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Where are our ASL Defenders?

All, As of 5:43pm, I was told that NAD is now in communication with HuffPost. NAD was alerted through Twitter/emails about our community’s response to Kia’s comment on The Deaf Edge’s blog. Just found out that Huffington Post’s Kia Makarechi, who is an entertainment editor left a comment on The Deaf Edge’s blog focusing on the controversy around the music […]

Switched At Birth : Uprising – Deaf Adult’s Commentary

Hello everyone, This is not a review. It is my commentary about Monday, March 4th’s Switched at Birth : Uprising (click here to view). Several days before showing of this episode, ABC Family did the massive public relations blitz to let us know that this show will be a pivotal and landmark episode presenting a television first: an installment that […]

ZVRS, AT&T, and Apple created iZ!

Hello everyone, I was invited to a special party hosted by ZVRS at Hard Rock Cafe which is right across the street from Marriott Downtown Hotel in Philadelphia, PA on Wednesday, July 7th in the evening. There was a special demonstration of ZVRS’ newest product called iZ. iZ is a mobile videophone with video relay services specifically for iPhone 4 […]

Apple’s iPad and YouTube’s Automated Captions: #FAIL

All, I went to Apple’s store and purchased a brand-new 16gb iPad! It is a beautifully designed device, visually appealing and easy to use. I tweaked the settings, to make sure that closed captioning is on for all videos. Then I decided to view YouTube’s “My Deaf Family” and guess what? There are NO automated captions available! Watch the video […]

Imagine the World without Deaf People

Imagine about the world without any deaf people. Imagine NO Alexander Graham Bell, because his mother is not deaf. Imagine NO Ludwig Van Beethoven, then we will never hear his masterpiece, the Fifth Symphony. Imagine NO Thomas Alva Edison, because he was able to hear, then he may not able to concentrate on inventing light bulb and stuff he created. […]

Gallaudet, No. NAD, Maybe. Public Policy Institute, YES!

All, What blew me away was that I spent over 2 hours watching 13 videos of Gallaudet University’s President, Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz, giving a presentation before the Bay Area’s Gallaudet University Alumni Association Chapter on December 2010. That was 8 months ago, but this website with 13 videos was published YESTERDAY (August 18, 2011)! All videos were uploaded on […]

Mobile ASL: Newest Development

All, Mobile ASL? A new way of expressing ourselves? We use American Sign Language. ASL allows us to use both of our hands, especially one hand is a dominant one with another hand as a ‘support’ one. For example, if you sign, “STOP”, you use your dominant hand, with a B shape chopping on a supporting hand, a B shape […]

Unlayering Domestic Violence

All, After watching the most recent video, done by Chad W. Tayler and Tara Holcomb called “But She Knew Better” in response of recent events about Domestic Violence among the Deaf Community. Admittedly, as a professional in educational and mental health field, Domestic Violence is just a word that I learned and its effects. I thought I knew about this […]

Sorenson is Desperate!

Dear Sorenson Communications, Are you that desperate? Less than 24 hours after I published my blog, “Sorenson, the 10-digit number is MINE! Goodbye!”, a representative from Sorenson Communications emailed, called and left a video message asking me why I ported my 10-digit number to another video provider, ZVRS. I got this videomail left by a representative from Sorenson Communications. As […]

#VRSInteroperabilityNOW and Sorenson’s excuse

Hello all! Yes, I am back! This issue is so important for me to stop my long time hiatus from blogging/vlogging. Disclaimer: I am working for DWS/ZVRS. For this blog, I am speaking myself as VRS consumer. Sheri Ann Farinha posted a powerful vlog on Facebook demanding VRS companies (all of VRS companies) to work on interoperability issues. Sorenson Communications […]

NETFLIX DID IT AGAIN : FALLING ON DEAF EARS!!!

[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Yoed-0SWgvQ” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] I cannot fathom this. It is so absurd! Unbelievable! I am peeved! Netflix did it AGAIN! GAWD!! This is OUTRAGEOUS! They did something really bad…. read on… Do you remember our beloved PBS show called Through Deaf Eyes that was shown in 2007? THROUGH DEAF EYES is a two-hour HDTV documentary that explores 200 […]

Dr. Laura-Ann Pettito : MYTHBUSTER!

