Texting Ban in DR of Congo

One of my friends posted on facebook a link of BBC news which was about banning SMS (short message sending) a text messaging in DR of Congo. Deaf people in DR Congo now face difficult communications because their main communication which was SMS  is now banned. .

The government of Dr of Conge claimed  it banned texting  to  preserve public order" because they had been used to "incite ethnic hatred. I am surprised how that government decided to ban SMS for just security reason.  Why they did not ban other telephone communication? I just think this is a bullshit and oppression against deaf community in that country. DR of Congo is one of the most dangerous countries in the world and deaf people in that country had endured so much oppression, and now their government banned texting.

There are large deaf community in Dr Congo. According to BBC, “there are an estimated 1.4 million deaf people in DR Congo”.  Al thought I doubt about this estimate, I think there are large deaf community there . Now because of banning SMS, deaf community have no contacts. According to BBC, Pastor Kisangala, the deaf community's religious minister in the capital, Kinshasa says, “Our members are scattered across the city, some are ill in hospital, others are dying. Without communication we don't even know about it”. It is just heartrending.

I hope deaf community in that country will find a way to communicate. I just can’t imagine how hard communication they have to face because places like Dr of  Congo is not easy to find Internet.

Hate having Communication Barriers

I am just sitting  a lone on a couch several  feet a way from  student club meeting in RIT campus center typing this post. I can see people talking and arguing.  My face is turning red like I have a high fever over 100 degrees. But I don’t have high fever, however, I am somehow sick. I am sick with having communication barriers which I can’t blame on anyone. 
Tonight one of the clubs that I am involved in is having a meeting and there is no interpreter. My club requested an interpreter for the meeting yesterday, about 30 hours before the meeting which is the normal time when you have to request interpreter. NTID has access service where deaf students can request interpreter for classes, meeting and other service. As member of E-board of my club, I have responsibilities and I have to attend all the club meeting.

Being deaf with communication barriers and trying to do what you want is something that will always make you feel weak and dependent on others. I don’t mind being deaf and depending on someone to interpreter for me. However, what I am not happy is that I am in deaf college and when I requested interpreter I didn’t get one? I don’t think this is fair. Access service in NTID need to be able to provide communication services  or at least inform deaf if they can’t assign interpreter for them. They have to satisfy deaf student’s communication access. It would have been   nicer if they had informed me that they would not provide interpreter for me before I came to the meeting.

Deaf Students and Earning BS/BA Degree

In my first day In my Scientific bases and  society responsibilities  class,my professor Dr. Denise Thew wrote on the board 1%. She asked students to figure out what that stands for? At first we were confused. But to my surprise, she told us that the figure shows approximately percentage of deaf students who go to college and earn a bachelor degree!. This statistics surprised and shocked me. I asked myself why can’t deaf students who go  to college don’t earn B.S degree? I think there are many reasons why deaf students don’t success in college like other students.

First it could be  lack of motivation and desires  from deaf students. I have seen a lot of deaf college students who are not concerns about their success in college, despite having so much support unlike deaf students who went to college before ADA. For example, my professor Dr. Christopher Lehfeldt went to college before ADA without so much support and resources for the deaf like today. Yet, he was able to success in college and earn Dental degree. He is dentist and he has been doing it for decades. There are many deaf professionals who succeeded in college by working very hard and if every deaf college student works hard and have motivation they could success.

Secondly, language barriers could be why deaf students fell behind. Deaf student usually struggle with English language because most of them became deaf before acquiring spoken language. How deaf students are supposed to be fluent in English when they never acquired spoken language?  How are they supposed to be able to write a great college papers like other hearing students when they never heard those words?  During my written communication two class in NTID, I have seen deaf students who were determined and were working very hard but had to struggle so much with English. My professor,Dr.Denise Thew, deaf psychologist and post doctoral fellow,  says “Several reasons that only small percentage of deaf students acquire BA/BS college degree would be lack of equal accessibility to language and resources (such as interpreters, note takers, deaf role models, etc)”.  Further more Dr.Thew suggested that a delay of learning language whether it is English or ASL, or other visual language,  could be one of the several factors why deaf students don’t success in college. She said  “while growing up, as well as delay in learning the language (either English or ASL) because the discovery of hearing loss occurred after the critical period of language development, or the individual didn’t have the opportunity for a bi-cultural approach”. if the deaf children are not able to acquire spoken language in their early age, then there would be less expectation that they wwould acquire when they grow up.

