Fintan Ramblings

I found out from someone who is a member of DUK (Deaf-UK a yahoo maling list forum) that someone who did a corpus based study called The influence of British Sign Language on Deaf English.

Many deaf people are quite sensitive about someone analysing their English and would not want someone to make a research out of their own writings without permission.
In the past we were made to feel that our ‘grammar and verb mixed up’ state meant that we were mentally impaired.
The academics wade in “hi I am doing a research etc” and just do this to further their career on the back of our disability.

You can download this research, as it’s made available on DUK

Study PDF File click here

However as you read it she is not criticising nor does she think deaf people are stupid but what worries me that these people carry out research improperly.

Her research about how BSL influenced Deaf English.
In some cases yes, but if she had done her research properly by contacting me, she would have found out that I am NOT an “identified BSL user”.

All the examples she cited are also common with oral deaf people and the fact she used me to prove her “BSL” point makes her arguments redundant.

Most BSL users have some encounters with spoken English and it is from there that these “mistakes” arise. To me, have/has/had sound the same, so I repeat those mistakes, and the/to/of/for etc is missing to my ears in spoken conversations.

I could go on….

What’s galling is that in a forum that I once participated in, a moderator had given her permission to download all the post for her analytics.
The DUK forum has its own policy, see below:

To quote from its policy
Whilst Deaf UK is a public forum, please respect Deaf people’s need for
space and not to be guinea pigs for research. It is not acceptable to just
join Deaf UK, and then post an e mail asking for information for research.
This makes Deaf people feel used and as if they are in a zoo.
If you wish to ask members of Deaf UK to contribute to a piece of research,
then you must clearly state: what the research is for, who you are, as well
as the usual questions relating to the subject of the research itself. If
subscribers of this group agree to your request, then cooperation and
information, is conditional to fulfilling an undertaking to publish the
research findings via Deaf UK

He often quotes this policy and yet never follows it himself.
However I don’t know if the researcher has contacted members not just the moderator.

I certainly wasn’t contacted nor did I wish to take part.
He has given her consent to do this so my emails along with others were analysed.

I do know that you have to join to be a member and read the archives and people are welcome to do so but to quote from http://www.cla.co.uk/

Copyright law stops other people from using and abusing your original work, this includes email messages
All your email messages are copyrighted to you (or your employer) automatically, you do not have to register this copyright
DUK does not own the copyright of messages sent to its lists, and neither does the list administrator
Messages sent to a list should not be, quoted out of context, changed in any way, reworded or mis-attributed
When you post to a public list you do not lose copyright, but your message may be, archived, forwarded to other lists and quoted by others

I am happy with this copyright law, but the moderator does not own the contents of the email. I own the contents of my own email.

Why was this study needed?
What does it benefit us?
She did her analytics on 2 blogs why is this, I suspect that the members were not forth coming.
Also its very misleading that DUK has over 2500 members, people change email address or close accounts and not bother to change it at the forum.

I’m sure such study is needed, but its common courtesy to ask if I wanted to take part.

In light of this I have now put up creative comments licence.

Another memeber of DUK have blogged about this see here.

Failure in research ethics…

Front page news on the Fiji Times

www.fijitimes.com

A DEAF and mute 30-year-old man has become the first in the Northern Division to obtain a driving licence after successfully passing his driving test, using sign language.

The achievement by Shiu Karan has baffled Land Transport Authority examiners in the northern town of Labasa who are still trying to understand how a deaf man manages to change gear on time.

An overjoyed Mr Karan only nodded his head when asked through sign language whether he was happy about his achievement.

LTA examiner Rakesh Jattan said while testing his driving skills during his driving test, he was amazed to see how Mr Karan perfectly timed changing the gears.

“Drivers usually change gears by hearing the sound of the engine, when it tires out but for this case, I am still trying to understand how he does it when he is deaf,” Mr Jattan said.

“We only communicated through sign language and he just caught on very well which was also seen during his driving test,” Mr Jattan said.

“He knew all the road signs and read all the road maps like junctions, bends and road humps very well by answering questions put to him using sign language,” he said.

The sign language was done with the assistance of the driving instructor, Shakuntla Singh who is also a teacher at the Labasa Handicapped School.

Mrs Singh said it was not difficult teaching Mr Karan how to drive.

“I believe it was not difficult for me because he had the interest to learn and so he caught on very well without going over the lessons again,” Mrs Singh said.