All, UPDATE: As of 9:55pm, the Student Body Government at Gallaudet University reported that Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf did not respond their invitation for an open discussion. (as per letter sent on Monday April 4, 2008) For your information, today is the Charter Day for Gallaudet University! Held annually in April, Charter Day celebrates the anniversary of […]

Sorenson’s Impact on Canada : NAFTA Argument (Part 3)

All, This is the third blog entry of 5-blog series about Sorenson Communications, Inc’s impact on Canada. It is my responsibility as a Deaf American Citizen to share this information based on facts, reliable sources and supporting evidence to you. Then you can get involved to make things right with FCC and our Deaf Canadian citizens. Now, you have read […]

National Association of the Deaf Rebuts AG Bell!

All, This morning, after much anticipation, our National Association of the Deaf (NAD) posted their response to Washington Post’s article, to refute Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell)’s claims that American Sign Language is declining. Here is NAD’s response in text. Here is the ASL version of NAD’s response. Please visit NAD’s website […]

Good Bye and Good Riddance Netflix!

Dear Netflix, I canceled my subscription with you after being a loyal customer for 5 years today. I picked the reasons why I canceled today online, but I do want to emphasize with you about the main reason why I left you today. You did not provide online streaming captions for the Wizard of Oz. We tried to tell you […]

Respect and Boundaries

Readers, This is my re-post of my previous blog that was published in October 20, 2009. July 27, 2011 Statement from Amy Cohen Efron: Each time when I expressed my opinions or statements regarding ANYTHING, especially about ANY organization which their actions that I feel it was not cool. A re-tweet, or a brief comment on my facebook status, or […]

CNN: Caption News NOW! It’s the Law!

This is an open letter to CNN. You start to caption your online news NOW! No stalling. No more excuses. No more denying us access to your videos online. Yesterday, The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act is now the law of the land. Signed by President Barack Obama on Friday, October 8, 2010. Today is Saturday, October 9, […]

AG Bell Infamous Telegram to NBC

Hello Readers, I watched a video clip done by Tayler Mayer about his interview with Bernard Bragg on his y3 blog. Mayer’s post is called, “Bernard Bragg’s Take on Pepsi / AGBell” On this video, Bragg recollected about Alexander Graham Bell Association wrote a telegram objecting the first televised appearance by the group of Deaf performers in a NBC show, […]

The Power of Marlee Matlin

All, After reading Adreanline’s blog along with her vlog, “The Pain of Marlee Matlin”, and she expresses her ‘disappointment’ in Marlee Matlin being as a ‘celebrity’ spokesperson for causes that focuses on the medical view of deaf people. Adreanline hopes for deaf celebrities out there who will advocate for issues which addresses ASL and Deaf values. With due respect to […]

Gallaudet’s President Cordano’s STATEMENT about ASL and Language Acquistion!

All, Wiping my tears… catching my breath here. History re-visited! Edward Miner Gallaudet must be beaming with pride! Edward Miner Gallaudet is a child of Deaf mother, Sophia Fowler Gallaudet, and hearing father, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. E.M. Gallaudet was the first president of Gallaudet University,  also known as Gallaudet College established in 1864. Then, 152 years later, Roberta “Bobbi” Cordano, […]

Gallaudet’s VL2 Research Information

Gallaudet University’s esteemed VL2 laboratory provided TONS of supporting research available for President Cordano’s statement to Washington Post. Please click the link here. Case closed! Best, Amy Cohen Efron.

RIT/NTID Presidents’ Statement in Support for Full Language Acquisition!

All, The momentum is going strong! Rochester Institute of Technology and National Technical Institute of Technology (RIT/NTID) presidents, Bill Destler and Gerry Buckley co-wrote a statement in support for full language acquisition for D/deaf children. This statement is followed by Gallaudet University’s President Roberta “Bobbi” Cordano, and this is to respond to current social media “storm” about Nyle DiMarco and […]

Sorenson Gives iPad2s Away!

Hello all, Please stop leaving comments how to get a free iPad from Sorenson. If you wish to inquire about free iPads, contact Sorenson directly. Not me. Thank you. This blog entry is to generate important discussion about the appropriateness of one company, Sorenson Communications to “win-back” their former customers by providing attractive equipment(s) as long they continue to use […]

Nyle DiMarco as Tarzan : ASL Version

All, I am so excited! Today is the day! Tonight, The Dancing with the Stars will have their Disney Special. Please make sure that you set up your DVR or join with the Deaf Community to watch this show! Why am I so excited? Nyle DiMarco chose Tarzan as one of the most famous Disney characters, and he will be […]

Marlee Matlin : An Enigma or Savvy Smart?

