short: news, updates, experiments

so it's been a while. news? my agency put up a collection for Katrina survivors now housed at Woodhaven Baptist Church and I feel we did fucking awesome. You know who you are. Thanks for giving. Tears. Truly.

Also, my hearing aid's fucked. The high humidity of September New York turned all sound into a buzz, then a bleep, and now it just kind of vibrates and emits feedback. My tendency to tinker and fix might have had something to do with it - but then again, might not, seriously. Anyways. This means I get to try a thought experiment I suggested at Haverford but didn't finish developing till Bristol.

I called it fetishization: the transformation of an object into a psychic medium, a focus of obsession. I felt some parents of deaf children practiced fetishization. I saw a Chinese film about a woman trying to find money to buy her son hearing aids; by the end of the film she was talking to the hearing aids. How many parents, faced with the choice of a hearing aid as the only medium of communication, turn that aid into the most important thing to be present when they are together? How does it affect people when they try to take them off?

Because I think sometimes unhealthy attachments develop between user and tool. I dunno, anyone see where I'm going with this? So I'm gonna monitor my state of mind over the next few days, see what comes up. Hearing-aid-free-life....

Help Through NAD:

"We have made it easy for people to donate on-line to help speed up the giving process," continued Bloch. To make a donation to the NAD Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, go to http://www.nad.org/katrinarelief. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The NAD is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

If you prefer to pay by check, please make your donation payable to NAD Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and mail to: NAD Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, 814 Thayer Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Deaf and hard of hearing survivors desperately need your help to begin to rebuild their lives and their communities. Please do your part today to assist the members of our community who have lost so much.

As Ridor states, the American Red Cross discriminates against gay people, so I haven't donated to them, preferring instead to work directly with Deaf organizations so that my money doesn't go to racist hearing assholes. (Apologies to non-racist hearing non-assholes, but there it is.)

So what will the money be used for?

The NAD formed the NAD Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund to directly aid deaf and hard of hearing Americans impacted by this tragic event. The fund will be used to assist organizations and schools who are providing resources to feed, clothe and shelter displaced deaf and hard of hearing survivors and their families and to enable communication access to needed programs and services.

Just fine - but if I were a NAD member, I might ask for the use of funds to be documented and transparent. I'm curious to see where the money goes and how it's used. Is there any coordination with other organizations? There are no links to the Louisiana School for the Deaf which seems to be the point location for Deaf survivors from Orleans. So what CONCRETE things will this money be used for?

csd: good work, but you need help on graphics

I continue to be amazed and pleased by the amount of work which CSD, technically a corporation, has put into providing aid to the Deaf evacuees from the Gulf coast. I am somewhat disappointed with the graphic on their 9/9 article which features an animated gif of a terrified (terrifying?) woman signing 'hurricane'.... guess which reaction is more important? yeah. but, still, the way she's signing it kind of reminds me of two lesbians at ben and jerry's. hurricanes move, people.

(what, i can't be tongue in cheek?)

no information: deaf in the hurricane

and isn't it ironic - hurricanes have eyes?

From the North Virginia Resource Center:

Katrina Experiences Sought

During the past week, many individuals, organizations and agencies have contacted NVRC to ask what we are learning about the experiences of deaf and hard of hearing people during hurricane Katrina and recovery efforts. During the first three days after the storm hit New Orleans we heard very little. With telephone lines down in the affected areas, wireless devices not working, and no electricity, all of the people in Katrina's path were struggling to survive and all communication was difficult.

The hearts of all our staff and Board go out to all those who have suffered during this terrible disaster, and our prayers are with you.

Stories are now starting to trickle in. We've seen a news report about a family searching for a deaf woman who was working as a caretaker in New Orleans and left behind, with no information about what was going on, when the person she was caring for was evacuated. We've heard about a late-deafened woman in hard-hit section of Florida who lost power but was able to depend on a hearing roommate who listened to a battery-operated radio for information.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the arrival at the Houston Astrodome of a man who was evacuated from New Orleans with his deaf daughter, and her daughter. The granddaughter uses a wheelchair that had to be left behind. They had been rescued by a National Guard boat.

