Hit AGBell Hard Where It Hurts
Now it’s time for us to boycott the sponsors of AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Please contact the AGBell sponsors Jay Kreiger unearthed for us in this report, 2005 Annual Report, and show them a copy of the letter that the AGBell Association sent to Pepsi Cola Corporation. Emphasize the specific excerpt of the letter that illustrates AGBell’s intolerance and bigotry toward a specific deaf group:
“Your advertisement perpetuates a common myth that all people who are deaf can only communicate using sign language and are, therefore isolated from the rest of society.” Click here to read the entire letter.
Educate the sponsors that this has been a long-standing practice of this organization to demean and ostracize Deaf people who use American Sign Language. We cannot patronize the businesses and organizations that sponsor an organization promoting oppression and blatant discrimination against a culturally deaf minority, hurting us in many aspects.
Ever most important is that the sponsors be treated with respect and diplomacy in the emails and letters.
Money talks the loudest.
It’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and boycott the sponsors of AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Please spread the word to your families, friends, neighbors and colleagues. Also please encourage people to organize e-mailathons to these sponsors.
No more put downs on ASL and Deaf people who use sign language!
Enough is enough!
P.S. You may be interested in knowing this tidbit: AGBell had already removed the offensive letter to Pepsi Cola Company from its site. What does this tell us? They are already covering up their tracks. But we still have the pdf as proof that they are practicing prejudice against us.
Deaf Pundit’s post urging Boycotting of AGBell: Boycotting of AG Bell! « The Deaf Edge
Now it’s time for us to boycott the sponsors of AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Please contact the AGBell sponsors Jay Kreiger unearthed for us in this report, 2005 Annual Report, and show them a copy of the letter that the AGBell Association sent to Pepsi Cola Corporation. Emphasize the specific excerpt of the letter that illustrates AGBell’s intolerance and bigotry toward a specific deaf group:
“Your advertisement perpetuates a common myth that all people who are deaf can only communicate using sign language and are, therefore isolated from the rest of society.” Click here to read the entire letter.
Educate the sponsors that this has been a long-standing practice of this organization to demean and ostracize Deaf people who use American Sign Language. We cannot patronize the businesses and organizations that sponsor an organization promoting oppression and blatant discrimination against a culturally deaf minority, hurting us in many aspects.
Ever most important is that the sponsors be treated with respect and diplomacy in the emails and letters.
Money talks the loudest.
It’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and boycott the sponsors of AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Please spread the word to your families, friends, neighbors and colleagues. Also please encourage people to organize e-mailathons to these sponsors.
No more put downs on ASL and Deaf people who use sign language!
Enough is enough!
P.S. You may be interested in knowing this tidbit: AGBell had already removed the offensive letter to Pepsi Cola Company from its site. What does this tell us? They are already covering up their tracks. But we still have the pdf as proof that they are practicing prejudice against us.
Deaf Pundit’s post urging Boycotting of AGBell: Boycotting of AG Bell! « The Deaf Edge
February 6th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Yea! I’ll write up a sample letter for people to use later, after I study for the two tests tomorrow!
February 6th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Yeah, like I replied at the Deaf Edge’s blog. I’m really glad that Jay and Jeanette discovered something interesting tidbits about AGBell.
We all need to do something about AGBell and make them accept ASL as part of Deaf education or disbanded. Also, make the parents of deaf/CI children aware of that so they can decide whether they should withdraw their AGBell memberships and whatnots.
Misha
February 6th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I have a question though, MZ: can’t we do more if those who are members stand up against actions like this letter to Pepsi (and other ways that ASL is not supported as an option) and take an active role within AGBell to change it from inside? What if we propel compelling ASL users into the leadership and active participant groups of AGBell to raise visibility (much like Amy’s call for more ASL advertising) and increase awareness of ASL?
Or do you think that realistically AGBell is not philosophically open to such change?
I apologize for naivete on my part: I joined every organization for the deaf I could find this past year to get all information possible (including NAD and AGBell). In recent months I have read about conflict between ASL-users and AGBell (but until now, I had thought this was just small scale infighting among deaf cohorts and all based on relatively ancient history, outmoded educational approaches no longer in use, and issues around AGBell’s founder, because people kept referring to the Milan conference in the 1800s).
This experience with the letter to Pepsi was my first encounter with obvious anti-ASL sentiment at AGBell, and I was astonished and very disappointed. And I’ve written in with strongly worded objections to the letter they sent both to their membership and to Pepsi.
But I don’t know that my walking away will change anything — my $30 fee or whatever it was is just a drop in their bucket. Can’t I make more of a splash by writing in to the organization as a disgruntled member, voting ASL users into board memberships, writing my local paper, or by contacting board members as a member? Has a campaign from within ever been tried?