All, Yes, another Marlee Matlin post. Since Marlee Matlin is becoming more visible in past two years, and currently, she is on the highest rating show, The Celebrity Apprentice. The controversy always follows Marlee. There is an heated debate of her choice of charity, the Starkey Hearing Foundation, as an organization who gives away free hearing aids to children and […]

Re-inventing Myself

Hello everyone! It is been a while since I last blogged.  I noticed that my last posting was on October 13, 2014 focusing on issues of teaching American Sign Language. I have been contemplating in what kind of direction I would like to lead my life… and I thought to myself that it is a good time to re-invent myself. […]

Vancouver Congress 2010 Update II – Attachments

Hello all, This is what you all are waiting for… a tangible document from ICED in Vancouver, as known as Vancouver Congress 2010. Wayne Sinclair, a tireless Deaf advocate and retired educator from Vancouver, BC Canada was mentioned in the article from Peach Arch News, explaining about International Congress on the Education of the Deaf in Vancouver. ICED meets globally […]

CNN in 1991, and Today…

To All, In my previous blog entry, I wrote about my experience visiting CNN.com website today and saw the first captioned online video advertisement prominently displayed on the top right side of the homepage. That video advertisement was purchased by Capgemini. To read bit more about this, click here. Now, I am going to address the irony of this, and […]

Public Service Announcements in China using ASL/CSL

I wanted to share three video links that I learned from the Gallaudet’s Consumer, Family and Community Advocacy training led by Kevin Nolan, Jr. Kevin Nolan, Jr. is a dynamic instructor and he shared his passion working with Deaf people in China. He mentioned about working with these people and they created several Public Service Announcements. I was blown away, […]

Netflix Raises Prices and Snubbing the Deaf again…

All, I rejoined Netflix after they announced that they will caption their online streaming movies several weeks ago. It was okay, until I read the news today. It was reported today that Netflix, Inc., the popular online video rental company is raising prices to accommodate the increasing demand for online streaming video and Blu-Ray DVDs. They raised prices some of […]

Sorenson stinging ZVRS again!

Dear Sorenson Communications, You just released the third video today. You keep stinging ZVRS. Did you know that you can be so annoying and a major nuisance for all of us? Do you know what you reminded me of someone? A bumblebee. A deranged bumblebee. You are a large and lumbering, black and yellow deranged bumblebee making a loud droning […]

First Captioned Online Advertisement on CNN.com!

Whoa… I surfed the ‘net, and decided to visit CNN.com. I saw something. I thought my eyes were deceiving me that I was watching captioned online advertisement video. I had to refresh the page to make sure what I am seeing was the real thing. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/SLXZxjOF8mw” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Yep. It is the real thing. This appears to […]

Sorenson’s Impact on Canada : Accountability (Part 5)

All, This is the fifth and last blog entry of 5-blog series about Sorenson Communications, Inc’s impact on Canada. It is my responsibility as a Deaf American Citizen to share this information based on facts, reliable sources and supporting evidence to you. Then you can get involved to make things right with FCC and our Deaf Canadian citizens. Now, you […]

CNN iReport – iPad/YouTube Captions Incompatibility

Hello Everyone, I wanted to share this great news with you all. I have decided to sign up iReport yesterday with hopes that my video will reach out to the larger audience to learn about the problems we face everyday. I am on the top news as “iReport: Deaf woman calls for captions on the iPad” Go click on the […]

Apple’s ASL Friendly iPhone 4!

Whoa… Apple did it again!  They created a brand new iPhone 4, and it comes with a front-loading camera and an app called “FaceTime”!  Apple produced a promotional video on their website demonstrating Face Time, and at the end of this video, it has a couple using American Sign Language to communicate through their new iPhones! You must have a […]

American Society for Deaf Children Responds to AG Bell!

All, This may bit little late, but it is worthy to be published on my blog for historical purposes. On April 5, 2016, the American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) as the oldest national organization founded and governed by parents of Deaf Children wrote a letter to Meredith Sugar of Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf. Please click the […]

Go GOOGLE! Hurray HULU! Shoo NETFLIX! Boo DISNEY!

It is just in… Google made an announcement today that they created technology called “machine-generated automatic captions” which makes captioning easy for online videos. Google partnered with PBS, National Geographic, University of California, Berkley; Stanford, MIT, Yale, UCLA, Duke, UCTV, Columbia, Demand Media, UNSW and YouTube channels. Hulu.com offered captions on some of the videos, and Google made a giant […]

Sorenson, the 10-digit number is MINE! Goodbye!

