Wednesday, September 28, 2016
CRTC Launches Canada Video Relay Service
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Gallaudet Presidential Inauguration Celebration
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Gallaudet University celebrates the first Deaf woman to serve as its president in the United States history.
WASHINGTON -- USA Today: About two weeks after she arrived on the campus of Gallaudet University last January, Roberta Cordano learned how the place works: The blizzard known as “Snowzilla” hit, knocking out power to much of the campus.
Cordano, the school’s incoming president, invited 13 families to stay in her on-campus house overnight, where the next morning they produced a huge communal meal. When students realized that a school-issued emergency message didn’t include an American Sign Language (ASL) version, they produced one themselves, complete with captions.
“They really set the gold standard for establishing bilingual communication,” Cordano said. “There is no other place that I have experienced that would just delve into something, take care of things, figure it out.”
On Friday, Cordano’s appointment becomes official as Gallaudet, the world's only liberal arts university for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, inaugurates her as its first Deaf female president.
The move follows decades of political upheaval at the school, where over the past 30 years students have fought to give Deaf educators and students more control.
Established during the Lincoln administration in 1864, Gallaudet didn’t get its first Deaf president until the Reagan administration, 124 years later, in 1988 and only after raucous protests closed down the campus. The “Deaf President Now” protests, stretching over eight days, forced Gallaudet's board to name its first Deaf president, I. King Jordan, who served for 18 years.
In 2006, more protests erupted after the board named Provost Jane Fernandes to replace Jordan. As in 1988, students blocked the main gates of the campus, and “Deaf President Now” morphed into “Better President Now.” Though all three finalists in 2006 were Deaf, students feared that Fernandes might not be their strongest advocate. Some wanted a candidate who had grown up Deaf and relied solely on ASL - Fernandes had learned to sign when she was young and could communicate well by speaking or by signing, The Washington Post reported at the time. The board eventually named Robert Davila to replace Jordan.
The power struggles are actually the natural result of the linguistic issues the Deaf community has experienced for more than a century, Cordano said.
“It took 100 years here in the (United) States until American Sign Language was recognized as a language, just like English, having its own grammatical structure, its own rules, all the linguistic markers you would find in any other language,” she said. “What’s fascinating is that it took 100 years for us to change the perspective from, ‘Oh, it’s just a bunch of gestures,’ to actually seeing it’s a legitimate language.”
From there, she said, it was a short step to political activism and a push for self-determination. Understanding Deaf Culture, she said, made outsiders realize that Deaf people have something worth protecting: “If you have a language, then surely there must be a culture - there must be literature. And of course we realized the Deaf community has culture and literature and storytelling. And from there that’s been followed by the civil rights movement.” ... Read More at USA Today.
WASHINGTON -- USA Today: About two weeks after she arrived on the campus of Gallaudet University last January, Roberta Cordano learned how the place works: The blizzard known as “Snowzilla” hit, knocking out power to much of the campus.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
Cordano, the school’s incoming president, invited 13 families to stay in her on-campus house overnight, where the next morning they produced a huge communal meal. When students realized that a school-issued emergency message didn’t include an American Sign Language (ASL) version, they produced one themselves, complete with captions.
“They really set the gold standard for establishing bilingual communication,” Cordano said. “There is no other place that I have experienced that would just delve into something, take care of things, figure it out.”
On Friday, Cordano’s appointment becomes official as Gallaudet, the world's only liberal arts university for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, inaugurates her as its first Deaf female president.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
The move follows decades of political upheaval at the school, where over the past 30 years students have fought to give Deaf educators and students more control.
Established during the Lincoln administration in 1864, Gallaudet didn’t get its first Deaf president until the Reagan administration, 124 years later, in 1988 and only after raucous protests closed down the campus. The “Deaf President Now” protests, stretching over eight days, forced Gallaudet's board to name its first Deaf president, I. King Jordan, who served for 18 years.
In 2006, more protests erupted after the board named Provost Jane Fernandes to replace Jordan. As in 1988, students blocked the main gates of the campus, and “Deaf President Now” morphed into “Better President Now.” Though all three finalists in 2006 were Deaf, students feared that Fernandes might not be their strongest advocate. Some wanted a candidate who had grown up Deaf and relied solely on ASL - Fernandes had learned to sign when she was young and could communicate well by speaking or by signing, The Washington Post reported at the time. The board eventually named Robert Davila to replace Jordan.
The power struggles are actually the natural result of the linguistic issues the Deaf community has experienced for more than a century, Cordano said.
“It took 100 years here in the (United) States until American Sign Language was recognized as a language, just like English, having its own grammatical structure, its own rules, all the linguistic markers you would find in any other language,” she said. “What’s fascinating is that it took 100 years for us to change the perspective from, ‘Oh, it’s just a bunch of gestures,’ to actually seeing it’s a legitimate language.”
From there, she said, it was a short step to political activism and a push for self-determination. Understanding Deaf Culture, she said, made outsiders realize that Deaf people have something worth protecting: “If you have a language, then surely there must be a culture - there must be literature. And of course we realized the Deaf community has culture and literature and storytelling. And from there that’s been followed by the civil rights movement.” ... Read More at USA Today.
The Deaf Body in Public Space - NY Times
Deaf News: The Deaf Body in Public Space from New York Times.
NEW YORK CITY -- “It’s rude to point,” my friend told me from across the elementary-school cafeteria table. I grasped her words as I read them off her lips. She stared at my index finger, which I held raised in midair, gesturing toward a mutual classmate. “My mom said so.”
I was 6 or 7 years old, but I remember stopping with a jolt. Something inside me froze, too, went suddenly cold.
“I’m signing,” I said out loud. “That’s not rude.”
As the only Deaf student in my elementary school, I had already stumbled across the challenges of straddling two languages and two modes of communication. My family was hearing, but they still empowered me by using both English and sign language at home.
A sign language interpreter accompanied me throughout the day at school, and my teachers created a welcoming environment for me to learn, but finding a place to belong with kids my own age often felt more difficult. I tried to speak to them, and occasionally they reciprocated the effort by learning some basic signs. But usually I felt separate.
I went home that day and asked my mother about what my friend had said. “Don’t worry,” my mother said, “she doesn’t know the social rules are different with signing. You aren’t being rude.” With that, matter-of-fact as always, she brought the conversation to an end. But I still felt a lingering self-consciousness, entirely novel and difficult to shake.
This was perhaps the first time I realized that other people could see me as obtrusive, as taking up too much space, when I was simply communicating just as I was.
When I reflect on this memory two decades later, I recognize how my childhood friend, whom at the time I had found to be so accusatory, had really gaped at me with a sort of wonder. My signing challenged the rules of social conduct she’d absorbed from adults, and to her I must have seemed ignorant or radically rebellious, or perhaps both. But pointing was a truly fundamental act for me; it was how I expressed what my grown-up scholarly self would call relationality - the idea of being in the world in relation to others. Through sign language, a properly poised finger allowed me to say you and me and he and she and they. If I did not point, how could I make a human connection? ... Read More at New York Times.
NEW YORK CITY -- “It’s rude to point,” my friend told me from across the elementary-school cafeteria table. I grasped her words as I read them off her lips. She stared at my index finger, which I held raised in midair, gesturing toward a mutual classmate. “My mom said so.”I was 6 or 7 years old, but I remember stopping with a jolt. Something inside me froze, too, went suddenly cold.
“I’m signing,” I said out loud. “That’s not rude.”
As the only Deaf student in my elementary school, I had already stumbled across the challenges of straddling two languages and two modes of communication. My family was hearing, but they still empowered me by using both English and sign language at home.
A sign language interpreter accompanied me throughout the day at school, and my teachers created a welcoming environment for me to learn, but finding a place to belong with kids my own age often felt more difficult. I tried to speak to them, and occasionally they reciprocated the effort by learning some basic signs. But usually I felt separate.
I went home that day and asked my mother about what my friend had said. “Don’t worry,” my mother said, “she doesn’t know the social rules are different with signing. You aren’t being rude.” With that, matter-of-fact as always, she brought the conversation to an end. But I still felt a lingering self-consciousness, entirely novel and difficult to shake.
This was perhaps the first time I realized that other people could see me as obtrusive, as taking up too much space, when I was simply communicating just as I was.
When I reflect on this memory two decades later, I recognize how my childhood friend, whom at the time I had found to be so accusatory, had really gaped at me with a sort of wonder. My signing challenged the rules of social conduct she’d absorbed from adults, and to her I must have seemed ignorant or radically rebellious, or perhaps both. But pointing was a truly fundamental act for me; it was how I expressed what my grown-up scholarly self would call relationality - the idea of being in the world in relation to others. Through sign language, a properly poised finger allowed me to say you and me and he and she and they. If I did not point, how could I make a human connection? ... Read More at New York Times.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Deaf Woman Refused Service At Dunkin Donuts
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Massachusettsians show support after Deaf woman is refused service at Dunkin Donuts drive-thru.
FRAMINGHAM, MA -- A Deaf woman who was outraged by the way a Dunkin Donuts employee treated her is getting support from her community.
