WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-CA 00:00:11.247 --> 00:00:18.795 [Anselmo]: Hello! This is DeafDots, 25 March 2022. 00:00:18.795 --> 00:00:23.301 Bringing alerts & news reports at intervals for all Deaf Canadians. 00:00:23.301 --> 00:00:30.500 Don't forget to subscribe, like, and follow DeafDots to get new video updates! 00:00:49.510 --> 00:00:55.224 [Anselmo]: On February 24, 2022, the president of Russia, 00:00:55.224 --> 00:01:01.177 Vladimir Putin, made an announcement that there 00:01:01.177 --> 00:01:05.260 were no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory and that he supported 00:01:05.260 --> 00:01:11.825 the right of the people of Ukraine to self-determination. 00:01:11.825 --> 00:01:15.901 A few minutes after that announcement, the Russian military 00:01:15.901 --> 00:01:21.646 launched a full-scale assault - explosions were reported in 00:01:21.646 --> 00:01:26.626 several cities in Ukraine. 00:01:26.626 --> 00:01:33.748 Multiple countries around the world announced severe sanctions against 00:01:33.748 --> 00:01:41.857 Russia to try and cripple their economy. 00:01:41.857 --> 00:01:49.213 DeafDots reached out to many Ukrainian-borns for more 00:01:49.213 --> 00:01:57.284 information but most preferred to stay quiet, stating concern for 00:01:57.284 --> 00:02:03.774 their family's safety in Ukraine and their fear of retaliation. 00:02:03.774 --> 00:02:12.816 One Deaf man, Arkady Belozovsky, who was born in Ukraine, 00:02:12.816 --> 00:02:16.700 stepped forward to share his perspective. 00:02:16.889 --> 00:02:24.814 Russia doesn't want Ukraine to join NATO. 00:02:24.814 --> 00:02:30.334 Russia feels Ukraine is oppressing Russian speakers who are located in 00:02:30.334 --> 00:02:32.481 the eastern part of the country. 00:02:32.481 --> 00:02:39.655 Russia wants the "deNazification" of Ukraine - this is a military 00:02:39.655 --> 00:02:42.730 group that is similar to today's white supremacy organisations 00:02:42.730 --> 00:02:46.278 and nationalization - they need to be destroyed. 00:02:46.278 --> 00:02:49.000 Ukraine is a big country and there is only a very small 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:50.626 percentage of those type of people. 00:02:50.626 --> 00:03:01.284 Most civilians voted for the Servant of the People party, 00:03:01.284 --> 00:03:07.421 led by the country's president Zelensky. 00:03:07.421 --> 00:03:11.234 He has been president for only two years and already 00:03:11.234 --> 00:03:15.509 has to deal COVID-19 and the mess of the U.S. election. 00:03:15.509 --> 00:03:19.754 He was blamed for something that he inherited from the former presidents. 00:03:19.754 --> 00:03:24.198 They already had issues with Russia in the past. 00:03:24.198 --> 00:03:27.166 Russia keeps adding historical reasons to justify their actions. 00:03:27.166 --> 00:03:30.000 Saying Ukraine did this and that. But wait... 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.500 Why are they bombing, why are they striking missiles at us? 00:03:32.500 --> 00:03:33.824 Apartment buildings are being destroyed and families are losing 00:03:33.824 --> 00:03:36.651 everything. Now there are more than three million migrants 00:03:36.651 --> 00:03:38.339 who have fled Ukraine. 00:03:38.573 --> 00:03:43.000 [Anselmo]: I think the world was caught off guard. 00:03:43.129 --> 00:03:50.344 This is a dark, tragic, and chaotic time in human history. 00:03:50.344 --> 00:03:54.212 In the 21st century, a war of this scale is unheard of. 00:03:54.212 --> 00:03:57.884 80 years ago, in 1941, we already had the second world war. 00:03:57.884 --> 00:04:00.364 It's been 80 years and people thought things were better. 00:04:00.364 --> 00:04:02.641 But, no. Here we go again. 