February 6th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Yay, thanks to Jay Krieger for his investigation. I feel terribly betrayed that Gallaudet — under the I. King Jordan Administration — contributed in 2005 between $5,000 and $9,000 to AGB.
To AGB? Yes, to AGB — the same organisation that
wanted to sterilize deaf people as a variety of
human race.
We must write to President Davila to say to
Vice President-Finance Paul Kelly — “No donation
to AGB. Never. Ever!”
February 6th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I have said to Jeannette (Deaf Pundit, and herein
I shall say once again:
Pepsico is a MIRACLE WORKER.
I have witnessed many people who have deserting AGB.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Li-Li’s Mom,
I think if you’re willing to, then go for it. It can’t hurt. My personal stance is, AG Bell isn’t open to the change. It’ll take tremendous internal and external pressure for them to reform.
And even then, AG Bell’s main funder, the Volta Bureau, would cut off their funding of the organization if AG Bell ever supported ASL outright.
I can’t find the link right now, but when I do, I’ll post that. If not, someone else will, I am sure.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Li-Li Mom, I grew up oral. I was taught to look down with contempt Deaf people who use sign language. This is a universal experience among the oral deaf students.. that we all are superior to Deaf people who sign.
To this day, AGBell still demonizes ASL, though it is more subtle nowadays. However, the sentiment is there. They now provide ASL interpreters in AGB conventions upon request. Yet, if the AGB members use ASL, they are met with tacit disapproval there.
AGBell Association needs to learn to tolerate the diversity among Deaf people without demonizing ASL and demeaning Deaf people who sign.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Jean Boutcher, this is good idea about your comment. I would twist GU and NTID’ arms- don’t make donation of money to AgBAD.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
GoAmerica merged with HOVRS and Verizon recently. Do we need to boycott HOVRS, i711 and IP relay service?
February 6th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I would contact them and tell them that until they stop donating money to AG Bell, we won’t be using their services.
There are many other relay services we can use.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Can anybody post a LIST of corporations that have donated to AGB? Not all of us can watch vlogs, y’know. My main ‘Net access is via pager, so there’s no way I can watch vlogs. Thanks… I’d like to do my part, but I can’t unless I know *whom* donated…
February 6th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Here is the link to AGBell’s 2005 Annual Report: http://www.agbell.org/uploads/About%20AG%20Bell/Who%20We%20Are/2005%20Annual%20Report.pdf
February 6th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
In America……
It’s a crime to remove Hearing’s language, ENGLISH.
It’s a crime to remove Deaf’s language, AMERICA SIGN LANGUAGE(ASL).
Therefore AGBAD is the crime to remove Deaf’s ASL away!
February 6th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
JohnABC, good one !!!!!
February 6th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I come to your blog frequently. I’m a mom to an A-V child with a CI. Do you actually think that the way in which many here go about this will actually “win over” any parents like myself? Do you think AG Bell forced me to choose A-V? I did not know of AB Bell before I chose A-V for my child. As a member of AG Bell, I may not like the way they do everything, but…….I don’t see NAD supporting my family’s choice. It goes both ways.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Mom2boys, I am not sure if you understand my issue.. it is not the choice of AVT or oralism that the parents make, fully informed. I have no problem with that as it’s the parents’ choice.. It’s AGB’s practice of demonizing ASL and putting down Deaf people who use ASL that I object to. In 2008, there is no room for intolerance and prejudice against a group of Deaf people, but this is what AGBell Association encourages. As an organization NAD promotes ASL, but it shows the full range of communication options in its site, unlike AGBell. It also doesn’t disparage oralism, audio-verbal therapy, and cochlear implants or look down on deaf oral people.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Great news that they removed the letter.
I’m hoping they yanked the letter because so many of us wrote in and requested that they retract the statement, that by undermining highly visible awareness building opportunities like the Pepsi ad, they weren’t advocating for the deaf or representing and supporting their full membership as they say they are.
I’d like to see an apology from the letter-writers to the membership if I’m regain any confidence that I’m being represented as an equal, and an explanation and a clear thank you to Pepsi. That would tell me that AGBell as an organization was truly “dedicated to the mission of promoting communication for people with hearing loss” as they claim, and did not intend to demonize ASL, despite the ill-informed and unsupported actions of the 2 members who wrote the letter.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
mom2boys, if you actually had any dealings or learned more about the NAD, you would see that they are for parental choice IN SPITE OF their recent announcement about ASL. They still respect people from all walks of life, including parents.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Li-Li Mom, this had been the pervasive sentiment of the whole AGBell Association from the very begining of its establishment, not just from two members. What they didn’t anticipate would be a highly vocal backlash from the culturally Deaf people who have kept quiet for decades regarding its atrocious attitude toward them.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
mom2boys,
I am a mom to a AV child with a CI too. He gets AVT two days a week. He knows sign language to be able to communicate with his deaf friends who uses signs whether its ASL or CASE. He also benefits from sign language intepreters during assembly and big classrooms. Neither AGB or NAD can support my family’s choice for having both AV and total commnication unfortunately.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
mom2boys,
But when seeing what the two people said in the letter to Pepsi (sign language leads to ISOLATION) I was quick to say Good Bye AGBell! They have effecdtively insulted my dear sweet boy. That is a big slap in the face to all deaf/hoh people in the world who uses sign language for cdommunication.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
