know this is a disAbility blog and the content of the listservs did not involve disAbility, however I think if the disABILITY Enlightenment Project is going to make progress in the Stonehill College community, then it needs to be in an environent that is welcoming and accepting of all persons.

Although I also think we can't really scare people into acceptance by threatening to take away the listserv or loss of E-mail access. I think it is important that we keep talking about issues like race, sexuality, and disAbility so people understand people different from themselves, and instead of making fun of them, belittling them, and harassing them, they will learn to embrace and accept them.

Anyway, that's all for today folks! Happy studying!