Fintan Ramblings

I came across a news artical about Hearing Dogs For Deaf People see this link in The Press.

A CHARITY that trains dogs for deaf people and is celebrating its 25th birthday this year is looking for a big moving away present as it leaves its training centre in Selby district.

Jenny Moir, a spokeswoman for the charity, said she hoped the new training centre would be operational by next summer. “The target for this appeal is a massive £2.5 million, of which we have worked hard to date to raise £1.5 million,” she said.

“We’re now looking for our final £1 million and need your help to raise the funds to build the kennels, training houses, accommodation and offices.”

She said £10 would buy a brick at the Bielby facility, with donors acknowledged in a book of recognition on-site.

As I am Deaf I don’t use Hearing Dog and for years I did not see the point of them till I came across Tina http://funnyoldlife.wordpress.com/

Even her Hearing dog called smudge got a blog http://justsmudge.wordpress.com/
A dog do more than what a flashing door bell can do, etc so pop along and read her blog for more.

By the way if you want to donate click on this link http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/ look at bottom of page to donate.

This was filmed without their knowledge and they were having a discussion
I know its not real sign language, but its interesting and not surprising that hearing people use their hand to explain.Has anybody seen people who on the phone and their hands are flying about and they don’t realise they were doing it lol

Its learn to sign week from 1^st October 2007 in UK.

Learn to sign campaign have its own blog see here http://learntosign.org.uk/.

If your living in Bristol pop along to Bristol City Council http://www.bristol.gov.uk they are running a big event there.

If you just discovered this blog its NOT to late to join a sign language class, ring up your local college or Deaf Centre and ask they will be happy for you to join even if you’re a couple of weeks late.

Below was taken from Dans website

DISHING THE DIRT ON THE R.N.I.D.
THEY STEAL OUR VOICE; THEY STEAL OUR CASH;
THEY LOCK US AWAY.
RNID (otherwise known as Really Not Interested in the Deaf)

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People is basically a million-pound charity that is strangely unpopular with the very people it claims to serve.

For example, the Government recognised British Sign Language (BSL) as a language in its own right. The RNID showed very little interest in the 5-year BSL recognition campaign, which was led by community based BSL users, until BSL was finally recognised and the Government put up £1 million for bidding.

Suddenly, they were ‘experts’, despite being led by hearing people who can’t sign! The RNID with their wealth of resources are actively bidding against the deaf campaigners and their organisations for the government’s money despite being asked not to.

We want rights, not charity. We don’t want to see ‘Deaf Pounds’ going straight into the pockets of the RNID’s fat cats. If they couldn’t support the campaign why should they get the cash?
This is typical of how these charities operate.
SLOW TO ADVOCATE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
BUT QUICK TO TAKE RESOURCES AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE.

Their Chief Executive is hearing which sends a clear message to Deaf People and the wider world that they (deaf people) are not capable of running their organisation. Deaf people say that they are ready and willing to take over the organisation and work with the disability movement for concrete change.
If they seriously want to advise the government on employing deaf people they could start with themselves.

The RNID is the main culprit for keeping Deaf people locked in ‘care homes’ that they have set up all over the UK. Until the RNID is GOT RID OF deaf people will not have the chance of full inclusion into our society.

Despite all this the RNID is still whispering in the ear of government and is recognised by this government as a leading advisor.
We call on the government to listen to Deaf People
not the RNID

We call on the RNID to get our of out lives.

This study has been done before, with walkmans remember them?

And another study with MP3 players done in America, why did RNID conduct a study in UK?

Brian Lamb, Acting Chief Executive of RNID, said: “MP3 player manufacturers have a responsibility to make their customers aware of the dangers by printing clear warnings on packaging and linking volume controls to decibel levels.

Why target mp3 players?

Not everyone uses that format from a technology view,this was also said about ipods
In ear mobile phones damage hearing too.
Warnings are there on booklets, but RNID wants it to be bigger and clearer!!
Sound like a nanny state very similar to smoking having health warnings on cigarette packets.
Spending money on research like others have already done is wasting money.
Its just another case of “RNID letting people know we are here and donate more money”
So come on RNID do what your supposed to do and represent REAL needs for Deaf people to which clearly you don’t.

You may have seen previous posting about This is England!