VOLTA VOICES • JULY/AUGUST 2006 • 2005 ANNUAL REPORT 43
Cingular Wireless
DataMark
David J. Davis
Demeter Software
Lois and Richard England
Lilian Flores-Beltran
Linda and Walter Franck
C. Mac Gibson, Jr.
Betsy and Bruce Goldstein
Jewish Communal Fund
Jollay Family Foundation, Inc.
Irene W. Leigh
Kenneth Levinson
Mrs. Seena Levy
National Court Reporters
Foundation
Michael A. Novak and Lee Ann
Rotz
Seton Hall University
Kathy and Marty Sussman
Steven L. Vonderfecht
Tim Wierzbicki
Karen and Robert Youdelman
■Supporters $500 – $999
Audio Enhancement
Auditory Learning
Baton Rouge Speech and
Hearing Foundation
Cars 4 Charities
Costal Mortage
Andi and Steve Epstein
Etta L. Fisher
GoAmerica Communications
■President’s Circle $10,000 and above
Advanced Bionics Corporation
Lisa and Jeffery Bowen
Kenny Cheng
Cochlear Americas
Dextra Baldwin McGonagle
Foundation, Inc.
J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott
Foundation
NRLCA Auxiliary
Oberkotter Foundation
The Wasily Family Foundation
■Benefactors $5,000 – $9,999
Nan Ellen D. East
Gallaudet University
Goldstein, Ackerhalt & Pletcher,
LLP
Helen Beebe Speech &
Hearing Center
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus
Foundation
Rochester Institute of
Technology/National
Technical Institute for the
Deaf
The Samuel M. Levy Family
Foundation
■Patrons $1,000 – $4,999
Frank and Kathleen Adams
Kevin and Heather Andrews
Harrison T. Bubb
Capitol Solutions, Government
Relations Consultants, LLC
Teresa H. Caraway
The Charles Delmar Foundation
Linda Chester and Kenneth
Rind
Donald Goldberg and Sharon
Sandridge
Beverly and Stuart Halpert
Maria and K. Todd Houston
International Center for Hearing
and Speech Research/R.I.T.
Inez and Allen Janger
Janet S. Kahn
Tom and Mary Lucchesi
Mile High United Way
George H. Nofer
PHE, Incorporated
Phonak
Steve Rech
Joseph Rosenstein
Michael Tecklenburg
Richard M. Treckelo
Susie Trotochaud and Scott Dorfman
Deanne and Robert Uschold
Elizabeth W. Williams
Jane Wilson
■Champions $250 – $499
Corinne Abbott
Joni Alberg
Nada Alsaigh
Christine Anthony and Jeremy
LeBoy
Nancy and Sidney Arfa
John F. Dietel and Kathleen
O’Neill
Ann and Dennis Filloon
Ralph F. Guertin
Marc Hirschfield
Gayla Hutsell
Wendy A. Keitel
Ilena and Robert Lea
Stuart Lernowitz
Madison River Management
June and Eddie McBride
Med-El
Oshima Family
Barbara and Robert Palter
Melanie and Steve Parton
David H. Peirez
Christina and Ross Perigoe
Phonic Ear
Reit Management & Research,
LLC
Elizabeth P. Sloan
Gwendolyn Sommer
John F. Stanton
Virginia and Robert Stern
Mary R. Sylvester
Julius Trump
Beth Wolfe
Yale Club of Washington 44
2005 ANNUAL REPORT• VOLTA VOICES • JULY/AUGUST 2006
Mark Henning
Berte Hirschfield
Michele Hoffman
Sharon M. Hunter
Linda Hyde
Gail Issac
Laura Kaufman
Anne F. Kearney
Barbara Krawczewski
Robyn Lamm
LeGan, Inc.
Christopher Lehfeldt
Julie Lynk
Shelley Maish
Manley Family
Kenneth Margulies
James Marsters
Peggy McClellan
Tessa McDermott
Donald I. McGee
Anne McNally
Richard Mead
Mark Mindlin
John R. Mooney
Elizabeth S. Morrissey
J. M. Myers
Caryl Myers
Robert Nejat
Yvonne Petersen
Richard C. Prokesch
Christopher Rathbauer
Mark Reiner
Stephen Rexrode
Jessica Ripper
Justine Roberts
Lisa Rockett
Jim Rodgers
Bruce A. Rosenfield
Erika Rosenzweig
Jean Saks
■Associates $100 – $249
Anonymous (1)
America’s Charities
Mary and Vince Bartholomew
Lynne Blennerhassett
Bolesta Center, Inc.