A deaf couple was able to weather Katrina and recovery by staying at a daughter's house, using her RV and getting information from friends by pager when their TTY's battery died after 24 hours.

So, what's being done about all these Deaf people, many of whom seem to be stranded without communication? Remember, Deaf people come from all classes and all walks of life: I have met Deaf people in NYC who can't afford televisions who did NOT know about the hurricane. Not inconceivable NOLA had a few of these. NVRC continues:

The Louisiana School for the Deaf is reported to be providing a temporary place for deaf people who are homeless, serving meals and washing clothes. However, the school could not take people who had health problems or require medication. There are also reports that many deaf people in Louisiana lost their homes and all their possessions, and some are now in the Houston Astrodome, feeling lost without communication and unsure where to turn for help.

Local news in one area of Louisiana does not have captioning or other visual information, so people who are deaf and hard of hearing are having to get their information from national news programs, just like so many of those in New York on 9/11. Unfortunately, those national news programs do not provide specific information about what is going on in their local area as their local stations do.-this is a huge problem all over the country. local news agencies - NY1 is among them - do not provide closed captioning. it's not likely the money will appear for this with Bush in charge.

So what's NVRC doing to help? Well, they got the word out, which is good, and they are attempting to pull together a report to better inform authorities about the problems Deaf people face:

NVRC wants to continue documenting the experiences of individuals during their preparation for Katrina, the storm itself, and the recovery process. It is our hope that in passing on these accounts we can educate emergency planners, public officials, human service agencies, disaster relief organizations, first responders and others.

It seems that NVRC and other local organizations such as CEPIN have been working with CSD to lead in the preparation of relief for Deaf disaster victims from NOLA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Assistance Available for Hurricane Victims who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing CEPIN Regional Centers Standing by to Assist Displaced Individuals and Families

Silver Spring, MD [September 2, 2005] – Emergency assistance plans have been put in place for Hurricane Katrina victims who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) Project has designated CSD of Oklahoma and Northern Resource Virginia Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC) as CEPIN contact centers for Hurricane Katrina victims and their families.

Agencies serving deaf or hard of hearing individuals in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina are reporting that their phone lines and offices are shut down for the time being. Coverage for pagers may be weak at times due to loss of network capabilities. As a result, people wanting to find information on recovery and rescue efforts in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina are encouraged in Louisiana or displaced westward in Texas to contact CSD of Oklahoma during regular business hours at:

www.c-s-d.org (click on locations, then Oklahoma)
(866) 845-7445 Voice/TTY (Toll Free)
(918) 835-7445 Voice/TTY
(918) 835-6459 FAX
csdoklahoma@c-s-d.org

“We have people standing by at the CEPIN regional center, which is being facilitated by CSD of Oklahoma Division Director Glenna Cooper," said Dr. Benjamin J. Soukup, CSD CEO. "We recognize that people who are deaf or hard of hearing are often overlooked in disaster recovery and rescue efforts, and we are working hard to ensure that this does not happen with Hurricane Katrina. CSD of Oklahoma is working closely with the local Red Cross and other appropriate organizations, and they will be able to provide assistance."

"In addition to the victims, our office is also providing support and resources to the responders and volunteers to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing refugees are getting much-needed assistance," added Soukup.

For those wanting information in other states affected by Katrina such as Florida, Alabama or Mississippi, and displaced refugees in the Mid-Atlantic area, contact Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC).

"We are heartbroken seeing all the devastation that Katrina has brought upon people in the Gulf States, especially those who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and late-deafened," said Cheryl Heppner, Executive Director of NVRC.

Heppner added, "As part of CEPIN, we are eager to work with organizations and agencies to ensure that people who are deaf or hard of hearing get the services they need, especially hearing aids or other devices vital to effective communication. At a time when their lives are turned upside down, we hope the last thing worry about is how they will be able to communicate with others."

