Bobbie Beth’s Tidbits... English / ASL...Hand in Hand the same… i.e., the words “ate” and “eight” and lead to misunderstanding. Lip-readers become experts at filling in the blanks and far too much is left to guesswork. There is good reason that not EVERYONE in the Deaf community should be expected to learn how to lip-read and 24th Year, 4th Issue, December 2006 Year, 24th speak. Not everyone is a great candidate to be lip-read either. Imagine the stuffy types that talk through their teeth and barely move their lips at all. Speech is also a skill that not EVERYONE can master. It’s almost like n light of the Gallaudet Protest resulting asking a hearing person to become verbally in the termination of Jane Fernandes as fluent in a foreign language through the Ithe President-Designate and the recent exclusive use of printed text. If you can’t announcement of the Interim President, Dr. hear it, then it is nearly impossible to know if Robert R. Davila, this article will be you are producing it correctly. addressing common myths concerning deaf It is also a myth that hearing aids and and hard of hearing people. cochlear implants completely correct hearing In our community, leaders and loss. In reality, the most powerful device stakeholders alike are now beginning to available will never result in normal hearing. discuss among themselves exactly what it Hearing aids and cochlear implants are tools means to be deaf. Myths about what it means used to augment sound; they are not cures for to be deaf persist. The level of awareness hearing loss. within the general public must be raised to This is the same analogy as people ensure that a situation like the Gallaudet wearing eyeglasses. It’s true that eyeglasses Protest does not happen again. This protest correct a visual problem, so many people was about social justice and was never about assume that wearing a hearing aid or having a “not deaf enough.” This was an unfortunate cochlear implant corrects the hearing problem myth perpetuated by the general media due and that is simply not the case. to their lack of awareness and our inability I want to share with you how the to deal with the suaveness of media wanting Gallaudet Protest experience affected me sensationalism, creating many spin-offs and personally. Because I have always been clouding what was really at stake during the concerned about social justice; success of protest. “Not deaf enough” was never the women, equal employment, support for those issue. in need....and especially educational Another common myth that still persists continued on page 2 today; “deaf and hard of hearing people can read lips proficiently.” First of all...statistics In this issue... show that even the BEST lip-reader only clearly identifies 30-40% of the words that Bobbie Beth’s Tidbits ...........................1 they see. The rest of the message must be Emergency Email Alerts...................... 3 assumed with “context guessing”…meaning Miss Deaf Kentucky............................. 3 What’s Up, Kentucky? .......................... 3 632 Versailles Road Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 www.kcdhh.org 632 Versailles they do their best to figure out what the rest of the words must have been. Lip-reading “Through Deaf Eyes” Documentary ... 4 First Step in Gallaudet Revolution? ..... 6 is a highly complex SKILL that some deaf CapTel.................................................. 7 or hard of hearing people accrue while others Communicator Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Season Greetings! ................................. 8 never master it. Some words look exactly 2 Communicator December 2006 requirements for deaf and hard of Bobbie Beth’s Tidbits hearing children. Commission Members continued from page 1 The educational system of today achievement for deaf and hard of does not respond to the obvious gap in Dr. Patricia Freeman, Chair hearing children, I related quickly to the educational achievement by deaf and Member at Large Representative goals of this protest. Gallaudet students hard of hearing students. We do not like participated in the protest because it change. We do it like it has always been Mark Birdwhistell was, always was, about social justice. done. A system of advocacy must be Health and Family Services Over the years many issues developed developed on behalf of our children. We Cabinet Secretary at Gallaudet that needed to be must not perpetuate a system that does addressed: Racism and Audism not and cannot teach these skills with Susan Brown (discrimination toward deaf and hard excellent results. We must EDUCATE Kentucky Speech, Language & of hearing persons) are two of those the decision makers. We must insist that Hearing Association Representative issues. Another issue seems to be, the auditory-based teaching techniques alone misconception about American Sign will not succeed with our children and Cristal Collins Language (ASL) and its use on campus. that all available tools must be employed Parent Representative Because ASL goes hand in hand