Tamala S. Bradham
Janet and Richard Bruce
Valerie and William Buckley
Penelope and Robert Caleffe
Danette Chaffin
Children’s Health Center
Edie and Christopher Churchill
Janet Cluck
Cynthia R. Dahlin
Dare Dream Do
Kim Davis
R. Neil Dickman
Benjamin Dubin
Yolanda Duffin
P. Kelley Dunne
D. L. Ensor
Marian and Jack Ernst
Jeff Ertle
Warren Estabrooks
Ann and Charles Flynn
Christine J. Forsthoefel
Beth C. Gibson
Donald Glaeser
Beverly and Jay Gold
Laura A. Gold
Roger Gold
Brian Gold
Karen Goldammer
Nancy Gould
Judith S. Gravel
Robin Gutterman
Craig Hartley
Jon E. Heisler
Janet S. Scheeline
Stella Sharp
Edward H. Shartar
Linda Shaughnessy
Gloria Shenefield
Lisa M. Sheppard
Gary Sherman
Richard L. Sigal
David K. Smith
Mary Snyder
Sarah and Paul Sommer
St. Marcellus KC
Charles Steedman
Mark L. Stern
Molly Tate
Scott Telesz
Total Family Footcare, Inc.
Joanne Travers
John R. Wyant
Mariellen Zabel
■Friends $50 – $99
Anonymous (2)
Douglas Allen
Allstate Giving Campaign
Robin D. Bailey
Richard E. Barsan
Marion Battreall
Matthew Blaskovich
Ronna Bogart Rosenberg
Arthur Boothroyd
Antonia Brancia Maxon
Lauren Brennan
Anitta Burg
Kathleen M. Carey
Beverly Casinelli
Citigroup Matching Gifts/
Volunteer Incentive
Programs
Jason Cohen
Jodi R. Collins
Combined Federal Campaign
of the National Capital Area
Constellation Energy Group
Employee Fund
Alice F. Cooper
Sherrie Coyner
Paull Craig
James D. Davis
Audrey Dew
Remmel T. Dickinson
Frank J. Dox, Jr.
Diane Durston
J. Farnsworth
Michelle Finkel
Carol Flexer
Ann M. Forsberg
Richard L. Freeman
Dorothea French
Joan Frost
Clare Glaser
Sherry Gottsleben
Astrida Greco
Barry Griebler
Edwin S. Grosvenor
Anne Hamilton
Jess Harris
Justin M. Haux
Heiner Obstetrics and
Gynecology
Connie Heintzman
Patricia Holder
An and David Hu
Hunt Reporting Company
The Indiana Association of
United Ways
Daniel Johnston
Sue Jubinville
Pat Kager
Andy Kahn
Janice M. Kavounas
Patrick J. Keany
Stephen Kwechin
Jean Sanchez
Lisa R. Schauf
Charles and Hilda Shallbetter
Gary and Laurie Shapiro
Jan Shearer
Dr. and Mrs. Stuart Sitzman
Scott Smiley
Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Snuggs
Matoka Snuggs
Ruth Sorrell
Indiana State Employees’
Community Campaign
Charlotte and Allen Statland
Martin Steiner
Leslie S. Stone
Patrick and JoAnne Stone
Christen Stotts
Bernadette F. Sullivan
Gregory Swager
Callan Swenson and Jennifer
Barger
Dawn Throenle
Mark Udden
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Unger
Susan and Harvey Vanhoven
Harold J. Vonderfecht
Cara and James Voth
Brooke and Michael Wahrer
Jeanie Walter Teare
Feng Wang
Sara and Jesse M. Webber
Steven Weigandt
Wendy Will
Mrs. Thais Williams
Josephine F. Wilson
Jan C. Zeller
Paul R. Lagace
Adam Lazarchak
Jonathan Leigh
Star Leonard-Fleckman
Teresa P. Lonn
Yaju Loomis
Arthur Lowell
Patricia Lucey
Susan M. Lyon
Paige Madriago
Frank Martines
Nicholas Maslaney
Ninan Mathew
Richard McAnany
Catherine McEnroe
Lawrence Meli
Mike Menchen
Al Menchen
Kevin J. Miller
Richard T. Miyamoto
Bruce Monblatt
Edgar Montellano
Bert Mosley
Elizabeth Mosley
Doris Motto
Donna Otwell
Gretchen M. Paige
Donald B. Paterson
Alice Patton
Linda M. Peshek
Christine Petrik
Kathy Plump
Susan A. Pollack
Lenore G. Popick
Lynn Porter
Blake Putney
Elmer Raffai, M.D.
