Deaf Civil Rights - US Chapter

Do you know if your Senator will represent you or corporations that exploit Deaf bodies?

I wanted us to find out.

I invited Washington State congressional candidates Senator Marie Cantwell and Dr. Raul Garcia to meet with the Deaf Community of Vancouver, Washington inside of WSD, to learn about the discrimination against us and root causes of what prevents the Deaf from being equally able to thrive.

Cantwell’s nephew - campaign manager replied she was only iinterested to speak to us after she wins.

Dr. Garcia, who came to the US seeking asylum from Cuba, came with his wife and older son from Yakima, read all the facts I wrote about Deaf history, and spoke off camera about how they were upset nobody speaks in government about any of this.

No other Deaf people came, and no interpreters were provided to me unless I paid for them, as this town has given up hope.

I asked very serious questions about basic Constitutional rights withheld from many of the Deaf community and serious violations of human rights.

You may be shocked to learn which of your rights are being violated.

And YES I mentioned DeafProtest 2015’s 3E’s:
Expressive Equality - right to ASL
Educational Equality - Deaf schools support
Employment Equality - not discriminate against Deaf

I think everyone should watch and share. You can fast forward the spoken parts, or signed parts, to reduce time to about 45 minutes:
https://youtu.be/TDcZywq9xlA?si=3PsVU595KsmHw6I0

Deaf Civil Rights Issues Event in Vancouver, Washington Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell and Republican challenger Dr. Raul Garcia were invited to meet with the Washington State Deaf Community to become aware of ...

I want to know if finding out a movie at a theater you wanted to see was going to have open captions on the screen if that would affect if you would watch it.
I am asking everyone, fully hearing, hard of hearing, or deaf/Deaf to answer the question in the poll.

This poll is anonymous, and has just three questions.
Unofficial poll for anyone in the USA to take!Just take it once, please!

Feel free to share with others if you like.

Much appreciated!

Can you spare a few moments to take my survey? Please take the survey titled "Would Open Captions at Movie Theaters Affect If You Go?". Your feedback is important!

Do share this flyer with hearing people who claim to want to be allies, as well as other Deafies, CODAs, and supportive hearing family members.

We will start a letter writing campaign for you to easily copy, add name of your elected Congress member, sign and email to obtain your

Some of the worst things local hearing people have said to me about the Deaf:

“AI could replace interpreters, saves money to not train humans!”

“ASL is universal. It isn’t? Well it SHOULD be. Make that happen!”

“You should know your numbers…black people do!”

“House hopping must just be a local issue, couldn’t be national.“

“You should be grateful to AGBell, you all need to be fixed.“

“Deaf people have gates on the deaf school because they fear hearing people, and they all become teachers there after graduated so they do not have to ever leave.”

“Deaf Culture does not exist.“

“The HI Word (impaired) doesn’t bother anybody but you, because nobody deaf complained but you.“

“Open captioned movies would drive away hearing customers.“

“If you cannot hear or speak, you must read English very well.“

“If you cannot hear, you cannot walk across the street without getting killed.“

“A deaf woman cannot be a fit mom, and the child‘s custody after birth should be given to a hearing woman.”

“Deaf people drive? I don’t feel safe, so I want to ban that.”

“I am pro life, but I don’t care if it is eugenics, no more deaf people should be born.”

Deaf oral history claims that people fought in wars up until the Civil War, when a federal law was put in place to ban the Deaf from serving their country in the military with the honors therein after a hearing soldier with a little power got angered by one Deaf soldier.

Watch this video to learn all the reasons why this is discrimination and the ban should be abolished, much as it was for g**s. https://youtu.be/0Vk80vbsV7o

To hold a ban against the Deaf doing something that Americans have a right to do, without hearing the arguments and sound proofs opposing this ban, is not inclusion, or equity of diversity.

Keith Nolan Explains How Deaf People Are Prevented from Honorable Military Service at ALDAcon2019 This voiced and ASL signed presentation was in Kansas before an audience of people post-lingually deaf and hard of hearing with the Association of Late Deafe...

Several years ago, a few hearing people wanted elected to the same position on Vancouver City Council, and listened to what Deaf people had to say about the living conditions and not qualifying for Section 8 without being literally on the street.

