Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Rachel Booted Off Deafread.com: Her Response

Tonight, at 12:26 AM EST, I received an e-mail from DeafRead editors saying that Cochlear Implant Online can no longer be on DeafRead simply because I am a Cochlear Awareness Network volunteer member, and they think that my website is a COMMERCIAL website. They clearly stated in their e-mail that I am “employed as a volunteer” which makes absolutely NO sense! They stated that I am violating this policy:

6) Commerical Sites
We do not link to commerical sites for the purpose of generating
profit, other than our own (we have expenses to cover!).

My website is absolutely not a website for profit nor a commercial website, and it has no affiliation with Cochlear. Cochlear absolutely does NOT direct me how to create nor maintain my website nor give me any money to maintain my website. Cochlear Awareness Network is an organization that is no different from DBC and NAD. I’m just simply a VOLUNTEER member of the ORGANIZATION, not an employee for a business.

This rule absolutely and clearly does NOT justify the excuse to remove my site from DeafRead because, as I said, my website is NOT a commercial website. I am paying out of MY OWN pocket and MY VOLUNTEER time to maintain my website, and I do not make a single penny on this website. I’m just simply creating awareness of CIs like other bloggers who are creating awareness about ASL.

They CLEARLY chose to send me this e-mail to try to create an excuse to remove my site from DeafRead. There are quite a few other bloggers on DeafRead who are Cochlear Awareness Network volunteer members and Bionic Ear Association (Advanced Bionics) members. In fact, there is a blogger who is clearly affiliated with Cochlear Italy and is promoting his/her own book. AND…there is a blogger who is clearly affiliated with Sprint Relay.

It is absolutely DeafRead’s greatest loss as they’re choosing not to help create and promote the diversity of the deaf community that is happening today in the 21st century AND not to accept and to discriminate against CI users who were raised with AVT and are living a life that is just as fulfilling and happy as any other deaf people who were raised with ASL or whatever. In fact, they are choosing to SHRINK the deaf community by choosing to exclude deaf people like me. AND…they’re choosing not to teach people like me about the deaf culture and ASL.

DeafRead chose to pick on ME because I am DeafRead’s worst enemy simply because they hate the fact that I am a successful CI user without any use of ASL. They are simply envious of me… And they’re afraid of “my destroying the deaf community” which I am not at all. I’m just simply creating an awareness of a whole another different group of happy deaf people.

DeafRead is simply a piece of sh&%! I’ll still continue to blog anyway and celebrate the happiness of hearing and speaking whether CI Online is on DeafRead or not…

In fact, parents of newly diagnosed deaf babies can still EASILY find my website…

So, since CI Online is no longer on DeafRead, I would bookmark this website!

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