NVRC may be contacted during regular business hours at:
www.nvrc.org
(703) 352-9056 TTY
(703) 352-9055 Voice
(703) 352-9058 FAX
info@nvrc.org

Volunteers who have experience in working with deaf and hard of hearing people and have training in First Aid, CPR, CERT, and other rescue efforts should contact one of the two regional centers to offer their services. The CEPIN website also has a list of statewide resources available here for the areas affected by the hurricane.

Thanks for NewYorkPack for that tip!

Anyone else preparing, donating or contributing to preparation for help for NOLA's Deaf disaster victims? NAD's page still has that letter up about the Mariott being okay, published August 31st. We've already seen what happens when we "leave the rescue efforts to professionals."

no information: deaf in the hurricane

and isn't it ironic - hurricanes have eyes?

From the North Virginia Resource Center:

Katrina Experiences Sought

During the past week, many individuals, organizations and agencies have contacted NVRC to ask what we are learning about the experiences of deaf and hard of hearing people during hurricane Katrina and recovery efforts. During the first three days after the storm hit New Orleans we heard very little. With telephone lines down in the affected areas, wireless devices not working, and no electricity, all of the people in Katrina's path were struggling to survive and all communication was difficult.

The hearts of all our staff and Board go out to all those who have suffered during this terrible disaster, and our prayers are with you.

Stories are now starting to trickle in. We've seen a news report about a family searching for a deaf woman who was working as a caretaker in New Orleans and left behind, with no information about what was going on, when the person she was caring for was evacuated. We've heard about a late-deafened woman in hard-hit section of Florida who lost power but was able to depend on a hearing roommate who listened to a battery-operated radio for information.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the arrival at the Houston Astrodome of a man who was evacuated from New Orleans with his deaf daughter, and her daughter. The granddaughter uses a wheelchair that had to be left behind. They had been rescued by a National Guard boat.

A deaf couple was able to weather Katrina and recovery by staying at a daughter's house, using her RV and getting information from friends by pager when their TTY's battery died after 24 hours.

So, what's being done about all these Deaf people, many of whom seem to be stranded without communication? Remember, Deaf people come from all classes and all walks of life: I have met Deaf people in NYC who can't afford televisions who did NOT know about the hurricane. Not inconceivable NOLA had a few of these. NVRC continues:

The Louisiana School for the Deaf is reported to be providing a temporary place for deaf people who are homeless, serving meals and washing clothes. However, the school could not take people who had health problems or require medication. There are also reports that many deaf people in Louisiana lost their homes and all their possessions, and some are now in the Houston Astrodome, feeling lost without communication and unsure where to turn for help.

Local news in one area of Louisiana does not have captioning or other visual information, so people who are deaf and hard of hearing are having to get their information from national news programs, just like so many of those in New York on 9/11. Unfortunately, those national news programs do not provide specific information about what is going on in their local area as their local stations do.-this is a huge problem all over the country. local news agencies - NY1 is among them - do not provide closed captioning. it's not likely the money will appear for this with Bush in charge.

So what's NVRC doing to help? Well, they got the word out, which is good, and they are attempting to pull together a report to better inform authorities about the problems Deaf people face:

NVRC wants to continue documenting the experiences of individuals during their preparation for Katrina, the storm itself, and the recovery process. It is our hope that in passing on these accounts we can educate emergency planners, public officials, human service agencies, disaster relief organizations, first responders and others.

It seems that NVRC and other local organizations such as CEPIN have been working with CSD to lead in the preparation of relief for Deaf disaster victims from NOLA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Assistance Available for Hurricane Victims who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing CEPIN Regional Centers Standing by to Assist Displaced Individuals and Families

Silver Spring, MD [September 2, 2005] – Emergency assistance plans have been put in place for Hurricane Katrina victims who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) Project has designated CSD of Oklahoma and Northern Resource Virginia Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC) as CEPIN contact centers for Hurricane Katrina victims and their families.