Jessica Sanzillo said she's a frequent customer at a Framingham Dunkin Donuts and uses a texting app to order through the drive-thru.
But when she drove up one day, she was refused service because she wouldn't use the speaker. On Sunday, Sanzillo and several others went through that drive-thru and ordered like a Deaf person would.
They hope this sends a message to others.
"To see, to get them the experience of people that work at Dunkin Donuts. To know what it's like for when a Deaf person is going to come through the drive-thru and how to approach that better in the future,” Sanzillo told FOX25 through an interpreter Friday.
Hearing people and other who have Deaf families members came out to the rally as well.
"As a parent of a Deaf child, I would never want William to be excluded from anything and so thinking of him wanting to get a cup of coffee later in life and being told he couldn't go through the drive thru like everybody else really upset me,” one parent said.
Dunkin Donuts did apologize for that initial incident and said the employee involved has been fired.
SOURCE
Related Drive-Thru:
Taco Bell Complains About Deaf Customers
Deaf Woman Sues Taco Bell Over Drive-Thru
Deaf Woman's Video At Starbucks Goes Viral
Drive-Thru McDonalds Discrimination Deaf Driver
Drive Thru Invisible Driver Prank - Magic of Rahat
Drive Thru Headless Prank - Magic of Rahat
FRAMINGHAM, MA -- A Deaf woman who was outraged by the way a Dunkin Donuts employee treated her is getting support from her community.Jessica Sanzillo said she's a frequent customer at a Framingham Dunkin Donuts and uses a texting app to order through the drive-thru.
But when she drove up one day, she was refused service because she wouldn't use the speaker. On Sunday, Sanzillo and several others went through that drive-thru and ordered like a Deaf person would.
They hope this sends a message to others.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
"To see, to get them the experience of people that work at Dunkin Donuts. To know what it's like for when a Deaf person is going to come through the drive-thru and how to approach that better in the future,” Sanzillo told FOX25 through an interpreter Friday.
Hearing people and other who have Deaf families members came out to the rally as well.
"As a parent of a Deaf child, I would never want William to be excluded from anything and so thinking of him wanting to get a cup of coffee later in life and being told he couldn't go through the drive thru like everybody else really upset me,” one parent said.
Dunkin Donuts did apologize for that initial incident and said the employee involved has been fired.
SOURCE
Related Drive-Thru:
Taco Bell Complains About Deaf Customers
Deaf Woman Sues Taco Bell Over Drive-Thru
Deaf Woman's Video At Starbucks Goes Viral
Drive-Thru McDonalds Discrimination Deaf Driver
Drive Thru Invisible Driver Prank - Magic of Rahat
Drive Thru Headless Prank - Magic of Rahat
Tennessee Deaf School Cheers On Vol Volleyball
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: The Tennessee School for the Deaf students cheers on the University of Tennessee Vol Volleyball.
KNOXVILLE, TN -- The Tennessee School for the Deaf students on the official athletic site of the University of Tennessee video, partner of CBS Sports Digital News in closed captioning for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people.
The students Claudia Coco, Mackenzie Cooler and Breana Jeter are all learning American Sign Language from the University of Tennessee volleyball program.
KNOXVILLE, TN -- The Tennessee School for the Deaf students on the official athletic site of the University of Tennessee video, partner of CBS Sports Digital News in closed captioning for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people.
The students Claudia Coco, Mackenzie Cooler and Breana Jeter are all learning American Sign Language from the University of Tennessee volleyball program.
Police Brutality Against Deaf People
VIDEO [CC] - Police Brutality Against Deaf People by Rikki Poynter.
Deaf activist and Youtuber Rikki Poynter discussion and conversation questions about the Police Brutality against Deaf and Hard of Hearing people these today.
Subscribe to Rikki's channel: http://youtube.com/rikkipoynter
Follow @RikkiPoynter:
Subscribe - https://youtube.com/rikkipoynter
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rikkipoynter
Instagram - http://instagram.com/rikkipoynter
Tumblr - http://rikkipoynter.tumblr.com
Related Rikki Poynter:
Shit Hearing People Say About Deaf People
Rikki Poynter In British Deaf News Magazine
Being Deaf and Socializing
Being Blind Versus Being Deaf
Deaf activist and Youtuber Rikki Poynter discussion and conversation questions about the Police Brutality against Deaf and Hard of Hearing people these today.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
Subscribe to Rikki's channel: http://youtube.com/rikkipoynter
Follow @RikkiPoynter:
Subscribe - https://youtube.com/rikkipoynter
Twitter - http://twitter.com/rikkipoynter
Instagram - http://instagram.com/rikkipoynter
Tumblr - http://rikkipoynter.tumblr.com
Related Rikki Poynter:
Shit Hearing People Say About Deaf People
Rikki Poynter In British Deaf News Magazine
Being Deaf and Socializing
Being Blind Versus Being Deaf
IWD 2016 - ‘With Sign Language, I Am Equal’
VIDEO [CC] - Watch the inspirational videos of celebrates International Week of the Deaf, "With Sign Language, I am Equal" from the Deaf Community.
WFD HELSINKI -- International Week of the Deaf (IWD) is celebrated annually by Deaf people worldwide during the last full week of September. World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)’s 133 national associations of the Deaf organise this year's theme is "With Sign Language, I am Equal" events, marches, debates, campaigns and meetings to highlight specific human rights topics that merit attention by local and national governmental authorities, including decision makers, members of the general public and media.
International Week of the Deaf is about gathering together, becoming united, and showing that unity to the rest of the world. This celebration also increases solidarity among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people and their allies, and is used as a way to stimulate greater efforts to promote the rights of Deaf and HoH people.
International Week of the Deaf activities also welcome the involvement of parents and families of Deaf people, interpreters, professionals who work with Deaf people and government officials - SignTv Deaf News.
Joe Murray from the World Federation of the Deaf encourages you all to celebrate the International Week of the Deaf. This year's theme is "With Sign Language, I am Equal" and will be during September 19 to 25, 2016.
First launched in 1958 in Rome, Italy, International Week of the Deaf takes place annually on the last week of September. A truly global event, International Week of the Deaf is the only week in a year that sees highly concerned global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf community on different levels.
This year we gather once again to commemorate the 10th Year Adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and acknowledge the recent adoption of the 2030 Agenda of the new Sustainable Development Goals... Read More at https://wfdeaf.org/news.
Deaf elementary school celebrates International Week of the Deaf and International Day of Peace from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.
International Week of the Deaf 2016 - Doctors and Accessibility in English Subtitles - The Deaf group made this film for International Week of the Deaf focusing on the subject of Accessibility and Doctors issues in the Deaf community.
The Day of Deaf in Batticaloa from Lankasri News - To provide for the rights of the week local Deaf community rally in the country of Sri Lanka.
Read the full story at http://www.tamilwin.com/community/news.
Watch Playlists International Week of the Deaf on YouTube.
Learn more about International Week of the Deaf:
About IWD - https://wfdeaf.org/about-us/international-week-of-the-deaf
IWD on Facebook - https://facebook.com/wfdeaf.org/videos
Hastag on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hashtag/deafawarenessweek
Related International Week of the Deaf:
Pocoyo Inspires Deaf Culture, Brings Awareness
Related @WFD - World Federation of the Deaf
WFD HELSINKI -- International Week of the Deaf (IWD) is celebrated annually by Deaf people worldwide during the last full week of September. World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)’s 133 national associations of the Deaf organise this year's theme is "With Sign Language, I am Equal" events, marches, debates, campaigns and meetings to highlight specific human rights topics that merit attention by local and national governmental authorities, including decision makers, members of the general public and media.International Week of the Deaf is about gathering together, becoming united, and showing that unity to the rest of the world. This celebration also increases solidarity among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people and their allies, and is used as a way to stimulate greater efforts to promote the rights of Deaf and HoH people.
International Week of the Deaf activities also welcome the involvement of parents and families of Deaf people, interpreters, professionals who work with Deaf people and government officials - SignTv Deaf News.
Joe Murray from the World Federation of the Deaf encourages you all to celebrate the International Week of the Deaf. This year's theme is "With Sign Language, I am Equal" and will be during September 19 to 25, 2016.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
First launched in 1958 in Rome, Italy, International Week of the Deaf takes place annually on the last week of September. A truly global event, International Week of the Deaf is the only week in a year that sees highly concerned global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf community on different levels.
This year we gather once again to commemorate the 10th Year Adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and acknowledge the recent adoption of the 2030 Agenda of the new Sustainable Development Goals... Read More at https://wfdeaf.org/news.
Deaf elementary school celebrates International Week of the Deaf and International Day of Peace from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
International Week of the Deaf 2016 - Doctors and Accessibility in English Subtitles - The Deaf group made this film for International Week of the Deaf focusing on the subject of Accessibility and Doctors issues in the Deaf community.
The Day of Deaf in Batticaloa from Lankasri News - To provide for the rights of the week local Deaf community rally in the country of Sri Lanka.
Read the full story at http://www.tamilwin.com/community/news.
