7 Ekim 2012 Pazar

Sweet Charity ?

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Over the years many deaf clubs in the UK have gone to the wall, mostly because the free running and provision of such clubs has now been dumped by local authorities and social service areas.  We read recently of Bristol Deaf club having issues and major funding being withdrawn by Local Authorities and others to its upkeep and rents.
In the desperation to maintain this club, there are suggestions the deaf community social clubs be supported by charitable donation instead.  Is there a conundrum there ? or, an suggestion deaf people have still so little access to mainstream, there is no other option but an state-sponsored or charity-sponsored social area for deaf people, or they have nothing.
However if we look at why many clubs ran down and closed,  it was not due to funding withdrawal, but, from rapidly diminishing memberships and attendance.  We know young deaf the last 25 years or so have no interest in deaf clubs, soon as they hit age of consent, they are off to the clubs and public houses along with hearing people, indeed set up 'clubs' IN public housing (Our area does).  The deaf 'pound' has made publicans more aware of increased trade if they include us.
This doesn't suggest to the authorities and others, deaf people have nowhere else to go, nor an building/base to attend either.  More importantly, they are in now the same areas as hearing people are.  The only viable argument for some funding support, is via elderly deaf who need areas where they can socialise because of little alternatives for them.  We must not forget, technology and access compared with 25-30 years ago has changed for the considerable betterment of deaf people too.
Should charity be raised to underpin deaf community and culture ? there seems an argument against.  Not least forcing deaf to utilise hearing areas, has improved their integration and access.  Is withdrawal of deaf-only areas long overdue anyway ?  It was always an excuse for deaf to not make the required effort to go half-way.  Given deaf have always maintained they are not charity cases, is the latest demand Via Bristol DC a conundrum ?  Yes it is...  Given a number of them still wanted restrictions on membership to signing only.   These days equality laws would put deaf clubs in the equality and legal wrong, since you cannot prevent hard of hearing attending in any state-run or charity-run area, the law forbids it, only the reluctance of no-cultural deaf and HI to challenge deaf clubs has stopped many closing now.
Inclusion is proving an double-edged access sword for the deaf community.

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