All, Disclosure : I am now a ZVRS customer. I own a new Z20 videophone. I don’t work for ZVRS or receive any compensation from ZVRS for my blog entry. The only benefit I have from ZVRS is their brand new Z20 videophone. Sorenson, I learned that the 10-digit phone number belongs to me. I wanted to thank ZVRS for […]

Celebrity Apprentice Prediction : Matlin HIRED!

All, This is my prediction. A mere speculation. I tell you why I came into this conclusion. Donald Trump is back with his Celebrity Apprentice (Season Four) reality show. He selects 16 celebrities, 8 men and 8 women, including Marlee Matlin. These celebrities are not in for a job with Trump, they are working towards a greater goal to raise […]

YouTube Star Rikki Poynter’s Testimony

All, This is just in! Rikki Poynter, who is well-known among the YouTube community, made a powerful video testimony this morning. Huffington Post wrote an article about Rikki on October 2014 about her vlogging activities and how she has changed her platform. Rikki Poynter may have begun her YouTube career as a beauty vlogger, but her work on camera has […]

Sweet Comeback : Convo’s 48-Hour Challenge

All, On Tuesday, April 19th, Convo Relay from Pleasanton, CA made an very exciting announcement on Facebook about their 48-hour Challenge. The 48-Challenge is calling for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students between ages 8 and 18 years old to post a video using American Sign Language to answer to the question : “What is your dream and why?” Each student must […]

CNN : Captioned News Not!

“In today’s mass societies, it only takes one percent of the people making a dedicated choice – contrary to the mainstream’s choice – to create a movement that can change the world.” Mark Penn, Microtrends. “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead, Anthropologist Today, CNN wrote an […]

Swinbourne’s My Song : Too many Ellens out there…

Hello All, I wanted to thank to one blogger who recently published about the newest 24-minute drama video released on May 23, 2010 called, “My Song” by well-known Deaf British screenwriter, Charlie Swinbourne. This film is well written by Swinbourne, excellently performed by Lara Steward, and masterly directed by William Mager. This is about deaf identity. Ellen, as a young […]

Branding NAD: Effective Approach

All, This is a big news. National Association of the Deaf published a press release late last night announcing that the second annual Spring Benefit Fundraising Gala is an official sold out event and it comes with an impressive list of sponsors! Go to NAD website for more information. A list of huge corporations sponsoring this tiny benefit of 160 […]

Vancouver Congress of 2010 – Long Live Signed Language!

Mark the date… July 19, 2010. This is an important date for all of the time. The most significant milestone for Deaf History! It will be known as VANCOUVER CONGRESS OF 2010. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/6ew4cHj-Kws” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Vancouver Congress of 2010 is also known as the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) has their the 21st […]

Gallaudet’s SBG Calls For Open Meeting With AG Bell!

All, This is an historical first. Gallaudet University’s Student Body Government calls for an historical first open meeting with AG Bell Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Here’s the link here! For many years, National Association of the Deaf requested several meetings with AG Bell and it was never materialized. Here is one of the many examples how […]

Switched At Birth: Emmett Arrested and Handcuffed

To all Switched at Birth (SAB) fans and community members, As you can see today’s Switched at Birth episode which ends with a ‘cliff hanger’ of Emmett Bledsoe (Sean Berdy) was arrested and handcuffed by a policeman. Emmett was working on his motorcycle inside garage and he was holding his wrench. All of the sudden, the police car headlights shined […]

Under the Radar: Listen To Your Heart (2010)

All, How. Did. We. Overlook This. Movie? First of all, one of my friends who sent me an email about this movie which she rented from Netflix. She told me that this movie is not captioned and I was puzzled and thought maybe it was Alan Arkin’s movie, “Heart is a Lonely Hunter”, but I was wrong. It was a […]

Protected: DeafRead and DeafVideo.TV are mentioned in Princeton University Journal Article!

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Sorenson’s Impact on Canada : Awakening (Part 1)

All, It is my responsibility as a Deaf American Citizen to share this information based on facts, reliable sources and supporting evidence to you. Then you can get involved to make things right with FCC and our Deaf Canadian citizens. It is time to act. This is the first of five blog posts. The first one will give you a […]

Gallaudet’s Buff and Blue Newspaper SLAMS AG Bell!