00:04:03.508 --> 00:04:08.049 [Anselmo]: What have you been doing to help the refugees? 00:04:08.149 --> 00:04:12.117 I am now focusing on helping the refugees - many of them 00:04:12.117 --> 00:04:15.232 don't know where to go. 00:04:15.232 --> 00:04:17.336 They would hear that train stations were being shut down 00:04:17.336 --> 00:04:19.136 and roads are getting bombed. 00:04:19.136 --> 00:04:24.188 I'm urging them to keep going and head to Poland. 00:04:24.188 --> 00:04:26.004 I've been impressed with European countries that border Ukraine - 00:04:26.004 --> 00:04:32.049 there are six of them, including Moldova where they have been 00:04:32.049 --> 00:04:37.657 very helpful and Romania as well for taking in refugees. 00:04:37.657 --> 00:04:39.442 Other countries too. 00:04:39.442 --> 00:04:46.651 Slovakia has been letting refugees in too. 00:04:46.651 --> 00:04:48.669 Romania. 00:04:48.669 --> 00:04:52.615 Hungary. 00:04:52.615 --> 00:04:56.830 Poland has been taking in the highest number of refugees. 00:04:56.830 --> 00:05:04.897 Belarus is off limits because of its alliance with Russia. 00:05:05.207 --> 00:05:09.800 [Anselmo]: Canada's emergency refugee program will welcome 00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:16.011 millions of Ukrainians fleeing war. 00:05:16.011 --> 00:05:24.140 This will allow an unlimited number of approved Ukrainians to stay in 00:05:24.140 --> 00:05:35.030 Canada for three years while they decide their next steps. 00:05:35.030 --> 00:05:40.843 What about Deaf Ukrainians? 00:05:40.843 --> 00:05:46.417 What Deaf Canadians can do to show support? 00:05:46.417 --> 00:05:51.549 There are several organisations we can donate to that will provide 00:05:51.549 --> 00:06:00.264 aid that meets their basic needs: shelter, food, 00:06:00.264 --> 00:06:05.202 transportation, and communication support. 00:06:05.202 --> 00:06:15.550 Deaf Bridge, Off the Grid Missions, World Federation of the Deaf, 00:06:15.550 --> 00:06:19.154 and the Canadian-Ukraine Foundation. 00:06:45.741 --> 00:06:51.966 [Anselmo]: When a deaf baby is born, parents receive the bulk of 00:06:51.966 --> 00:07:01.432 their information and resources from the medical community - 00:07:01.432 --> 00:07:10.294 audiologists, ENTs, and pediatricians. 00:07:10.294 --> 00:07:15.317 Doctors often discourage sign language, suggesting 00:07:15.317 --> 00:07:21.251 that it impedes speech development. 00:07:21.251 --> 00:07:36.132 In a recent CBC article, the Saskatchewan Paediatric Auditory 00:07:36.132 --> 00:07:41.110 Rehabilitation Centre, SPARC for short, focuses largely on improving 00:07:41.110 --> 00:07:49.667 speech through technology, like cochlear implants and auditory 00:07:49.667 --> 00:07:57.102 verbal therapy, which focuses on listening and speaking without 00:07:57.102 --> 00:08:11.177 lip-reading. SPARC told the Grodecki family that their son's 00:08:11.177 --> 00:08:14.646 best shot at learning to communicate would be through 00:08:14.646 --> 00:08:24.291 medical approaches. Michelle shares what happened. 00:08:24.710 --> 00:08:31.883 I met with the audiologist there and the speech pathologist 00:08:31.883 --> 00:08:35.826 as well to discuss our goals. 00:08:35.826 --> 00:08:42.147 What it means for him to be deaf and what it means for our family. 00:08:42.147 --> 00:08:48.960 They recommended speech therapy every two weeks. 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:58.697 They also will teach me how to improve Oscar's speech with AVT 00:08:58.697 --> 00:09:04.336 (Auditory Verbal Therapy). 00:09:04.336 --> 00:09:06.000 Okay. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.552 I asked if there were other options. 