Philly Police Discriminates Against The Deaf

Deaf News: U.S. Justice Department concludes Philadelphia police discriminate against the Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- A U.S. Department of Justice review has found the Philadelphia Police Department discriminated against people who were Deaf or Hearing-Impaired. Philadelphia police handcuffed Deaf people behind their back, thus making them unable to communicate with sign language, DOJ wrote in a Dec. 7 letter to the department. Police did not inform courts that defendants appearing for a video arraignment were Deaf, so the individuals did not understand what was happening, according to the review. And police failed to provide qualified sign-language translators or other services to defendants, victims, and witnesses, according to the review.



DOJ said it was seeking to remedy the problems cooperatively through a consent decree with the department. "In the event that we are unable to reach such a resolution, the Attorney General may initiate a lawsuit pursuant to the [Americans with Disabilities Act]," the letter states. The Police Department issued a statement Friday evening saying it would work with DOJ to fix any problems.

"While the finding and conclusion regarding the complaint are sobering, we appreciate the DOJ's work and their input regarding the matter," the Police Department said. "We are using this as an opportunity to address a legitimate concern and make necessary improvements. The department's goal is to move beyond remedial measures with a commitment to making this department a model for others in adhering to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act." The Police Department said it would collaborate with the city's Office of the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and with the Mayor's Commission on People with Disabilities. The Justice Department review was prompted by a complaint from a man who had been arrested, and that led to four other people who alleged discrimination by police.

According to the original complaint:

In 2013, a 23-year-old man who was Deaf was arrested in court after he threw a bracelet hitting two people during a sentencing hearing for his brother. He was handcuffed behind his back, making him unable to use sign language. While in police custody, a radio room staffer was identified as having some sign language ability, but the man could not understand what was being communicated. The man asked for a qualified interpreter, but police ended their attempt to communicate and placed him in detention for 16 hours. During his video arraignment the next morning, the judge was not told he was Deaf and the video was not captioned. Two months later, police arrested him mistakenly for failing to appear in court. His hearing had actually been scheduled for a later date. He was again handcuffed behind his back, but after his mother intervened, the officers cuffed him in the front. When he explained the hearing had been rescheduled, the officers asked for documentation but would not allow him to search for it. After he was detained and released, he asked for a telecommunication system for the deaf, but the one police provided him did not work.



SOURCE

Deaf Immigrant Awarded $250K Settlement

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Deaf Man receives $250K settlement after being jailed with no access to interpreter in Virginia.



ARLINGTON, VA -- NBC4 Washington: A Deaf man will receive a $250,000 settlement from the Arlington County Sheriff's Office after it failed to provide a sign language interpreter for him while he was jailed, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Friday.



The man, Abreham Zemedagegehu, has said he spent part of his six-week stay at the Arlington County Detention Facility in 2014 unaware of the charges against him. The Justice Department launched an investigation into Zemedagegehu's claim last year.

NBC News covered a story about Abreham Zemedagegehu and his experience in jail without an interpreter.



"I felt like I was losing my mind," Zemedagegehu said through an interpreter in an interview at his lawyer's office. "I thought Virginia would give me an interpreter and they said no. That's why I felt lost."



Zemedagegehu also said the jail failed provide a communications device to help him communicate with his lawyer and performed medical procedures on him without explaining them or getting his consent.



A native of Ethiopia, he can communicate in American Sign Language but is largely unable to communicate in written English.



Zemedagegehu sued the sheriff's office in federal court, saying his treatment failed to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



Among the concerns raised in his lawsuit was the jail's reliance on teletypewriter devices to allow Deaf inmates to communicate with people outside the jail. The sheriff's office has defended its use of the TTY machine, but Zemedagegehu's lawsuit said the device is useless for someone who can't read English and obsolete because videophones are now used predominantly in the Deaf community.



Zemedagegehu's ordeal began Feb. 2, 2014, when he was arrested after being accused of stealing another man's iPad. He said he pleaded guilty to the charge because a plea bargain offered him a sentence of time served. Later, though, the man who accused him of the theft said he'd found the device and rescinded his accusation.