This one how a came across Shane Meadows film director
http://finllfixit.co.uk/11/05/2007/this-is-england/

one of his films got shown on tv with subtitles as I wrote here
http://finllfixit.co.uk/13/06/2007/a-room-for-romeo-brass/

then my frustrations with the DVD distributor in not replying to my query
http://finllfixit.co.uk/30/06/2007/not-getting-anywhere-this-is-england/

and the reply that they wont be releasing film with subtitles here
http://finllfixit.co.uk/02/07/2007/this-is-england-we-wont-be-watching-it/

Can you imagine my surprise when I got a email from Dave who run the Shane Meadows forum

Hey there,

It’s Dave here who runs the Shane Meadows website. Just thought I’d let you know that I just got hold of the 2 disc edition of This Is England and the film does have subtitles!
How weird is that?? Especially after I recall you sent Optimum numerous emails asking about subs and they eventually responded by saying that it wouldn’t have any! Bizarre!

The DVD even has an audio describe track for the visually impaired too. I’ve not seen that on DVDs very often.

Hope to have you back on the forums again soon… when you can then discuss the finer points of This Is England!

All the best,
Dave
www.shanemeadows.co.uk

I have replied thanking him for letting me know via email as he noticed I didn’t frequent that forum since then.

So I am wondering is it the power of blogging that made them take notice: did many deaf people complain after reading my blog?
Did the Shane Meadows forum sympathise with me and give em a kick up the arse?
Who knows!

I do get numerous emails asking how I got on/any luck, so they will be pleased, as so many of us want to see this.
Dave also told me he bought it from play.com, but the website does not say if it contain subtitles. How ever he did warn me that “the extras on the second disc don’t seem to have any subtitles ”
This doesn’t surprise me as majority DVD extras don’t do this.

As you can see it’s a lack of information from DVD distributors and even websites that sells these films.
Why go through all the trouble of adding subtitles or even audio describe and not advertise the fact?

Directed by Charlie Swinbourne - exclusive subtitled preview of new 12 minute deaf short film coming out in November 2007.Fully signed in British Sign Language, the movie stars John Smith, Ilan Dwek, Matthew Kirby and Jonathan Reid as ‘Four Deaf Yorkshiremen.’ One man challenges the others to tell him the worst story about growing up deaf.Written and directed by Charlie Swinbourne.

I am looking forward to this as I live in Yorkshire

A few years back when I was single and carefree I used to spend my Sunday nights in North Wales.
I find Connahs Quay, Flintshire, very lively (yeah a rough estate) but made loads of friends.
One of my mates (who still lives there) and I used to go around a few pubs, as you do; get a take away and pass out J.
Trouble is I am known to get lost, and once I ended up at a graveyard.
Yeah I know it’s not a lively place to hang out!

Anyway, I borrowed my stepfather’s car, which was a Proton. It was a brand new car at the time and I used to park out side my friend’s house, stay overnight and drive home in the evening of next day.
It had a car alarm and for some strange reason my stepfather like to keep the car alarm key separate to the car keys.
One day I turned the alarm off, put alarm key fob in pocket and used the car key to open the car to get in.
As I started the car the alarm fob must have activated to set the alarm off.
I was driving along and looking in mirror I saw my friend waving trying to stop me to tell me the alarm was off.
But I actually thought he was waving me off so I waved back at him.

Driving along the busy main road at 4pm it is as busy as any city centre I noticed more people were looking at me. Even stopping at zebra crossings I got a quite a few stares!
I thought to myself they must admire the car, couldn’t see why as its not exactly a Ferrari is it?

Arriving few yards from home my mum could hear the car alarm going and seeing me realised that I have left car alarm on.
I heard it when I stepped out of the car. You would have thought car manufacturers have some light indication if alarm goes off?

Mum and my friend have never let me live it down.

I came across this site woman’s hour about Improving the Teaching of Deaf Children

One in 1000 babies are born profoundly deaf every year and only 2% of these children leave school with a reading level appropriate to their age.
After a long career in the education of deaf children, Dr Diana Burman has undertaken pioneering research into the best ways of teaching such pupils how to read.
She’s developed a highly successful method for improving deaf children’s literacy and has now been rewarded for her work by being named the first ever winner of the Michael Young Prize. This award aims to celebrate research that could have a significant impact beyond academia.

I think many of us knew that from the start. We need more Deaf teachers as they can be role models and their English will improve!

I am not able to comment on this as I have emailed the BBC for a transcript and if they are going to talk about Deaf people its only fair that they should provide transcript.

Deaf Awareness Week in South Africa September 5th

I quite like this poster, and also wouldn’t you feel so good after you have learnt sign language?