Another blog which I feel deserves the Thinking Blogger Award is The Deaf Edge, a blog created by my friend and frequent Crossroads visitor, Deaf Pundit. It’s an excellent blog for thinking about and discussing some of the issues which we as a Deaf Community often face.
Congratulations, Deaf Pundit…you’ve earned it!
Recently Deaf Pundit has been working on a special project in which I have offered up a bit of advice, assistance, and feedback – it’s called Equal Communication Access (ECA). As she explains it:
The goal of the Equal Communication Access campaign is to raise awareness of the Deaf Community’s lack of full and equal communication access in their everyday lives…from not being provided with a qualified interpreter; to being hung up on when they make phone calls via relay; to not everything being captioned in the mass media; to being denied ASL in education.
As part of this campaign, Deaf Pundit has put together a video that calls attention to the need for Equal Communication Access. I’d like to share this video with you below:
I think this is a pretty darn nice video…and I commend Deaf Pundit for putting it together!
However…I will admit that some hearing folks might not get it. That’s understandable. If you have had little to no exposure to the Deaf Community, this video might ask more questions than it answers. It might leave you wondering “Just what ***IS*** Equal Communication Access?” As Deaf Pundit shares in her post on this subject over at her blog, a common response to this video from your average hearing person seems to be along the following lines:
Personally, I think they need to define what they mean by Equal Communication Access which is repeated over and over again with no explanation of what it is. A guy like me is left asking questions like, what does it mean, will it cost much, is the technology there, will I be forced to see subscripts when I go to a movie, etc.?
I admit…perhaps we could have done a better job of explaining exactly what we do mean by Equal Communication Access.
But you see, that can get a little tricky…because Equal Communication Access can mean different things to different people. Basically it’s not a method – it’s a philosophy. It’s a belief that we as deaf or hard-of-hearing people should have the same right to be able to comprehend and participate in what is happening in the world around us, on various levels – educational, employment, media, medical, legal, spiritual, social, entertainment, you name it.
I’d like to share with you a little bit what Equal Communication Access means to me personally:
When I stop in my favorite pub for a quick drink, John the friendly bartender immediately reaches for the remote and clicks on the captioning for the big screen television, so I can understand and enjoy the programs along with the rest of the bar patrons.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
When we had a bad storm here in town recently, my neighbor used the toll-free 800 number I had given her to call the Relay Service and connect to me, to let me know that the tornado sirens had gone off and I might want to take shelter in the basement.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
When I had to attend a three-day conference a couple of months ago, my hearing aid batteries decided to die on the second day, and I discovered I had forgotten to bring along an extra pack. A representative of the hosting organization volunteered to drive over to the nearest drugstore and out of his own pocket bought a pack of hearing aid batteries so I would be able to pick up the sounds of everyone’s voices for the rest of the conference.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
When I joined my friend for dinner with her family and friends, she made a point of using what limited sign language she knows to keep me involved in the conversation, and frequently would repeat things for me so I would know what was going on and feel included in the discussions and activities.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
Another friend of mine found a really cool video on the internet that she wanted to share. Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to understand it, she contacted Project readOn and asked them to please caption the video, and then sent me the link for the captioned version of it so I would be able to enjoy it just like her other (hearing) friends.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
My former dentist decided to take up some sign language classes, installed a TTY in his office, began attending Deaf events, and got involved with the local Deaf agency (even serving as Board president) in order to assure that deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in his area could receive appropriate dental care from someone who understands and can communicate with them.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
When I attended the National Women’s Music Festival at Illinois State University, there were at least seven interpreters present to assure that the rituals, workshops, concerts, drumming circles, etc. were all accessible. Not only this, but many of the women (and men) in attendance made an effort to use what signs they did know and to assure that I felt welcomed and included in all aspects of the festival.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
Some hearing friends of mine called me up and asked if I wanted to join them to go see a foreign movie that would be showing at a local community college. Since the movie had English subtitles, I would be able to understand and enjoy it along with everyone else. Afterwards, instead of going to a crowded, noisy, dimly lighted bar where I would have to struggle to read people’s lips (not everyone in the group could sign), we went to one individual’s house where we sat around on a quiet, well-lit deck drinking wine and have a good time critiquing the movie.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
My teenage goddess-daughter recently decided to get the SideKick 3 mobile device…because amongst other things it includes email, text messaging, and IM capability, allowing her to keep in regular contact with her “Deaf Mum.”