Under the settlement, the sheriff's office will pay $250,000 to Zemedagegehu, and must take steps to comply with the ADA. This includes appointing an ADA coordinator, providing ADA training to its staff, and ensuring that auxiliary aids and services are provided. The Justice Department said the sheriff's office has taken several steps to improve its ADA compliance even before finalizing the settlement agreement.



"People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing must be able to communicate clearly with law enforcement officials," said Tracy Doherty-McCormick, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in a statement Friday. "Through this settlement agreement, the Arlington County Sheriff has taken important steps to ensure that the operations of the Arlington County Detention Facility are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act."



Source: Deaf Man Receives $250K Settlement After Being Jailed With No Access to Interpreter in Arlington | NBC4 Washington.



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McDonald's Refuses Interview Deaf Applicant

Deaf News: McDonald's pays up $56,000 to the EEOC after manager refuses to interview Deaf applicant in Missouri.



BELTON, MO -- (AP) McDonald's will pay a $56,500 settlement after a southeast Missouri restaurant manager refused to interview a Deaf job applicant.



The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday announced the settlement with McDonald's Corp. and McDonald's Restaurants. A message seeking comment from the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company was not immediately returned.



The EEOC says a young man who can't hear or speak applied online in 2012 to work at the McDonald's in Belton, Mo. He had previous experience as a cook and cleanup team member at a McDonald's restaurant in another state.



A lawsuit filed by the EEOC says that when the restaurant manager learned the applicant needed a sign language interpreter for his interview, she canceled the interview, even though the applicant's sister volunteered to interpret.



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Deaf White House Receptionist Gives Tour

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: The White House released video of first Deaf White House receptionist giving a tour of the residence.

WASHINGTON -- ABC News: In celebration of the 26th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the White House released a video of the first Deaf White House receptionist giving a tour of the residence.

Leah Katz-Hernandez first interned at the White House in 2010 and President Obama talked about her at the 25th anniversary last year of the ADA, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, service, transportation and more against people who have disabilities.



“We call her ROTUS,” the president explained. “I’m POTUS, this is VPOTUS and that’s ROTUS. And ROTUS is the first Deaf American to hold that job. She is poised, she is talented -- and, as she puts it, a lot of her accomplishments may not have been possible without the ADA."



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Deaf Woman Sues Taco Bell Over Drive-Thru

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Deaf New Jersey woman sues Taco Bell over drive-thru orders.



TRENTON, NJ -- A Deaf Atlantic City woman who primarily communicates in sign language is suing Taco Bell, saying she found it difficult, if not impossible, to order two tacos at the fast-food chain's drive-thru window.



Gina Cirrincione said in her federal lawsuit that on Jan. 11, she wrote her order on a slip of paper and handed it to an employee at the drive-thru pickup window at a Taco Bell in Pleasantville, New Jersey.



Her video of the exchange, provided to The Associated Press by her lawyer, showed an employee trying to explain that orders are placed at the start of the drive-thru.

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"I will do it this one time," he then said. "I want you to understand me, one time. After that, no more. After that, no more. Come inside. OK, is that fair?"



On March 15, Cirrincione said, she wrote her order on a slip of paper and handed it to a drive-thru employee at a Taco Bell in Atlantic City. The note was returned and the window was shut without the order or an explanation, she said. She said she entered the store and was ignored.



Also see more: Taco Bell Complains About Deaf Customers



Taco Bell's drive-thru system requires a customer to hear and speak, making it inaccessible to the Deaf in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act, the lawsuit claims.



Taco Bell spokeswoman Laura Nedbal said in a statement Friday to the AP that the California-based company had not yet received the lawsuit so could not comment on it. However, she added, "Taco Bell has a fundamental policy to respect all of our customers and employees, and we are committed to maintaining an environment free of discrimination or harassment."



Cirrincione wants Taco Bell to develop a policy to consider the needs of Deaf customers and to train employees about their rights. She also is seeking punitive and compensatory damages.



"With today's technology and the sophistication of Taco Bell, there is no excuse that their drive-thrus cannot be accessible," said attorney Eric Baum of The Eisenberg & Baum Law Center For The Deaf and Hard of Hearing, who is representing Cirrincione.



