That is the question asked by a poll posted on the forum by LRHamke. The poll question is: "Do you feel that you're being treated differently by others in your workplace?" So far, it looks like deaf people feel they are treated equally.

If you need to register on the forum so that you can cast your vote, click this link.

Remember Chad and his parents? Chad was the deaf youth whose parents battled ASDB contending his education was inadequate. His parents have now posted an update to the original blog posting. Here is what they wrote, unedited, with my comments in brackets:

Update on Chad Kennedys Legal Battle with ASDB.

This is a very sad day for all deaf people. The Administrative Judge has once again disnissed our case against ASDB. The judge ruled that when Chad received his High School diploma ASDB was no longer responsible for their mistakes in his education. Since he graduated with a normal reading level for the deaf (4th grade) and was class Validictorian that is acceptable. [Guide comment: That fourth grade reading level thing again?! Is that a legally acceptable standard now??] Also the fact the his grandfather passed away a couple of days before his hearing and the hearing could not be rescheduled until after he graduated was basically his tough luck. Even though the AZ Dept of Education found ASDB out of compliance and ASDB owes Chad for years of services the judge has let them off the hook.

It was heart breaking to see Chads reaction to the judges decision. He was very upset. He said "I didn't do anything wrong, ASDB was wrong. I am completley finished with ASDB." After we discussed it for a while Chad showed what kind of a person he truly is when he said "Thats OK mom! I am going to work hard and study hard to get a good education. I don't need ASDB."

We are greatly saddened that not only did the ASDB fail Chad in his education but the legal system has failed not only him but the entire deaf community. They both only expect the deaf to reach a 4th grade reading level.

Deaf people are not stupid. They are just as capable and have the same rights to an education that hearing people do. It is completely wrong that hearing people put limits on the deaf. ASDB make some huge mistakes in Chads case. They have admitted it to us but legally have gotten on the hook because Chads grandfather passed away and we chose to plan and attend the funeral.

This case has taken a toll on our family and our health but we will always support our son and his right to a good education.In spite of everything that has happened if our story helps even 1 deaf child get a better education then it has all been worth it.

We encourage parents of deaf children to learn to sign and get very involved in their childs education. Educate yourself on our childs rights. Seek advice from knowledgeable experienced people not connected with the school. Get a strong Parent Advocate and even an attorney if necessary to make sure your child is provided with strong support. Research and visit schools (Deaf and Public) to see where your child will get the best education. Advocate for your child because if you don't no one else will.

Chad has just finished his first year of pre-college classes and is quite happy with his school. He will succeed.

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement. We appreciate it.

Tonight I came across the new Spring/Summer 2008 issue of Odyssey, published by the Clerc Center. The cover story is on autism in deaf children. There are six articles on autism and deafness, including two personal stories and advice from another parent. Deafness and autism is so rarely written about, that I recommend this magazine for parents of deaf children with autism. It can be downloaded free from the Clerc Center Odyssey website.

Direct download link. These articles about deafness and autism are in this issue:

• Deafness and Autism - by Diane D. Morton
• When Autistm and Deafness Coexist in Children: What We Know Now - by Christen Szymanski and Patrick J. Brice
• With Little Research Out There It's a Matter of Learnign What Works in Teaching Students with Deafness and Autism - by Lee Ann Bradley, Brandi krakowski, and Ann Thiessen
• Bringing Books To - and Sharing them With - Children with Autism: Janet's Tips - by Janet S. Weinstock
• Selah, a Previous Mosaic: A Mother's Journey Through Autism with Her Deaf Child - by Stefanie D. Ellis-Gonzales
• Brady, Our Firstborn Son, Has Autism - by Mei Yeh-Kennedy

Newsweek reports that a solar-powered hearing aid has been developed. The batteries it uses are rechargeable solar batteries. I have not finished reading the article yet so I can't comment further. It certainly sounds like an exciting development that will make hearing aids more available to people in poorer countries.

The Daily Star, a Bangladesh newspaper, reports that the only deaf high school in the country, Dhaka Bodhir High School, is struggling to survive. Not only is the school in poor physical condition, it is having difficulty getting enough qualified teachers skilled in sign language. They are often forced to hire teachers who do not know sign language yet.

Here is another glimpse into my deaf life: tonight we went to a show by Trix Bruce at Northern Virginia Community College. She told a series of vignettes (short stories) about growing up deaf and living as a deaf person, along with performing some poems in ASL. There was plenty of laughter in the audience of deaf and hearing people. Quite a few people came to enjoy the show. One vignette I could easily identify with was the one she told about the time she was asked to "get" a ball. Turned out it was not a ball, but a man named Paul.

On About.com: Profile of Trix Bruce

Everyone knows that journalists should avoid the term "deaf and dumb" as much as possible. What about the phrase "falls on deaf ears?" Does it convey a positive or negative image of deafness? How does it affect you when you see headlines like "Pleading Falls on Deaf Ears" or "911 call falls on deaf ears?"

Today, InSight Cinema, the nonprofit organization that had worked to promote open captioned films and carried listings of open captioned film showings around the country, said goodbye. In a letter posted on their website at www.insightcinema.org, Nanci Linke-Ellis, the founder and president, announced InSight Cinema was ending its activities. Open captioned films will still be available however, as the provision of open captioned films was and is separate from InSight Cinema's activities. Hat tip to Bill Creswell, who has been captioning trailers, music videos, and more, for alerting the deaf community to this news.

An About.com visitor wrote: "My stepdaughter has been in the US for the past two years. She has an 85% hearing impairment. Basically, she relies on reading lips. The did not teach her sign language overseas, in fact, she seems to think it's for 'deaf' people. She had a speech therapist work with her for several years, so her speech is excellent.

She is in Honors english classes (sophomore in high school), but her Speech/English appears to be getting worse. I really feel like she needs speech therapy and assistance to help her learn to be aware more aware of her surroundings and stop pretending she can hear most of the time, when she clearly cannot. Our younger child has been injured and put in some dangerous situations because of the communication problems. Socially, she's a wreck. She says a lot of inappropriate things at inappropriate times. Her manners are very poor. We try to talk with her and cannot imagine how her mother is not noticing these things. All this is getting worse, and her father and I don't know whether to laugh or cry half the time."

*** I commented that it sounded like the girl needed counseling, and the fact she is a teenager may be playing a role in her attitude. Or does it sound like she is denying her hearing loss?

Only a couple of weeks ago, we had gone to an ASL film festival. Saturday afternoon found us back at Gallaudet University, this time to see the ASL film "Wrong Game." This was a well-acted film and the ASL was for the most part, understandable. Lack of captions meant that we did miss bits and pieces. Overall, the acting, clear and simple signing, and visual cues enabled us to get most of it, and we did enjoy the film.

There will be another ASL film, VPMan, in Northern Virginia the weekend of June 27, but unfortunately we have a conflict and will miss that one. There is an uncaptioned trailer at www.vpmanfilm.com.

This is beginning to look like the year of deaf cinema. The deaf movies we see are more professionally produced, and even have commercials (Wrong Game had commercials by Sprint Relay) before the feature. It was a treat to see Bernard Bragg in one of the commercials.