“It took us three weeks to complete the driving lessons and now he has a licence and we are just so proud of him,” Mr Singh said.

How stupid is this artical, they seem to be amazed that a Deaf man can learn to drive, also the driving instructor not thought to ask how he managed to change gears!

He knew how to read road maps.. for fuck sake he is not blind!!!

An article in The Register today explains that Vodafone is now buying secondhand Nokia 9210’s on eBay to sell to D/deaf customers using the service provided in association with the RNID.

Below taken from Register
Vodafone UK is hunting eBay for obsolete handsets that support its Textphone service for the deaf.
British telephone companies are required to provide services for deaf customers, who generally use a keyboard to type text messages. Text- and instant messaging have mitigated the need to an extent, but seeing every key typed is a better communication experience, according to the RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf people).
Vodafone’s service uses software provided by the RNID running on Nokia’s Communicator 9210. The problem is that Nokia doesn’t make the 9210 any more. And while rival networks use two-device solutions, Vodafone is forced to source Communicators from anywhere they can, including eBay, until it comes up with something better.
A Vodafone spokeswoman told us: “We buy Communicators secondhand from a variety of sources, including eBay, and clean them up for our customers.”

Why is a mobile phone operator forced to scrounge second hand phones to support a service that was once a flagship.
Why do us deaf people have to use second hand goods?
Why couldn’t global operator with over 200 million customers to ask a manufacturer to design a handset fit for 2007 specifically for the Typetalk service.
The Nokia 9210 would have remained in production had Vodafone offered the service to the deaf community around the world and ordered a sufficient number of handsets to make this viable or cheaper …

Been trying out BBC Iplayer last few days .
I can understand why people cant see the point of it when most programmes are repeated.
But I like the idea that you can watch programmes at a time that’s convenient for me so I thought I try it out.

I am not going to detail here how its a bit of a palaver to get it going (search on Google and you will see) but in all it took 15min to set up.
Found a good set up guide here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayerbeta/install_part_1.shtml (us Linux users cant understand why almost 10 step install the damn thing)

For some reason the video doesn’t show up, if I took a screen shot but here is one that I found showing programme (with subtitles) called Two pints of lager and a packet of crisp to give an example of what it would look like

In order to watch programmes with subtitles that’s the size you get in the screenshot

I understand that resolution is lower, so full-screen viewing is less than satisfactory, also in full screen mode it does not show subtitles so how very frustrating is this in order to watch this I have to sit close to my monitor.

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)

At a glance its does not show which programmes carry subtitles

When selecting briefings it does not contain subtitles (no surprise there)

No option to show just subtitles listings and the only way to find out is by selecting each programme to find out if it contains subtitles

Interestingly if you see picture below

There is a drop down section to which gives you an option to watch it with subtitles and BSL (British sign language)
It’s a pity that How to be the perfect housewife contain BSL (who watches that shit?)

While watching it I though the interpreter is small but selecting full screen is better, how ever quality is not that good.

I understand it’s at beta stage so I am watching how it develops with interest and I think that the subtitles should be bigger and any programmes that contain BSL should be a higher resolution so watch out if you don’t have unlimited download package from your ISP other wise you will fall foul of broadband fair Use Policy
It’s a bit of a shame that it is built on Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player – especially as it comes complete with all the security errors, warning messages that seem to plague Microsoft programs

I think I will only use BBC iplayer to watch one programme called See Hear as from October because it’s being moved from Saturday 12pm slot to weekdays!
They say to increases viewing figures but they are competing with loose women on ITV.
Bad enough showing it on Saturday but even worst mid week when I am at work also getting it cut from 45 min to 30 min and yes you get repeats only one repeat at 2 am in the morning compared to programmes like Eastenders showing at 8pm repeated at 10 pm plus you get another chance to watch it on Sunday afternoon

Only half hour Deaf program per week shown at 2 ridiculous times and that’s what the only reason I will be using the iplayer for.

As a postman and if I was late for work or over slept the post office ring you up.
The only phone number they had was my parent’s phone number and that supposed to be for emergencies i.e. if I had an accident at work they ring them.
Mum was not pleased when she gets phone calls at 5 am in morning to be asked is fintan coming into work.
“He doesn’t fucking live here” came my mums reply before slamming the phone down!
Now mum does not swear but at that time of morning after been woken several times she got pretty fed up of it!

