Lnanaa
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source: [HOH-LD-News] Volume 21 Issue 11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Article 1: Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants Not Allowed!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check it out for yourself at
http://www.deaflympics.com/sports/regulations.asp?ID=3 (See
Item J.)
You may sign the referenced petition at
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/239862263
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauri writes:
I am a serious and very good golfer. My handicap is 10. I love
competition and I love to win. Last year for the first time I
entered the U.S. Deaf Golf Championships. I was told that I
could not wear hearing aids during the tournament. I was
shocked. I immediately felt discriminated against. Here is my
story.
My name is Lauri and I live in Michigan. I am profoundly deaf,
90 dB loss, and have been since birth. I wear only one hearing
aid, on my right ear, due to a disorder called recruitment. I
have worn a hearing aid on this ear since early childhood but
because of the severity of my hearing loss I still have to read
lips to understand what people are saying.
In July of 2003 I went to the U.S. Deaf Golf Championships in
Pinehurst, North Carolina. It was my first time entering the
tournament. On the first day of the tournament, one of the
committee told me that I could not wear hearing aids. I was
shocked and upset. I was trying to focus my mind on getting
ready to play golf instead of being upset. I asked her, "Why?"
She said, "Because we now come under The Committee International
Sports for the Deaf (CISS) rules and regulations." I flew all
the way to North Carolina and paid to rent a Condo along with a
couple of deaf friends, and now you are telling me that I cannot
wear hearing aids. Her reply was "It's in the entry form". I
never found this regulation in the entry. She knew I was quite
upset so she went to talk to the officers. When she returned I
was told that they will allow me to wear hearing aids this time,
but next time I would not be able to.
Fortunately I made the top five and therefore qualified to
represent the U.S. Women's team at the Deaf World Golf
Championships, to be played in Stockholm Sweden in July of this
year. I was quite upset when I was informed that we were not
allowed to wear hearing aids during the Deaf World Golf
Championships, also because they now come under CISS rules and
regulations. I had to drop out the U.S. Women team. I accessed
the CISS now renamed to CISS/Deaflympics Regulations on the
Internet and found the regulations under General Information,
item J, which reads:
"Athletes taking part in the Deaf World Championships shall be
forbidden from using any hearing aids or cochlear implant aids
during competitions."
I do not understand this rule. If a deaf person chooses not to
use hearing aids for their entire life, then they participate in
activities without hearing the associated sounds. They play golf
without hearing the sound of hitting the ball. Their learned
skills are developed by using other sensory perceptions. On the
other hand, a deaf person who chooses to wear hearing aids uses
the sounds of hitting the ball to help orient themselves. In a
tournament played under the above regulations, who would have an
advantage? A person playing under their normal circumstances or
a person made to play under unfamiliar ones? The same
regulations also state that deaf would be defined as a hearing
loss of "at least 55dB" That means a person without a hearing
aid and a 55db hearing loss could actually have better hearing
than a profoundly deaf person with a hearing aid. If a person
has a 55dB loss, they can hear something without hearing aids.
It's still an advantage over someone with a 90dB loss. I feel
that this rule is unfair because it gives an advantage to one
player over another and is discriminatory. Would you not permit
a person to wear glasses? Would you not permit a person with
prosthesis to play in the game?
Because of this outdated and unfair rule I felt compelled to
relinquish my place on the U.S. Women's golf team. Again, I am a
deaf person who has chosen the OPTION to wear hearing aids. I
should not be discriminated against for that choice. The sad and
unfortunate fact is that this discrimination is being levied by
an organization that certainly should know better and be more
understanding about new technology and its impact on options for
deaf people. Children are learning to listen and speak using
hearing aids and cochlear implants all over this country.
Until the United States and World Deaf Golf Championship are
included in the CISS/Deaflympics I believe its rules and
regulations should be kept separate. I believe that it is time
for us to move forward and not dwell in the traditions of the
past. After all this is the 21st Century and we have made great
progress in minimizing acts of discrimination.
I corresponded with the President of CISS/Deaflympics about this
situation last September. She replied back and recommended that
if I wished for this rule to change I would have to ask the U.S.