Watch Playlists International Week of the Deaf on YouTube.
Learn more about International Week of the Deaf:
About IWD - https://wfdeaf.org/about-us/international-week-of-the-deaf
IWD on Facebook - https://facebook.com/wfdeaf.org/videos
Hastag on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hashtag/deafawarenessweek
Related International Week of the Deaf:
Pocoyo Inspires Deaf Culture, Brings Awareness
Related @WFD - World Federation of the Deaf
Pocoyo Inspires Deaf Culture, Brings Awareness
VIDEO: Pocoyo wishes every children a Happy International Day of the Deaf.
A popular Spanish TV programme aimed at Deaf preschoolers, with 20 seconds footage clip in English subtitles showing the animated cartoon character of a 4-year-old boy ‘Pocoyo’s communicating with sign language "Hello to all the Deaf children in the world. I'm Pocoyo."
Pocoyo is a curious, fun-loving, friendly toddler who's always into experiencing new and exciting adventures. Featuring core values of tolerance, respect, love and loyalty, kids around the world love to join Pocoyo's adventures with his inseparable animal friends Elly (the elephant), Pato (the duck), Loula (his pet dog) and Sleepy Bird.
Subscribe to The English Channel on YouTube: https://youtube.com/pocoyousa
Pocoyo Disco - http://bit.ly/pocoyodiscoen
90 minutes of Pocoyo:
Part 1 - http://youtu.be/dDP-jzPV5fo
Part 2 - http://youtu.be/Xhm1HfmCJ8A
Part 3 - http://youtu.be/GB8itsBy74M
Pocoyo (Pocoyó in Spanish) is a Spanish-British pre-school animated television series created by Guillermo GarcÃa CarsÃ, Colman López, Luis Gallego and David Cantolla, and is a co-production between Spanish producer Zinkia Entertainment, Cosgrove-Hall Films and Granada International - Read More at Wikipedia.
Follow @Pocoyo (English)
Apps - http://www.pocoyo.com/en/apps
Facebook - https://facebook.com/pocoyo
Instagram - https://instagram.com/pocoyo
Twitter - http://twitter.com/pocoyo_us
Merch - http://pocoyofficialstore.com/en
GooglePlus - http://gplus.to/pocoyoen
Website - http://www.pocoyo.com/en
Related International Week of the Deaf:
IWD 2016 - ‘With Sign Language, I Am Equal’
A popular Spanish TV programme aimed at Deaf preschoolers, with 20 seconds footage clip in English subtitles showing the animated cartoon character of a 4-year-old boy ‘Pocoyo’s communicating with sign language "Hello to all the Deaf children in the world. I'm Pocoyo."
Pocoyo is a curious, fun-loving, friendly toddler who's always into experiencing new and exciting adventures. Featuring core values of tolerance, respect, love and loyalty, kids around the world love to join Pocoyo's adventures with his inseparable animal friends Elly (the elephant), Pato (the duck), Loula (his pet dog) and Sleepy Bird.
Subscribe to The English Channel on YouTube: https://youtube.com/pocoyousa
Pocoyo Disco - http://bit.ly/pocoyodiscoen
90 minutes of Pocoyo:
Part 1 - http://youtu.be/dDP-jzPV5fo
Part 2 - http://youtu.be/Xhm1HfmCJ8A
Part 3 - http://youtu.be/GB8itsBy74M
Pocoyo (Pocoyó in Spanish) is a Spanish-British pre-school animated television series created by Guillermo GarcÃa CarsÃ, Colman López, Luis Gallego and David Cantolla, and is a co-production between Spanish producer Zinkia Entertainment, Cosgrove-Hall Films and Granada International - Read More at Wikipedia.
Follow @Pocoyo (English)
Apps - http://www.pocoyo.com/en/apps
Facebook - https://facebook.com/pocoyo
Instagram - https://instagram.com/pocoyo
Twitter - http://twitter.com/pocoyo_us
Merch - http://pocoyofficialstore.com/en
GooglePlus - http://gplus.to/pocoyoen
Website - http://www.pocoyo.com/en
Related International Week of the Deaf:
IWD 2016 - ‘With Sign Language, I Am Equal’
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Deaf Student of CSDR Killed by Gunman
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: California School for the Deaf, Riverside student killed by gunman after he and friends explain in a text, 'We can't hear you'
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Time: The family of a Deaf teen says he was killed Friday night when a gunman approached him and his Deaf friends in Moreno Valley, asked them questions and began shooting as they tried to explain that they couldn’t hear him.
Najai Welch said her brother, DeSean Welch, and his friends were watching a football game at Rancho Verde High School, where the unidentified gunman approached them and began asking questions.
A friend of the dead teen pulled out a cellphone and showed it to the man in effort to explain that they were Deaf and didn’t understand him.
She said the friend wrote, “We are Deaf. We can’t hear you. We don’t understand what you are saying to us.”
The gunman, she said, took the phone and typed out a message, saying he “bangs in this hood,” and then asked the victim if he knew someone who lived in Ontario.
Her brother and friends then left the football game and entered a minivan, Najai Welch said. The group was being followed as the van drove away, she said.
At 9:56 p.m., deputies received a report of shots fired in the intersection of Via De Anza and Camino San Simeon near the high school, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
When deputies arrived, they found evidence of a shooting but no victims.
At the same time, DeSean Welch’s friends flagged down deputies in the area of Lasselle Street and Iris Avenue, pleading for help because he had been struck by the gunfire.
The 18-year-old Victorville teen was taken to an area hospital, where he later died, deputies said.
Najai Welch thinks the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. She said her brother was never involved in gangs or anything criminal. He was focused on sports and loved basketball, which he hoped to play professionally.
“My brother didn’t deserve that,” she said. “He was a good kid.”
News of the teen’s death left many in the Deaf community stunned.
DeSean Welch attended California School for the Deaf Riverside, and played varsity basketball, according to the school’s athletic department.
Memorials for the teen circulated on social media, and at least one team held a moment of silence for him during its game.
The school’s alumni association said its members were mourning the fallen teen’s death.
“We do not support any violence toward anyone regardless of their backgrounds, their actions or their characters,” the group said in a statement. “We believe anything can be resolved or find solutions. Unfortunately it did not happen with DeSean Welch.”
A family member has created a fundraiser to help pay for his funeral expenses.
Najai Welch is hopeful detectives will find the gunman.
“I just want him to turn himself in,” she said.
SOURCE
UPDATE:
According to police, the man shot at the car, killing the teen after being shown a text that read "We are deaf, can't hear you, don't understand what you’re saying to us." - Police Searching For Killer Of Deaf High School Basketball Star.
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Time: The family of a Deaf teen says he was killed Friday night when a gunman approached him and his Deaf friends in Moreno Valley, asked them questions and began shooting as they tried to explain that they couldn’t hear him.Najai Welch said her brother, DeSean Welch, and his friends were watching a football game at Rancho Verde High School, where the unidentified gunman approached them and began asking questions.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
A friend of the dead teen pulled out a cellphone and showed it to the man in effort to explain that they were Deaf and didn’t understand him.
She said the friend wrote, “We are Deaf. We can’t hear you. We don’t understand what you are saying to us.”
The gunman, she said, took the phone and typed out a message, saying he “bangs in this hood,” and then asked the victim if he knew someone who lived in Ontario.
Her brother and friends then left the football game and entered a minivan, Najai Welch said. The group was being followed as the van drove away, she said.
At 9:56 p.m., deputies received a report of shots fired in the intersection of Via De Anza and Camino San Simeon near the high school, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
When deputies arrived, they found evidence of a shooting but no victims.
At the same time, DeSean Welch’s friends flagged down deputies in the area of Lasselle Street and Iris Avenue, pleading for help because he had been struck by the gunfire.
The 18-year-old Victorville teen was taken to an area hospital, where he later died, deputies said.
Najai Welch thinks the shooting was a case of mistaken identity. She said her brother was never involved in gangs or anything criminal. He was focused on sports and loved basketball, which he hoped to play professionally.
“My brother didn’t deserve that,” she said. “He was a good kid.”
News of the teen’s death left many in the Deaf community stunned.
DeSean Welch attended California School for the Deaf Riverside, and played varsity basketball, according to the school’s athletic department.
Memorials for the teen circulated on social media, and at least one team held a moment of silence for him during its game.
The school’s alumni association said its members were mourning the fallen teen’s death.
“We do not support any violence toward anyone regardless of their backgrounds, their actions or their characters,” the group said in a statement. “We believe anything can be resolved or find solutions. Unfortunately it did not happen with DeSean Welch.”
A family member has created a fundraiser to help pay for his funeral expenses.
Najai Welch is hopeful detectives will find the gunman.
“I just want him to turn himself in,” she said.
SOURCE
UPDATE:
According to police, the man shot at the car, killing the teen after being shown a text that read "We are deaf, can't hear you, don't understand what you’re saying to us." - Police Searching For Killer Of Deaf High School Basketball Star.