Agencies serving deaf or hard of hearing individuals in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina are reporting that their phone lines and offices are shut down for the time being. Coverage for pagers may be weak at times due to loss of network capabilities. As a result, people wanting to find information on recovery and rescue efforts in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina are encouraged in Louisiana or displaced westward in Texas to contact CSD of Oklahoma during regular business hours at:

www.c-s-d.org (click on locations, then Oklahoma)
(866) 845-7445 Voice/TTY (Toll Free)
(918) 835-7445 Voice/TTY
(918) 835-6459 FAX
csdoklahoma@c-s-d.org

“We have people standing by at the CEPIN regional center, which is being facilitated by CSD of Oklahoma Division Director Glenna Cooper," said Dr. Benjamin J. Soukup, CSD CEO. "We recognize that people who are deaf or hard of hearing are often overlooked in disaster recovery and rescue efforts, and we are working hard to ensure that this does not happen with Hurricane Katrina. CSD of Oklahoma is working closely with the local Red Cross and other appropriate organizations, and they will be able to provide assistance."

"In addition to the victims, our office is also providing support and resources to the responders and volunteers to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing refugees are getting much-needed assistance," added Soukup.

For those wanting information in other states affected by Katrina such as Florida, Alabama or Mississippi, and displaced refugees in the Mid-Atlantic area, contact Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC).

"We are heartbroken seeing all the devastation that Katrina has brought upon people in the Gulf States, especially those who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and late-deafened," said Cheryl Heppner, Executive Director of NVRC.

Heppner added, "As part of CEPIN, we are eager to work with organizations and agencies to ensure that people who are deaf or hard of hearing get the services they need, especially hearing aids or other devices vital to effective communication. At a time when their lives are turned upside down, we hope the last thing worry about is how they will be able to communicate with others."

NVRC may be contacted during regular business hours at:
www.nvrc.org
(703) 352-9056 TTY
(703) 352-9055 Voice
(703) 352-9058 FAX
info@nvrc.org

Volunteers who have experience in working with deaf and hard of hearing people and have training in First Aid, CPR, CERT, and other rescue efforts should contact one of the two regional centers to offer their services. The CEPIN website also has a list of statewide resources available here for the areas affected by the hurricane.

Thanks for NewYorkPack for that tip!

Anyone else preparing, donating or contributing to preparation for help for NOLA's Deaf disaster victims? NAD's page still has that letter up about the Mariott being okay, published August 31st. We've already seen what happens when we "leave the rescue efforts to professionals."

Louisiana and Mississippi

[UPDATE: some minor editing. Thanks to Wally.]

A little searching found me the webpage of the Louisiana School for the Deaf which states:

AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA:
The devastation in south Louisiana is extreme and the LSD community is greatly saddened and concerned, especially for our students and families from the affected areas. As of Wednesday, August 31, school is back in session. Any LSD staff members who are in an emergency situation should contact their supervisors as soon as possible. As of Wednesday morning, we have no Internet access at school, but our school e-mail and telephone systems are working.

We hope that all of our students and their families are safe and sound. We are very anxious to hear from all of them.

So. I would really like to find out more about what's happening down south with Deaf people. A quick search shows some interesting links:

• Catholic Parishes in the south: "I am Richard Luberti, a Redemptorist priest of the Vice-province of New Orleans. In July 1988, I began ministering to the Catholic deaf communities of the dioceses of Lafayette, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi. All three dioceses have long-established deaf communities. Each diocese has a center for the Catholic deaf and an administrator." Sounds like the hurricane hit some pretty big Deaf communities.
  
• Greater New Orleans Association of the Deaf: Doesn't seem to have been updated for a while.
  
• Deaf Action Center of New Orleans. This webpage really showcases the vibrancy of Deaf culture in NOLA. Again, does ANYONE know of anything we can do to help Deaf people down there?
  