SOURCE



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i Deaf News - ASL Deaf Pride Parade By AFA

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO [CC] - ASL Deaf Pride Parade by AFA - Washington, DC, April 10, 2015. Filmed by i Deaf News.



Audism Free America hosts an event, American Sign Language & Deaf Pride Parade on April 10, 2015, Washington DC.



Thousands of Deaf people gathered at front of Gallaudet University at 11am to set up the parade and march down toward to Lincoln Memorial Park and it takes about 3.5 between 4 miles.



Lincoln Memorial Park and opening to celebrate ASL & Deaf Pride at 2:30pm. The event such as variety presenters, skits, chants, spirits, and sharing our stories to inspire our ASL & Deaf Pride as Human and Linguistic rights.

Video by i DEAF NEWS on Vimeo.



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ASL & Deaf Pride Parade 2015 In DC

VIDEO [CC] - Thousands people attended ASL & Deaf Pride Parade 2015 in Washington DC.



Audism Free America hosts an event, American Sign Language & Deaf Pride Parade on April 10, 2015 at Washington DC.



Thousands of Deaf people gathered at front of Gallaudet University at 11am to set up the parade and march down toward to Lincoln Memorial Park and it takes about 3.5 between 4 miles.



Lincoln Memorial Park and opening to celebrate ASL & Deaf Pride at 2:30pm. The event such as variety presenters, skits, chants, spirits, and sharing our stories to inspire our ASL & Deaf Pride as Human and Linguistic rights.

Video by i DEAF NEWS on Vimeo.



Event Interviews:

Direct to DeafVIDEO.TV ASL vlog: ASL Deaf Pride Parade in DC

History of the Deaf Americans - Through Deaf Eyes - Documentary Film



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ASL & Deaf Pride Parade 2015 At Washington DC

i Deaf News - ASL Deaf Pride Parade By AFA

ASL & Deaf Pride Parade 2015 In DC

ASL & Deaf Pride Parade 2015 Washington DC

VIDEO: [Signed] - American Sign Language and Deaf Pride Parade 2015 Information Events.



Audism Free America thrills to share a great news with all of you. AFA hosts an event, American Sign Language & Deaf Pride Parade on April 10, 2015. Please mark on your calendar to remind the date - April 10, 2015 and it will be at Washington DC.



If you wish to participate, support, help, or volunteer and please contact us at AudismFreeAmerica@gmail.com. We would be appreicate for your participate and support to value our sign language in our Deaf world. Hope to see you there. Let Freedom Roll!

Greetings AFA thrills to share with all of you about ASL and Deaf Pride Parade! We hosts the event for celebrating our beautiful language and sharing our Deaf pride includes Deaf People of Color, Deaf Women, DeafBlind, Deaf LGBT, Deaf Dogs, Deaf children, Parents of Deaf children, Teachers, Friends, Family, Interpreters, Interpreters students, Community, and more!



We take a stand to cherish ASL as linguistic rights and Deaf Pride as human rights. We believe what we can change for future and our childrens' future. This is our mission of ASL & Deaf Pride Parade. On Friday, April 10th - We would be meeting at front of Gallaudet University at 11am to set up our parade. We will start march down at noon toward to Lincoln Memorial Park and it will takes about 3.5 between 4 miles to march. Once we arrives at Lincoln Memorial Park and we would opening to celebrate ASL & Deaf Pride at 2:30pm. There will have variety presenters, skits, chants, spirits, and sharing our stories to inspire our ASL & Deaf Pride as Human and Linguistic rights.



On Saturday evening, April 11th, we hosts an event as candlelight vigil at 7pm. We cherish to honor all Deaf people and Deaf children who survive to face Audism which a group who would oppress our human and linguistic rights. We take a stand to resist an oppression and grow our roots all together to light our soul. We have a vision to believe for us to take a stand to change for future and children future.