Deaf Women More Likely to be a Victim of Abuse
Deaf News - STUDY: Deaf individuals are more likely to experience domestic violence than hearing individuals in the United States.
CLEVELAND, OH -- Newsnet5: Deaf individuals are one and a half times more likely to be victims of relationship violence than hearing individuals, according to research out of the Rochester Institute of Technology.
"He would grab me, push me down, kept pushing me down, hitting me," said Dawn Marie Fucile, a Cleveland resident who is Deaf. She spoke through an interpreter.
Fucile recalls her three-year abusive relationship which she says happened in Parma two decades ago.
"He got a hold of me and threw me physically, coffee table," she said of her ex-boyfriend who is also Deaf. "I missed it by just an inch."
Fucile, who is 48 years old, said she finally mustered up the strength to call the police. Twice, officers came to her house. Twice, they left without arresting the man.
"Both of the officers that were there, I could understand them, but they were being like 'oh poor you. You can't communicate," she added.
Fucile said the lack of communication services and education among police at that time contributed to a lack of help.
"We know that there are more victims that are Deaf and Hard of Hearing that don't have access to information or services, and that's a big problem," said Linda Johanek, CEO of the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center in Cleveland.
Johanek, with help from the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center and Cleveland Police, are trying to reverse the problem, which Johanek and Fucile said is only exacerbated by the fact that the Deaf community is tight-knit. For a member, it is difficult to break away, no matter the circumstance.
Through a federal grant, the domestic violence center, its shelter and all five police districts have iPads equipped with video remote interpreters. Officers can take the iPads with them on calls.
Fucile said the technology is a big step in the right direction.
"Do not be afraid to ask for help," she added. "I got help because I decided to move on."
Parma police said they now use a text messaging service to communicate with Deaf Individuals. For in-depth interviews, Parma and Cleveland police said they bring in live interpreters.
Fucile said her ex-boyfriend was eventually charged and convicted of domestic violence.
SOURCE
Related Posts: #Domestic Violence
CLEVELAND, OH -- Newsnet5: Deaf individuals are one and a half times more likely to be victims of relationship violence than hearing individuals, according to research out of the Rochester Institute of Technology."He would grab me, push me down, kept pushing me down, hitting me," said Dawn Marie Fucile, a Cleveland resident who is Deaf. She spoke through an interpreter.
Fucile recalls her three-year abusive relationship which she says happened in Parma two decades ago.
"He got a hold of me and threw me physically, coffee table," she said of her ex-boyfriend who is also Deaf. "I missed it by just an inch."
Fucile, who is 48 years old, said she finally mustered up the strength to call the police. Twice, officers came to her house. Twice, they left without arresting the man.
"Both of the officers that were there, I could understand them, but they were being like 'oh poor you. You can't communicate," she added.
Fucile said the lack of communication services and education among police at that time contributed to a lack of help.
"We know that there are more victims that are Deaf and Hard of Hearing that don't have access to information or services, and that's a big problem," said Linda Johanek, CEO of the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center in Cleveland.
Johanek, with help from the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center and Cleveland Police, are trying to reverse the problem, which Johanek and Fucile said is only exacerbated by the fact that the Deaf community is tight-knit. For a member, it is difficult to break away, no matter the circumstance.
Through a federal grant, the domestic violence center, its shelter and all five police districts have iPads equipped with video remote interpreters. Officers can take the iPads with them on calls.
Fucile said the technology is a big step in the right direction.
"Do not be afraid to ask for help," she added. "I got help because I decided to move on."
Parma police said they now use a text messaging service to communicate with Deaf Individuals. For in-depth interviews, Parma and Cleveland police said they bring in live interpreters.
Fucile said her ex-boyfriend was eventually charged and convicted of domestic violence.
SOURCE
Related Posts: #Domestic Violence
METRAC Campaign Aims Toronto Deaf Women
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: The METRAC campaign and program is aimed at making justice more accessible to Deaf women in family breakup situations.
TORONTO -- MetroNews: A new campaign in Toronto aims to help Deaf women facing family breakdowns navigate the legal system.
Through its Family Law Education for Women program, METRAC has partnered with Springtide Resources and members of the Deaf community to create two videos being launched Thursday.
The videos were produced in American Sign Language, with closed captioning, and contain detailed information about child custody rights and information about support services for survivors of domestic assault.
METRAC has for years provided sign language services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing women through direct translation, but feedback from the Deaf community showed it “wasn’t very helpful,” said METRAC’s legal director Tamar Witelson.
“This is about increasing access to justice. There’s a lot of concerns when women are separating from their partners, and it’s even harder for Deaf women,” she said, noting that having a multimedia element in the resources will go a long way.
The challenges facing Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing women during family separation battles can stretch beyond just access to justice. If a family is breaking up due to intimate abuse in relationships, for example, the woman is less likely to even seek legal help because of stigma around such cases, Witelson said.
“We still have many women in this situation who don’t even understand what their legal rights are,” she said. “Many even end up going in court without a lawyer to represent them.”
According to Canadian Hearing Society, there are over 530,000 people in Ontario who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. That’s almost 5 per cent of the population.
SOURCE
Related Posts: #Domestic Violence
TORONTO -- MetroNews: A new campaign in Toronto aims to help Deaf women facing family breakdowns navigate the legal system.
Through its Family Law Education for Women program, METRAC has partnered with Springtide Resources and members of the Deaf community to create two videos being launched Thursday.
The videos were produced in American Sign Language, with closed captioning, and contain detailed information about child custody rights and information about support services for survivors of domestic assault.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
METRAC has for years provided sign language services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing women through direct translation, but feedback from the Deaf community showed it “wasn’t very helpful,” said METRAC’s legal director Tamar Witelson.
“This is about increasing access to justice. There’s a lot of concerns when women are separating from their partners, and it’s even harder for Deaf women,” she said, noting that having a multimedia element in the resources will go a long way.
The challenges facing Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing women during family separation battles can stretch beyond just access to justice. If a family is breaking up due to intimate abuse in relationships, for example, the woman is less likely to even seek legal help because of stigma around such cases, Witelson said.
“We still have many women in this situation who don’t even understand what their legal rights are,” she said. “Many even end up going in court without a lawyer to represent them.”
According to Canadian Hearing Society, there are over 530,000 people in Ontario who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. That’s almost 5 per cent of the population.
SOURCE
Related Posts: #Domestic Violence
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Deaf School Children Sign The 9/11 Story
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Deaf school children in Texas use sign language to paint a powerful portrait of what happened on Sept. 11.
USA Today - Teaching 9/11: “To them, it’s history, just like Pearl Harbor,” said Chris Causey, a middle school educator in Robertson County, Tenn. So, as the memories fade, teachers feel challenged to teach 9/11 in some way that is relevant to all ages in the United States.
In some schools in New Jersey, third graders learn about the K9 rescue teams while 12th graders discuss methods of prisoner interrogation. In Tennessee, older students at Stratford High School conduct a mock rescue at the World Trade Center; others arrange their desks like the seats of an airplane while Williamson County social studies teacher Kenneth Roeten asks students about their everyday morning routines and compares them to headlines just before the attacks.
Deaf school children in Texas use sign language to paint a powerful portrait of what happened on Sept. 11.
“I personally cannot think of any other event in American history that has had more of an impact on how everyday Americans live their life,” Roeten wrote in an email. “It has had a profound impact on my life; therefore, I believe it to be my duty as an educator to never stop teaching the shock, horror, sadness and utter disbelief of that day.”
But how? That's what school systems around the country are wrestling with now.
“I don’t think there’s a school system that has said ‘We’re going to focus on this,'” said Colleen Tambuscio, a teacher at New Milford High School in New Jersey who helped write a 9/11 curriculum through the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education in collaboration with the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in Manhattan. “I think what has happened in New Jersey - we’ve had moments of silence; we’ve had commemorative acts that were important. But now we should be getting into the educational piece, where we’re doing more with the education. That’s the trajectory.”
The lessons from the curriculum Tambuscio helped write include political and religious discussions; the history and present state of Islamic extremists; the global impact of the day economically; the ensuing wars; the backlash against Muslims; the change in day-to-day security and privacy implications; the huge personal tragedy; as well as stories of the first responders, extraordinary acts by ordinary citizens and the mission of service many felt afterward... Reaf The Full Story.
USA Today - Teaching 9/11: “To them, it’s history, just like Pearl Harbor,” said Chris Causey, a middle school educator in Robertson County, Tenn. So, as the memories fade, teachers feel challenged to teach 9/11 in some way that is relevant to all ages in the United States.In some schools in New Jersey, third graders learn about the K9 rescue teams while 12th graders discuss methods of prisoner interrogation. In Tennessee, older students at Stratford High School conduct a mock rescue at the World Trade Center; others arrange their desks like the seats of an airplane while Williamson County social studies teacher Kenneth Roeten asks students about their everyday morning routines and compares them to headlines just before the attacks.
Deaf school children in Texas use sign language to paint a powerful portrait of what happened on Sept. 11.
