The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990. It was hailed as a major advance in the struggle for civil rights for Deaf and disabled people. Since it became law, I've noticed that it hasn't really benefited us (Deaf citizens) that much. Yes, it has certainly benefited disabled citizens. But as far as Deaf people are concerned, it lacks teeth. It's too broad, too general, and too vague. And it contains loopholes—gaps like the provision of captioning in cimemas (movie theaters), and Internet videos. And consider what happened to Doug Bahl of Minnesota!

I wish to propose a new legislative act to be called Deaf Americans' Civil Rights Act or The Civil Rights for Deaf Americans Act. The ADA, although welcome, hasn't served us well enough. We need something with more teeth in it—something that specifically addresses our concerns as Deaf Americans, which the ADA doesn't, since it's a "blanket law."

What we need is an act with strong, unambiguous language specifically addressing the concerns and supporting the rights of Deaf people:

* the right to have accessible communication (through qualified and certified sign-language interpreters, real-time captioning/CART, etc.)—such as attending a municipal, school, or social event or gathering, and having an interpreter. This also applies to law-enforcement situations.

* respect for American Sign Language, the language of the Deaf Community, in school, employment, and social services.

* combating discrimination based on the ability to hear or use a voice telephone in the employment (job) sector.

* other concerns (we can discuss these issues in DeafNotes and devise a more detailed list).

I propose that we form a nonpartisan task force to find a way to articulate our concerns and work with Congress.

More to come.

Yes, we, the deaf community, really need a BETTER law for ourselves. I really hope this Deaf Americans' Civil Rights Act starts doing the right things for all deafies. Hey, I would like to tell about my 12 yrs old daughter. She was hearing until April 30, 2008 I took her to a hearing test. We just found out that she has become hard of hearing. She accepts being deaf for who she is as long as she is happy. In her childhood, she has always said to me many times that she is going to be a civil right lawyer. (She sticks her words to it. She has been on honor roll since grade 2.) She is very smart & always get serious about the civil rights for deaf americans.

Correct, the ADA was hailed as a major piece of legislation with the noblest of intentions. The writers and the President who signed it were of differing political philosophies, yet they agreed on the timely need for this.

As a consequence of this legislation, however, many holding prejudices to begin with saw this as a means by which specific industries and/or occupational fields would suffer. And yet, they did not suffer! If anything they became more accessible. However, the accessibility of specific industries was often denied to D/deaf. If they were not denied specifically, access to them was gained only after legal actions.

True, this legislation seems to be oriented around situations other than D/deaf. I've often wondered if this is because deafness is invisible? Or maybe it's because of stereotypes of deafness and aging.

There are loopholes in the ADA just as there are loopholes in most legislation. Most legislation is passed by Congress, signed by the President (or if vetoed it may be overriden), and then sent to specific agencies of the government to draw up specific rules and/or qualifacations. It is here that the intentions are made into specific regulations. The intentions of legislation are not always fulfilled.

It seems that the ADA id poorly interpreted and this interpretation is poorly enforced. For instance, under the ADA there would be provisions for captioning equipment in theaters. But, does this captioning exist? This is similar to the audio equipment for Blind. Here, the movie is described in detail through headphones. However, this equipment is also scarce.

New legislation to specifically address the "Civil Rights of Deaf" is a worthwhile goal. Because of the differing situation(s) regarding deafness, it's hard to imagine D/deaf being specifically addressed in a piece of legislation (and the civil codes that follow) that is often misinterpreted. Therefore, there is a need for this.

A "Deaf Americans Civil Rights Act" would specifically deal with the interpretation and often misinterpretation of laws regarding D/deaf. Also, by having specific legislation the frustration that often comes from having to deal with vague interpretations would be lessened. Also, it would streamline the process whereby regulations are drawn up and then enforced.

In addition to having interpreters in law-enforcement situations there would also be a need to educate law-enforcement officials about the Deaf community. This would include awareness that not everyone who is assumed to be ignoring a police officer is actually ignoring them! One provision that might help giving deaf drivers is giving them the option of having their deafness listed in the computer files that contain their liscence. This will give the police officers needed information as well as protecting the privacy of deaf drivers.

Respect for ASL is primary. The awareness of ASL and its usefulness needs to be public. It's ironic that ASL is taught in public schools while at the same time there is less respect for Deaf schools and D/deaf individuals.