That’s Equal Communication Access.
I used to teach American Sign Language at a high school that allowed students to take such courses as part of the school’s college preparatory studies foreign language requirement. The school recognizes that American Sign Language is a valid, legitimate language just like Spanish, French, or German…and that Deaf people who use ASL are no less intelligent, successful, well-balanced individuals as are their hearing peers who use spoken English.
That’s Equal Communication Access.
My favorite pizza joint had me come in and explain relay services to its employees so they would understand how to take phone calls from Deaf customers. Now when I get a midnight craving for their EBA Special (Everything But Anchovies, hold the olives and add extra cheese!) all I have to do is dial VRS and place an order…Presto! Tummy growlings resolved!
That’s Equal Communication Access.
Sure…we still have a long way to go. But we’re getting there. We can do it…together. Each and every one of us can play our part in making Equal Communication Access a reality for everyone.
Whether it means captioning for television programming, on-line videos, movies at the local cinemaplex. Whether it means learning what Relay Services are and how they work and recognizing they are not “telemarketing” calls and should not be hung upon. Whether it means advocating for the provision of sign language interpreters by businesses, public facilities, public events, etc. Whether it means recognizing that deaf and hard-of-hearing people should have the same rights to access, understand, and participate in all aspects of life like everyone else.
You see – it’s not about money…it’s not about technology…it’s not about methodology.
Equal Communication Access is about attitudes.
What’s in it for you?
A chance to make a new friend, make a new consumer, make a new supporter.
A chance to make connections, make memories, make a profit.
A chance to make a difference.
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
Deaf Pagan Crossroads 
Thanks Ocean, for the Thinking Blogger award and a very well-written post on ECA! *beams brightly*
That’s the kind of material, testimonial, examples that I think the video point to!
Maybe the ECA site should point to blogs like this with the subject, “What ECA means to me”.
Before I met Ocean, I never really thought about Equal Communication Access…I was one of those “stupid hearing people” who just took communication for granted.
Now I know better.
Thanks for a beautifully written post, my friend.
You’re right – it’s all about attitudes.
And for the asshole who whines about “being forced to see subscripts when I go to a movie….”
Here’s my suggestion:
Blockbuster.
Very well said! Very well done video!
It even took Equal Communication Access to its full extent and included WELSH subititles for the Welsh among us.
Diolchau! / Thanks!
Well said and well thought out. Communication applies to everyone not just the hearing..
That’s an excellent idea, Bill! Ocean, you okay with that?
Sure! Anything that helps to get the message out to a larger audience is perfectly okay with me!
I use dial up so my computer is too slow for utube movies. I am not deaf just hard of hearing. Some of the problems you mentioned would affect me if I were in that same position. You did an ecellent job of informing me and others. Also in giving ideas for solutions.
Well…well said! Well…well done!
Great job, Ocean… great job, A Deaf Pundit! Great job, everybody!
Now… let’s get the message OUT! 😀
-SG
Mazol Tov..
Very well done and well written; I agree with EVERYTHING you stated. There is no reason to repeat. Keep up the superb writings.. and thoughts..
Human
Gobae,
Hapus iawn i ffeindio rhywun sy’n siarad iaith y nefoedd! Dw i ddim yn rhugl (o lawer!) — dysgwr ydw i, a nes i ddechrau dysgu’r iaith yn 2004.
Yn gynta, ro’n i eisiau defnyddio dim ond yr isdeitlau Cymraeg. 🙂 Fel gwers am bobol. Ond nes i feddwl y fasai’r wers yn cael ei cholli …
Dach chi’n dod o Gymru?
Well, I knew exactly what the message was, but that’s because I know the issues and thus get the message loud and clear. Hard to put myself on the otherside of the issue, personally I think it should be a given but…niaviety can be both a blessing and curse. 🙂
I would like to comment on the Dancing girl picture on your site. I agree it is beautiful, it is rare to come across a picture like this. I love it.
I hope you don`t mind but I have saved the picture to put on my site, I will of course link the picture back here to deafpagan.com. If you would rather I did not do this let me know please.
I find it quite ironic that when this post is supposed to be about “Equal Communication Access”…
That someone would have the stupidity to post a comment in what I would guess is Welsh, directed to one specific person, which the vast majority of us cannot understand.
I find this a highly inappropriate usage of the commentary section of this post. It’s rude and insensitive to the rest of us. It’s clear that it’s intended for one particular person, and it’s an insult to those of us who don’t know the language.