I have seen a lot of deaf students in NTID who have been going to this college for 4 years, yet, the only degree they receive is Associate degree. May be if the deaf colleges  such as NTID focus more on practical teaching then there would be a lot of deaf students who can earn a bachelor degree. For example, my major is information technology. Most of the works are  done practical. Yet, if a deaf student  takes written test, he maynot be able to do well because of language barriers. But if he takes  practical tests, he could pass. By requiring deaf students to master in English language if they want to success in college and earn a BS/BA degree, would only give more advantage hearing people and there will not be a lot of deaf students who will be able to earn college degree.

I think deaf colleges like NTID and Gallaudet should focus more on practical teaching than books. What I mean is that if deaf students are required to read books like hearing students, and they are required to write great papers like hearing students. How are they supposed to success? Deaf cannot acquire language like hearing. Don’t misunderstand me, but I believe this is the main factor why many deaf students could not earn a bachelor degree. I am not saying that deaf students should be waived to study hard like other students, but what I mean is that shifting from what is written on the book to practical. It is very hard  for deaf students to be fluent in spoken language easily.  For example I am profoundly deaf. I became deaf when I was in high school and I speak several languages. Yet, English is my hardest language. I never expect to be fluent in English like hearing people. So I don't think it is fair that deaf students to be required to acquire English language like hearing and write a great college papers.

Issue with Sorenson ntouch

I wanted to share something that I encountered with Sorenson video relay service. I have always liked using Sorenson services until now. I use Sorenson Ntouch on my laptop. Since Sorenson updated the software last month, I have not been able to make calls. When I call people They can’t see my camera and sometimes I can’t see their camera. It displays black screen.

I emailed to Sorenson for support. I waited few days to hear from them. They emailed me saying, “ We have the option to remotely connect to your computer and configure your router when you authorize it to fix black screen, camera issues, incoming calls, and flasher issues”.  They told me I need to go to online support service and they gave me a pass code. When I entered the pass code to connect to online technician , I waited about 30 minus and still there were no one connected to me. I had to leave for a class so I emailed sorenson again. After waiting couple of days, they emailed me back for another pass code to enter. I did and this time I waited an hour but no one come out to fix my Ntouch problem.

I think Sorenson need to be able to fix video relay service issues and have 24 hours assistants available like other communication service companies. It is not fair for us to wait days to get help. They should have people ready to fix video phone issues. What I noticed is that they don’t have 24 hours technical assistant.  I have always been Sorenson fan, but now I am losing my hope for sorenson. I am a busy student and I am not as super free as they think, answering my emails every few days and making me wait for a few hours for a live assistant. Now I am without a video phone  for almost a month. I  know that Sorenson was the first one who invented the video phone and it had invented Ntouch which is much easier for me as a college student. But I just wish they would be more helpful when we need technical assistant.

Texting and Signing

I just watched a video about danger of texting while driving. I always knew that texting and driving is very dangerous things. But when I watched that video, It also  reminded about the danger of signing while driving. I believe that texting and signing while driving is dangerous.

Texting is my favorite way of communication. I always text a lot than any other communication ways . I am one of those people who have addiction with texting. When texting ban was imposed in Michigan last year, I was one of those people who thought it was  against their right.  However, after learning more about the danger of texting, I realized that banning texting while driving is a good cause to support. Now I am always cautious when I am driving. I put away my phone when I am on the road. When I get a text and I am driving, I just ignore it unless I think it is very important message. If that happens, I pull over.  

But I noticed that signing while driving is as much dangerous as texting. When someone is signing, their hands and mind would be busy which means they are driving without mind or hands. And we know that would lead in to a dangerous situation.  You can’t drive without mind or hands.There are some people who say they have no problem signing and driving, but that would not be true. No matter how much you are a skilled driver,if you can’t pay attention to the road, then your life is in danger.

I always tell my friends when they are driving not text.  Same way, I tell people who want to talk to me signing when I am driving that I can’t talk to them; I have to pay attention to the road. Sometimes, I make people feel like I don’t want to talk to them. I once had my  friend get upset with me, because I would always ignore him when he is driving and trying to sign with me. I told him that I don’t want to die because I knew  If I look his signs when he is driving, he would not be able to pay attention to the road.  

