An Opening Video Letter to YOUTUBE Team

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Hello YOUTUBE Team!

I wanted to share my concern with you. I decided to do an opening Video Letter in public to discuss "RED FLAG" situation. It's important to take my consideration seriously. Before I share my concern with you, I would like to take time and to thank you for this great opportunity. This opportunity really bring the Deaf community together where we can discuss, debate, challenge in our videos, and broadcast ourselves as Deaf people. Parents with Deaf babies can find us at youtube and see we are cool as Deaf people. In some states, Deaf people are isolated due to long distance; we can have this opportunity to use YOUTUBE Videos to bring us closer. With a large Media such as talk shows, News, and newspaper really don't care about Deaf community. It's because the Deaf community is a small minority and the Media community feels that the Deaf community has nothing to contribute to the society, which it is not true. With YOUTUBE, it's really giving us a chance to voice our opinions, our thoughts, and our views by broadcasting our videos. Thank you again for this great opportunity.

Now I wanted to share my concern relating to red flag. People who constantly click on red flag icon that make you to evaluate if this video violates the guidelines or rules. With hearing people, you have no problem evaluating the videos because both of Hearing people and you speak the same language which is English. You can evaluate fairly if this video really violates the rule or not. You can make a decision independently without depending on outside of people clicking on red flag icon. You have a training experience that qualifying you enough to evaluate.

But with Deaf people who use sign language in videos, how do you evaluate if you don't know sign language? Staff members at YOUTUBE may don't know sign language, how do you judge the videos if they actually violate the guidelines? You judge by depending on people who click on red flag and make a final decision to remove this video based on outside of people who are not qualified enough. It's not fair process. I talked to other Deaf video makers and they faced with same problem as mine. They have to go milestone to mail the letter to YOUTUBE headquarter and to explain. Then YOUTUBE headquarter has to mail them and to apologize for all misunderstandings. The same pattern that the Deaf video makers have to face that YOUTUBE staff members who removed the videos, then put them back, then again remove the videos, then put them back which need to be stopped. All the trouble we has to go through is just because you may don't know sign language which it's not fair.

YOUTUBE is a well known that is very hard to be contacted. There is no e-mail contact information. Its only way that we need is to write a letter which does consume our time. I feel it's not right process. It doesn't provide us an equal as hearing people.

I wanted to make a suggestion that you contact NAD, National Association of the Deaf. That organization has an excellent law center where it will help you to get information and tips. People in the law center at NAD are specialized in ADA Law. ADA LAW is also included with technology that is also a part of YOUTUBE. There is an excellent lawyer, ROSELINA CRAWFORD, at NAD who will help you and ensure that Deaf people has same access as the hearing people. I used Rosalina Crawford from time to time. She's great. Please contact her. Here is www.NAD.org. You can find information in their website where you can contact her. All you need is to put Rosalina Crawford's name in subject box. She is usually good at replying back. I urge you to do this in order to avoid the lawsuit someday in future. We Deaf people don't want to see it happen and we want to work with you. I'm sure YOUTUBE team would want to work with the Deaf community and to provide equal access just as hearing people.

I had decided to put subtitle on my video which you removed so you can evaluate and see if it has been violated. I already look at the guidelines/rules and I haven't found any of those applied to my video. It says REJECTED CONTENT inappropriate. What is it? I go ahead and put subtitle so you can evaluate yourself and make decision independently.

Thank you for your time to watch and to work with us so you can give better service for the Deaf community. Again, thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Aidan Mack