June 6, 1998

Greetings Deaf Leader,

You are the people chosen by your state to serve, protect, and 
cherish the Deaf communities in your state.  You are role models 
for the Deaf communities in your state.

Once again you will soon embark on a crucial mission for the Deaf 
people in your state, and your country.

You will be given the opportunity to select new board officers and 
the next president of the National Association of the Deaf.

Keep these things in mind when you go on this mission:

1) The unemployed among the Deaf community averages nationally at
   70 percent.  

   Choose NAD leaders that will establish aggressive programs that 
   encourage businesses to hire and fully accommodate Deaf people.  

2) Some Deaf state associations are not functioning.  

   Choose NAD leaders that will create an oversight committee that 
   will assume the defunct state association's responsibilities and hold 
   elections to replace the leadership of a Deaf state association 
   immediately once they determine a Deaf state association no longer 
   functions.  I understand that developing the criteria for a 'defunct'
   Deaf state association will be a difficult and painstaking task.

3) Some Deaf state associations are billboarding companies that 
   discriminate against the Deaf.  

   Choose NAD leaders that will establish and enforce protocols for 
   state organizations' businesses with entities and not to support 
   companies that are well known to discriminate against the Deaf.

4) The Americans with Disabilities Act is still poorly enforced.  It 
   is still a hassle for Deaf consumers to obtain accommodations for 
   their workplace, hotels, doctors, and lawyers.  Lawyers continue to 
   assert their Deaf clients that interpreters violate the attorney-client 
   privilege.   Discrimination against Deaf workers is rampant and is
   protected by vicious lawyers hired by employers.  Hotels continue to
   claim the costs of accommodating Deaf consumers as overburdensome. 
   Doctors would prefer to reduce the examination process to veterinary 
   medicine as they don't want to be burdened with the expenses of 
   interpreters.  Many businesses continue to remain at loss as to how
   to accommodate Deaf consumers.

   Choose NAD leaders that will establish a nationwide database along 
   with a toll free telephone number for businesses to contact for 
   interpreter referrals and to start an aggressive education / litigation 
   program that will teach these businesses the importance of effective 
   communication with Deaf consumers. 

   ( This is one of the missions of my Deaf Neighborhood's project.  It
     will be nice for NAD to do this so I can commit more time on other
     important projects. )

5) Some so called 'Lone Ranger' Deaf activists who accomplish a lot 
   remain ignored by the NAD staff.  Many times I have demonstrated to 
   NAD that I have excellent relations with local government officials.  
   So far I have not received a single word of encouragement.  Not even 
   a 'Thank You'.  Recently I found out that I'm not alone in this 
   situation.

   Choose NAD leaders that will encourage and support Deaf activists 
   in their independent quests for fairness, equality, and justice for 
   their local Deaf communities.

6) Many Deaf people are still being victimized by sophisticated 
   hierarchical (Pyramid) fraud systems.  As I said earlier that there 
   is a high unemployment rate among the Deaf communities.  Since a large 
   section of the Deaf community has poor command of the English language 
   and lack the resources to investigate, they easily fall prey to 
   sophisticated fraud systems usually promising instant wealth, sexy cars, 
   and happiness to unsuspecting Deaf consumers.  Recently there was such 
   activity in Orange County, California and I had to put a stop to it.

   Choose NAD leaders that will create a Deaf consumer protection 
   committee that will protect and educate the Deaf communities on 
   protection against sophisticated fraud systems that target Deaf 
   consumers.

7) We have an apathy problem.  Many Deaf people are comming up with 
   various reasons including lower occurance of deafness among babies.  
   I disagree with many of the reasons I have been hearing. It's a 
   consumer's market!! People will not support an advocacy system 
   that moves too slow or keep low profiles, in other words.. does 
   almost nothing to advocate their rights.  It's a member's 
   market, if an organization pleases them...they'll support them.  
   If they don't...they wont get any support.   IT'S A MEMBER'S MARKET!

   Finally choose NAD leaders that will continue safeguard the rights of
   over 21 million people with hearing disabilities.  Choose aggressive 
   NAD leaders. Choose NAD leaders that will help keep people with hearing
   disabilities supporting NAD!


Your actions on this mission will help chart out the future of the Deaf
community across the USA.  We all want our community members to achieve 
independence from welfare programs.  We all want our community members to be
productive and become contributors to society.  We all want to boost our
community member's confidence and morale.  The choice is yours and I will 
respect your decision.

Choose Carefully.  The future of the Deaf community really depends on your
choice.

Thank You.

Richard Roehm
Deaf Workers of Orange County

 ==============================================================
 DEAF WORKERS OF ORANGE COUNTY        Orange County, California   
 Richard Roehm  
                           Internet : Deaf@activist.com 
                                      Deaf_Workers_OC@usa.net
 Website                              Nesmuth@hwsys.com
 Http://home.hwsys.com/users/roehm/dwoc.htm
 ===============================================================
 Deaf Workers of Orange County will continue to aggressively 
 pursue justice, fairness, and equality for the Deaf Community. 
 ===============================================================