• Another Catholic Charities of New Orleans webpage - when I see it on the list in Google, it says "Hurricane Help for Deaf!!!!!!!" But the webpage will not load - server problems in New Orleans? That kind of sucks.
  

Anyways, the situation is getting pretty damned serious and people are looking for someone to blame. George makes it so easy. From Wonkette:

That the Bush administration diverted funds from the rebuilding of the New Orleans levees to Iraq is by now well-known. What you might not have heard is that the people cleaning up the mess are really pissed about it. A tipster informs us that down in New Orleans, they have a name for the flood waters that have invaded the city: Lake George.

From kos:

The administration specifically cut the funds to fix these specific levees, in order to specifically divert that Corps money to Iraq, despite urgent warnings and predictions of catastrophic disaster if the levees were breeched. The administration specifically cancelled the Clinton-backed flood control program to preserve and restore the wetlands between New Orleans and the gulf, instead specifically opening parts of that buffer zone for development.

Nobody anticipated this disaster? It was identified by FEMA as one of the top three likeliest major disasters to strike America. (That link, one of countless stories, was from 2001, by the way.) It has been a major disaster scenario for years. Everybody anticipated it, which makes this single statement by George W. Bush possibly the most dishonest, lying, craptacularly false thing he has ever said in his presidency -- even surpassing his now-infamous State of the Union Address. Truly, this is President Bush's blue-dress moment.

So there's some serious concerns, legitimate concerns. And what does this president do when people share their concerns? Blames them, of course. Hunter of Daily Kos has the response:

Oh, I'm touched. Utterly touched. After 9/11, the entire Republican Party went en masse to get Twin Towers ass tattoos. The Republican convention was a wholesale tribute to crass exploitation, the sets themselves designed to evoke the aftermath of the attack. Every domestic and international policy this administration -- no, this entire Republican government -- has produced has been heaved up before the public while waving the spectre of 9/11 as the catch-all vindication of every administration whim. Every tax cut, every civil rights issue, every budget cut, every budget expansion, no matter how tortured the logic must be, has some Republican senator standing on the Senate floor and proudly raping the corpses of that day as justification for their particular agenda item.

Meanwhile, what are our Deaf organizations doing to help alleviate the suffering of Deaf people in New Orleans and Mississippi? National Association of the Deaf rushes to let people know that the hotel they're using for the upcoming fundraiser is okay (not that it matters. Apparently at the last fundraiser they had people dress up as homeless bag ladies to beg attendees for money. So, now they can hire real bag ladies.) From their press release:

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) will monitor the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the surrounding areas and the possible impact on holding the 48th Biennial NAD Conference there. A Marriott representative recently informed the NAD that there was no structural damage to the New Orleans Marriott Hotel where the 2006 NAD Conference will be held.

Well, thank the Heavens for sparing that, although in the face of thousands of dead people it seems a little insensitive for the first concern to be the location of a conference. They do have some words for any Deaf people who might have been hurt in one of the largest disasters in American history:

"The NAD has been asked by some what we are doing for deaf people in the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. At this time it is best to leave rescue efforts to the professionals. Once the lines of communication are re-established, the NAD will be in touch with State Association presidents in the affected areas to assess their needs. NAD members are urged to monitor communication issues encountered during this difficult time, so that we can better educate emergency personnel on the importance of getting visual information out to the public,” he continued.

Ok, cool. I'm glad NAD made the attempt to communicate with the rescue professionals. It would be great if NAD could coordinate efforts with local deafies to find temporary homes for Deaf refugees and maybe start a fund for people to donate so we can get interpreters for Deaf people who need emergency medical services... and homes, and clothes. We should try to support our own, don't you think? What about contacting local Deaf organizations to do the coordinating? Look, I understand the rescue professionals need to do their job first, but it'll be a hella lot easier later on if we have the Plan Planned.