Combating discrimination is a tough battle. It's a necessary battle but a tough one. It seems that until many people become educated about the Deaf community they operate with false ideas. Discrimination based on the ability to hear on a phone is a pile of junk. Those who discriminate with this as a basis are only showing their ignorance. Especially since there is now widespread use of text-messaging in various forms.



sweetmama1,

:):) Welcome to DeafNotes! :):) Your daughter's situation shows that there are a wide variety of types of deaf. I'm glad se accepts being deaf and is happy. That goes a long way. **5** A civil rights lawyer? If I need one I'll e-mail her. *smiles*

ada? i have gotten bad experance with ada...i have try lot of jobs and none of them hiring me cause of hearing issues??oh please..at time ada aint working for deaf communities...we should find a way to make ada work for all deaf communities...if not what can we do?

Hi DeafNoters,

I have been posting about a 'Deaf American's Civil Rights Act' to let Deaf people know about it. Also I mentioned that I have come back to the Deaf community to help them out for a better change. The reason is that ALL deaf people should have their Deaf Civil Rghts Act . I am very supportive to bring it in our Deaf life because it is a good cause.

Guess what? On another deaf forum and my wordpress blog, they removed a very positive reinforcement about having a Deaf American Civil Act issue twice ( I mean TWO TIMES). They took away my freedom of speech. 'Freedom-of-speech' is not absolute but has responsiblity. So why the heck are they doing it to me and disrespecting my own true expression of freedom of speech? It is obvious that I use it with responsiblity. What's the reason for them to crawl all over me like I am a doormat? Do they want me to suffer from the doormat syndrome? That's what keeps me going and I will not give it up. They are really cowards and dishonest people to oppress me and keep me from telling my truthful Deaf soul as I saw through my Deaf eyes. That is the problem - we do not have any evidence to turn against them in Deaf Reality for what happens to Deaf children and their experience from the past for so many years. It's time to stop them from keeping away our reality from the people who should/need to know the truth. Now you can see why I lost respect for them and will not giving up the fight for many good reasons. I care about Deaf people of the Deaf communty all over the world and feel we Deaf people deserve to have the freedom to be who we are. Being who we are is using our hands to speak and learn their Deaf languages for our job's in our Deaf future.

This time I share my own true expression about how I feel about Deaf people of the Deaf community that I love very much. I am very disappointed that it hasn't been a change for the better since AUDISM controls our Deaf life. However, that is why I left the Deaf community for a long time. It was really hurting me to see both sides of Deaf people like HOH/oral/Deaf. As a Deaf person I saw many and this is those between those stages as well. Whats more, I don't fit into any "ONE" of them even in Hearing world that is not healthy for me and many others like me. It's very scary to see how Audism (AGBell) treats us like that when it is their own intention to get rid of our deafness or Deaf languages of the Deaf community. This is very offensive and rude toward me and millions of Deaf people. I dont feel that is their right to force us into conforming and force us into being artificially hearing with artificial languages that are not languages themselves. I don't feel anybody has the right to oppress our being deaf from the day we are born. People try to make us into Artificial Hearing people not "Deaf" people. This is our own Deaf boundary that no one can cross this line. That is the way it goes for everybody so why can't we standup for our rights to preserve our boundaries? That is really abusive for not accepting our natural abilities/adaptation or being deaf. This should come first. It's our Deaf soul that will not go away or erase our Deaf life. This is how Audism created more severe mental health problems for each Deaf child. They think they can change us into a Hearing child for so many years. That needs to stop now because there are tooooo many mistakes going on that has never stopped yet. So be it! It's a waste of our Deaf children's human mind as usual. This is very harmful for their own mental/emotional health anytime in the future with too many artificial languages that doesn't equal English language. Also, this does NOT help us with understanding the many different meanings that a single word may have! There is too much confusion by AUDISM 's Negative attitude about our being deaf while they don't know or understand what it's like to be deaf.


I do not feel right about having those people with prejudicial attitude to have the right to change the whole Deaf child 's natural abilities and adaptation from the start. This is very disrespectful and is manipulation for not accepting a child for who she or he is from a start. Do people of this world have their right to change the whole person because they want us to be a hearing person? I THINK NOT! Leave Deaf babies/children alone for once. Why don't people manipulate hearing people who harmed their ears by I POD or have their hearing distorted by other noise pollution that causes them to be deaf? Use them not us Deaf children who born deaf. PERIOD! We are not a puppet or guinea pig if you need to know that. We are Deaf Human beings that have our rights to protect ourselves or to protect D/deaf children.

