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Deaf Bilingual Coalition to Protest AG Bell's Summer Conference
Does the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) promote a damaging, outdated ideology? Yes, says the Deaf Bilingual Coalition - and it's time for the organization to recognize American Sign Language (ASL) as the only genuine cognitive language for the deaf. To that end, the Coalition has organized a protest of AG Bell's summer conference in
Arlington, Va., July 27- 28.
Founded in 1887, AG Bell has always promoted Dr. Bell's belief that
deaf children should not be taught the use of sign language. Today,
according to AG Bell's Web site, the 501(c)(3) organization is "a lifelong
resource, support network and advocate for listening, learning, talking and
living independently with hearing loss."
That seems pretty positive; however, AG Bell's refusal to introduce
parents of deaf children to a visual language (ASL) has proven harmful.
"Alexander Graham Bell's ideology was to have all deaf children learn
oral communication methods and eliminate any form of visual language,"
explained John F. Egbert, deaf author and founder of the Deaf Bilingual
Coalition. "We are letting AG Bell know that philosophy must be revised.
Thousands upon thousands of deaf people's English language and education
have gone downhill since 1880. That trend must be reversed."
Egbert understands this firsthand. Born deaf to hearing parents in
1947, he was introduced to speech therapy early on. Egbert speaks as
clearly as any hearing person, something less than 2% of the deaf
population can do. And he is passionate about making sure today's deaf
children have the opportunity to learn a visual language - the opportunity
he was denied.
The task before him is not easy. AG Bell receives significant financial
support from the Volta Bureau. The Volta Bureau's bylaws, written by
Alexander Graham Bell himself, state that if AG Bell ever promotes the use
of sign language, it will cease to receive funding from the Volta Bureau.
But Egbert is not about to give up. "This protest is the first step
toward future prosperity for deaf children," he stated. "Deaf children
deserve a cognitive language and better education with bilingual programs.
The deaf community will no longer accept AG Bell's discrimination against
sign language (ASL). Just as there is a place in our community for the oral
method, so is there a place for cognitive visual language."
The Deaf Bilingual Coalition will peacefully protest AG Bell's "Talk
for a Lifetime Summer Conference" at the Crystal Gateway Marriott,
Arlington, Va., July 27 and 28, 2007. To learn more, contact Egbert at
egbertpress@mac.com.
About John F. Egbert
John F. Egbert is the author of "MindField" (ISBN 978-0595421589,
iUniverse, Inc., Your Page Title), a fast-paced suspense novel
in which a terrorist cell unleashes a virulent bacteria on the U.S.,
causing millions of Americans to become deaf almost overnight. The book is
available at Amazon.com.
Contact: John F. Egbert
Egbert Press
egbertpress@mac.com
Your Page Title
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information,
visit Press Release Writing and Press Release Distribution Services :: eReleases.
Does the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) promote a damaging, outdated ideology? Yes, says the Deaf Bilingual Coalition - and it's time for the organization to recognize American Sign Language (ASL) as the only genuine cognitive language for the deaf. To that end, the Coalition has organized a protest of AG Bell's summer conference in
Arlington, Va., July 27- 28.
Founded in 1887, AG Bell has always promoted Dr. Bell's belief that
deaf children should not be taught the use of sign language. Today,
according to AG Bell's Web site, the 501(c)(3) organization is "a lifelong
resource, support network and advocate for listening, learning, talking and
living independently with hearing loss."
That seems pretty positive; however, AG Bell's refusal to introduce
parents of deaf children to a visual language (ASL) has proven harmful.
"Alexander Graham Bell's ideology was to have all deaf children learn
oral communication methods and eliminate any form of visual language,"
explained John F. Egbert, deaf author and founder of the Deaf Bilingual
Coalition. "We are letting AG Bell know that philosophy must be revised.
Thousands upon thousands of deaf people's English language and education
have gone downhill since 1880. That trend must be reversed."
Egbert understands this firsthand. Born deaf to hearing parents in
1947, he was introduced to speech therapy early on. Egbert speaks as
clearly as any hearing person, something less than 2% of the deaf
population can do. And he is passionate about making sure today's deaf
children have the opportunity to learn a visual language - the opportunity
he was denied.
The task before him is not easy. AG Bell receives significant financial
support from the Volta Bureau. The Volta Bureau's bylaws, written by
Alexander Graham Bell himself, state that if AG Bell ever promotes the use
of sign language, it will cease to receive funding from the Volta Bureau.
But Egbert is not about to give up. "This protest is the first step
toward future prosperity for deaf children," he stated. "Deaf children
deserve a cognitive language and better education with bilingual programs.
The deaf community will no longer accept AG Bell's discrimination against
sign language (ASL). Just as there is a place in our community for the oral
method, so is there a place for cognitive visual language."
The Deaf Bilingual Coalition will peacefully protest AG Bell's "Talk
for a Lifetime Summer Conference" at the Crystal Gateway Marriott,
Arlington, Va., July 27 and 28, 2007. To learn more, contact Egbert at
egbertpress@mac.com.
About John F. Egbert
John F. Egbert is the author of "MindField" (ISBN 978-0595421589,
iUniverse, Inc., Your Page Title), a fast-paced suspense novel
in which a terrorist cell unleashes a virulent bacteria on the U.S.,
causing millions of Americans to become deaf almost overnight. The book is
available at Amazon.com.
Contact: John F. Egbert
Egbert Press
egbertpress@mac.com
Your Page Title
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information,
visit Press Release Writing and Press Release Distribution Services :: eReleases.