People who wishes to join our parade could hosts this event in your local, Deaf club, or any groups to celebrate ASL and Deaf Pride and also light the candle for candlight vigil. If you want to support and donate, you may check on: http://www.gofundme.com/ASLSTAR-AFA2015

ASL and Deaf Pride Parade starts at Gallaudet at 11 am On Friday April 10, 2015, we start marching at 12 noon, and can bring your cars/motorcycle. Wear black or blue shirts, comfortable shoes, bring water and food in backpack and bring (cardboard) signs too. Impact of last time - taking kids to see this was awesome Cj was there with Carol her mother - and it impacted her understanding of what Deaf is!



Cj was a young child at the last ASL Deaf Pride parade and she remembers seeing people in tall buisness buildings and people on the road watching with smiles and some signing ILY hand shape.. She was surprised to see that as she usually sees people being wrapped in their own world as she is in her Deaf world so that was really wonderful experience



APril is also the month that President Abraham Lincoln signed Gallaudet College into being in 1864. That weekend will have Gallaudet Charter celebration plus Early Childhood Education summit on bilingualism.



March is 4 miles from Gally to Lincoln Memorial. Can take taxi, or subway to Metro and change to Smithsonian. past the Monument and you'll be there.



April 11, 2015 will have a VIGIL for all the Deaf and HOH children in the past and future.

ASL Abstract - 4 people showing up in various combination or alone:

Carol Hirsch - White woman with long brown hair,

Cj Hirsch - white woman with brown hair pulled up in a bun

David Ennis - white man with long grey hair pulled back.

Jenny Witteborg - white woman with messy pony tail and green glasses on top of head.



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History of the Deaf Americans - Through Deaf Eyes - Documentary Film



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Florida School For The Deaf & The Blind $10 Million For Upgrades

Florida School for Deaf and Blind seeks about $10 million for upgrades.

TALLAHASSEE - Repairing buildings and making construction upgrades makes up the meat of a funding request being pitched by the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine.



The school is asking for $9.7 million in construction money, a steep increase over the $1.4 million in Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed budget and the $1.6 million it got last year. The $1.4 million is the same amount requested by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the school’s budget.



“With that amount we would barley be able to touch projects needed to ensure safety-related repairs,” said Jeanne Prickett, the school’s president.



With the money, the school wants to fund preventive maintenance, repair projects and remain compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.



“That means we would be able to continue to keep up-to-date buildings and renovate obsolete areas,” Prickett told the House Appropriations Subcommittee during a Tuesday hearing.



Since 2008, the school’s construction funding has dropped by $11.8 million. The funding comes from the same shrinking pot of money used for higher education and k-12 projects. Lawmakers are working to overhaul the system, which is funded by taxes on certain communications and telecommunications.



Students on the School for the Deaf and the Blind’s 80-acre campus have increased from 585 to 610 over the past five years, officials said. Overall enrollment, which includes off-campus students, has increased from 904 to 989 over that time. ... Read more: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-02-12/story/school-deaf-and-blind-seeks-about-10-million-upgrades

Deaf Gay Man Sues D.C. Jail For Mistreatment

VIDEO: Deaf gay man alleges mistreatment at D.C. jail.



WASHINGTON, DC - A former inmate in the District of Columbia correctional system is suing the city for alleged mistreatment. The D.C. man is Deaf, and the lawsuit claims he was unable to effectively communicate during his period of confinement. It also alleges his treatment got worse when he complained.



44-year-old William Pierce is profoundly Deaf. He wound up with a 60-day sentence in the city's correction system after an altercation with his partner resulted in a conviction for simple assault.



At the order of the judge, Pierce actually wound up in the Correctional Treatment Facility to get help. The CTF adjoins the city jail.

Arthur Spitzer, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of the Nation's Capital, said in an interview: "There was no interpreter there for [Pierce] at intake, or at any of his medical appointments, he had some medical problems or at any of his classes. He was taking an anger management class, and he didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what people were saying. He couldn't participate in the group discussion(s)."



The lawsuit says, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodations for the Deaf must be made so inmates can communicate. Things got worse for William Pierce when he complained, according to his attorney. ... Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/20943928/deaf-man-alleges-mistreatment-at-dc-jail#axzz2KD4UbjPN



Washington Blade - Gay Deaf man sues city for mistreatment.



WASHINGTON, DC - In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Feb. 1, a former D.C. jail inmate who’s Deaf and gay, accuses the city’s Department of Corrections of engaging in disability-related discrimination by refusing to provide him basic services required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.