All, As a very proud Gallaudet Alumnae, it is my greatest pleasure to present this. Sean Maiwald, Opinion Editor for The Buff and Blue and Gallaudet University’s class of 2016. He left a tweet at 8:58 pm, and someone alerted me. I read the link. My jaw dropped. Your jaws will drop too. Ready? Here’s the ASL Version of this […]

Vancouver Congress 2010 Update III – Press Release

Good morning everyone, I checked the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) website here, and they posted three new links which included a press release, introduction, and Statement of Principle and Accord for the Future. Click the image to read the pdf file of Press Release Also, please go and check the introduction letter which explains the […]

Deaf Kindred Spirits

Hello everyone! 2016 : Year of Deaf Kindred Spirits! I can foresee that the year of 2016 will be a very good year for the Deaf Community here and around the world!  Very good year for Deaf babies and children, with their families.  Many Deaf individuals are making positive impact everywhere through social media, galleries, television, movies, and theaters, that […]

ASL Music Video by Rosa Lee : Three Little Birds

All, Rosa Lee Timm, our talented ASL Music performer extraordinaire, produced a hilarious ASL Music video translating Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”. Perfect timing after all of the craziness with ASL Music linguistic and cultural appropriation issues… Rosa Lee nails it. She is the one we should promote by clicking LIKE on her Facebook Fan Page: “The Rosa Lee Show”, […]

Deaf Jam Documentary Film

All, I just got home from viewing a 70-minute long documentary called Deaf Jam. . I was so impressed with this film. Please watch my video reaction/review in American Sign Language. This film presented American Sign Language as a beautiful language, and it gives us an intimate look into a small group of Deaf High School students at Lexington School […]

Sorenson “Win-Backs” are Permitted!

All, Sorenson Communications filed Ex-Parte Letter to FCC dated on December 16, 2011 responding to ZVRS’ General Counsel, Jeff Rosen’s letter to FCC filed December 5, 2011. ZVRS complained about Sorenson’s conduct related to customer port requests. ZVRS was able to provide evidence regarding Sorenson’s conduct. To look at the evidence, go to this link here. Sorenson responded back stating […]

ZRemote and Z-20

All, One commenter asked me to give a video demonstration in how to use ZVRS’ ZRemote. I downloaded an app, Z4 on my iPhone, and used Z4’s ZRemote to dial out the number. My ZRemote sends a wireless signal to the ZBox, and then it prompted Z-20 to dial a number. Yeah, a lot of zzz’s that will make you […]

Open Letter to Netflix

Dear Ms. Fisher of Public Relations for Netflix, I am writing this long email with my request: Thank you for making “The Wizard of Oz” available for viewing on October 3, 2009. I want to be included in this 70th anniversary celebration of “The Wizard of Oz” with my family, friends, and everyone else. To be included, I need closed […]

Nyle DiMarco as Tarzan in DWTS : Disney Special!

All, I learned from the Twitter at 6:50 am EST, Nyle DiMarco posted a tweet. Next week, the “Dancing With The Stars” will have “Disney Night” on Monday, April 11, 2016. Nyle DiMarco chose a character, Tarzan with his dancing partner, Peta Murgatroyd as Jane. This is the most brilliant decision done by Nyle DiMarco. Everything happens for a reason. […]

mtvU’s “Quiet Campus” : Only 4:37 minutes long…

All, In past week, we get plenty of press notification about MTV’s reality show on Gallaudet University. I was intrigued. This morning, I found out this show is aired only among the college campuses. Not available to the public. I cannot DVR/record it. Came home recently, and visited the mtvU’s website: Click here for the link to the mtvU’s website. […]

Interview with Stephen Torrence (CaptainValor)

Hello everyone! This is Stephen Torrence, also known as CaptainValor. In my previous blog post on September 20, 2014 titled as “Push Comes To Shove – Raising Consciousness”, about Stephen Torrence’s personal journey as a signer who created several signed musical videos. Torrence created numerous videos ‘translating’ musical lyrics using incomprehensible ASL signs. Several people tried to address this issue […]

Sorenson’s Rebuttal about Interoperability

All, Sorenson Communications, Inc. filed Note of Exparte letter in response to CSDVRS’ and Todd Elliott’s Ex Parte Letters that was filed at FCC. Sorenson submitted 23-page document, including exhibits showing how Sorenson products are interoperable with ZVRS products. Check this link here that will take you to the FCC’s website. You may want to download these documents there. Sheesh, […]

Pebble or Rock?