What the post office does if they see you haven’t turned up for work they ring you up thinking they are doing you a big favour, when in reality if they cant get the staff to cover your delivery round, the bosses will have to deliver the mail.. Now we wouldn’t want them to come out of their warm offices do we??.

What they failed to realise
1) I am deaf
2) No way I will be able to hear phone and besides I did not have a phone plugged in just a modem connect to internet (ah the dial up days)

I have repeatedly told them I don’t have a phone and scrub that number but they still had it on file.
Only way to get rid of my mum’s number is to replace it, as they don’t delete the phone number.
What I did was pick a random number from a phone book and told them that I have a new phone number.
The poor victim used to get calls at 5 am in morning asking if Fintan there! It lead the post office getting a letter from solitors to end the harassment!

But some bright spark thought it was a good idea come round and knock or ring the doorbell of my place instead.
Now if I have my hearing aids out I am dead to the world, the building would collapse around me and I still wouldn’t hear!

But I still had the problem them coming round to my place, despite telling them that I cannot hear the doorbell or a knock on door if I am going to be late .
My poor neighbours living above me has to answer the door and tell them that it’s no good knocking as I won’t hear it.
Once one of the butch lesbian leaning out of the window said

“if you don’t fuck off I am calling the police”
That did put a stop to them for a while, but I don’t half get a hard time off her and my mum.. “Late for work were yer!!!”

So yes I should make sure I get up for work in morning and yes make sure my vibrating alarm clock battery in working order before bed.

I don’t work for the post office anymore as I left 5 years ago so I work normal 9 to 5 job hours, but despite having a few more hours in bed, the kids soon put a stop to that, they get up at 6 am grrr

Where I used to live before I got married I was the only one that had the whole ground floor so I don’t have to share with anyone.
Funny thing about my place was that my bedroom was down the hallway so it wasn’t connected to rest of my place, I always made sure I’d lock my living room door and walk down hallway to my bedroom to sleep.
Don’t want to find that old guy sitting in my living room watching tv!

When I was a postman I had finished my delivery round and quickly got undressed in front of my washing machine do to being soaked by the rain shut the living room door and ran into my bedroom to find that I forgot to take my keys with me.
Shit I am locked out of my bedroom and living room!
There I was standing in hallway in my underpants!
My mobile phone is on the coffee table too so I couldn’t text mum also at the top no one will be home till after 5pm so if they were in I could use their phone.
I did not want to be standing in hallway for 6 hours .

So I went out front door to walk round the back to grab my bike.. It took me half an hour to hobble as the gravel was razor sharp stones.
Rather than ride out on the front, as it’s a busy main road where everyone can see me I rode out the back then I only have to get across the road into telephone box.
What I hadn’t bargained for cycling through alleyway a bus pulled up (bus stop at end of alleyway) full of passengers seeing a man cycling in underpants while pissing down with rain going toward them! How bloody embarrassing, But it did not end there.

I quickly got round the bus crossed the road to a phone box.
A woman was in the phone box sheltering from the rain, cos she was not using it I asked her can I use the phone!
God knows what she thought as she did not hang about!

Only phone number I can remember off my head was my mums and she could not stop chocking with laughing on the phone!
She managed to mutter that my sister will be finishing school on lunch break and she should be passing.

I had forgotten that my sister and her friend use my place to drop school bags save them carrying them around town when they go to McDonald’s etc, and she will have a key.
So I jumped on my bike and cycled toward where she should be walking down.
Her friends who thought us deafies are simple minded (see my other post) were the first to spot me said , “ Is that your brother on a bike with no clothes on?”
She just came off mobile cos mum has warned her there is a strange man cycling about.
I snatched the key off her and her friend said “why have you no clothes on?”

With my demented look I told them that I didn’t want to get my clothes wet!

I was talking to Rob and Shane on MSN when I was interrupted by a knock on door by some door-to-door survey man.
I hate door-to-door salesmen or any charity collector so I was in a good mood J

He showed me his badge and wanted survey about alcohol and asked if I drink so I said yes.
Asked me a couple of questions and on his electronic clipboard has an advert clip, and there are 6 clips in all so he asked me what I think.

I will call him salesman after all they are giving out vouchers so you purchase products so the conversation went like this

Me “Does it show advert in BSL?”
Salesman “BSL?”
Me “ British Sign Language “
Salesman “sorry no”
Me “subtitles?”
Salesman “erm no”
Me “ so you want me to watch this”
Salesman “ if you would please yes”

After a two-minute clip shows a man drinking beer on a sun lounge it did not show what beer it was .. As I suspect that the salesman will till me what it is.