Deaf Golf Foundation to submit a proposal to World Deaf Golf
Federation (WDGF) who would then submit it to her. She would
then put it on the agenda for discussion at the January 2005
Congress in Melbourne. I complied with these directions and
contacted the President of the U.S. Deaf Golf Foundation, his
reply was as follows:
During its annual meeting on October 9, the U.S. Deaf Golf
Foundation (USDGF) Board of Directors discussed the issue of not
allowing competing deaf and hard of hearing golfers to wear
hearing aids nor cochlear implants at the U.S. Deaf Golf
Championships and the World Deaf Golf Championships. This rule
has been in effect for many years with the USA Deaf Sports
Federation (USADSF), of which USDGF is a national sports
organization, and ComitÃ(c) International des Sports des Sourds,
CISS (The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf). The
USADSF is affiliated with CISS. Also, USADSF is affiliated with
the World Deaf Golf Federation (WDGF). The USDGF Board has
decided not to take further action on this issue. We intend to
fully enforce this requirement for those who participate in
future U.S. Deaf Golf Championships, as well as the World Deaf
Golf Championships. However, we encourage you to express your
views directly with USADSF, WDGF, and CISS.
I was surprised and very disappointed at his response. I spoke
to a lawyer who works for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
and civil rights about rejecting hearing aids/cochlear implant
during U.S. Deaf Golf Championships. I believe that they broke
ADA law because we are playing in the United States. He said,
"They are non-profit organizational, which means they can make
whatever rules they want to."
I am not giving up my rights. I can't live without my hearing
aids. It is a part of my life. They should not be allowed remove
a part of me. The next United States Deaf Golf Championships
will be held in July of 2005. The top five scorers will qualify
for the World Deaf Golf Championship in Edmonton, Canada in
2006. I need your support so please contact these organizations.
You can reach the President of United States Deaf Golf
Foundation and the President of CISS/Deaflympics. Please feel
free to submit any questions or comments; you can reach me at
supporthrngaids@aol.com.
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO CONFIRM YOUR SUPPORT TO THE USE OF
HEARING AIDS/COCHLEAR IMPLANTS DURING U.S. AND WORLD DEAF GOLF
CHAMPIONSHIPS. Please pass the word. Thank you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Article 1: Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants Not Allowed!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check it out for yourself at
http://www.deaflympics.com/sports/regulations.asp?ID=3 (See
Item J.)
You may sign the referenced petition at
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/239862263
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauri writes:
I am a serious and very good golfer. My handicap is 10. I love
competition and I love to win. Last year for the first time I
entered the U.S. Deaf Golf Championships. I was told that I
could not wear hearing aids during the tournament. I was
shocked. I immediately felt discriminated against. Here is my
story.
My name is Lauri and I live in Michigan. I am profoundly deaf,
90 dB loss, and have been since birth. I wear only one hearing
aid, on my right ear, due to a disorder called recruitment. I
have worn a hearing aid on this ear since early childhood but
because of the severity of my hearing loss I still have to read
lips to understand what people are saying.
In July of 2003 I went to the U.S. Deaf Golf Championships in
Pinehurst, North Carolina. It was my first time entering the
tournament. On the first day of the tournament, one of the
committee told me that I could not wear hearing aids. I was
shocked and upset. I was trying to focus my mind on getting
ready to play golf instead of being upset. I asked her, "Why?"
She said, "Because we now come under The Committee International
Sports for the Deaf (CISS) rules and regulations." I flew all
the way to North Carolina and paid to rent a Condo along with a
couple of deaf friends, and now you are telling me that I cannot
wear hearing aids. Her reply was "It's in the entry form". I
never found this regulation in the entry. She knew I was quite
upset so she went to talk to the officers. When she returned I
was told that they will allow me to wear hearing aids this time,
but next time I would not be able to.
Fortunately I made the top five and therefore qualified to
represent the U.S. Women's team at the Deaf World Golf
Championships, to be played in Stockholm Sweden in July of this
year. I was quite upset when I was informed that we were not
allowed to wear hearing aids during the Deaf World Golf
Championships, also because they now come under CISS rules and
regulations. I had to drop out the U.S. Women team. I accessed
the CISS now renamed to CISS/Deaflympics Regulations on the
Internet and found the regulations under General Information,
item J, which reads:
"Athletes taking part in the Deaf World Championships shall be
forbidden from using any hearing aids or cochlear implant aids
during competitions."