00:09:08.552 --> 00:09:13.259 They said the best thing to do is to focus on speech because 00:09:13.259 --> 00:09:19.548 I didn't know sign language at the time. 00:09:19.548 --> 00:09:25.286 They said signing would delay his speech. 00:09:25.286 --> 00:09:27.051 Uh, okay. 00:09:27.051 --> 00:09:33.427 I remember one thing she said to me, "Michelle (this is my sign name), 00:09:33.427 --> 00:09:38.685 you want your son to say 'mom'." 00:09:38.685 --> 00:09:42.000 Of course, yes, I wanted that. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.449 "Focus on speech", they said. 00:09:44.449 --> 00:09:49.525 We focused on it completely. 00:09:49.525 --> 00:09:57.537 For the next six months of speech therapy, I met with the audiologist 00:09:57.537 --> 00:10:02.745 and speech therapist every two to three weeks. 00:10:02.745 --> 00:10:10.595 I remember saying Oscar was upset and frustrated all the time. 00:10:10.595 --> 00:10:14.147 I asked if there were other options we could explore - maybe sign language 00:10:14.147 --> 00:10:15.247 would help improve his speech? 00:10:15.247 --> 00:10:20.990 "No. No. It's best to just focus on speech." Okay. 00:10:20.990 --> 00:10:26.973 We focused on it for six months. 00:10:26.973 --> 00:10:38.385 Then one day, my son at age 2, was really frustrated and upset 00:10:38.385 --> 00:10:44.066 with his twin brother - he started to bang his own head 00:10:44.066 --> 00:10:48.975 against the floor, creating bumps. This wasn't normal. 00:10:49.336 --> 00:10:52.000 [Anselmo]: What did you do next? 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:59.290 I joined a support group on Facebook for parents and I asked 00:10:59.290 --> 00:11:01.343 for advice on what to do. 00:11:01.343 --> 00:11:07.481 One of the moms recommended the "Signing Times" DVDs. 00:11:07.481 --> 00:11:10.718 I went to the library and picked up the stuff. 00:11:10.718 --> 00:11:15.095 I watched it with both of my sons. 00:11:15.095 --> 00:11:21.918 Oscar was instantly in awe with the show. 00:11:21.918 --> 00:11:26.096 We watched it everyday, over and over and over. 00:11:26.096 --> 00:11:32.072 A week later, we noticed he started signing for food - 00:11:32.072 --> 00:11:39.447 milk, cookies, or cereal. 00:11:39.447 --> 00:11:42.553 It was really neat. 00:11:42.553 --> 00:11:47.728 We went to the library to pick up more DVDS of Signing Time. 00:11:47.728 --> 00:11:56.337 I asked SPARC if they know of a place that offers signing support. 00:11:56.337 --> 00:12:02.764 "No, we don't know. It's better to focus on speech." Okay. 00:12:02.764 --> 00:12:05.020 We continued with it. 00:12:05.020 --> 00:12:10.083 I still picked up DVDs anyway. 00:12:10.083 --> 00:12:21.926 My instincts were telling me that we needed sign language; I needed support. 00:12:21.926 --> 00:12:28.230 I reached out to a woman I used to work with, a Deaf teacher, 00:12:28.230 --> 00:12:31.861 and asked where I can learn sign language. 00:12:31.861 --> 00:12:40.004 She recommended Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Service, SDHHS. 00:12:40.004 --> 00:12:44.235 I contacted them and they were immediately helpful. 00:12:44.235 --> 00:12:51.186 A meeting was set up with a Deaf woman who eventually became my mentor. 00:12:51.186 --> 00:12:54.129 She would visit my home every week to teach the family sign 00:12:54.129 --> 00:12:57.677 language and do activities with my son. 00:12:57.677 --> 00:12:59.810 He improved. 00:12:59.810 --> 00:13:04.862 I noticed a huge improvement right away. 00:13:04.862 --> 00:13:12.000 My son started to sign more and at the same time 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.701 I noticed he started to speak. 00:13:15.701 --> 00:13:20.210 He would say "milk" or "cookie" while signing. 