Hello everyone, I am back with a very short note. I have shut down many posts on my Deaf World As Eye See It website that is related to Deaf Education and the whatnot. I have decided to change my focus on blogging on specific topics that is IMPORTANT to me and yet keeping my boundaries very clear with the […]

Push Comes To Shove – Raising Consciousness

All, In less than 23 hours ago, Stephen Torrence, also known as CaptainValor on YouTube, wrote a powerful and insightful essay, On the Ethics of “My” Art in his activity feed on Patreon website. This article immediately shared on the Facebook and captured my attention. Torrence is a ‘signer’ who took American Sign Language classes at Texas Tech University. He […]

New York Times Article on Deaf Schools Debate

All, Yesterday, on Sunday, July 31, 2011, New York Times published the five-part series (articles) debating about “Should We Need Deaf Schools” with five different experts, including one deaf person. It is my understanding the general definition of debate always have BOTH sides of perspectives using facts and research. This article is very one-sided and it does not offer any […]

Protected: Final Thoughts on AB 2072 by Julie Rems-Smario

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The End (Film by Ted Evans)

All, Another short film written and directed by Ted Evans, from Great Britain. All in British Sign Language with voiceover, with open captions. Click this image below, and it’ll take you to the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT) website. The short film is there. Synopsis Starting in the 1980’s, drama ‘The End’ follows 4 Deaf children over 60 years. […]

Netflix’s revised TOU Agreement : WTF?

All, Netflix did it again. Screwing Deaf customers again and again. You screwed me THREE TIMES, and I am cancelling you for the final time. You just don’t listen and care about Deaf and Hard of Hearing customers. Why? Netflix is currently battling against two lawsuits filed by National Association of the Deaf and Don Cullen representing for deaf customers. […]

Vancouver Congress 2010 Update IV : Closing Day

Hello everyone, I was alerted that another press release was posted on the International Congress on the Education for the Deaf (ICED) Vancouver 2010 website today. Today is the last day of the ICED Vancouver 2010 conference. I agree with this statement, and it rings true, “We (The sub-committee of ICED Vancouver Congress 2010) have made history in Vancouver and […]

Protected: Jane K. Fernandes wrote about DBC and Deafhood

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Deaf Disempowerment by Nancy Rourke

All, In past several days, it must be one of the difficult times for the Deaf Community especially about linguistic and cultural appropriation issues, and we tried so hard to make our concerns be heard. We won some and lost many battles. We were labeled as haters. We were perceived as closed-minded. We had our peers shushing at us and […]

My Deaf Family and Little People, Big World

All, Marlee Matlin produced a new “reality” show of a family, consists of Deaf parents with their hearing and deaf children! It is called, “My Deaf Family.” Leslie Firl and Bridgetta Bourne-Firl are the parents, with their wonderful children, Jared (15 years old- Hearing), Gideon (12 years old – Deaf), Sabrina (6 years old – Deaf), and Elijah (3 years […]

Gallaudet is Hearing and Speech Center, not University!

All, My stomach had turned recently. I feel so sick. I must blog about this. First, please watch the beginning of this video, especially starting at 0:07 to 0:58 seconds (the first 58 seconds) of this video, that was posted today by mikeyized called, “Deaf Gain: Reframing.” It appears to me that this video is for the class project, The […]

HR3101 PASSED UNANIMOUSLY!

As of 3:35pm – A tweet from Pratik Patel (@ppatel) who is a New York entrepreneur, running a business, working at University, and a passionate advocate for the blind and other causes, with a huge announcement! This is fantastic. #HR3101 passes with a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives. UNANIMOUS???? No opposing vote? It is voice vote that was […]

Acredolo and Goodwyn’s rebuttal against Nelson, White and Grewe’s Research!

All, Drs. Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn wrote their response to the recent journal article written by L.H. Nelson, K.R. White, & J. Grewe. This journal article is titled as “Evidence for Website Claims about the Benefits of Teaching Sign Language to Infants and Toddlers with Normal Hearing” that was published in Infant and Child Development, Wiley Online Library, 2012. […]

Vancouver Congress 2010 – MEDIA COVERAGE!

Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah! Finally, The Vancouver Observer newspaper wrote an article about International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (also known as Vancouver Congress 2010) in Vancouver, British Columbia in a week of July 18 – 22nd. As we all know that on July 19, 2010 – Vancouver Congress made an historical announcement that they rejected Milan Congress […]

AG Bell Belittles Nyle DiMarco

All, History repeats itself. 1966, 1995, 2008 and today, April 1, 2016. It is not April’s Fools Joke.  It is real. It all started on March 28, 2016 when Washington Post published an article about Nyle DiMarco. As you may already know that Nyle DiMarco is THE big thing right now. The Deaf Community are so THRILLED about him! https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2016/03/28/a-dancing-with-the-stars-contestant-is-vying-for-a-white-house-correspondents-dinner-invite/ […]

Switched At Birth: It is all about belonging.

