This week, the news in Sacramento area was about a white deaf puppy that vanished from Placer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ shelter. The puppy was going to go home with Mary Terrell, a humane educator for Placer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, when he disappeared from the shelter.

Apparently, someone took him out of the shelter overnight. When news of the puppy’s disappearance broke news through the Sacramento Bee, he was somehow traded to a homeless man for a bottle of booze. The homeless man then contacted the shelter and had the puppy returned. Click on the links to read the original articles.

It was interesting to follow and the ending was good though, I can’t help wonder who it was and why the puppy was taken.

There has been many reviews on DeafRead.com regarding the movie “Sweet Nothing In My Ear.” It is  about a deaf and hearing couple who struggle over whether to or not to have their deaf son implanted with a cochlear implant. After reading several reviews online, I found one that revealed the history behind the film and the story.  Here it is in a 10-minute vlog.

I’ve been watching some interesting things on the deaf blogsphere. If you will recall, PepsiCo created a Pre-SuperBowl commercial involving Deaf men using ASL titled “Bob’s House.” (Click to view video again) It was created with members of PepsiCo’s EnAble group — employees dedicated to creating a more inclusive environment for people with different abilities.

It was wildly popular and got ranked 2nd most entertaining commercial by the Northwestern University Students. I saw the video, the interview, and behind-the-scenes video cross-posted so many times in all of the forums I’m part of. Everyone that I knew, told me how wonderful and funny it was and asked if that had ever happened to me (yes). All of my Deaf friends loved it and at one ladies’ coffee meeting, we traded our favorite versions of “Bob’s House” such as “The Honeymoon” and “New House.”

It created excitement among the Deaf community and people who are interested in ASL and Deaf culture. NAD (National Association of the Deaf) gave its salutations to the video in this letter. Since then, members of the Deaf community have been urged to thank PepsiCo for creating the commercial through their contact web page and snail mail.

However, it also elicited remarks from some people who did not exactly like the commercial. Namely Alexander Graham Bell Association of the Deaf organization (known as AGBell for short). In a blog post on DeafDC by Shane Feldman, Shane reports on the letters submitted to PepsiCo and NAD’s response.

Deaf Bilingual Coalition, (DBC for short) a new organization that was formed in July 2007, published three letters on their web site. DBC advocates the inclusion of ASL from the moment an individual is found to be deaf, as part of their development because ASL is seen as fully accessible.

Original Letters that I could find online:
AGBell’s Original Letter to PepsiCo (PDF)

NAD’s Original Letter in response to AGBell’s Letter.

If you are a newcomer to the scene and are unsure of why this is important, it is because AGBell is a staunch advocator of independence through listening and talking. Nowhere is ASL mentioned or used. NAD is devoted to the promoting, protection, and preservation of the rights and quality of life of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. This includes the right to communicate in sign language, namely ASL. AGBell was founded in 1890. NAD was established in 1880, making it the oldest organization of the two.

Culturally Deaf people despise AGBell for what it stands — an antithesis to Deafhood.

While it is true that deaf people as a group are highly diverse, AGBell cannot claim to be the representing educator to the public about the deaf because AGBell does not recognize sign language as an accepted method of communicating. Nor should AGBell be telling PepsiCo how they should be investing their money. If PepsiCo wants to make a video in ASL, power be to them. They have every American right and freedom to do that, and they have the blessing of a majority of the Deaf population.