“I personally cannot think of any other event in American history that has had more of an impact on how everyday Americans live their life,” Roeten wrote in an email. “It has had a profound impact on my life; therefore, I believe it to be my duty as an educator to never stop teaching the shock, horror, sadness and utter disbelief of that day.”
But how? That's what school systems around the country are wrestling with now.
“I don’t think there’s a school system that has said ‘We’re going to focus on this,'” said Colleen Tambuscio, a teacher at New Milford High School in New Jersey who helped write a 9/11 curriculum through the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education in collaboration with the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in Manhattan. “I think what has happened in New Jersey - we’ve had moments of silence; we’ve had commemorative acts that were important. But now we should be getting into the educational piece, where we’re doing more with the education. That’s the trajectory.”
The lessons from the curriculum Tambuscio helped write include political and religious discussions; the history and present state of Islamic extremists; the global impact of the day economically; the ensuing wars; the backlash against Muslims; the change in day-to-day security and privacy implications; the huge personal tragedy; as well as stories of the first responders, extraordinary acts by ordinary citizens and the mission of service many felt afterward... Reaf The Full Story.
Theater Cancels Until Deaf Actor Found For Role
Deaf News: Troupe seeks to collaborate with the Iowa Deaf community to create authentic portrayals.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA -- The Gazette: The Deaf Community has spoken, and Theatre Cedar Rapids has listened.
The community theater is postponing its production of “Tribes,” after two weeks of rehearsals and protests over casting hearing actors in the roles of two Deaf characters.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Leslie Charipar, the theater’s artistic director said: “In light of conversation among and feedback from the Deaf community and after a great deal of conversation and soul-searching with TCR staff, Tribes director David Schneider, and the cast of Tribes, TCR has decided to postpone our production of Tribes until we can gain the support of the Deaf community and collaborate with them in finding Deaf actors to play the Deaf roles as well as ensure that we are portraying the Deaf experience in an authentic and respectful way.”
New production dates haven’t been chosen yet.
“It might be possible that it’s next year,” said Casey Prince, TCR’s executive director. “What we’re most excited about is quickly getting people plugged into the production.”
TCR will contact ticketholders; information also is posted on the theater’s website.
Those options could include workshops to promote education and understanding between the Hearing and Deaf communities, from sign language and culture to theater studies.
“This postponement is our sincere and earnest way to meet our mission of serving the entire community and specifically to do right by the Deaf community as we share their stories in an authentic and collaborative way,” Charipar said.
The message spread on social media as swiftly as the protests posted the past two weeks.
“WOW! Thank you, TCR for listening to the Deaf community,” wrote Carly Armour of Iowa City, who helped initiate the early discussions on Facebook and spoke passionately - using American Sign Language and her voice - during a public forum Tuesday afternoon in Cedar Rapids. “This decision will not only bridge the gap between the theater and Deaf communities but also create a STRONG partnership for years to come. Thank you to our community - Deaf and Hearing allies - for coming together to make this change!”
“We will work together to help and heal,” wrote Robert Vizzini of Cedar Rapids, chairman of the Cedar Rapids Association of the Deaf, reiterating what he said at the forum.
Prince, who attended that event, made good on his promise to take their comments back to his team, continuing a discussion already underway at the theater.
“We’ll regroup,” he said, “(and) get feedback from those who want to participate going forward.”
The cast’s reaction was “very emotional,” he said. “They were very invested in the piece for their own personal reasons. The story, the material really resonated with them. In light of the public nature of this conversation that’s been playing out, they connected with each other over a short two weeks in a way that some casts never do over multiple months. I’m certainly sad for those who are sad, but I’m very happy that they found each other and grew through the material with the limited time that they did.”
“I hope this proves to you that we were listening and silently observing,” cast member Mindy Oberreuter said via Facebook, where much of the controversy played out. “I truly hope both sides can move forward in collaboration. The very heart of theater is telling a story, and we want to tell it honestly and correctly. We all love theater that is why we are a part of this group. ... I wish you all could have seen our rehearsal on Monday night. I don’t know if the universe was telling us something, but it was beautiful. We rehearsed the second act and if you are familiar with the show’s end, you know how emotional and raw it is. It ends with love and tears and hugs.”
SOURCE
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA -- The Gazette: The Deaf Community has spoken, and Theatre Cedar Rapids has listened.The community theater is postponing its production of “Tribes,” after two weeks of rehearsals and protests over casting hearing actors in the roles of two Deaf characters.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Leslie Charipar, the theater’s artistic director said: “In light of conversation among and feedback from the Deaf community and after a great deal of conversation and soul-searching with TCR staff, Tribes director David Schneider, and the cast of Tribes, TCR has decided to postpone our production of Tribes until we can gain the support of the Deaf community and collaborate with them in finding Deaf actors to play the Deaf roles as well as ensure that we are portraying the Deaf experience in an authentic and respectful way.”
New production dates haven’t been chosen yet.
“It might be possible that it’s next year,” said Casey Prince, TCR’s executive director. “What we’re most excited about is quickly getting people plugged into the production.”
TCR will contact ticketholders; information also is posted on the theater’s website.
Those options could include workshops to promote education and understanding between the Hearing and Deaf communities, from sign language and culture to theater studies.
“This postponement is our sincere and earnest way to meet our mission of serving the entire community and specifically to do right by the Deaf community as we share their stories in an authentic and collaborative way,” Charipar said.
The message spread on social media as swiftly as the protests posted the past two weeks.
“WOW! Thank you, TCR for listening to the Deaf community,” wrote Carly Armour of Iowa City, who helped initiate the early discussions on Facebook and spoke passionately - using American Sign Language and her voice - during a public forum Tuesday afternoon in Cedar Rapids. “This decision will not only bridge the gap between the theater and Deaf communities but also create a STRONG partnership for years to come. Thank you to our community - Deaf and Hearing allies - for coming together to make this change!”
“We will work together to help and heal,” wrote Robert Vizzini of Cedar Rapids, chairman of the Cedar Rapids Association of the Deaf, reiterating what he said at the forum.
Prince, who attended that event, made good on his promise to take their comments back to his team, continuing a discussion already underway at the theater.
“We’ll regroup,” he said, “(and) get feedback from those who want to participate going forward.”
The cast’s reaction was “very emotional,” he said. “They were very invested in the piece for their own personal reasons. The story, the material really resonated with them. In light of the public nature of this conversation that’s been playing out, they connected with each other over a short two weeks in a way that some casts never do over multiple months. I’m certainly sad for those who are sad, but I’m very happy that they found each other and grew through the material with the limited time that they did.”
“I hope this proves to you that we were listening and silently observing,” cast member Mindy Oberreuter said via Facebook, where much of the controversy played out. “I truly hope both sides can move forward in collaboration. The very heart of theater is telling a story, and we want to tell it honestly and correctly. We all love theater that is why we are a part of this group. ... I wish you all could have seen our rehearsal on Monday night. I don’t know if the universe was telling us something, but it was beautiful. We rehearsed the second act and if you are familiar with the show’s end, you know how emotional and raw it is. It ends with love and tears and hugs.”
SOURCE
Booming Cochlear Implants in Indiana State
Deaf News: As more Deaf students use cochlear implants, Indiana schools work to adapt due to gaining popularity.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Public schools in Indiana serve about 2,400 students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Of those students a growing number now use cochlear implants, small medical devices that stimulate nerves in the inner ear and give a sense of hearing.
As technology develops, and cochlear implants become more common, many public schools are still working to catch up.
“I like to think that it’s not malicious, it’s just that most of these smaller districts don’t have the training and the knowledge to really be able to understand what these kids need,” says Ellyn McCall, family liaison at hearing loss advocacy group Hear Indiana.
As the number of students with cochlear implants grow, advocates like McCall say there’s often a disconnect between services schools offer and services these students need.
Brandy Hauser, of Spencer, IN, had never been more excited. She was a brand new mom. Like all Indiana parents since 1999, she watched as doctors took her newborn daughter Grace for a hearing screening.
Then a nurse came back.
“She [gave] me a little card and said that your daughter didn’t pass the infant hearing screening test,” Hasuer says.
Grace has mondini dysplasia, an inner ear malformation that results in profound deafness.
“After that it was like a whirlwind of ‘What do we do?,’” Hauser says.
For communication, the options can come from two schools of thought.
There’s the well-known route: use sign language. Or the newer option gaining popularity: cochlear implants and spoken language.
Hauser chose the second. At 18 months, Grace had an implant surgically attached to her skull.
“She was sitting in her little car seat stroller. We had her sitting up in there, and they turned her on. It was just like the shine of a Christmas light in her face when she, you know, clapped and she looked,” Hauser says. “It was the first time that I knew, ok, she looked. Ok, we’ve got this.”
But when Grace got to school, things became complicated. Hearing with cochlear implants is not traditional hearing. It takes time to ‘learn to hear.’
“When sentence writing started coming around, and the structure of sentences.. [It] was very hard for her to make a sentence that would be correct,” Hauser says.
Hauser says that’s largely because services from the school district weren’t geared for Deaf kids who, through technology, were also learning to hear and speak.
Instead, the focus was American Sign Language, where grammar is different.