with to teach literacy skills to every deaf or written and spoken English skills, hard of hearing child. Nina Coyer students were advocating for ASL as Kentucky Association of the Deaf Gallaudet University is destined to the language used on campus, with Representative give deaf and hard of hearing students equal emphasis that the command of an education which will enable them to Shannon Grider written and spoken English is just as fit in with mainstream America by giving Kentucky Registry of Interpreters important to master. them much needed tools to move on for the Deaf Representative Immigrants from other countries when they graduate from the University. are required to learn English before they Gallaudet must take the lead and work Diane Haynes can become citizens. Are deaf and hard with deaf education programs Service Provider Representative of hearing children to be less qualified? (mainstreamed and deaf school It is our moral obligation to ensure that programs) across the nation to provide a Dodie Karr our deaf and hard of hearing children seamless teaching system to ensure that Kentucky Association of the Deaf develop fluency in BOTH languages. ALL deaf and hard of hearing children Representative It is a myth that the use of sign language are exposed to a minimum set of precludes development of English academic standards before entering the Kevin Martin skills. So why is it that English is still post-secondary scene. Kentucky Association of the Deaf being taught to our deaf and hard of It was quite an honor to work with President hearing children using auditory-based these outstanding Gallaudet students. techniques which work efficiently for They inspired me and give me hope for Laura Owens hearing children, when it has been the future! Education Cabinet Secretary proven that many children with a If I have seen farther than others, it is because I hearing loss are more receptive to visual was standing on the shoulders of giants.” Bob Stuckey cues? What about Fitzgerald Key, a Sir Isaac Newton Hearing Loss Assocation of America method for teaching the order of continued on page 3 Representative words in a sentence? What about rote memorization utilizing newer Commission Staff Betty Timon technologies? What about the good American Association of Retired Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Ed.D. ole 3 R’s utilizing video-based Persons Representative Executive Director technology? Deaf Educational John Barnes, Information Systems Supervisor programs and advocates for deaf and Anita Dowd, Information Program Coordinator Sherry West Rowena Holloway, Information Office Supervisor Kentucky Association of the Deaf hard of hearing children must insist that Kevin Kreutzer, Network Analyst I Representative changes within the educational service Virginia L. Moore, State Interpreter Administrator delivery system be MORE accountable Rachel Morgan, Executive Staff Interpreter Rachel Payne, Executive Secretary Merle Williams toward the models which are Sharon White, Document Processing Specialist III Alexander Graham Bell conducive to learning processes, while Wilma Wright, Administrative Assistant encouraging ASL and written and Vacant, Executive Staff Advisor Representative Vacant, Interpreter Relations Coordinator spoken skills as ESSENTIAL www.kcdhh.org Communicator December 2006 3 Bobbie Beth’s Tidbits continued from page 2 I met with the future leaders – Emergency Email Alerts the students themselves at Gallaudet. It is my hope through Would you like to receive email alerts related to emergencies such as severe weather, this new evolution they will use the national security, Amber alerts, etc? Visit www.emergencyemail.org today to sign lessons learned from this protest up for the alerts you would like to receive. … lessons of transparency and accountability must be the values for any deaf-related program, oppressive tactics (unintentionally or otherwise) must be addressed, communicated and resolved, in a proactive manner through effective Congratulations Mickie! communication at all times. Micki Brunton, Miss Deaf Kentucky, was announced The students want a leader that knows how to get things done! as 1st runner up in the National Association of the There is a time when talking is over. Deaf (NAD) Miss Deaf America 2006-2008 Pageant. Micki There is a time to get things done. grew up in Danville with her family. She worked at KCDHH A leader knows where to go to during the summer as an intern and is now attending Eastern get things moving. A leader needs Kentucky University. Mickie is available for speaking an awareness of how things work engagements upon request. Contact Barbie Harris at (859) in the world. A leader needs 239-7017 or [email protected] to coordinate arrangements. contacts and understanding of the Miss South Dakota, Chelsea Tobin, was crowned Miss ways to get world leaders to match Deaf America 2006-2008. Miss Congeniality went to Miss Deaf Ohio, Teresa stride with her/him. They want a Gasaway, and 2nd runner up went to Miss Deaf Florida, Lisa Herbert.