In the video I watched, a woman sent text to her sister and when her sister was answering back typing ( YEAH) she went off from the high way and lost her life. Only typing that word took her life. How sad is that? that woman is still regretting sending that text to her sister. She would always feel guilty for herself no matter how much people tell her that it was not her fault of her sister's death. Everyone should be very cautious about texiting and signing while driving. I know I am one of those people who text and sign, but I will be more than careful.

Signing At The Zoo

I have been having another lazy weeks. I  have not written anything for my blog for three  weeks. Seriously, I need to write more.  Last Saturday, I went to  Binder park Zoo. It is a large zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Signers and other deaf awareness (SODA) student club at Lansing Community College were having their last event for the year. There were  a lot of sign students  that  came to the event to learn signs of  animals.  It was my first time to visit that zoo.

The zoo has a lot of animal and habitat. It  has a section which is called “Wild Africa .”   It  presents about African wild lives, culture and other things. We  took a ride on a wheeled tram to the wild Africa.  When we got to the Wild Africa,  I was surprised to see a lot of African cultures materials  such as; house hold stuffs and animals. My Friend Trent Wade joked with me  welcome to back to home.

In  the Wild Africa,I got a chance  feed a cute giraffe( picture below) . They have giraffe food for sell. So if you want to feed giraffe, you have to buy the food.I bought it and fed giraffe. It was freaking awesome. These tall animal which have tallest throat, I think also have long tongue like 12inch. I wished I could have some of those giraffe as a pet. During our Wild Africa tour, some  sign language students  learned how to sign giraffe.  

After the zoo, we went to a restaurant in Marshal, MI  because we were hungry after all day at the zoo. Unfortunately, I could not eat the food that I ordered;It tasted so horrible.  I had to pass it way and  pay for it. What made me unhappy about that restaurant was that, we could not find a place to sit as a group. They had an outdoor  tables, but it was raining and as soon as we sat on the table, it started raining. I would never go back to that restaurant. I paid for a food that i did not eat.

After an  enjoyable day at the zoo, I decided that my weekend fun was not over. Despite that I worked whole Friday night and only got a little sleep  before the Zoo,  I went to my friend birthday party and had fun  all night. I got back to home early Sunday morning. I could say that  last weekend was one of those good weekends for a while.

Making Friends In Sign Language

Many people try very hard to make new friends. Some of us can make friends easily while others may struggle. Lately, I have been wondering how easy it is to make friends through sign language. A few days ago, I was at a deaf coffee chat in Troy, Michigan. While chatting with some friends, a conversation arose regarding how easy it was to make friends through sign language. I always thought that, I was the only one having a hard time making friends with non sign users. However, I recently learned that making friendship through sign language is much easier than making friends through spoken language.

I remember when I took sign classes at college, I used to make friends very easily and was able to get to know my classmates quicker compared to my non-sign classes. I could get to know and be friends with most of my classmates in one class where as I would make zero friends in five other non related courses. I thought the reason I made friends in sign class was due to my deafness and, therefore, the ability for me and the other students to know the same language and be able to communicate with each other. However, I realized that was not the case; there are other reasons why it would be easier to make friendships through sign language.

First, sign language is a visual language which means there is integration between two sign users. For example, when someone is signing you absolutely have to pay attention to them to catch all the information. Your mind and your eyes would focus in order to capture the signs that person is signing. You have to be face to face and make eye contact with that person which will help you to recognize the person’s face. Thus, if you meet with that person again tomorrow you will easily recognize them.  In addition, you would feel more comfortable talking to them via sign language as opposed to spoken language.

Secondly, asking personal questions and getting to know somebody is not hard in deaf culture.  When deaf people meet, they start asking names and other things easily without worrying about what the other person may think of the questions. If you go to deaf events such as coffee chats, you can easily start meeting with people. Things that you will be asked upon showing up to deaf events could include your name, where you live, where you work, or what you are studying. It is these kinds of questions which assist people into getting to know each other faster. This kind of behavior is normal in deaf culture. However, in hearing culture, you might feel very uncomfortable to be asked questions like these when you first meet with someone at events.