Students like Grace are already outliers in the state. She’s one of nine Deaf or Hard of Hearing students in the Spencer-Ownens Community Schools district of 2,600 students. That’s one-third of one percent of the entire student body.
That’s typical for most Indiana school districts. Public districts, outside of the Indiana School for the Deaf, have eight deaf or hard of hearing students, on average.
Melissa Lancaster heads the organization that provides special education for Grace’s school district, Spencer-Owens Community schools.
“We look at what they’re needing and what services can we provide to meet that,” Lancaster says. “The only challenge is making sure that we’re up to speed on the cochlear implant and what’s needed with that.”
Challenges - and debates - around educating students who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing are nothing new to Indiana. Indiana is home to the Indiana School for the Deaf - an institution that specializes in giving students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing an American Sign Language and English bilingual education.
As technology developed, lawmakers said the ISD was not giving students enough experience in a newly available hearing culture. School officials pushed back, but the state diverted funding from the school to create the Indiana Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education.
It’s goal? Provide information regarding all communication opportunities to families, from American Sign Language to spoken language.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing students bring their districts about $8,000 each in extra state funding, but advocates say that amount doesn’t necessary cover expensive services that help students with cochlear implants, like therapy, closed-captioning and teacher microphone systems.
“That has to cover lot’s of things,” says Naomi Horton, executive director of hearing loss advocacy group Hear Indiana. “It’s not enough money in most cases to cover the special education costs.”
But there’s a catch. Under federal law, school districts are obligated to provide all students with a free and adequate education. In other words, they can’t say a necessary special education accommodation is beyond their budget. And she says, that can put cash-strapped schools in a tricky position.
Ellyn McCall, the family liason at Hear Indiana, says it makes a big difference when services are tailored for children with cochlear implants. She says it has made a big difference for her son Seth.
Today, Seth is 8 years old. He’s in a traditional classroom, and says he learns things like the definition of “busybody.”
“‘Busybody’ is when you’re being nosy and you’re listening to someone else’s conversation,” Seth says.
Because there is evidence that early services can mean big results for students like Seth in the long run, some parents don’t want to wait for their districts to provide them.
Kendra Bowden’s son Wyatt has cochlear implants. On his third birthday, Bowden says he still had the language skills of a child half his age.
Bowden lives in Terre Haute, but she decided to send Wyatt to St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, a private school that specializes in educating children with cochlear implants. It’s in Indianapolis. An hour and a half away.
“We didn’t want to actually send him because it’s far for us, it’s far for him it’s hard on him it’s hard on us, he’s our baby he’s never even been to daycare,” Bowden said. “But that school is only there for preschool.”
It’s almost seven hours total of driving there and back, to and from school each day. But Bowden hopes it will be worth it after preschool.
“I think it’s gonna be worth it in the long run,” Bowden said. “It’s not forever, it’s maybe a couple of years.”
Studies show getting children with cochlear implants specialized services early can be worth if for the state financially, too. The state can save over $200,000 per student that would otherwise go to state services, like special education and auditory rehabilitation.
SOURCE
INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Public schools in Indiana serve about 2,400 students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Of those students a growing number now use cochlear implants, small medical devices that stimulate nerves in the inner ear and give a sense of hearing.As technology develops, and cochlear implants become more common, many public schools are still working to catch up.
“I like to think that it’s not malicious, it’s just that most of these smaller districts don’t have the training and the knowledge to really be able to understand what these kids need,” says Ellyn McCall, family liaison at hearing loss advocacy group Hear Indiana.
As the number of students with cochlear implants grow, advocates like McCall say there’s often a disconnect between services schools offer and services these students need.
Brandy Hauser, of Spencer, IN, had never been more excited. She was a brand new mom. Like all Indiana parents since 1999, she watched as doctors took her newborn daughter Grace for a hearing screening.
Then a nurse came back.
“She [gave] me a little card and said that your daughter didn’t pass the infant hearing screening test,” Hasuer says.
Grace has mondini dysplasia, an inner ear malformation that results in profound deafness.
“After that it was like a whirlwind of ‘What do we do?,’” Hauser says.
For communication, the options can come from two schools of thought.
There’s the well-known route: use sign language. Or the newer option gaining popularity: cochlear implants and spoken language.
Hauser chose the second. At 18 months, Grace had an implant surgically attached to her skull.
“She was sitting in her little car seat stroller. We had her sitting up in there, and they turned her on. It was just like the shine of a Christmas light in her face when she, you know, clapped and she looked,” Hauser says. “It was the first time that I knew, ok, she looked. Ok, we’ve got this.”
But when Grace got to school, things became complicated. Hearing with cochlear implants is not traditional hearing. It takes time to ‘learn to hear.’
“When sentence writing started coming around, and the structure of sentences.. [It] was very hard for her to make a sentence that would be correct,” Hauser says.
Hauser says that’s largely because services from the school district weren’t geared for Deaf kids who, through technology, were also learning to hear and speak.
Instead, the focus was American Sign Language, where grammar is different.
Students like Grace are already outliers in the state. She’s one of nine Deaf or Hard of Hearing students in the Spencer-Ownens Community Schools district of 2,600 students. That’s one-third of one percent of the entire student body.
That’s typical for most Indiana school districts. Public districts, outside of the Indiana School for the Deaf, have eight deaf or hard of hearing students, on average.
Melissa Lancaster heads the organization that provides special education for Grace’s school district, Spencer-Owens Community schools.
“We look at what they’re needing and what services can we provide to meet that,” Lancaster says. “The only challenge is making sure that we’re up to speed on the cochlear implant and what’s needed with that.”
Challenges - and debates - around educating students who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing are nothing new to Indiana. Indiana is home to the Indiana School for the Deaf - an institution that specializes in giving students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing an American Sign Language and English bilingual education.
As technology developed, lawmakers said the ISD was not giving students enough experience in a newly available hearing culture. School officials pushed back, but the state diverted funding from the school to create the Indiana Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education.
It’s goal? Provide information regarding all communication opportunities to families, from American Sign Language to spoken language.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing students bring their districts about $8,000 each in extra state funding, but advocates say that amount doesn’t necessary cover expensive services that help students with cochlear implants, like therapy, closed-captioning and teacher microphone systems.
“That has to cover lot’s of things,” says Naomi Horton, executive director of hearing loss advocacy group Hear Indiana. “It’s not enough money in most cases to cover the special education costs.”
But there’s a catch. Under federal law, school districts are obligated to provide all students with a free and adequate education. In other words, they can’t say a necessary special education accommodation is beyond their budget. And she says, that can put cash-strapped schools in a tricky position.
Ellyn McCall, the family liason at Hear Indiana, says it makes a big difference when services are tailored for children with cochlear implants. She says it has made a big difference for her son Seth.
Today, Seth is 8 years old. He’s in a traditional classroom, and says he learns things like the definition of “busybody.”
“‘Busybody’ is when you’re being nosy and you’re listening to someone else’s conversation,” Seth says.
Because there is evidence that early services can mean big results for students like Seth in the long run, some parents don’t want to wait for their districts to provide them.
Kendra Bowden’s son Wyatt has cochlear implants. On his third birthday, Bowden says he still had the language skills of a child half his age.
Bowden lives in Terre Haute, but she decided to send Wyatt to St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, a private school that specializes in educating children with cochlear implants. It’s in Indianapolis. An hour and a half away.
“We didn’t want to actually send him because it’s far for us, it’s far for him it’s hard on him it’s hard on us, he’s our baby he’s never even been to daycare,” Bowden said. “But that school is only there for preschool.”
It’s almost seven hours total of driving there and back, to and from school each day. But Bowden hopes it will be worth it after preschool.
“I think it’s gonna be worth it in the long run,” Bowden said. “It’s not forever, it’s maybe a couple of years.”
Studies show getting children with cochlear implants specialized services early can be worth if for the state financially, too. The state can save over $200,000 per student that would otherwise go to state services, like special education and auditory rehabilitation.
SOURCE
Maria Siebald - Musicals For Deaf People
VIDEO [CC] - Chilean artist Maria Siebald helps Deaf people experience the depth of music through live performances and videos.
Siebald makes music videos and performances for Deaf people. She uses sign language throughout the performance to help them feel the depths of the music.
To learn more about Maria Siebald, visit https://mariasiebald.wordpress.com
Shot by Diego MarÃn Verdugo for AJ+.
Follow AJ+:
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Siebald makes music videos and performances for Deaf people. She uses sign language throughout the performance to help them feel the depths of the music.
To learn more about Maria Siebald, visit https://mariasiebald.wordpress.com
Shot by Diego MarÃn Verdugo for AJ+.
Follow AJ+:
Facebook - https://facebook.com/ajplusenglish
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ajplus
YouTube - https://youtube.com/channel/aj+
AJ+ App - http://www.ajplus.net
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Bullies Dump Deaf Student's Backpack In Toilet
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: High school bullies dump Deaf students backpack in toilet has gained national attention in the United States.