Mark Reeve
■Circle Alliance Partners
Founding Partners
Advanced
Bionics
Corporation
Cochlear
Americas
■In-kind
Atlanta Speech School
EWA Travel
Fannon Fine Printing
Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel
February 6th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
MZ, thank you. But that link leads to a PDF file which is inaccessible via pager or mobile phone, thus my request for someone to list the sources of funding in text for those of us who can’t access this info any other way.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Wouldn’t it be interesting if we could locate a potential donor to AGB, and offered to donate, say, a million dollars but ONLY if AGB would support ASL and take on a POSITIVE education campaign with parents regarding educational CHOICE, including ASL???
I wonder what would happen?
February 6th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Hi, U know A long time ago that alot of the black people were not allowed to write and read.. they have had been discriminated by the white…They think that they are supervior to the black people.. the same way for AGBELL to feel supervior to the deaf people(ASL USERS) . deaf babies and youngers are not allowed to use ASL,lip reading, facial expression and body language.. oh boy,you , AGBELL> AGBELL< please swallow your pride and accept the truth about the diversity of the deaf people that come from all walk of life..and their fluent of ASL… AGREE? THANK YOU
KH
February 6th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
AGB = Anti Gratified Bilingual! (not Alexandar Graham Bell)!
February 6th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Thank you, List! I really appreciate it!!! I’ll be in touch with some corporations.
February 6th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
There are some really vulnerable contributors on those lists – GoAmerica Communications jumps out at me as being especially easy, since they need to compete for VRS and Relay contracts… ANY letter of complaint to the 3 states they serve (California, Tennessee and District of Columbia) would cause a lot of uproar with the Public Services Commissions in those states!!
A company that contributes to an organization that openly discriminates against a whole class of people…
GoAmerica could get in some serious hot water…
Suppose GoAmerican contributed to the KKK??? What would happen to their tax dollars from state and federal government???
February 6th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
ABG= ALL GREEDY BELLY
February 6th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
goamerica merged with HOVRS last summer. thought everyone knew that.
February 6th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Hi Mishka,
In comment #7 you said you grew up oral and were taught to look down in contempt at Deaf who used ASL. I want to point out the majority of deaf-oral people are late-deafened and were never taught to feel contempt or look down their noses at those who couldn’t speak. When I was growing up, I talked naturally and became deaf later. No one ever said anything to me about deaf people at all, other than they couldn’t hear and so they needed to use ASL to speak. I hope this clears up some of the misunderstandings some Deaf people feel. Not ALL oral deaf people look down their noses at Deaf ASL users. I for one, am in awe.
Kim
February 6th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Kim,
I know what Miska is saying, back in 1960’s, when oralism was prevelant, teachers and even parents would compare deaf students at how well they could talk. If they couldn’t talk well, they would literally “dump” them in a deaf institution. My parents lived in fear that if I didn’t speak well, I would have to go to a deaf institution. I saw a lot of my friends being sent to the deaf institution, they were considered “oral failures” and not smart ones. The deaf kids who had good oral skills were the smartest ones and the “cream of the crop”, of course that beamed us and we looked down on deaf children who went to a deaf institution and used ASL. Looking back, the oral movement succeeded in destroying our friendships and separating us. This is why we don’t want to see a repeat of this history.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
We need to check AGBad event calendar to find more information and go there to protest.
http://www.agbell.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?p=Calendar_of_Events
February 6th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
This question may open a huge can of worms, and I know there’s a painful history, but here goes: Within the past 5 years, can you list events or actions in which the AGBell has explicitly and implicitly undermined the Deaf community and ASL?
1. the recent letter from AG Bell board President Youdelman and Exec Director Graham to Pepsi
2. …
For example, have there been official position statements or memos released that exclude ASL as a viable option or argue against ASL? Or speeches by officials denouncing ASL, exclusion of members based on preference for ASL, etc.? While we may never be able to remedy what went wrong before, we should be able to change what’s happening right now, or at least make a good effort to try.
I’m absolutely not arguing on behalf of AGBell with this question, I just want to have hard facts and examples in hand and know of specific actions that we need to change before I try to make a difference from inside. Or, if that’s not possible, I want to have hard evidence that they are currently violating their compact with the deaf community before I fight from outside.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Michele,
I know exactly what you mean by being compared with other deaf kids … I can remember when i was in 10th grade a mom found out about me and called to see if I could meet her 8th grader daughter just to make friends as she had been at ST. Joseph for the deaf in St. Louis. I really did not want to hang out with a kid but I went to her house. I was dismayed by how her mother and sister spoke to this girl. Her mother told me ” wow you really speak so well!You speak better than my daughter!” I instantly felt extremely uncomfortable, how could her own mother compare me to her daughter’s speech by saying that I spoke so much better than her?