Saleman”what do you think would you buy that product?”
Me “not at all no”
Salesman “why not?”

Me “it has anti deaf tones to it…”
Salesman laughing… “anti deaf tone why do you say that”
Me “ well seeing that guy hold his drink suggest to me is sod you”
Salesman “ he did not say that”
Me “well how would I know that if you don’t provide subtitles”?
Salesman “well I am sorry it does not provide subtitles”
Me” aren’t you going to write me the transcript!”
Salesman “there are 6 different clips I could be all day writing it down”
Me “I can wait”
Salesman “ er sorry”
Me “well I am telling you what I think it has anti deaf tone to it he raised his glass and might have said cheers, but could have said sod you for all I know, and your not going to write this down are you on that survey of yours”
Salesman “ no”
Me “well that suggest to me that you’re falsifying the surveys!”
Salesman irritated……. “well if your deaf how can you understand me”
Me “I am understanding you as it takes an lot of effort to lip read you and a lot of effort for me to speak clearly so you can understand me”
Salesman “er”
Me butting in ……“so how about meeting me half way you write down all transcript and I may buy your products other wise feck off and tell your company not to darken my door again”

Now did I say I was in a good mood?

I have a younger sister and the age different between us is 13 years., So as you can see I left home long before she reached her teens.
Sometimes when I used to visit my mum and she happened to be there, she would usually have her school friends around at the house.
I found that some of her school friends must have thought that deaf people had some disease or are very simple minded!
For example, if I spoke to one of them and didn’t get a reply, or when others only replied to my sister and not me.
Teenagers think it’s uncool to be talking to adults, so I loved winding my sister up as she did it often enough to me.

When she was about 14, I came round to my mums house and I gave her a birthday card and I timed it well so that she could open it in front of her friends. It was a Barbie card. I found it amusing, as her friends did not know what to say.
My sister said “Fintan, don’t you think I am a bit too old for a Barbie card?”
Since then every birthday she always got a Barbie card from me.
3 years ago on her 21st birthday I turned up and she mentioned that she didn’t get a Barbie card this year, just a normal happy birthday card
Knowing her friends were within earshot I said “it’s about time you grew up..You’re told old for Barbie birthday cards”

But when she finally got round to opening her birthday presents she came to mine last …What was in it, yep you have guessed it, a Barbie doll!

I will start my BSL practice by joining the BSL class in September and it should be fun!

The reason I will start BSL practice is that you know when hearing people are deafened later in life, I can imagine with empathy that I am going deafened and may not hear anything at all later on.

When I will reach an old age (long way off ) I will be totally cut off from the hearing world and maybe cut off from deaf world as well.

Never too late to learn and hopefully in a few years time Des will be buying me a pint in Newcastle.

I met Des in York railway station and he, as a fluent BSL user, totally rely on BSL and to be honest I have been waiting all day for him to understand my sign!
I knew what he meant when he signed (in BSL) to me:
“This time next year if you passed stage 1 I will buy you a pint on Newcastle”.
Although he did it slowly and repeated 3 times I got it .

I just want to be able to sign fluently and quick… so here is a picture of Des and me at the station.

P.S I am the good looking one on the left!!

The guardian newspaper again !

First of all they put us in social care category see G.O.D blog

And now one of the blog on guardian titled

Dialogue for the Deaf

I am seeing this Dialogue for the Deaf time and time again!

Google it

Reported an Arab newsman: “It is the dialogue of the deaf. Both sides talk, but neither side listens.”

Its just implies to me that Deaf people are not capable of having a dialogue.

One Deaf commenter called toodeaftodebate wrote

Dear Madeline

This is going off the topic but for the right reason.

I am startled that your article got published because I find the leading sentence grossly offensive. When writing this comment, a small paragraph above the comment box states:

“By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our talk policy. We will remove posts that contain racist, sexist or offensive/threatening language, personal attacks on the writer or other posters, posts that exceed the maximum length, and posts that are off topic. Any poster who repeatedly contravenes the talk policy will be banned from posting on the website.”

I am Deaf myself and I do not wish to be perceived as pointless whenever I form a dialogue. Your usage of the French example only serve to oppress. It is very disappointing that a well-written article of yours is tainted with your negative perception of the Deaf.

I couldn’t have said it better!