I don't believe those Hearing device corporations have the rights to take over the Deaf community and reject our American Sign Language. Our American Sign Language is very true natural visual language. It's not right for the Deaf community to go by AUDISM's rules. I am seeing it now and this turns me off. The purpose of the Deaf community is to see that American Sign Language is available to all Deaf.

It's very successful for many of us with the understanding of ASL. For many it is very, very late for us and our Education because of the past that had AUDISM which ruined everything for our Deaf Education all along. Why should I be so sweet toward them and their stinky/nasty/negative attitude? Also, why should I have to pretend while I have had my own true experience that taught me not to be happy? And tried to teach me not to want to be deaf from day one? Scoffs! That is a real big OPPRESSION and DISCRIMINATION for me to deal with all my life. I hope you care to understand that many deafies and I are coming from hearing families with no ASL.

I am Deaf as far as I know in my Deaf soul from a start that someone tried to destroy my own identity for so many years. It is still hard on me because of a real bad scar for not being allowed to be who I am. This is why or how I resisted a lot of things that I discussed. It's all full of crapola by those AUDISM people who destroyed us badly for so many years.

ASL is not to be blamed for our Deaf Education that failed us. IT'S Audism's own 'artificial languages and oral method only' that are still trying to destroying Deaf children in today's society. That is how it created a big mess in our Deaf community. Therefore, that is why I am here and why I fight hard for Deaf children's civil rights to be who they are first with our American Sign Language.

This is from Laurence Clerc 's successfully being a Deaf teacher from a start. We are Deaf Human not Hearing Human if you need to open your eyes and pick one answer. You cannot be on both sides. We are on one side for who we are. Think about it. Thanks!

TIME to have DEAF AMERICAN 's CIVIL RIGHTS. A WAKE UP CALL IS NEEDED which means don't be so sleepy for not seeing the real true things that we struggled for and got NOTHING for all along. Think twice before you hurt yourself and Deaf children's future forever. No more plight of D/deaf sufferings which means is ZERO TOLERANCE.

Thanks!
Deaf SweetMind

Thank you Matthew for your thought about 'Deaf Americans Civil Rights Act', I'm from another country and am thinking of establishing Civil rights for Deaf people in South Africa. Deaf have suffers too much oppression and no protect for human's right. I heard there one deaf person went to the court with NO INTERPRETERS provides, this person had lost the case. Well he/she was not the only one here, there MUCH more all over the places! And there’s one deaf black man told my partner the story that almost MOST Deaf black people killed themselves because there's no rights for them and their future seems bleak. They use interesting hand sign to tell them ‘goodbye’ and jump off the railway, or do various ways of suicides so that why Deaf black people have to watch each other to avoid killing each one of them. This is VERY BAD AND SCARY!

Guess what, I met one black female student recently from rural area at secondary school, she explained to me how her parents were trying to make her hearing, they cut several lines under her tongue and they chopped off two chicken heads and put it in her ears!!!! And also now things with me, I got a paper of warning that I've failed to pay the traffic fines and I will get summons papers at anytime EVEN I DID paid each ticket. I used electronic transfer from banking internet and printed it out to fax to them, ‘SORRY YOU ARE FACING SUMMON’ huh? I may go to jail at anytime…ja very nice life!

I knew something from the start that there’s no law for Deaf human’s right and we end up go endless struggle against the oppressions. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We as a DEAF PEOPLE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!

Okay I’m getting you a picture of a sole solider, are you going to send this sole solider to war? OF CERTAINLY NOT! Why, this solider will get shot the back of his head and who will watch the back for him? Us.

We need to bring people together as a team, why would Deaf people fought for their own gain? FOR WHAT and WHAT FOR! You need me as much I need you, we need each other. So what about be different, our same thought and same feeling toward each other as Deaf individuals. Why everybody nipping at each other – GROW UP! The Deaf children are dying and they will grow up WEIRD ways just because of our endless argument. STOP and watch the Deaf children in pain and their future aimless and they will become like us! Make hell all loose! It goes on and on…

I agree with what Sweetmind said:



Sweetmind has a very positive out spoken for Deaf Rights, I see from my side – she got her points. As well with Matthew, CSN and those people in this post.

Sweetmind, it a real 'YES PLEASE' to implant hearing people with ipod to make them go deaf for this is better than they did to Deaf children.

Thank you
RoseRed