I felt that was so hurtful thing to say. I felt bad for her. I also felt like I was a guinea pig being raised as an oral deaf.
You reminded me of this incident. It should not have happened like that.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Truly sorry about few of you guys (Hearing Parents who have Deaf Child) learned news from AGBAD gone too far and came out flying true colors what have done written first time the letter and then 2nd letter too.
How r u feel deal with that company?
What wasted?
I want asking, How does rest GoAmerica and others knew AGbad’s background? Why they did donate them?
That my question!
AgBad forbid everyone using ASL. Big picture..
Stereotype labellings toward isolation Deaf Community. That hurtful for all Deaf Community.
I born raised oral.. My parent are strict and doesn’t want me sign Languages. I never like oralist and make my parent happy. Did I made my parent happy? Oh heck.. I decide sat down the middle road and refused go mainstream school. Never forget that my memories. I will tell you more story later.. I’ll use vlog!
February 6th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
AGBell Association discourages any interaction between ASL-using deaf kids and oral deaf kids. Nowadays there are deaf educational programs practicing segregation policies where deaf kids using sign language are forbidden to associate with oral deaf kids and vice versa, even on the same school settings. A Deaf Mom shared her story how the door of a deaf oral classroom was slammed in front of her Deaf son several years ago by the teacher because he used sign language.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
#37 Teresa,
Can AGBell and the Deaf community get along together?
We need to build a bridge to work together and you know that we both have tried….and the door was slammed in front of us both…just like you said.
Who is doing this to us both?
Any solutions?
I will have a blog tomorrow about it
John Egbert
February 6th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Kim, I was referring to oral students in the deaf educational system, not late deafened people.
Li-Li Mom, I’ve been absent from Deaf Community for many years until last year so I’m not the right person to ask. However, I’ve been receiving stories of recent events. What Teresa shared is also what I’ve heard, too. Shawn’s son had the door slammed in front of his face by the oral educator, stories about enforced separation between deaf kids based on their communication modes, even in the same school, due to AVT philosophy, maintained by AGBell Association, not permitting deaf kids be exposed to sign language at all Hmm, another person said she was made to feel unwelcome when she used sign language at an AGB workshop, by her oral peers. I think it happened two or three years ago years ago. Unfortunately I couldn’t remember who this person is.
John Egbert of DBC actually tried several times last summer, but AGBell Association rebuffed him, showing no inclination to carry a dialogue with him.
There are many stories indicating to me that AGBell hasn’t changed its ways. However, it is more careful what it puts on the Internet site. When I saw that Pepsi letter written by its president and director, I thought to myself.. same old AGBell Association rearing its ugly head of intolerance. The fact that no Deaf person was surprised at all by the negative innuendos in this letter is revealing.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:01 am
GoAmerica did not merge with Verizon. They acquired Verizon TRS division.
Verizon acquired MCI earlier. That included the IP-Relay.
HOVRS merged with GoAmerica
http://www.goamerica.com/news/pr.php?action=view&article=282
GoAmerica also own i711.com (long story about my battle with i711.com! – their refusal to stop sending me emails when I didn’t want them, even won’t let me unsubscribe before I raised cain with them.)
Robert Obray, founder of HOVRS, is now a shareholder in GoAmerica Commuications, the resulting company after all the acquisitions and mergers. This is dated 10 Jan 2008 news release.
Sprint Corporation should be hit too, since Sprint has contract(s) with HOVRS to do VRS now. That means beyond California, Tennessee and District of Columbia. At least Utah is under contract with Sprint and has HOVRS as primary VRS. FCC said District of Columbia is under contract to Hamilton.
According to FCC:
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, (Puerto Rico), South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington.
The other states are mostly Hamilton with few with AT&T (SouthernBell aka SBCGlobal)
No wonder AgBad got $ from Gally while Kenneth Levinson was sitting on the BoT at the time. (wondering how we didn’t find out about the funding until later?)
February 7th, 2008 at 5:10 am
I think I know who are behind “Audio Enhancement” company. I’ve seen the ads from that company before.
Not sure if it is SAME company or not that is based in Bluffdale, Utah.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:14 am
Mile High United Way?! That’s Denver, Colorado
BTW Charles Delmar Foundation as well as Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation are located outside of Washington DC
We need to check out each foundation and find out what they do.
February 7th, 2008 at 6:03 am
I think it’s really great that Jay brought this up and getting everyone’s eyes opened on the funding.
It wouldn’t have made much noise had it not been for AGBell’s response to Pepsi!
What I’d like to see some type of “committee” to organize and making a format letter for everyone to download and re-word if they’d like to.
Make a list of all sponsors like SeekGeo did and keep track of what’s been sent and by who (optional – maybe just city, state).
I’d ask DP but I think she’s very busy with school and I think this should get done as soon as possible.
The sooner the better!