All, You may wonder how it feels for two young women finding out they were switched at birth, and dealing with their conflicting feelings about belonging in their own families and communities? Having two infants switched at birth is a very rare occurrence. To learn bit more about this, go to Wikipedia link here. Now, I am talking about ABC […]

SORENSON : MISSING IN ACTION

Hello folks, I signed up to watch the LIVE online streaming forum called #VRS Interoperability Now led by Sheri Farinha tonight. This is an historical first for consumers to watch all VRS companies’ engineers to meet together and discuss about interoperability issues. All six VRS companies are invited to participate in this forum. I learned… FIVE VRS companies showed up. […]

Time is of the Essence! Market ASL Now!

First published on January 21, 2008 – and I am reviving it again with some edits. This is in response to New York Times’ Op-Ed piece on Deaf Schools, and the timing for the community to take an action. There is the Facebook group led by Sheri Farinha asking for the community input. It is called, “Deaf Community Action: Open […]

CNN: The Irony!

The Irony! The Irony! CNN.com has a major headline focusing on ‘sound’ which is on the front page. It comes with a video and an article. See the image below: This video source is from TED website. TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three […]

Lawsuits against CNN and Netflix

All, This is the best week ever! As you can see the picture on the left are major players involved in lawsuits against Time Warner, Inc., owner of CNN.com website, and Netflix for their failure to caption online content. I am so happy that this week, two major lawsuits were filed on Wednesday, June 15th and Thursday, June 16th. This […]

Schools for the Deaf Enrollment Map

Hello all, I was able to create this Flash map of Schools for the Deaf in the United States. Grey color means the lowest number of students enrolled compared to bright green color that comes with the highest number of students enrolled. I used 2008-2011 data from various sources (state websites, school performance data sites, and etc.) and I combined […]

Deaf Egyptians Protesting – See Video!

Hello All, Watch this! UPDATE: 2/12/2011 : It brought to my attention that the original source who uploaded this video on the Facebook goes to Mostafa Emil. This video was circulated until it came to my Facebook page. Thanks to Alison Bryan for the tip. This video was embedded from the original website called : http://www.almasryalyoum.com/multimedia/video/and type Deaf in a […]

CNN.com and CNN’s iPad App has CAPTIONS!

All, Today, Monday, September 24, 2012 CNN updated their app for iPad devices which includes the closed captioning feature! Also, on the CNN.com website, there is a CC button available on video clips, but no captions just yet. For more information how I have blogged about CNN’s lack of captioning their online content in past few years since 2009! Three […]

AG Bell Association’s Conscious Denial?

Amy Cohen Efron noticed AG Bell Association did not acknowledge this Wed’s PBS’s premiere, “Through Deaf Eyes”. READ THIS FIRST, then scroll down for the VLOG done by Amy Cohen Efron. Help me with one thing… Can you check Alexander Graham Bell Association’s website : www.agbell.org and please tell me if they ever published a press release acknowledging about the […]

Entralling Photoshop Art

I did some googling and found several images which I find them entralling, mesmerizing, and interesting… Do you find them interesting too? Best, Amy Cohen Efron P.S. These images are from various websites, and I DID NOT create them.

Veditz Memorial Sculpture Needed!

[DISCLAIMER: This post was published on November 4, 2007 – and I need to revive this idea again.] Amy Cohen Efron shares her thoughts and suggestions that a full-figured sculpture of George Veditz is sorely needed! Also, see how Amy discovered that there were other well-known Deaf people been memorialized by their sculpture(s). There were only three Deaf people been […]

Later!

Dear Family and Relatives, I read someone’s status on Facebook that was circulating around. It asks me to cut and paste to pass this message. I did. Being left out of a hearing family/friend’s conversations just because I’m the only deaf person in the family or circle of friends. Whoever is hearing needs to realize it is so hurtful for […]

CEASD Supports Nyle DiMarco and the Deaf Child’s Human Right to Language Access

All, The Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) is an association of schools and educational programs involved with the education of deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Founded in 1868, CEASD is committed to the promotion of excellence within a continuum of equitable education opportunities for children and adults who are deaf or hard […]

Sorenson’s Impact on Canada : Proliferation (Part 2)

All, This is the second blog entry of 5-blog series about Sorenson Communications, Inc’s impact on Canada. It is my responsibility as a Deaf American Citizen to share this information based on facts, reliable sources and supporting evidence to you. Then you can get involved to make things right with FCC and our Deaf Canadian citizens. I was stunned how […]

