EHDI2016activism1

IT IS TIME FOR ACTIVISM AT EHDI 2016 IN SAN DIEGO!
By Ruthie Jordan and Paul Kiel
February 11, 2016
Wheat Ridge, CO – Audism Free America headquartered in Wheat Ridge,
Colorado and incorporated in the State of Colorado is announcing about the
upcoming rally. We will be doing something different. Watch for further
announcments.
Attention! Attention!
EHDI 2016 is happening in San Diego, California in the next 30 days. The
folks involved with EHDI will be converging to San Diego from March 13 to 15.
It is time to do activism. We are doing a different approach and look for this
hashtag #ehdi2016
We are still asking them to follow these demands:
That is what we are ready to challenge Karl White and EHDI attendees.
Our five demands from year 2012 and it would be nice to do this again:
Five Demands
1. Equitable funding:
AFA calls upon EHDI, CDC, NIH, and US Dept. of Education to address the
historical and contemporary inequality of funding by increasing funds for
bilingual (ASL and English) materials, early educational programs, Deaf
mentoring programs, and services to parents. Equitable funding should be
transparent.

Page 2 – AFA Letter about EHDI
2. Early Healthy Deaf Identification:
AFA calls upon EHDI to shift its approach to Deaf infants and their families
from a pathological/medical bias to a positive/culturally-additive model in
identification. To ensure this, parents need to be informed at the time of
identification that American Sign Language is a linguistic human right for a
Deaf child and Deaf/ASL early service providers are trained to work with
them. In addition, EHDI should implement the labeling/way of thinking that
was published in EHD's 2011 Resource book in the chapter on Partnerships
with the Deaf Community.
3. Stake Holders in Leadership positions:
AFA calls upon EHDI to hire Deaf people who use and support ASL/Deaf
Culture in leadership roles at national and state levels.
4. Full Disclosure:
Audiologists should be required to explain the four international documents
and their positions on the language and cultural rights of Deaf people. Also,
they need to explain the recalls (both voluntary and involuntary) and risks
associated with cochlear implants and Audio-verbal Therapy (AVT) programs.
5. Confidential Information and Genetic research:
AFA calls upon EHDI to guarantee that information about Deaf children and
their families will not be used for collecting genetic information beyond consults
with the families. EHDI will not support financially nor in terms of information
sharing any research related to genetic engineering.
We count on you to help the Deaf community reach its fullest potential in life,
liberty and justice for all!
Audism Free America

Page 3 – AFA Letter about EHDI
About Audism Free America
Audism Free America (AFA) is a grassroots Deaf activist organization in the
US, which advocates for Deaf American rights, cultural resurgence, and seeks
primarily to challenge the ideological foundations of audism in America. Audism
is attitudes and practices based on the assumption that behaving in the ways of
those who speak and hear is desired and best. It produces a system of
privilege, thus resulting in stigma, bias, discrimination, and prejudice—in
overt or covert ways—against Deaf culture, American Sign Language, and
Deaf people of all walks of life.
AFA is committed to human and linguistic rights of Deaf people, unmasking
audism and media misrepresentation, and advocating for future generations.
Visit us on Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Audism-Free-America-
168758442874/?fref=ts
Contact
To learn more about this organization, please contact
Paul Kiel, Media Relations
AUDISM FREE AMERICA, INC.
P.O. Box 1782
Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80034
Office: (314)282-4557
audismfreeamerica@gmail.com
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