February 7th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Oh my gosh, another one… not just only Gallaudet University and RIT/NTID who donate AGBELL.. Irene W. Leigh who currently works also professor of Psychology dept at Gallaudet and she donated her money to AGBELL, too.. I cant believe it!!! I recognized her name very well.. damn!!!!
February 7th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Sorry again!!
this is REALLY BIGGEST SHAME!!!
February 7th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Please check this link, same problem with Cochlear company.
“FORMER CFO TURNS IN COCHLEAR AMERICAS”
http://www.cochlear.org/sys-tmpl/whistleblowercomplaint/
February 7th, 2008 at 10:28 am
My letter to Pepsi, please forgive me for using bits of comments from this website. Keep up the great work of informaing the world!
Pepsi
During the Super Bowl the Pepsi company took a bold and forward step of airing a commercial using the Deaf and American sign language. Congrats!!
But it has come to my attention that the AGBell Association has written the Pepsi company a negative letter about this commercial. First let me say they in no way do they speak for the Deaf community across America or around the world.
AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has had a long-standing practice of this organization to demean and ostracize Deaf people who use American Sign Language. AGBell Association is same organization that wanted to sterilize deaf people as a variety of human race. One of the earliest modern advocates of eugenics (before it was labeled as such) was Alexander Graham Bell. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics)
Again I want to say thank you to the Pepsi company for taking a bold and forward move to include the Deaf and American Sign Language in such a media format as the Super Bowl. Well done!!
The Deaf community cannot and will not patronize the businesses and organizations that sponsor an organization promoting oppression and blatant discrimination against a culturally deaf minority, hurting us in many aspects. The AGBell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has one goal, to end the beautiful and natural language of the Deaf.
Thank you,
D. B. Mathes
ASL Interpreter
C.O.D.A (Child of Deaf Adults)
February 7th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Li-Li’s Mom, AGBell was careful not to come out publicly against ASL in the recent years and its letter to Pepsico was quickly taken off its website as soon as they learned of their mistake. Perhaps its new director was not yet aware of its “covert audism” policy.
There is a history of overt discrimination that was especially blatant during the heyday of oral schools and wholescale elimination of Deaf educators in favor of those who could correct students’ speech.
As an oral child, the prevalent attitude of signs were evil, signs had to be suppressed and abolished, signs were shameful. A teacher worth her salt did everything to eradicate them. We were taught that only unintelligent and ignorant people used sign and were penalized for using it.
The AGBell agency was established to promote oralism, is funded on that basis, and would lose its funding by mandate if it admitted that sign language had a place in early childhood education. Their prejudice against ASL is still present today: this leopard doesn’t change its spots even in the age of enlightenment where most other charitable agencies have made radical changes in their philosophies.
It is hard to see the future of this agency because it is so well funded and organized even though the popular trend is to include ASL. On one hand its diehard philosophy is obsolete and going the way of the John Birch Society and the Ku Klux Klan. On the other hand, its foundation needs no outside contributions to survive and can spend huge amounts of money to promote its narrow goals.
Trying to establish dialogue and “getting along” with AGBell would require a large shift in their priorities and philosophies. We won’t hold our breath waiting for that to happen. We have the all-inclusive philosophy; they don’t.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:28 am
[...] Mishka Zena
February 7th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
hmm maybe the best way to go about “boycotting” these people is simply talk to them and tell them your thoughts… and ask for bridges to be made.
or at the very least, do what agbell did; tell them to donate money to…. NAD. if they want to sponsor a balanced view of how to approach deafness and deal with it, they should sponsor both organizations becasue we all have the right to pick what methods we want.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I’ve already spread the word to friends, colleges, and the entire student population of the campus where I am studying. Tod ate, I yet to meet one hearing person unwilling to take a few minutes to send out an emal to A.G.Bad.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Oh, I urge readers to contact the contributors first and express their concerns about the sponsorship to a hate-mongering foundation. The sponsors need to be educated about the bigotry of AGBell toward ASL and signing Deaf People. It’ my bet that they have no inkling. Then maybe once they understand the picture, they may contact AGBell and inform them this bias is sorely outdated and they cannot sponsor in good conscience if AGBell Association refuses to learn to be tolerant of Deaf people.
NAD doesn’t encourage prejudice. AGBell Association does. Big difference.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I urge everyone not to boycott any video relay services or others like Go America, HOVRS, i711, or any others for any reason because if any of them did donate to AGbell at one point or another, they still contibuted A LOT of money back into the Deaf community, way more than they ever gave to AGBell.
They sponsored many events. They sponsor blogs, they sponsor Deaf entertainment shows, they sponsor fundraisers, they sponsor golf charities that support causes, ALL in Deaf culture!