Finally, deaf culture seems to be friendlier compared to hearing culture. Although sign users in general tend to be friendly people; they are willing to answer your questions honestly when you ask their names or other personal questions. They would not feel offended when you want to get to know them by asking questions because deaf culture emphasizes real communication. When attending deaf events, you wouldn’t feel worried not knowing anyone there as long as you knew sign language. You can literally start chatting with people as soon as you come into the event as if they were your friends for years.  What might surprise you is that a lot of hearing people don’t realize that deaf culture is such great way of life. I believe that if hearing culture was a more friendly culture, then there would not have been all of these misconceptions about deaf people and sign language. Maybe it is time for everyone to learn sign language and about deaf culture. That way, both cultures could feel friendlier and more comfortable with each other.

Breakfast on Farm

I can’t believe it took me more than a week to write about a small trip to a farm event on 6/18/2011 to St. Johns, Michigan; I have been busy and lazy since that event.

I have always wondered how farmers processed food and milk. Last Saturday, I received the chance to experience it. My friend, Amanda Bogart, invited me to the breakfast on farm event. I was super excited about it, because I have never been to a farm since coming in Michigan.

When I arrived at the farm at St. Johns, I met with a group of singers and their wonderful interpreter Molly Mckee. We had a wonderful, fresh farm made breakfast. This free breakfast consisted of pancakes, strawberries, coffee, and a bottle of milk. Doesn't that sound yummy!?

After breakfast, we had the opportunity to take a tour of the farm. I was surprised upon seeing the machines used for farming. I saw all kinds of modern farming machines such as harvesters, balers, and tractors. Back in my country, Somalia, most people would farm without the use of machines. In fact, there are not any farm tractors there. Sometimes, when I would visit my Aunt’s farm, I would see her harvesting, planting, picking up seeds, and milking cows with her hands all day.  But here, I saw all kind of farming tractors.

My inner child appeared as I started looking at all the different farming items. I even asked my friend Amanda to take pictures of me.  I learned that Farmers use a Machine to milk cows and I tried to see how the machine operated, as you can see in the picture below.

Farmers Milking Cows with Machine

me trying to see how the the Machine milk Cows

Max, Amanda's son likes feeding calf

Farmers in Michigan generate about 5.6 billion dollars a year; that is a great economic contribution. I always thought that Michigan’s economy only depended on the Auto industry, but I guess farmers also contributes to Michigan economy. Most of us don’t have any idea on the impact farms have on us. They process the food we consume, and we tend to take that for granted. We may have money to buy food, however, money is just paper. But the food and the milk that farmers produce are necessary for us to live. Without having hard working farmers, we would not be able to get the food and the milk we need to survive.

Sign Language is not just Deaf Language

I have been wondering how some people can be so uneducated about sign language. I have noticed people making fun of me or even other people who are conversing in sign language. Some of them think that sign language is deaf language and is only used as communication between deaf individuals and experienced hearing people who have studied it. But the truth is, everyone uses sign language to communicate, whether they are deaf or hearing.

When hearing people are socializing, they tend to use sign language to support what they are saying without even knowing they are doing it. See for yourself; try to notice the gestures you use upon communicating with friends and family. Can you talk and make whatever you are trying to say meaningful without moving your hands?  Can you keep the attention of the person you are talking to without using your hands? Absolutely not! You must use your hands to help your story make sense and to hold your audiences’ attention. It is also good to help explain the intensity of your story. Without using your hands, a person would not be able to grasp your sense of passion or strength, and your speech would be pointless. That is  because spoken language depends on sign language.

Sign language is the easiest language in which people can communicate. Suppose you met someone who didn’t speak the same language as yours. What would you do? How are you going to communicate? It’s a no brainer; you would use a form of sign language to communicate with them. The signs that you are going to use might not be formal signs, but it is sign language. You will have to try as much as you can to establish signs that both you and the other person can understand. I bet the both of you wouldn’t know or think that you are using sign language. It is surprising to me that a lot of people don’t notice that. I have friends who don’t speak English, but they communicate with others who speak English using their hands to talk and vice-verse. However, when I want to communicate with some of them and I use the formal sign language, I am made fun of. Why is that? Oh wait I know, it is the fact that I am deaf.