OMAHA, NE -- High school bullies in Omaha, Nebraska chose a Deaf student as their victim in a sickening incident that has gained national attention, KMTV reported.
The mean-spirited students dumped the contents of Alex Hernandez's backpack into a toilet at mainstreaming school.
Alex, a senior, had left his backpack on a chair while getting some food Wednesday in the cafeteria of Burke High School. When he returned, it was gone.
Alex told school administrators, but a search proved fruitless. However, when school security video was examined, two male students were seen walking off with his bag.
"Those students think it's okay to bully a Deaf student, but it's not. It's not okay to bully someone who is Disabled, Deaf or Hard of Hearing," Hernandez told KMTV. "Or anyone for that matter."
The backpack contained his tablet, a debit card, school supplies, a battery for his cochlear implant and his homework. It was the homework that really bothered him. The toilet dousing ruined his English project.
"I was very upset because I know I work really hard on my project and homework because I just want to make my mom to be happy and know that I did a good job on the homework," he told KMTV.
According to the station, school administrators told Alex's mother that the students who took the backpack were eventually identified and that one has been suspended. The pair claim they didn't know Alex was Deaf.
The incident remains under investigation. Meanwhile Alex's mother has pulled the boy out of Burke High so he can transfer to another high school.
Alex's sister and some of his friends set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to replace the ruined items. The goal was reached, and the account has since been closed. Source.
UPDATE:
Students Involved in Burke High Incident Have Been Disciplined, District Says.
KETV: The Omaha Public School District released a statement Tuesday, saying the students involved in the incident have been disciplined. The district said, because of privacy laws, they would not identify the students, or provide specific details about the discipline. Here is the full text of the statement.
"We are aware of the situation involving theft of a student’s property that occurred last week at Burke High School.
This situation was an isolated incident. It involved theft of property that was later discarded, captured on photo by students and shared on social media. Interviews with the students involved revealed they did not know each other... Read More.
OMAHA, NE -- High school bullies in Omaha, Nebraska chose a Deaf student as their victim in a sickening incident that has gained national attention, KMTV reported.The mean-spirited students dumped the contents of Alex Hernandez's backpack into a toilet at mainstreaming school.
Alex, a senior, had left his backpack on a chair while getting some food Wednesday in the cafeteria of Burke High School. When he returned, it was gone.
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Alex told school administrators, but a search proved fruitless. However, when school security video was examined, two male students were seen walking off with his bag.
"Those students think it's okay to bully a Deaf student, but it's not. It's not okay to bully someone who is Disabled, Deaf or Hard of Hearing," Hernandez told KMTV. "Or anyone for that matter."
The backpack contained his tablet, a debit card, school supplies, a battery for his cochlear implant and his homework. It was the homework that really bothered him. The toilet dousing ruined his English project.
"I was very upset because I know I work really hard on my project and homework because I just want to make my mom to be happy and know that I did a good job on the homework," he told KMTV.
According to the station, school administrators told Alex's mother that the students who took the backpack were eventually identified and that one has been suspended. The pair claim they didn't know Alex was Deaf.
The incident remains under investigation. Meanwhile Alex's mother has pulled the boy out of Burke High so he can transfer to another high school.
Alex's sister and some of his friends set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to replace the ruined items. The goal was reached, and the account has since been closed. Source.
UPDATE:
Students Involved in Burke High Incident Have Been Disciplined, District Says.
KETV: The Omaha Public School District released a statement Tuesday, saying the students involved in the incident have been disciplined. The district said, because of privacy laws, they would not identify the students, or provide specific details about the discipline. Here is the full text of the statement.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
"We are aware of the situation involving theft of a student’s property that occurred last week at Burke High School.
This situation was an isolated incident. It involved theft of property that was later discarded, captured on photo by students and shared on social media. Interviews with the students involved revealed they did not know each other... Read More.
What It's Like To Be Deaf On University Campus
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Students face challenges as Kirsten Pribula talks about her experiences of being Deaf on campus in the United States..
ATHENS, OH -- The Post: At age 23, Kirsten Pribula heard a water sprinkler for the first time. She stood in the middle of College Green for a few minutes trying to preserve the moment and remember the sound.
Pribula lost her hearing between the ages of 3 and 4 due to autoimmune inner ear disease. AIED is a progressive hearing loss condition caused when the immune system attacks the inner ear, according to the American Hearing Research Foundation.
Pribula underwent cochlear implant surgery - a surgery where a device that improves hearing is placed in the inner ear - when she was 8 years old. The surgery allows her to hear partially, but Pribula still relies heavily on lip reading and interpreters, she said.
In group conversations, Pribula said she often needs an interpreter because it is hard to keep up with the back-and-forth nature of the setting.
“But with one-on-one conversations, I do really well because … I can read lips well,” Pribula said.
Despite the problems she faces because of her hearing loss, she still chose to come to Ohio University. Pribula was also looking at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the only university in the nation designed specifically to eliminate barriers for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, but Gallaudet did not offer Pribula the major she wanted to pursue.
Pribula, a junior studying graphic design, thought she was the only student who is Deaf on campus, but according to Carey Busch, the assistant dean of student accessibility, there are between 15 and 18 students on Ohio University’s Athens campus that are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. The group makes up less than one-tenth of a percent of the campus’ student population.
Although Pribula often feels overlooked by the general student body, there are some offices at OU actively working to accommodate students, who are Deaf, in and out of the classroom... Read The Full Story.
ATHENS, OH -- The Post: At age 23, Kirsten Pribula heard a water sprinkler for the first time. She stood in the middle of College Green for a few minutes trying to preserve the moment and remember the sound.Pribula lost her hearing between the ages of 3 and 4 due to autoimmune inner ear disease. AIED is a progressive hearing loss condition caused when the immune system attacks the inner ear, according to the American Hearing Research Foundation.
Pribula underwent cochlear implant surgery - a surgery where a device that improves hearing is placed in the inner ear - when she was 8 years old. The surgery allows her to hear partially, but Pribula still relies heavily on lip reading and interpreters, she said.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
In group conversations, Pribula said she often needs an interpreter because it is hard to keep up with the back-and-forth nature of the setting.
“But with one-on-one conversations, I do really well because … I can read lips well,” Pribula said.
Despite the problems she faces because of her hearing loss, she still chose to come to Ohio University. Pribula was also looking at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the only university in the nation designed specifically to eliminate barriers for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, but Gallaudet did not offer Pribula the major she wanted to pursue.
Pribula, a junior studying graphic design, thought she was the only student who is Deaf on campus, but according to Carey Busch, the assistant dean of student accessibility, there are between 15 and 18 students on Ohio University’s Athens campus that are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. The group makes up less than one-tenth of a percent of the campus’ student population.
Although Pribula often feels overlooked by the general student body, there are some offices at OU actively working to accommodate students, who are Deaf, in and out of the classroom... Read The Full Story.
How Not To Be A Dick To Deaf People
VIDEO [CC] - Watch the 2:23 minutes of awareness and educational "How Not to be a Dick to Deaf People."
Meet Bea the host for The Social from BBC Scotland, sharing and educating to Hearing people about the hearing-loss individuals - If you're curious about Deaf people and want to ask questions to learn more, go ahead. But there are some questions you should NEVER ask or say.
Bea has heard them all including - You're too pretty to be deaf but too ugly to be hearing. You don’t look deaf. How do Deaf people have babies? How do Deaf people have sex? Can Deaf people drive? So next time you speak to someone who's Deaf, don't be a dick, think before you open your mouth.
Follow @BBCTheSocial
Facebook - https://facebook.com/bbcthesocial
GooglePlus - https://plus.google.com/u/0/+bbcthesocial
Twitter - https://twitter.com/bbcthesocial
Tumblr - http://bbcthesocial.tumblr.com
YouTube - https://youtube.com/channel/bbcthesocial
Meet Bea the host for The Social from BBC Scotland, sharing and educating to Hearing people about the hearing-loss individuals - If you're curious about Deaf people and want to ask questions to learn more, go ahead. But there are some questions you should NEVER ask or say.To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
Bea has heard them all including - You're too pretty to be deaf but too ugly to be hearing. You don’t look deaf. How do Deaf people have babies? How do Deaf people have sex? Can Deaf people drive? So next time you speak to someone who's Deaf, don't be a dick, think before you open your mouth.
Follow @BBCTheSocial
Facebook - https://facebook.com/bbcthesocial
GooglePlus - https://plus.google.com/u/0/+bbcthesocial
Twitter - https://twitter.com/bbcthesocial
Tumblr - http://bbcthesocial.tumblr.com
YouTube - https://youtube.com/channel/bbcthesocial
Job Discrimination In Deaf People's Lives
VIDEO [ASL] - Ricky Taylor aka Ridor9th' share thoughts - Job discrimination rampant in Deaf people's lives.
FREDERICK, MD -- The video producer by openly Deaf Gay Ricky Taylor aka Ridor9th, also known as one of the most controversial bloggers in Deaf community, shares on social media in American Sign Language covers the latest tidbits focusing on this vlog talks about job discrimination being rampant in Deaf people's lives in 2010s in the United States and around the world.