You can watch this full video here: https://youtu.be/_U43eDA69Mg

Deaf people often are told that due to the definition of homelessness, that they didn’t qualify for housing assistance, and were seen as not vulnerable enough.

A hearing homeless person keeps an ear open while sleeping to defend themselves from robbers, rapists, police brutality, and more.

A Deaf person cannot hear! There is Deaf House Hopping part of Deaf Culture to protect our own, to ensure Deaf people do not die the first night on the street, or worse. However, due to the hearing people in Congress not realizing the danger to the Deaf and the cultural norm to protect the Deaf from death….because they ARE most vulnerable…the definition of homeless has not been inclusive of this.

We urge you to learn more about this topic and to advocate with the Deaf community to change the HUD definition to include those who use ASL and are Deaf house hoppers to qualify for Section 8 assistance. Frankly living off of SSI isn’t enough to pay first and last month’s rent to get into a new apartment.

WA Deaf Community Explains Unaffordable Housing, Internet/Videophone Crisis, & Police Pre-Covid, live recorded event I set up and facilitated for people competing for a seat on Vancouver City Council. First part (not shown here) was my questio...

One of the three basic to survive and thrive in the US that was agreed upon by the Deaf Community that attended in Washington DC was a right upon graduation from high school to have the same educational skills and understandings as hearing students.

I spoke with people who run special ed for Vancouver Public Schools just prior to Covid shut down, and at that time they insisted that they do everything they can to catch Deaf kids up to hearing peers when parents have failed to communicate with them in ASL for the first 5 years of their lives.

I would love to hear from Deaf teens of Clark County if they felt that they have the same English reading and writing skills, as well as everything else hearing students do their age.

So far I have noticed, and studies in the US we have show, only a 4th to 5th grade average English comprehension for Deaf Americans.

This means reading a voter pamphlet at all, or accurately, is quite unlikely for a large number of Deaf people.

It also means a great number of them will not score high enough on ACT and SAT to be accepted to some universities.

Likewise, when given written instructions on a job, a Deaf person may not understand, and fear being fired if requesting an ASL interpretation. So they may make mistakes leading them to termination.

It is VITAL that Deaf Americans graduate with the ability to read, write, and choose to go to college or get a job upon graduation of high school. If the majority cannot, that is a failing of both parents and the schools, and will lead to poverty and other problems for generations to come.

Is your company ?

Most are not. In fact, in Vancouver, Washington a lot of traumatic and discriminatory abuses have happened to the Deaf by ignorant and often well-meaning bosses that know nothing about what Deaf Culture is about, or what is inappropriate that they say and do.

For the most basic advice to begin your trip on inclusion and equity for Deaf customers as well as Deaf staff, watch this video. https://youtu.be/sg87ggAKcG8

And if you do not have any Deaf staff yet, that is something to consider too. Why not?

https://youtu.be/sg87ggAKcG8

Audism in the Workplace This video is created to educate businesses, non-profits, and government agencies about audism. It defines Audism, gives a few clues how to recognize it in p...

Do you know about ?

The Deaf of the US decided upon the three top most required basic Deaf Civil Rights in order for Deaf people in America to have the right to life, liberty, and pursue happiness.

One of the 3E’s is Expressive Equity.

Only about 30% of any spoken language is visible on the lips. Therefore, forcing a newborn baby to lip read, is really forcing them to learn to mind read 70% of what the parents and everyone else is saying to them.

No wonder so many deaf children start public schools at age 5 in special needs classes have not acquired yet a first language!

American Sign Language is 100% visible upon the hands! There is ZERO guessing games for an infant and toddler to do! In fact, those who are both deaf and blind can FEEL the hands and learn fluently ASL! This is called Pro-tactile ASL, or PTASL.

There are many distinct signed languages that have developed on earth, without a written form, and all are fully legitimate whole languages. However, in the USA a person does not have full inclusion and rights to things in ASL, such as a voter guide, or a hearing person who was born to Deaf ASL users (called CODA) to request an interpreter in their native language!

Until we have the right to express our thoughts, emotions, desires, and needs in ASL and be understood accurately, we do not have the first basic of .