Frankly, Janis…I think you should have known better.
You could have clicked on Gobae’s name, gone to his own website, found his email there, and sent him something privately. Was it necessary to post it HERE? If nothing else, couldn’t you have contacted the owner of this blog and ask her to forward a message to Gobae? But nooooo…you had to post your stupid message here.
So you happen to know Welsh, and happened to meet someone else at this post who also claims to know Welsh. So what? What does that have to do with this post and this blog?
For that matter, what does including Welsh in the captioning of your video have to do with Equal Communication Access? We’re in AMERICA, sweetheart… we use English here!
Sorry, but this sort of thing just pisses me off!
While you have a good point that Janis’ statement should have been in BOTH Welsh and English YOUR statements also show ignorance and/or hypocrisies.
Quote:
“So you happen to know Welsh, and happened to meet someone else at this post who also claims to know Welsh. So what? What does that have to do with this post and this blog?”
If you had paid attention to the video you would have noticed that one of the signer’s statements were captioned in BOTH Welsh and English.
As it turns out, ASL is not the only language and culture to have been subjugated in history. The Welsh were often forcibly assimilated into the English culture and also had their language restricted and effectively “outlawed”.
Quote:
“We’re in AMERICA, sweetheart… we use English here!”
No, we’re not. This is the Internet. People who stop here are from many countries.
Additionally, you’re using the same argument that Oralists have used for more than 100 years to force the Deaf to speak and ban their use of ASL.
I think YOU TOO have missed the point of Total Communication Access.
Correction to the above (last line):
“Total Communication Access” should be “EQUAL Communication Access”
The dancing girl is great. Is this real photograph?
As a general rule, I don’t like to get caught in the midst of people’s arguments, but since this is my blog, I feel a need to step in and “referee” for a moment here…
I think there has been some valid points made here on both sides of the spectrum.
Janis, I am inclined to agree that posting a private message to Gobae here that was written entirely in Welsh with no English translations wasn’t the smartest thing to do. I appreciate the fact that you wanted to communicate with another person using a foreign language you are obviously skilled at, but I don’t think this is the proper forum for doing so. I probably would have encouraged you to contact Gobae privately – either by clicking on his name for his own blog, or contacting me and asking to forward on a message to him.
I do agree that since this is the internet, this video has the potential for being international. Of course, because it was made here in America (where I and Deaf Pundit both reside), most of the individuals involved are Americans, using American Sign Language (although I do know that one person involved in the video is from England).
Perhaps future videos can take advantage of an even greater international participation by including various languages, and various sign languages from different countries (no, sign language is not the same in all countries – although there may be ***some*** similarities, different countries have their own sign systems).
I’m not sure I want to get into a debate on the subjugation of language and culture on this post. Certainly it has happened, and it is a topic that I do feel has merit for discussion, just not here and now. However, Gobae does bring up a good point that the Deaf Community and ASL are not the only people/language to confront these attitudes and the surrounding issues related to such.
But for the sake of this blog site…I do have to say that “Why Welsh” has a valid point – this is a blog that uses English and ASL. The posting of a comment written entirely and only in Welsh here is going to call into question its purpose for usage on a site where the majority of the readership isn’t going to understand it.
So while I do admit this might have been an error in judgment, and I probably would not have posted this comment…at the same time it does raise some interesting points about how we apply the concept of Equal Communication Access across the board, and how we view the recognition and acceptance of language and culture as a whole.
The video is very well done and your commentary is brilliant. 🙂
Great post, great video.
I think Janis should be entitled to post in Welsh, but it would be helpful if she also posted an English translation.
To the person who criticised her so harshly – perhaps you could find it in your heart to forgive something that was a tiny breach of netiquette?
I will certainly post a link to Ocean’s post on my blog, too.
PS – don’t forget the blind as well. They need equal access too.
Here’s my blog post in support of this campaign.
I totally agree that people who are blind also need and deserve equal access as well.
I believe ALL people deserve equal access – regardless of language, culture, race, religion, gender, sexual preferences, disability, lifestyle, financial status, etc. etc.
HOWEVER…(you knew that was coming, didn’t ya?)
I think one thing we have to be careful about when we talk about access amongst people with “disabilities” is to understand that it’s not all the same.
Many Deaf people don’t view themselves as being disabled. Rather, they see themselves as being more comparable to people from a foreign land, with their own culture and language.
And yet time and time again we get clumped in with other disabilities, when we often feel we have very little in common with them.
