Propaganda is the spreading of an idea or falsehoods to promote and propagate an agenda
in this case the idea and ideology is the notion that to hear and / or behave as a hearing person is superior to being Deaf. This notion is known as AUDISM and it is not cool
From the AG Bell Association bylaws:
Section 4. No substantial part of the activities of the Corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, … (the rest of that section is about political campaigns)
See: http://nc.agbell.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=538
(thanks Don for directing this truth to the surface)
carrying on of propaganda
AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AGBAD) has the slogan of advocating independence through hearing and talking which is….
a falsehood because:
1. the truth is – folks who do not talk and hear are independent
2. the truth is - hearing and talking does not automatically make one independent
3. the truth is – even if a Deaf person can talk and hear they still experience discrimination and oppression and prejudice
re: #1 We know Deaf folks who nada hear or speak who travel the globe. We even know Deaf-blind folks who nada hear or speak and they travel the globe too – how is this possible u ask? well because one does not need the ability to hear and speak to function in this big ole wide world.
re: #2 We also know that many completely hearing and speaking folks as in the norm – are not so independent. Many of them graduate from school but dont fare so well in the wide world even though they can *gasp* “hear and talk” completely, normally, flawlessly, unaidedly, unassistedly, unendingly but still many hearing folks dont graduate from high school, dont finish college, dont keep jobs, etc – especially in this economy. How can this be if listening and talking are said to be the great equalizer????
how can this be?
well cuz what matters is who we are – not what our ears do or dont do and SUCCESS should be measured by the content of our character and not by our dB loss or gain
re: #3 – many Deaf folks spend their entire life time working on their independence through listening and talking only to still be left out left and right – boo and grrr. Only to still prefer visual information such as text messaging, songs with lyrics printed, captions and subtitles, CART, and gasp American Signed Language. hmmm odd eh?
So AG Bell Association ya gotta quit it with that big ole snake oil lie u keep trying to sell to the parents and wee things – that they will only be able to compete and be complete if they can hear and talk cuz that is NOT true
so we see the AG Bell Association deafinitely be carrying propaganda and even mailing it to teachers and staff at Deaf schools across the US of A.
[pix of an unwanted and offensive temporary membership card from AG Bell Association with their false propaganda promise on the bottom.]
psst members of the Deaf community – what do u say about sending a letter back to AG Bell Association on behalf of teachers and staff of the Deaf, children, parents, family members, and SOCIAL JUSTICE? (click this link for info and examples)
influence legislation
the AG Bell Association has been lobbying congress to get legislation passed.
See OpenSecrets.org http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=F4029&year=2005 (thanks shawn for the link)
During the peak years AG Bell Association was getting $100,000 from Advanced Bionicsas part of the Circle Alliance Partnership
“This is about investing in people,” said Miller, President, Auditory Division at Advanced Bionics. “Through education, outreach, information exchange and networking, together AG Bell and Advanced Bionics can make a significant difference in the lives of people with hearing loss.” ~ James Miller of Advanced Bionics (2006)
NOTE: Advanced Bionics is a US based cochlear implant co. owned by Swedish Sonova, which had to stop production and recalled all of their HI-Res 90K Cochlear Implants last year due to some failing hot inside the head. It is still awaiting FDA approval to begin marketing their CI in the U.S. again. Sonova has filed a Goodwill Impairment write off for the financial losses suffered during the time that Advanced Bionics productions were shut down.
Advanced Bionics has been fined by the FDA for a earlier cochlear implant that had moisture leakage and caused intermittent shocks and has had numerous recalls and one of its CI brands contributed to several of the spinal meningitis post-surgery deaths and illnesses due to the positioner used in that particular CI.
Another AG Bell Circle Alliance Partnership partner during that peak lobby funding time noted in the chart above was the cochlear implant company – Cochlear Americas, which is based in Colorado and part of Cochlear LTD which originated in Australia but has divisions world wide.
“For so many people dealing with hearing loss, AG Bell is a reliable resource that provides up-to-date, accurate information to help individuals live independently,”~ Chris Smith, President of Cochlear Americas (2006)
Cochlear Americas has been fined by the US Dept of Justice for insurance fraud and engaging in kick backs.
Last year AG Bell’s Circle Alliance Partnership logo went a missing on its website and no update notifications of continued donations have been mentioned in any press announcements. However, Advanced Bionics and Cochlear Americas as well as Med-El continue to be big sponosrs for AG Bell conferences and programs.
It is unclear if these corporations are still part of the AG Bell Corporate Advisory Council.
You can see how the AG Bell put their $$ to use via the Open Secrets site if you click theIssues TAB – then click the number under SPECIFIC ISSUES and it will route u to the actual legislation etc.
All of this took place while Todd Houston was CEO of AG Bell (2002-2007). Houston is a speech pathologist and certified in auditory verbal therapy, who is now at Utah State University.
Alexander T. Graham is now CEO of AG Bell – his background is in competitive intelligence.
“Graham’s experience in introducing new strategic direction for membership-based advocacy organizations will be a tremendous asset as we begin a new phase in our association’s focus,” said Karen Youdelman, Ed.D., president of AG Bell. “In our July 19 membership update, our board affirmed that AG Bell should focus on informed choice about educational options, early intervention and identification of hearing loss, the use of new technologies (such as cochlear implants, digital hearing aids and assistive devices) and the availability of trained, highly qualified professionals to support those with hearing loss who use spoken language. Mr. Graham will be instrumental in spearheading our efforts.”
Yes, Graham (CEO) and Youdelman (AG Bell President in 2008) are the two folks who signed the AG Bell infamous letter to Pepsi co. where they stated:
“.. we would be remiss if we did not call your attention to the fact that your advertisement offers a limited view of the deaf community.” It goes on to say “Your advertisement perpetuates a common myth that all people who are deaf can only communicate using sign language and are, therefore, isolated from the rest of society. In fact, today’s hearing technology, coupled with early screening identification and intervention, has led to incredible advances in listening and spoken language skill development.”
blah blah blah
They then say that Pepsi’s money would have been better spent helping pitiful deaf folks get hearing aids and other “professional services” and go on to offer AG Bell’s help to come up with a better ad in the future that would show positive role models who have overcome their “condition” etc etc etc. they conclude with their ever ending refrain of how the miracle of sound will set one free
OY
propaganda and legislation – ohhh boy!
NOTE: Catherine Murphy was director of communication at AG Bell Association during the time of this letter and had defended the AG Bell letter to Pepsi in the SignNews article basically saying – we all, (meaning NAD, DBC, AFA, and some of their own members who contested the letter) misunderstood it. C. Murphy is now the Executive Director of Public and Media Relations at Gallaudet University.
Wow – really?!
AG Bell has NOT retracted or apologized for that letter whereas every other oppressed group that is misrepresented and maligned demands and most normally receives an apology when an insult of this magnitude is made public.
AG Bell we r still awaiting.
And in the meantime – what do they do??? – spin out some more badness with those automatic unwanted membership cards/letters which mislabel teachers of the Deaf as “hearing specialists” (that is completely false and wrong ya all) and puts these folks names on their membership cards with their falsehood slogan of “… Independence through listening and talking”
geez – when r u folks at AG Bell ever gonna wake up – it is ok to be Deaf – it is just NOT ok to be oppressed.
Section 4. No substantial part of the activities of the Corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation
Tsk Tsk Tsk AG Bell – not adhering to your own bylaws!
AG Bell’s letter to Pepsi