Vancouver Congress of 2010 Updates

Hello all, A blog from United Kingdom was published in DeafRead, Grumpy Old Deafies this morning (July 20, 2010) with additional information from International Congress on the Education for the Deaf in Vancouver, BC Canada when the public apology announcement was made yesterday. Please go and read this website, and there were witnesses who have seen/heard the public apology been […]

AG Bell responds ASL Community about Nyle DiMarco

All, On Friday, April 8, 2016 in this morning, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) published a statement responding to numerous letters from the Deaf community on their website. AG Bell Responds-4-8-16 PDF file Here is the text and I am adding bold for emphasis and italics of my thoughts. The Alexander Graham […]

Sorenson’s Impact on Canada : Carrot and Stick Experiment (Part 4)

All, This is the fourth blog entry of 5-blog series about Sorenson Communications, Inc’s impact on Canada. It is my responsibility as a Deaf American Citizen to share this information based on facts, reliable sources and supporting evidence to you. Then you can get involved to make things right with FCC and our Deaf Canadian citizens. Now, you have read […]

Matlin as a PROJECT MANAGER tonight!

All, Guess what? Yes, it is true! I checked Wikipedia’s Celebrity Apprentice Season 4 link in this morning and I learned that Marlee Matlin is chosen as a Project Manager tonight! There are three teaser videos available on official Celebrity Apprentice website. All three teaser videos are not captioned, and you can file a compliant to NBC about this. GO […]

NAD’s New Era of Leadership

All, It just released this evening. Howard A. Rosenblum, the new CEO of National Association of the Deaf presented this awesome video explaining about NAD’s New Era of Leadership focusing on future Deaf children. This video is simply BRILLIANT! A very brilliant marketing strategy that will attract more members and supporters to NAD. This video has captions. I can see […]

AG Bell’s Pervasive Ideology : An Example

All, Someone brought to my attention to this specific blog, called “Arguing With Myths?” written by Anonymous, persumably by an honor high school student and a varsity athlete with two cochlear implants. Here is the link here. In this blog, it started with a disclaimer stating : I have nothing against ASL or the deaf community, I am simply arguing […]

Star Jones’ Valuable Lesson from Matlin

All, Woke up from my happy daze after watching last night’s Celebrity Apprentice. It felt GREAT knowing that Marlee Matlin did kick BUTT! The old saying, “Deaf people can do anything but hear”, bleah. Discard this. The new saying, “Deaf people can kick butt when it comes to raising money!” – Dedicated to Marlee Matlin! A recent tweet sent by […]

1913′s Veditz/NAD Film Selected for Posterity!

[DISCLAIMER : This post was first published on December 28, 2010 ] To read the translation of Veditz’ speech by Carol Padden here. “As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs . . .” – George Veditz, Preservation of Sign Language, 1913 ______________________________________________________ All, The National Film Registry announced that “The Preservation of Sign Language” […]

Sheri Ann Farinha : My Endorsement

All, This is to announce my endorsement for Sheri Ann Farinha as NAD President. I will tell you why. Swift Response and Passion. That’s why. On Sunday, June 3, 2012, I wrote a letter to NAD headquarters and some of the board members regarding concerns about a very specific document that was released on February 29, 2012 written by Dr. […]

Nyle DiMarco: A Brilliant Strategist

All, Nyle DiMarco is a brilliant strategist. Nyle DiMarco does not only think for himself only, but for the Deaf community. Nyle DiMarco always thinks about the Deaf Community and Deaf children and their families. Nyle DiMarco is our America’s, or perhaps, the World’s Deaf Ambassador. Nyle DiMarco is using his charisma, good looks, and talents to present his platform […]

Excellent Deaf-centric Anti-Violence Video!

All, Just discovered via Twitter, and I have to share this video with you. This video comes with captions, and it delivers excellent message for parents. This video stresses the value of using hands to communicate, not to ‘smack’ a child for discipline. Often times when parents get frustrated for not able to communicate and they ended up disciplining their […]

Signalongs – Bastardization or Authenticity of ASL Music Artistry.

All, Yep. We do have a controversy. I am vocal about people using American Sign Language to translate musical lyrics. I have strong opinions about this. “ASL Music- An Oxymoron” vlog which I created on October 11, 2007 when I noticed a disturbing trend of people who are not Deaf are using American Sign Language to express themselves by ‘translating’ […]