I do not understand this rule. If a deaf person chooses not to
use hearing aids for their entire life, then they participate in
activities without hearing the associated sounds. They play golf
without hearing the sound of hitting the ball. Their learned
skills are developed by using other sensory perceptions. On the
other hand, a deaf person who chooses to wear hearing aids uses
the sounds of hitting the ball to help orient themselves. In a
tournament played under the above regulations, who would have an
advantage? A person playing under their normal circumstances or
a person made to play under unfamiliar ones? The same
regulations also state that deaf would be defined as a hearing
loss of "at least 55dB" That means a person without a hearing
aid and a 55db hearing loss could actually have better hearing
than a profoundly deaf person with a hearing aid. If a person
has a 55dB loss, they can hear something without hearing aids.
It's still an advantage over someone with a 90dB loss. I feel
that this rule is unfair because it gives an advantage to one
player over another and is discriminatory. Would you not permit
a person to wear glasses? Would you not permit a person with
prosthesis to play in the game?
Because of this outdated and unfair rule I felt compelled to
relinquish my place on the U.S. Women's golf team. Again, I am a
deaf person who has chosen the OPTION to wear hearing aids. I
should not be discriminated against for that choice. The sad and
unfortunate fact is that this discrimination is being levied by
an organization that certainly should know better and be more
understanding about new technology and its impact on options for
deaf people. Children are learning to listen and speak using
hearing aids and cochlear implants all over this country.
Until the United States and World Deaf Golf Championship are
included in the CISS/Deaflympics I believe its rules and
regulations should be kept separate. I believe that it is time
for us to move forward and not dwell in the traditions of the
past. After all this is the 21st Century and we have made great
progress in minimizing acts of discrimination.
I corresponded with the President of CISS/Deaflympics about this
situation last September. She replied back and recommended that
if I wished for this rule to change I would have to ask the U.S.
Deaf Golf Foundation to submit a proposal to World Deaf Golf
Federation (WDGF) who would then submit it to her. She would
then put it on the agenda for discussion at the January 2005
Congress in Melbourne. I complied with these directions and
contacted the President of the U.S. Deaf Golf Foundation, his
reply was as follows:
During its annual meeting on October 9, the U.S. Deaf Golf
Foundation (USDGF) Board of Directors discussed the issue of not
allowing competing deaf and hard of hearing golfers to wear
hearing aids nor cochlear implants at the U.S. Deaf Golf
Championships and the World Deaf Golf Championships. This rule
has been in effect for many years with the USA Deaf Sports
Federation (USADSF), of which USDGF is a national sports
organization, and ComitÃ(c) International des Sports des Sourds,
CISS (The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf). The
USADSF is affiliated with CISS. Also, USADSF is affiliated with
the World Deaf Golf Federation (WDGF). The USDGF Board has
decided not to take further action on this issue. We intend to
fully enforce this requirement for those who participate in
future U.S. Deaf Golf Championships, as well as the World Deaf
Golf Championships. However, we encourage you to express your
views directly with USADSF, WDGF, and CISS.
I was surprised and very disappointed at his response. I spoke
to a lawyer who works for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
and civil rights about rejecting hearing aids/cochlear implant
during U.S. Deaf Golf Championships. I believe that they broke
ADA law because we are playing in the United States. He said,
"They are non-profit organizational, which means they can make
whatever rules they want to."
I am not giving up my rights. I can't live without my hearing
aids. It is a part of my life. They should not be allowed remove
a part of me. The next United States Deaf Golf Championships
will be held in July of 2005. The top five scorers will qualify
for the World Deaf Golf Championship in Edmonton, Canada in
2006. I need your support so please contact these organizations.
You can reach the President of United States Deaf Golf
Foundation and the President of CISS/Deaflympics. Please feel
free to submit any questions or comments; you can reach me at
supporthrngaids@aol.com.
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO CONFIRM YOUR SUPPORT TO THE USE OF
HEARING AIDS/COCHLEAR IMPLANTS DURING U.S. AND WORLD DEAF GOLF
CHAMPIONSHIPS. Please pass the word. Thank you!
