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Grumpy Old Deafies
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Petition Against 14(4)(9) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
Posted: May 13th, 2008, 8:42pm BST
For anyone who has been following the Stop Eugenics campaign will know there's been a campaign against Clause 14(4)(9) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. A petition has now been approved on the Downing Street website, relating to clause 14(4)(9). Please go and sign it (open to UK residents only). We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Keep reproductive liberty: drop clause 14/4/9 of the HFE Bill. The details are: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (HFEB) is due to pass through the House of Commons soon. The media has said that Clause 14(4)(9) of the Bill would allow people to create "designer deaf or disabled babies", but it would not. It would let ... -
Deaf Awareness Week: Elizabeth Foundation tops RNID
Posted: May 13th, 2008, 4:33pm BST
The Elizabeth Foundation went one better than the RNID for Deaf Awareness Week. Instead of using hearing people to subtitle sound and make everyone cry; they used real live deaf children, and sent them off on a listening walk: The [deaf] youngsters listened out for as many different sounds as they could and recorded it on their clipboard and tape recorder. A highlight of the walk was a visit to the building site of the Listening for Life Centre which will be the base of Bradford Royal Infirmary's Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service and is right next door to The Elizabeth Foundation in Smith Lane. Run this one past me. This was how I would interpret ... -
Parliament: Assistance for Deaf People into Employment
Posted: May 13th, 2008, 12:29pm BST
A question around deaf people and employment: Sandra Gidley (Shadow Minister, Health; Romsey, Liberal Democrat) To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place to help deaf people into employment. Stephen Timms (Minister of State (Employment and Welfare Reform), Department for Work and Pensions; East Ham, Labour) We are committed to helping all people, including deaf people, into suitable, sustainable employment through Jobcentre Plus. Access to Work can provide a range of individually tailored support to enable disabled people to enter or stay in employment. Access to Work can fund specialist support for deaf and hearing impaired people in work. One type of support that deaf people may find ... -
Parliament: Subtitling & Sign Language on Television
Posted: May 13th, 2008, 12:12pm BST
A question in parliament around subtitling on television: Rosie Cooper (PPS (Mr Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State), Department of Health; West Lancashire, Labour) What steps are being taken to ensure that television programmes are accessible to deaf children—and deaf adults, for that matter—through more comprehensive subtitling and sign language for programmes? Andy Burnham (Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Leigh, Labour) I do not know whether my hon. Friend was present in the reception in the House last week at which we marked the successful completion by the BBC of 100 per cent. Subtitling on all programmes —a condition and requirement laid down in the Communications Act 2003. Other public service ... -
The Guardian: The Sign Language Teacher; the Personal Experience of John Smith
Posted: May 13th, 2008, 3:32am BST
The Guardian has published a hitting piece on the reality of deaf education, through the personal experience of John Smith, who is known for his Deaf comedy: I went to a primary school for the deaf, where we weren't allowed to use sign language. We were forced to speak, using hearing aids. What was the point of that? It makes me angry just thinking about it. When the teachers' backs were turned, we used to sign to each other. I learned nothing at school. The teachers told me I was rubbish. I used to get very tense and stressed out. I was good at maths, but I struggled with English. Even now I find writing ...