Other ways sign language is known as an easy way to communicate with people is through sports and babies. For example, in baseball games referees use sign language to show when a player is safe or out. Also, if you are scuba diving and submersed in water, you would use some sort of sign language to communicate with your partner. Basically, if your mouth is occupied with a breathing device or is full of food and you need to say something, you would use sign language to point them in the direction you want them to go or to indicate to “hold on a second” and that you would explain the concept later. In addition, babies can learn gestures much faster than speech. Babies tend to pick up on signs that parents unintentionally teach them; most of the time meaning “more” or “food.”   Baby sign language teach babies signs to communicate with  their parents before they even learn spoken language. See how easy it is? Now would those people who think sign language is a minority language admit how important sign language actually is?

There is a large chance that sign language was the first language humans used to communicate with each other when life just began to exist in the world. It is very unlikely and impossible for humans to instantly have a developed spoken language as soon as they were born. To develop a formal language that makes sense and has a recorded proper vocabulary would take a long time.  Prehistoric humans must have used some kind of communication like body gesture; and that would be considered sign language. Hearing people who make fun of deaf people when they are using sign language should understand that they themselves use sign language every day. There is no difference between formal sign language and spoken language.  It is like any other languages that help humans to communicate and understand each other.

I think sign language should be made an offered subject in schools so that children and teenagers have the option to learn and understand it. That way, there would be fewer misconceptions about it. The sign language that deaf people use to communicate it is just like the language hearing people use. There are so many false impressions about sign language because there are exists a large hearing community who believes that sign language is a minority language and therefore, it is not important or not good enough. If sign language is not important and is a minority language, then hearing people should not be allowed to use their hands or gesture while they are talking.

Deaf Students In College

You sit in a classroom full of students, rolling your eyes looking ubiquitously. You are like a black sheep, different from all of the other students in the class. You are the only one that cannot understand what is going on. Who are you? This is the life of a deaf student and what deaf students experience in college. They face many struggles attending colleges. Most people have a little understanding of what it really is like being deaf while also attending a hearing school. There are many barriers that deaf students face in college.
What would it be like for you to not have the ability to enroll in any class that you want to take? This is what deaf students experience during college enrollment. Deaf students cannot enroll in any class they want to unless they first go to the Office of Disability Services  in order to get approved for accommodations. If the student decides to change their mind and adjust their schedule they would have to go to the Office of Disability Services again. Unfortunately, the new altered schedule may not get approved. The office might tell the deaf student that they do not have interpreters available for the new student’s schedule. This is one of the biggest setbacks I have experienced while going to college; I do not have the ability to register for classes and change my schedule when I want to. For example, last semester the Office of Disability Services  informed me that I have to change my schedule, because they could not find a captioner to accommodate me according to my course plan. It was the last few days before the semester started, so I was terribly worried about how I could change my schedule. What would have happened if the courses I wanted and was able to take were completely full?  probably i would have missed my classes, or I would have to had to changed my work schedules which would not have been possible. This is something that we-deaf students, have to deal with in college.
Although deaf students now get the accommodations they need for classes, they have also to face difficulties in the learning environment. As a deaf student myself, it is very challenging to understand the lecture that the teacher is giving. Even with a sign language interpreter, it is still difficult to learn the course material. You have to focus on both the teacher and interpreter. If only we could have two brains and four eyes to have the ability to see both people. Classroom learning is exceptionally complex when it comes to note taking. It is nearly impossible for a deaf student to take notes that the teacher writes on the board while also paying attention to what the sign language interpreter is signing. if they want to take notes they would have to miss what the teacher explaining. Not all the information that the average hearing student receives would be received by the deaf student, even with an interpreter. In addition, deaf students also have difficulties trying to understand when there are conversations and student/teacher discussions in the class. Deaf students are always left behind because they are unable to fully participate and communicate using speech. Despite these obscurities, deaf students continue their studies while trying to be like the average college student.
One simple idea that many hearing students take for granted is socializing and communication. Socializing is something that deaf college students lack. Usually the deaf student depends on socializing through sign language clubs that occasionally meet on campus. If there are no clubs then deaf students are left without access to the socializing world, and can sadly become depressed and have the feeling of being left out. Unlike hearing students, deaf students face hard times communicating with their classmates and teachers.For example I took three classes last semester. There were almost  one hundred students in those classes, and I made no friends from those classes.  It is normal for the typical deaf students to experience difficulties getting to know their classmates and making friends. It is surprising that hearing students in college think that they cannot become friends with the deaf students. Usually it is because they don’t know sign language and, therefore, they think that they are not able to talk to the deaf. This is not true. Communicating with deaf students does not require the knowledge of sign language. As long as you want to get to know someone, it should not matter whether or not you know sign language. Hearing and deaf students can always communicate by writing to each other using pen and paper or by typing to each other on a computer.
Hearing people have an advantage because they can learn sign language. Even if they go to deaf colleges like Gallaudet University or National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), hearing students do not struggle as much as deaf students do, because they can always learn the language and have the best of both worlds. Deaf students cannot have the best of both worlds because they cannot learn to hear or listen. So that is why there are interpreters for the deaf to help deaf to communicate with the hearing world.
Students should understand that talking to or communicating with a deaf person does not require knowing sign language. Students and teachers need to understand that deaf students are not that different from other students. There is no telling the difference between being deaf and hearing except that the deaf person is unable to talk or hear. The deaf students are not less intelligent than hearing students. The deaf student is much more patient than what most people think. Remember how you would feel if you had to deal with all of those stresses?