00:13:20.210 --> 00:13:24.892 It was pretty cool. 00:13:24.892 --> 00:13:32.624 About two or three months later, he started to sign and he said, 00:13:32.624 --> 00:13:37.776 "mom!" He didn't voice it. 00:13:37.776 --> 00:13:41.624 "Mom!" It was heart touching. 00:13:41.624 --> 00:13:43.147 It was perfect. 00:13:43.147 --> 00:13:47.749 That moment I realised I didn't need to hear him say, "mom" - 00:13:47.749 --> 00:13:50.000 I can see him saying it just fine. 00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:07.102 [Anselmo]: What difference did you notice in his language development 00:14:07.102 --> 00:14:11.398 when you added sign language to Oscar's learning? 00:14:11.754 --> 00:14:15.092 He turned into a happy boy. 00:14:15.092 --> 00:14:17.854 He became more fascinated with what's happening around him. 00:14:17.854 --> 00:14:24.147 More motivated to socialise with people. 00:14:24.147 --> 00:14:26.666 His frustration was minimised. 00:14:26.666 --> 00:14:29.509 His confidence grew. 00:14:29.509 --> 00:14:31.058 It was the best. 00:14:31.058 --> 00:14:36.140 Also, I noticed that he had an easier time picking up on reading 00:14:36.140 --> 00:14:40.103 and writing compared to his hearing brother. 00:14:40.103 --> 00:14:43.556 Remember, Oscar is a twin. 00:14:43.556 --> 00:14:51.211 He was able to identify things quicker - words and spelling. 00:14:51.211 --> 00:14:53.295 He was reading more easily. 00:14:53.295 --> 00:14:56.700 This was because he had access to both languages. 00:15:05.763 --> 00:15:14.607 [Anselmo]: In the CBC article, Dr Lynne Brewster from SPARC said they 00:15:14.607 --> 00:15:19.672 take this approach because most deaf babies who are born to hearing 00:15:19.672 --> 00:15:25.257 parents who want their children to be part of their speaking culture. 00:15:25.257 --> 00:15:29.386 DeafDots was not able to get a response by a SPARC 00:15:29.386 --> 00:15:34.396 representative by deadline. 00:15:53.326 --> 00:15:58.746 [Anselmo]: Canada has one of the most expensive wireless 00:15:58.746 --> 00:16:01.937 data costs in the world. 00:16:01.937 --> 00:16:09.468 The "unlimited" data plans are capped. 00:16:09.468 --> 00:16:14.210 Unlimited doesn't mean unlimited. 00:16:14.210 --> 00:16:31.628 If you reach your maximum data limit or cap, the data speed slows down. 00:16:31.628 --> 00:16:36.813 This is a problem for Deaf people because we rely on our 00:16:36.813 --> 00:16:42.644 smartphones to connect with others through video calls, messaging 00:16:42.644 --> 00:16:50.065 apps, and social media platforms and they all require a lot of data. 00:16:50.065 --> 00:17:00.334 We need better data plans at a discounted rate. 00:17:00.334 --> 00:17:10.095 Will Wireless Providers require proof of eligibility? 00:17:10.095 --> 00:17:15.790 DeafDots asked Kimberly Wood, founder of Canadian Deaf 00:17:15.790 --> 00:17:24.883 Grassroots Movement about self-declaration/certification 00:17:24.883 --> 00:17:27.692 and if it's a good idea. 00:17:28.092 --> 00:17:39.867 CRTC has a strict policy where we have to follow specific procedures. 00:17:39.867 --> 00:17:52.039 We, as advocates - CDGM, DHH Coalition, and DWCC - 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:58.639 sent in responses pertaining to our mobile phones. 00:17:58.639 --> 00:18:05.666 We want to see better data plans, mobile usage, and 00:18:05.666 --> 00:18:10.048 discounts related to accessibility plans. 00:18:10.048 --> 00:18:12.956 We're all aware of this, right? We've been sharing information 00:18:12.956 --> 00:18:14.044 about this to the community. 