Not to mention that many people don’t seem to understand the specific needs of specific disabilities.
How many of us who are deaf or hard of hearing have had someone bring out a wheelchair for us at the airport?
How many of us have had a server at a restaurant bring us braille menus?
How many of us, because of our struggles with spoken and/or written English, have had people perceive us as being “retarded?”
Yes, people who are blind need access. People who use wheelchairs need access. People with developmental disabilities need access. People with psychological disorders need access.
But let’s not forget that each and every disability is different, and each and every person with that particular disability is different. What Person A wants and needs may not be the same as what Person B wants and needs, even though both may be deaf, or blind, or uses a wheelchair, or whatever.
We need to recognize and respect those differences, and honor those individual wants and needs.
Nice post!
I enjoyed your viewpoint on what Equal Access means to you. Well thought out, and certainly made me think.
We’re in AMERICA, sweetheart… we use English here!
I don’t suppose that you find it in any way illustrative that you threw a gold-plated tantrum the second you couldn’t understand one comment on a blog for chrissakes, and yet Deaf people are cut out of communications their whole lives. No, that’s just too subtle a point — particularly since I went to the trouble of subbing the thing in both Welsh and English.
Not to mention … YOU’RE in America, honeycheeks. Lots of people reading this and elsewhere aren’t. Maybe you should go get a basic astronomy textbook, one that shows you a picture of the world. It’s round. Become friends with that fact.
Providing examples are the way to go to give the whole picture on what it means to have equal communication access. Also what I am seeing how Deaf Pundit who initiated the idea is making a ripple effect on the deaf bloggers and vloggers to educate the public and Ocean is a prime example to make waves. Kudos to you both!
[…] am thrilled to see that my post on Equal Communication Access is getting as much attention as it has been getting…not just from the DeafRead readership, […]
[…] she and a group of other deaf (as well as hearing) people are on a real roll–asking for equal communication access. I saw Deaf Pundit’s video on her blog and it made me think. What I loved about the video is […]
[…] you want to get a bit more creative and develop a video…sort of like a short movie clip. (click here to see the ECA video as an example). This category is for you! Videos can be submitted by deaf, hard […]
[…] Perhaps you want to get a bit more creative and develop a video…sort of like a short movie clip. (click here to see the ECA video as an example). This category is for you! Videos can be submitted by deaf, hard […]
[…] http://deafpagan.com/2007/07/14/what-equal-communication-access-means-to-me/ […]
[…] What Equal Communication Access Means to Me […]
[…] you want to get a bit more creative and develop a video…sort of like a short movie clip. (click here to see the ECA video as an example). This category is for you! Videos can be submitted by deaf, hard […]
I am hearing but have interpreted for the deaf in the past. I am a grad student in Public Relations and Communications. This blog just fell in my lap tonight and has touched my heart. I want to help get the word out and make a difference but am not real sure how to help. This is a wonderful blog and the expressions are so clear and meaningful. I would like to run through the streets and let everyone know. Obviously that isn’t the way to handle this but I would like to make a difference. Any Ideas. I am writing a thesis paper and could use this as my topic. Would anyone be opposed? May I have permission to use this information in my thesis paper? It would be a start.
Thank you.
As the creator of the video Ocean posted above, you have my permission to use the video. As for the blog itself, you’ll have to wait until Ocean comes back on-line. 🙂
Hi JJ ~
By all means, feel free to use my blog in your thesis paper, just be sure that you do reference me, and credit any direct quotes to my site. Thank you for your kind words, and please do feel free to spread the word!
~ Ocean
Thank you!
Interesting side note re: equality of services for different disabilities. I asked a rehab counselor once why it was services for the Deaf/HOH were treated differently than the services for the blind (i.e. the blind clients seemed to have a higher level of service than their deaf/hoh counter parts). The response was:
“The blind community has a very strong and active lobby which has resulted in a higher level of services, disability payments etc.”
How accurate that statement was I don’t know, but it did highlight there was a least a philosophical consideration at some level of some disabilities being more “deserving” than others. To me this seems a twisteed way of looking at things…but then again I’m not been known to look at things in the “mainstream” point of view either.
[…] them on Facebook and other social networking sites, we are confronted (again!) with the issue of Equal Communication Access – how can we in the Deaf Community enjoy such videos when they are not […]
[…] https://deafpagancrossroads.com/2007/07/14/what-equal-communication-access-means-to-me/ […]