William Pierce, 44, who was sentenced to two months in a city jail for an assault conviction, charges in the lawsuit that jail officials repeatedly refused to provide a sign language interpreters as required by law and retaliated against him for complaining about his conditions by placing him in solitary confinement.



Pierce, who has HIV, was given only three of the four HIV medications he had been taking at home and was unable to understand why prison doctors changed his medication regimen because of the lack of a sign language interpreter, the lawsuit says.



It says the emotional distress Pierce suffered due to the alleged discriminatory treatment was heightened when jail guards handcuffed him shortly before his mother arrived for a visit, preventing him from communicating with her in sign language.



“The District of Columbia needs to be held accountable for its outright discrimination and reminded that people with disabilities cannot just be locked away and ignored,” said Arthur Spitzer, legal director of the ACLU of the Nation’s Capital, which filed the lawsuit on Pierce’s behalf in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.



Spitzer said most of the alleged discriminatory actions against Pierce took place at the D.C. Jail’s Correctional Treatment Facility. The CTF is operated by the Corrections Corporation of America, a private company under contract with the city.



“D.C., in turn, needs to hold the Corrections Corporation of America accountable for its continued disregard for the wellbeing of the individuals the city has placed in its care,” Spitzer said in a statement. ... Read more: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2013/02/06/gay-deaf-man-sues-city-for-mistreatment/

Deaf Students Outnumber Terps In School

Deaf students outnumber interpreters 2-1; school struggles to meet demand.

MISSOULA - A shortage of sign language interpreters in Missoula has left the University of Montana stretching resources thin for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students.



Denise May, the lead interpreter at UM, said Missoula County Public Schools and the University already employ every certified interpreter who wants to work in the region.



"Interpreters are scarce and we could use more," May said. "For example, tomorrow, besides covering all the classes, there's a rodeo club meeting, a mid-year report, a Montana Council for Exceptional Children conference, and others have called asking for interpreters that can work in the community."



There are eight full-time Deaf students attending the University this semester double the number of available full-time sign-language interpreters at UM.



The Americans with Disabilities Act requires businesses and universities to provide equal access to persons with disabilities including effective communication services. ... Read more: http://www.montanakaimin.com/news/article_ed86fc92-70e8-11e2-b6fb-001a4bcf6878.html

Deaf Lifeguard Be ‘Qualified’ Under The ADA ?

Deaf News: The Deaf lifeguard be ‘Qualified’ under the Americans with Disabilities Act ?



OAKLAND COUNTY, MI -- What would you do if you were hiring a lifeguard for a community wave pool and the applicant was Deaf, but he was also certified as a lifeguard? A new court ruling this month shows how mistakes made in assessing the applicant's medical condition can leave an employer drowning in litigation.



Case in Point: Nicholas Keith, 22, was born Deaf and communicates using sign language. He also uses a cochlear implant that helps him detect noises, such as whistles and people calling for help. Keith received his junior lifeguard certification and then successfully completed lifeguard training. (A Michigan county provided a sign-language interpreter to relay verbal instructions to Keith during both training programs.)



Keith then applied for a lifeguard position at the county's wave pool, requesting that a sign-language interpreter be present to relay verbal directions during staff meetings. The county offered Keith the job, conditioned on his passing a pre-employment physical. The doctor failed him, citing his inability to hear. Plus, the county’s safety and risk management consultants expressed concerns over Keith being unable to do the job, despite numerous accommodations the county was offering. So the county rescinded the job offer... Read More.



Deaf Lifeguard's Disability Claims Against Oakland County Go To Jury.



The Sixth Circuit has reversed the decision of a lower court and held that a Deaf individual should be permitted to proceed to trial on his claim that a prospective employer discriminated against him on the basis of disability by failing to hire him as a lifeguard. Keith v. County of Oakland, (6th Cir. Jan. 10, 2013).



In reviving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) claim, the Court found that a jury should be permitted to determine whether the individual was otherwise qualified to be a lifeguard, with or without accommodation, that is, whether hearing is an essential function of the job and, if so, whether reasonable accommodations could have been made... Read More.