Follow @Ridor9th:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ridor9th
Twitpic - http://twitpic.com/photos/ridor9th
Tumblr - https://twitter.com/ridor9th
PlusGoogle - https://plus.google.com/ridor9th/posts
YouTube - http://youtube.com/ridor9th
Blog - http://ridor.blogspot.com
Related Posts - #Ridor9th Video Archive
FREDERICK, MD -- The video producer by openly Deaf Gay Ricky Taylor aka Ridor9th, also known as one of the most controversial bloggers in Deaf community, shares on social media in American Sign Language covers the latest tidbits focusing on this vlog talks about job discrimination being rampant in Deaf people's lives in 2010s in the United States and around the world.Follow @Ridor9th:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ridor9th
Twitpic - http://twitpic.com/photos/ridor9th
Tumblr - https://twitter.com/ridor9th
PlusGoogle - https://plus.google.com/ridor9th/posts
YouTube - http://youtube.com/ridor9th
Blog - http://ridor.blogspot.com
Related Posts - #Ridor9th Video Archive
Deaf vs. Hearing - Reaction To The Light Flashing
VIDEO [CC] - Watch the hilarious 30 seconds footage Deaf versus Hearing "Reaction to the Light Flashing" in English Subtitles.
A newest Youtuber Da So Em is an inspiring thoughts within both of awareness and culture and she sharing the 30 seconds comedy footage about differences between Deaf and Hearing people when reaction to the light flashing.
Please like and share this video. Don't forgot to subscribe for more videos.
Related Deaf vs. Hearing:
Deaf Versus Hearing - Eat And Talk
Deaf Pity Versus Hearing Pity
Deaf vs. Hearing - Reaction To The Light Flashing
Hearing People Versus Deaf People
Being Blind Versus Being Deaf
Deaf Community Versus Hearing Community
Living In Between The Deaf And Hearing Worlds
Shit Hearing People Say About Deaf People
Deaf Lifestyle - Oralism Versus Manualism
A newest Youtuber Da So Em is an inspiring thoughts within both of awareness and culture and she sharing the 30 seconds comedy footage about differences between Deaf and Hearing people when reaction to the light flashing.
Please like and share this video. Don't forgot to subscribe for more videos.
Related Deaf vs. Hearing:
Deaf Versus Hearing - Eat And Talk
Deaf Pity Versus Hearing Pity
Deaf vs. Hearing - Reaction To The Light Flashing
Hearing People Versus Deaf People
Being Blind Versus Being Deaf
Deaf Community Versus Hearing Community
Living In Between The Deaf And Hearing Worlds
Shit Hearing People Say About Deaf People
Deaf Lifestyle - Oralism Versus Manualism
Deaf Dog Rescued By Good Samaritan
VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: A stray dog was hit by a car and left to die on a Texas road but saved by good samaritan.
BOERNE, TX -- Vet Ranch shares a very touching an inspiring story about Gabe the Deaf dog is a pit bull-dalmatian mix - was the victim of a hit and run. Thankfully a good samaritan stopped to help. Thank you to his foster and adoptive famililes for loving him so well.
If you are interested in helping with animals in the future, please visit http://vetranch.org to learn more about what we do and to donate if you would like.
Dr. Matt Carriker, a veterinarian licensed in Texas founded Vet Ranch Inc., a 501(c)(3), tax exempt non-profit organization. There is no shortage of pets in need, so every donation means more lives we can positively change. If you are not able to donate, please enjoy the videos and share if you like them.
Follow @VetRanch:
Facebook - https://facebook.com/vetranch
Instagram - https://instagram.com/vet_ranch
Twitter - https://twitter.com/vetranch
YouTube - https://youtube.com/vetranch
Vet Ranch Shirts - http://magpul.com/vetranch
Official Site - http://vetranch.org
Related Posts: #Deaf Dogs
BOERNE, TX -- Vet Ranch shares a very touching an inspiring story about Gabe the Deaf dog is a pit bull-dalmatian mix - was the victim of a hit and run. Thankfully a good samaritan stopped to help. Thank you to his foster and adoptive famililes for loving him so well.
To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.
If you are interested in helping with animals in the future, please visit http://vetranch.org to learn more about what we do and to donate if you would like.
Dr. Matt Carriker, a veterinarian licensed in Texas founded Vet Ranch Inc., a 501(c)(3), tax exempt non-profit organization. There is no shortage of pets in need, so every donation means more lives we can positively change. If you are not able to donate, please enjoy the videos and share if you like them.
Follow @VetRanch:
Facebook - https://facebook.com/vetranch
Instagram - https://instagram.com/vet_ranch
Twitter - https://twitter.com/vetranch
YouTube - https://youtube.com/vetranch
Vet Ranch Shirts - http://magpul.com/vetranch
Official Site - http://vetranch.org
Related Posts: #Deaf Dogs
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Spesifikasi dan Harga Samsung Galaxy Alpha Terbaru 2016
Spesifikasi dan harga Samsung Galaxy Alpha - Samsung terus menerus mengeluarkan produk baru dengan fitur yang canggih. Selain itu, raksasa gadget terbesar asal Korea ini juga memiliki inovasi tersendiri pada setiap produknya, wajar saja jika smartphone Samsung selalu laris terjual setiap harinya. Sekarang ini Samsung merilis produk barunya yang bernama Galaxy Alpha.
Tidak kalah dengan pendahulinya, Galaxy Alpha juga menyimpan banyak sekali keunggulan yang disajikan oleh Galaxy Alpha yang tidak jauh berbeda denga keunggulan dari produk Samsung yang lainnya. Bisa dibilang jika Galaxy Alpha merupakan generasi penerus dari Gaalxy S5 dengan dimensi yang berbeda. Selain itu, Galaxy Alpha memiliki frame yang berbahan metal sehingga membuat smartphone terlihat berkelas.
Galalxy Alpha memiliki ukuran layar yang lebih kecil daripada Galaxy S5 yaitu 4.7 inch. Namun, dengan adanya frame atau bingkai pada bagian luarnya maka smartphone ini terlihat lebih tebal dan juga lebih mewah. Smartphone ini memiliki sistem kerja yang ditenagai oleh chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon dan didukung dengan Samsung Exynos 5 Octa sehingga performa yang dihasilkan lebih maksimal. Selain itu, resolusi dari layar sentuh pada smartphone ini sebesar 3560x1440 pixel dan memiliki teknologi Super AMOLED yang hanya dimiliki smartphone premium keluaran Samsung.
Sistem operasi pada smartphone ini adalah KitKat 4.4. Sedangkan untuk memori internalnya memiliki kapasitas 32 GB, namun sayangnya tidak dilengkapi memori eksternal atau microSD. Galaxy Alpha memiliki kamera bagian depan dengan resolusi 2 MP dan kamera bagian belakang dengan resolusi 16 MP autofokus yang juga dilengkapi dengan LED Flash sehingga dapat mengambil gambar pada malam hari sehingga menghasilkan gambar yang bersih.
Dengan segala fitur menarik yang dimilikinya dan teknologi canggih di dalamnya maka wajar saja jika saat ini Samsung Galaxy Alpha dibandrol dengan harga Rp 7 jutaan.
Tidak kalah dengan pendahulinya, Galaxy Alpha juga menyimpan banyak sekali keunggulan yang disajikan oleh Galaxy Alpha yang tidak jauh berbeda denga keunggulan dari produk Samsung yang lainnya. Bisa dibilang jika Galaxy Alpha merupakan generasi penerus dari Gaalxy S5 dengan dimensi yang berbeda. Selain itu, Galaxy Alpha memiliki frame yang berbahan metal sehingga membuat smartphone terlihat berkelas.
Galalxy Alpha memiliki ukuran layar yang lebih kecil daripada Galaxy S5 yaitu 4.7 inch. Namun, dengan adanya frame atau bingkai pada bagian luarnya maka smartphone ini terlihat lebih tebal dan juga lebih mewah. Smartphone ini memiliki sistem kerja yang ditenagai oleh chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon dan didukung dengan Samsung Exynos 5 Octa sehingga performa yang dihasilkan lebih maksimal. Selain itu, resolusi dari layar sentuh pada smartphone ini sebesar 3560x1440 pixel dan memiliki teknologi Super AMOLED yang hanya dimiliki smartphone premium keluaran Samsung.
Sistem operasi pada smartphone ini adalah KitKat 4.4. Sedangkan untuk memori internalnya memiliki kapasitas 32 GB, namun sayangnya tidak dilengkapi memori eksternal atau microSD. Galaxy Alpha memiliki kamera bagian depan dengan resolusi 2 MP dan kamera bagian belakang dengan resolusi 16 MP autofokus yang juga dilengkapi dengan LED Flash sehingga dapat mengambil gambar pada malam hari sehingga menghasilkan gambar yang bersih.
Dengan segala fitur menarik yang dimilikinya dan teknologi canggih di dalamnya maka wajar saja jika saat ini Samsung Galaxy Alpha dibandrol dengan harga Rp 7 jutaan.
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