Now, if they did donate to AG Bell, any of those VRS companies, I am disappointed, granted..but if I have seen how much money they have poured into the Deaf community, then that far outweighs what they have donated to AGBell. I am sure those companies after seeing AGBell’s letter to Pepsi Co will cease to support AGBell any further.
I support ALL of the VRS companies because we need them and there is no need to punish them by boycotting. Maybe we should write letters to ask them to consider stopping to donate to AGBell. That’s all we need to do. Nice, polite, and friendly letters. The VRS companies are our friends and supporters.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Hope someone will have time to get deep research on Go America and found out how systems goes??? Thanks, MZ for this blog to help us to save for the GLOBAL WORLD Deaf community!!!
February 7th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
#53, That’s what I propose in the post.. contacting these sponsors and educate them about the prejudice of AGBell Association against culturally Deaf people who use ASL. They may not realize that AGBell is encouraging active discrimination based on one’s deafness.
If they refuse to cease their financial contributions, then this indicate prejudice and bias are acceptable and how little they value their Deaf customers. If so, they may have to face the consequences of their actions. There are other VRS companies who accept Deaf people and do not permit intolerance.
February 8th, 2008 at 8:31 am
I’m coming across a lot of accusations of discrimination and prejudice against the use of ASL, but aside from the letter to Pepsi, and a history we sadly can’t do anything about, nothing overt. We need to articulate the basis of these accusations or we’ll lose all credibility.
That doesn’t mean I’m saying that the accusations against AG Bell’s policy are either well-founded or unfounded. Perhaps there isn’t any direct attack on ASL, but more of what Dianrez described very well as “covert audism.” That’s probably the more common form of discrimination anyway, but so hard to get your finger on, and harder to change. And sometimes the discrimination is in the eye of the beholder — not that it isn’t there, but that the person doing it has no clue they are offending.
What concerns me is that nobody is doing anything about changing this bias. Think about it as though this was a company you were working for (rather than a company that’s working for you, which is what AG Bell is supposed to be doing). If you were being discriminated against, you would need to make an effort to inform the person or the company that they were committing an offense, that you were perceiving specific actions as bias. Would you just leave the company, without trying to change he situation either for yourselves or for those who come along next?
We need to tell AG Bell very specifically what they are doing that makes us feel oppressed or attacked or not supported, and propose how that can be changed. They aren’t mind-readers, and not everyone or every organization is always sensitive to every need. Every day I’m on deafread my mind is opened a little bit more to perspectives I’d never been exposed to, or approaches I’d never considered. Let’s open their minds rather than slamming our doors and tell them what we want — just blanketing this corner of the web (rather than contacting them directly) with messages that they are bad (or AgBad
) and discriminating against the deaf comes across as unfounded and just plain wacky (they are an organization FOR the deaf, according to public perception and their mission) unless you explain HOW they discriminate.
And gruesome as it was, we can’t keep referring to Alexander Graham Bell’s links to eugenics — the US was founded by slave-owners, should we give up on it, too? Ooops, maybe not a good analogy, and I probably shouldn’t have asked that question on an international forum
February 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
“We need to tell AG Bell very specifically what they are doing that makes us feel oppressed or attacked or not supported, and propose how that can be changed. They aren’t mind-readers, and not everyone or every organization is always sensitive to every need”
That’s what you don’t see. How long have you been involved in the Deaf Community? I’m not being trying to be rude, but it helps considerably to listen to Deaf people before making unwarranted and unfair assumptions about them… This bigotry of AGBell has been a long-running issues. This is nothing new. What is new is that they are now trying to deny the accusations, while they still bear the bias. Also, for the first time Deaf people are now being openly vocal about this bias instead of absorbing its abuse quietly as it had in the past.
Hence the anger. To this day, AGBell is still slamming the doors at us, rebuffing our efforts to establish constructive dialogue. I am sure you didn’t mean to, but your efforts in explaining AGBell’s actions did come across as invalidating and somewhat patronizing to Deaf people especially in the light of your unfamiliarity with AGBell. Do take the time to study AGBell and its history with Deaf people who sign, up to this day, by listening to Deaf people who have first-hand experiences with AGBell.
February 18th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
How much exactly did Gallaudet and NTID contributed to AGB? Our taxdollars at work!!!! from Gallaudet’s 96 million dolalrs. See http://www.gpo.gov or http://www.omb.gov then Federal Budget. From between $5,000 to $9,000? The annual report 2005 is not on the website anymore.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Yes, the annual report is still there. I just checked it
September 9th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
I am a parent of a profoundly deaf child who has been fighting with the school system for years now. My child does use ASL, plus we are considering CI. He has a condition called auditory neuropathy. Without AGB,and their contacts, we would not be getting the services that my child needs. In my opinion, this is a great organization and has helped my family tremendously. Boycotting is just not the answer. Some families really need organizations like AGB, because without them or their advise, my child would be lost.