Audism Free America Targets The Volta Bureau

Audism Free America Targets The Volta Bureau

The purpose of the one-day rally is to call attention to how the
Volta Bureau/AGBell Association has been an active force in the denial
of linguistic and human rights of Deaf citizens through its practices
of Audism. Audism is the assumption that behaving in ways of those who
speak and hear is best and desired. Audism manifests itself as a
stigma, bias, discrimination, and prejudice against Deaf culture,
American Sign Language and Deaf people.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) March 6, 2009 — Audism Free America (AFA), a
grassroots Deaf activist organization, will stage a one-day protest
rally on April 3rd 2009 in front of the Volta Bureau at 1537 35th St.,
NW in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area.

The purpose of the rally is to call attention to the denial of
linguistic and human rights of Deaf citizens and to highlight how the
Volta Bureau/AG Bell Association has worked to perpetuate the denial
of these rights.

The newly formed AFA organization serves to expose AUDISM–practices
and attitudes based on the assumption that the behaving in the ways of
those who speak and hear is best and desired. Audism manifests itself
as stigma, bias, discrimination, and prejudice–in overt or covert
ways–against Deaf culture, American Sign Language and Deaf people
from all walks of life.

The national landmark known as the Volta Bureau houses a shameful
history in the establishment and perpetuation of audism in the United
States. The Volta Bureau was established by Alexander Graham Bell in
1893 who was the chief architect and advocate of the oral / aural-only
exclusive method in Deaf education in the US. Bell never tolerated
sign language as part of the Deaf child’s educational program. The
primary reason for this relates to his position as a staunch
eugenicist. His fear of the formation of an undesired “Deaf race”
drove him to work toward denying Deaf people the right to use sign
language, be educated together, be taught by other Deaf people, and
socialize together.

These ideas provide the historical roots of the AG Bell Association
today and its mission “advocating independence through listening and
talking.” The organization’s fanatic lobbying for governmental
resources for “exclusive” programs which focus on audition and speech
“without the use of sign language or lipreading” for Deaf children
results in infringing on the rights of Deaf children who would benefit
from becoming bilingual—using American Sign Language and English.

Several years ago, the AG Bell Association publicly objected to a
Pepsi commercial with two signing Deaf characters—an act which
highlights their determination in the promotion of speaking and
listening as the only desirable and acceptable means for Deaf people
to communicate and function successfully in mainstream society…which
is clearly audism.

AFA organizers challenge the assumption inherent in the Volta
Bureau’s purpose: that to be “a center of information for deaf and
hard of hearing persons,” neglects to the most part the
accomplishments of Deaf signing people and their culture (in the
United States and worldwide).

The AFA objects to how the AG Bell Association has sought to control
the media, the medical establishment, educational professionals and
families with Deaf children while outright neglecting the views and
experiences of Deaf Americans. As a result of the advocacy of the AG
Bell’s Association, the American public is indoctrinated with
attitudes of paternalism, bias and discrimination toward Deaf people.

The AFA protest on April 3rd serves to direct attention to the audism
that is promoted by institutions like the Volta Burea/AG Bell
Association.

In the spirit of the new administration in Washington DC, the AFA
organizers call on those working at the Volta Bureau and the AG Bell
Association to work with us to promote freedom from audism in American
life for ALL Deaf citizens. Yes, we believe, we can.

For additional information on the Audism Free America Protest Targets
the Volta Bureau, visit http://audismfreeamerica.blogspot.com

Source:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/03/prweb2207164.htm