The New Year certainly will not be easy for our community. There are a number of challenges to all deaf people and their families, but also to our Deaf Church communities.
GOVERNMENT & LAW: many newly elected Representatives and Senators in Washington,D.C. want to weaken laws such as the ADA and the new Health Care law. The ADA is the greatest protection deaf people have for equal rights.(One newly elected Senator said that the U.S. government should get rid of the ADA entirely!) The Health Care law gives many deaf people and people with disabilities their first opportunity to get health insurance. The role of the NAD (National Association of the Deaf)will become very important in keeping all of us informed about these threats.
STATE OF ILLINOIS: the State is in very poor financial shape. Because of terrible leadership in Springfield, many agencies serving people who are deaf and/or disabled have cut back programs or closed! Deaf children in special education classes are NOT getting the education they should because there has been no funding!
ECONOMY: many deaf people are out of work or have lost jobs. At the same time, the costs for gas, food, etc are increasing EVERYDAY! This situation is causing great stress in many families. Yet, at the time that these families need counseling help, the counseling services for deaf and hearing people are cutting services. Why? Because the State of Illinois has not paid its bills for THE LAST SIX MONTHS!
This economic situation has many consequences. If gas goes over $4/gallon and people do not have money, will they continue to come to Deaf Church, deaf socials, deaf workshops? People on Social Security have not gotten a "cost of living" increase for the third year! Will deaf seniors keep driving to Senior Citizen Socials if they cannot afford the gas? Deaf people love their technology. How will people afford new technology to communicate if they can barely afford to buy food?
WHAT CAN WE DO?
1) Deaf people must continue to support ONE ANOTHER! Encourage each other! Help each other! Gossiping against each other only hurts our community.
2) PARENTS of deaf and/or disabled children must not allow their school districts to cut back on services to their chidlren.Make sure you stay informed about what your school is doing.
3) There are people in the deaf community who sell illegal drugs and use these drugs. These people are MURDERING their deaf brothers and sisters. If you know who these people are who are selling drugs, call the police.People who are addicted need to go to ARD (Addiction Recovery of the Deaf).
4 COME TO CHURCH! We need God MORE now than ever! Prayer helps us, especially when we pray with one another. Receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. Make sure you pray with your children at home, and bring your children to Church!
Good question: if the price of gas goes over $4/gallon, what should we do? Should we have Mass for the deaf every Sunday on the internet? Fr. Mike Depcik already does a great job with his VLOG (www.frmd.org). Fr. Luberti is doing good work at www.transfiguration.com/VideoMedia-SignLanguageLiturgies. We may need to be more creative using the internet, VP, etc.
What is most important is that we continue to live and act as brothers and sisters to one another. If we simply live in a selfish way, only concerned about ourselves, then as a community we will disappear and die. All of us - deaf, hard of hearing, hearing; interpreters, special ed. teachers/counselors, parents, advocates - must keep working together for us to face the challenges that are confronting us right now.