Injustice Lay off

There is so much injustice in this world.  This  morning, I witnessed my coworkers being laid off  and heart broken. I have seen people who were  laid off from their jobs. However, It is first time it happened to people I work with. I do understand that companies sometimes suffer economic downturn which forces them to lay off employees. However, I think there should be a justice to whom to lay off.

I work for a company that make garments.They started  laying off people, because they could not get enough contracts. Last night, they had  barbecue for us. One of the company high profile persons came and told us that there will not be a lot of lay off in 3rd shift which I work in. They also told us there will be less lay off in my department. However, they started giving a lay off notice to some of our best team members one hour before their shift was about to end.

I was not surprised that they were laying off people. However, I was shocked that they told people only one hour before their shift ended that they were laid off. As I saw my wonderful coworkers who were hard working  people turned their faces down,I felt sad.  The people who were laid off  were hard workers. Yet, lazy ones were allowed to keep their jobs.   One of my team members ,Who never misses work. Who is focused on his job and backs up for other people were laid off. He was in probation and was trying to show that he finally wanted to turn over his life in a right way. He had 5 children whom he had to support. I feel like he deserved to be given a shot to change his life. Other woman who was most hard working individual were laid off. She is a single mother of 3 children, and she commute driving to work more than two hours everyday. She used to do a job that was supposed to do like 2 or 3 people. She is one of those people who will make u feel inspired when you see their hard work and how much life difficulties they have. She had multiple disabilities. I feel really it is a grieve mistake for laying off someone like her.

This world of capitalist is unfair. Companies hire you when they need you and lay you off when you need your job.  They care only profit, but not about hard workers and the right of employees. They could need these hard workers someday. I believe it would have been less stressful if they gave employees notice before they laid off.  

Boring Football!

I am not big fan of American football but when Michigan college football teams are playing I sometimes   watch. My friend who is a big fan of football invited me to watch with him football games yesterday at his house in Ann Arbor. In the morning, I, super excited drove to Ann Arbor.  I wore proudly my spartan sweatshirt.

When I get there it was about 1pm and I sat in front of a big  65 inches  TV screen and soon the games started. I was rooting for Spartans, and  my wolverine friends were also cheering for Spartan which impressed me because I knew that Spartan and wolverine are bitter revels. My friend told me to come wearing Michigan’s sweatshirt but I said “today I am  coming wearing my Spartan  sweatshirt because they are playing bowl game, and they had share of big ten championship.”

Michigan State was playing against Alabama in capital one bowl game and University of Michigan was playing against Mississippi State in Gator bowl game. I was cheering for both teams, and I hoped they would play great game but that did not happen. When it was clear that both teams were getting a huge humiliation beat, I felt upset and I could hear my friends shouting.

I wondered what my mentor Jim who fellow to Florida with his wife to watch Spartan game would feel? My mentor is loyal fan of Spartan. I am sure all Spartan fans who went to Florida to watch Michigan state game did feel sad. I posted on my Facebook status (I wonder if Michigan's college football teams got drunk last night. They are both getting a huge humiliation beat.) Because I could not be patient to see both teams being beaten so badly. I hope next time; they will show a great game like they did past season.