00:18:14.044 --> 00:18:21.054 One thing that's related to self-certification - the reason 00:18:21.054 --> 00:18:30.886 why it was brought up was because WSP providers like Telus, 00:18:30.886 --> 00:18:41.291 Rogers, Bell, and etc. like Freedom, Fido, and so on. 00:18:41.291 --> 00:18:47.524 They are concerned about fraud where hearing people would pretend 00:18:47.524 --> 00:18:52.987 to be Deaf or hard-of-hearing to take advantage of that 00:18:52.987 --> 00:18:59.057 accessibility plan or discounts. 00:18:59.057 --> 00:19:07.326 DHH Coalition feels that this shouldn't be a significant issue. 00:19:07.326 --> 00:19:14.468 DWCC feels that fraud could happen. 00:19:14.468 --> 00:19:20.617 One thing we learned from WSP's perspective is that one of the 00:19:20.617 --> 00:19:26.946 ideas that was brought up was the Deaf community's strong disdain to 00:19:26.946 --> 00:19:29.154 visit audiologists again to get tested and get proof that they're 00:19:29.154 --> 00:19:32.328 Deaf or proof that they're hard-of-hearing. 00:19:32.328 --> 00:19:33.000 You know how it is. 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:40.052 This includes the Doctor's visit to request proof of Deafness. 00:19:40.052 --> 00:19:45.239 Some people have disability pensions where they already 00:19:45.239 --> 00:19:46.295 showed proof of Deafness. 00:19:46.295 --> 00:19:48.000 Finish. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:50.171 Why do the same thing over and over? 00:19:50.171 --> 00:20:03.234 Instead, DWCC suggested using Deaf organisations, like CAD, CDGM, and 00:20:03.234 --> 00:20:06.398 other Deaf organisations across Canada, provincial organisations 00:20:06.398 --> 00:20:13.113 like OAD, AAD, and etc. to show membership of said Deaf organisation 00:20:13.113 --> 00:20:19.244 and that should be sufficient for a discounted accessibility plan. 00:20:19.609 --> 00:20:25.990 [Anselmo]: What should we expect to happen? What is the process? 00:20:26.355 --> 00:20:28.666 We don't know. 00:20:28.666 --> 00:20:38.054 We already sent in responses and it takes an average of 12 to 15 months 00:20:38.054 --> 00:20:42.829 before the CRTC lets us know what decision they've made. 00:20:42.829 --> 00:20:48.000 We all, including WSP, must follow the policy they determine. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:52.584 This could take a year or two. 00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:57.617 [Anselmo]: CRTC has procedures that involves many steps that 00:20:57.617 --> 00:21:00.923 need to be followed. 00:21:14.024 --> 00:21:20.998 [Anselmo]: Thursday, March 17th, several Deaf advocates filed 00:21:20.998 --> 00:21:30.835 a response to CRTC's 988 hotline to deal with mental health crisis 00:21:30.835 --> 00:21:33.713 and suicide prevention. 00:21:33.713 --> 00:21:37.317 Nicole will explain more. 00:21:37.639 --> 00:21:42.463 [Nicole]: 988: an easy-to-remember 3-digit dialing code for people in 00:21:42.463 --> 00:21:48.508 crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental 00:21:48.508 --> 00:21:50.440 health crisis counsellors. 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:55.618 DeafDots asked Elliott Richman about Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing 00:21:55.618 --> 00:22:03.722 Coalition's response to CRTC and what are they advocating for? 00:22:04.763 --> 00:22:14.413 The 988 hotline will launch in America in July 2022. 00:22:14.413 --> 00:22:16.577 This is what will happen - hearing people will be able 00:22:16.577 --> 00:22:18.821 to connect by voice call. 00:22:18.821 --> 00:22:33.816 Deaf people can use VRS, text, IP Relay, or 711 Relay. 00:22:33.816 --> 00:22:38.495 Hearing people using voice call and Deaf people using text, relay, and 00:22:38.495 --> 00:22:40.300 VRS will be accessible at the same time. 00:22:40.620 --> 00:22:43.075 [Nicole]: What about Canada? 00:22:43.275 --> 00:22:51.314 Hopefully the 988 hotline will launch in Canada sometime soon. 00:22:51.314 --> 00:22:56.655 When this happens, hearing people will be able to use voice call. 00:22:56.655 --> 00:23:03.533 What will Deaf people be able to do? Call through VRS? 00:23:03.533 --> 00:23:09.798 That is uncertain. CAV proposed for Deaf people to wait for 00:23:09.798 --> 00:23:15.855 a year before being able to use VRS to call. 00:23:15.855 --> 00:23:18.902 Is that fair? No. 00:23:18.902 --> 00:23:25.903 DHH Coalition are fighting for 988 to be accessible to both hearing 00:23:25.903 --> 00:23:31.170 and Deaf people at the same time. 00:23:31.170 --> 00:23:40.329 Deaf people texting back and forth, using IP Relay back and forth, and 00:23:40.329 --> 00:23:50.000 711 Relay back and forth - can this happen? We don't know. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:53.512 [Nicole]: What is the other thing DHH is advocating for? 00:23:54.163 --> 00:23:56.935 When hearing people call 988, they can talk and will 00:23:56.935 --> 00:23:58.155 not be charged for airtime. 00:23:58.155 --> 00:24:01.296 The call is free. 00:24:01.296 --> 00:24:03.548 This is a good thing. 00:24:03.548 --> 00:24:11.823 What about Deaf people? Deaf people should be able to use VRS without 00:24:11.823 --> 00:24:16.044 their data getting used up. 00:24:16.044 --> 00:24:17.124 No charges. 00:24:17.124 --> 00:24:23.524 It should be free. 00:24:23.524 --> 00:24:28.244 Texting back and forth should be free too. 00:24:28.244 --> 00:24:29.760 No charges. 00:24:29.760 --> 00:24:33.507 Otherwise there will be a lot of charges from all the back and forth 00:24:33.507 --> 00:24:40.611 texting. IP Relay and 711 Relay on mobile, communicating back and 00:24:40.611 --> 00:24:43.205 forth should be free. 00:24:43.539 --> 00:24:46.753 [Nicole]: Why is it important to ensure the 988 hotline is Deaf and 00:24:46.753 --> 00:24:49.127 Hard-of-Hearing friendly? What is the bottom line? 00:24:49.852 --> 00:24:54.848 988 must be Deaf compatible. 00:24:54.848 --> 00:25:05.270 This means what? Hearing people connecting to 988 and Deaf people 00:25:05.270 --> 00:25:11.720 connecting to 988 must be accessible at the same time. 00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:19.212 No waiting on either side. 00:25:22.983 --> 00:25:26.370 Hearing people won't be charged for calling 988. 00:25:26.370 --> 00:25:29.216 Deaf people shouldn't be charged either. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:33.235 [Nicole]: Full accessibility for both, Deaf and Hearing people, at 00:25:33.235 --> 00:25:36.691 the same time is true equal accessibility! 00:25:37.174 --> 00:25:39.014 [Anselmo]: Thanks, Nicole. 00:25:39.014 --> 00:25:44.286 Hearing people need to understand and respect 00:25:44.286 --> 00:25:48.800 the needs of Deaf people. We are also Canadians. 00:25:52.047 --> 00:25:59.128 DeafDots is seeking a news reporter. 00:25:59.128 --> 00:26:06.506 This reporter would sign one report for each program. 00:26:06.506 --> 00:26:12.571 We would send the script to rehearse and sign using your 00:26:12.571 --> 00:26:18.620 mobile phone then send video files to our Video Editor 00:26:18.620 --> 00:26:23.350 who will edit and caption it. 00:26:23.350 --> 00:26:27.959 This is a paid position. 00:26:27.959 --> 00:26:32.536 If you are interested and want more information, please email us at 00:26:32.536 --> 00:26:36.597 deafdots@gmail.com . 00:26:36.597 --> 00:26:40.997 Thank you for watching DeafDots. 00:26:40.997 --> 00:26:53.488 Please send your news suggestions through our website www.DeafDots.ca 00:26:53.488 --> 00:27:01.524 or email to news@deafdots.ca . 00:27:01.524 --> 00:27:11.004 Don't forget to subscribe, like, and follow DeafDots to get new video updates.