The Charity Fashion Show With Deaf Models

Deaf News: 'Deaf' fashion show gets resounding round of applause.



CAPE TOWN -- Africa News Agency: Hands shot up and voices shouted as people vied for outfits at the Solidarity through Fashion auction in Newlands, Cape Town on Saturday night.



The auction followed a fashion show held on International Day for Persons with Disabilities to create awareness about deafness and raise funds for the Deaf community.



The models were Deaf and wore Binca Smith’s Zonya D collection, which was a delightful expression of summery colours and playfulness with contemporary lines and African prints. The collection included bridal gowns.



Newly crowned Mr South Africa Habib Noorbhai was a guest.



The MC, DeafSA Western Cape provincial director Jabaar Mohamed, kept the audience entertained with witty comments that were interpreted for members of the audience who did not understand South African sign language (SASL).



After two musicians played Mohamed quipped, “I’m Deaf but I can feel the vibrations.”



“I am proud to be Deaf,” he went on, explaining that he did not ascribe to the “shame factor” that some people had towards people with disabilities, as a disability did not define one’s ability.



Prizes were announced during the lucky draw and two winners received free SASL lessons with DeafSA, while one won a two-day stay at a Radisson Blu Hotel.



The concept for the fashion show came about after a few ideas were thrown about and Smith was willing to explore the concept and work with the deaf community.



Mohamed, who started up the Silent Walk in 2012 to create more awareness about deafness, said he was passionate about the Deaf community and advancing its rights.



“There are a lot of challenges in the community” and the fashion show “was a way to create awareness and an opportunity to give back to the community and raise funds for the community”.



Mohamed told Africa News Agency (ANA), “I’ve seen a lot of hearing people do fashion shows and I have seen them run the Mr, Miss, and Mrs Deaf competitions. I felt there should be a fashion show that wasn’t a competition and continued to uplift and empower all Deaf participants afterwards, and that it should be something fun.



“There needs to be more awareness about deafness and I want to see all government departments and the private sector become more involved in deaf awareness and see that they can make a difference through the Solidarity through Fashion platform.”



It was very important to raise Deaf Awareness through such platforms as “you don’t know who is deaf or who is hearing as the audience is mixed”, he said.



Noorbhai, who can sign, told ANA that “It is fantastic you can do solidarity shows like this. It is needed across many disability spheres to raise awareness and educate people about the cause. With the Deaf community, society needs to realise that the Deaf can do anything but nothing, which means we need to trust their ability.”



Smith told ANA that at the start of the project, which took two months to come to fruition, she was nervous. “I had never worked with the Deaf community.



“It was a very humbling experience as it made me realise how lucky I am to be able to hear.”



She said she enjoyed working with the Deaf models, “they walked perfectly even though they didn’t hear the music”.



“The show was very creative and beautiful,” said Kathija Khan, a Deaf project manager who attended. “Fashion is a big world and it is good to get deaf people involved and include them in this world as it opens doors for them. Deaf people can do anything and they are perfectly capable of doing something when they are given the platform.”



SOURCE

Why Deaf Americans Fear President Trump

Deaf News: VICE share an article by Deaf novelist Sara Nović explains why thousands of the Deaf community fears US President Donald J. Trump.



WASHINGTON -- VICE: "'All men are created equal.' Well, it's not true." That's President-elect Donald Trump, a clip unearthed for a PBS documentary that shone a light on, among other things, Trump's apparent belief that some people are born smart, born to be successful, born with what he has called "the winning gene."



"The [Trump] family subscribes to a racehorse theory of human development," Trump biographer Michael D'Antonio told the team behind the Frontline documentary The Choice. "They believe that there are superior people, and that if you put together the genes of a superior woman and a superior man, you get a superior offspring."



This belief, that certain genes make better people, is an echo of eugenics, a racist, pseudoscientific philosophy that aims to "improve" the human race by breeding out supposedly bad characteristics. When it became popular in the late 19th century, eugenics became the driving force behind a number of atrocities against many minority groups, including the Deaf community. The Nazis were the most infamous eugenicists, but there were many other believers. Alexander Graham Bell used eugenics to propose a ban on sign language and deaf intramarriage in his 1884 paper, Upon the Formation of a Deaf Variety of the Human Race." Deaf people were institutionalized and some forcibly sterilized for years afterward; Deaf education was upended and students' hands were literally tied down to prevent them from signing. Bell's ideas about the superiority of oralism over bilingual schooling remain embedded in our education and legislative systems, despite having been scientifically debunked.



Today, many groups are worried about how a Trump presidency will affect them. But though the Deaf and Disabled communities were not the focus of much campaign rhetoric, it seems clear that Trump has contempt for people like me. Trump has publicly mocked a journalist with a joint condition, reportedly called Deaf actress and Celebrity Apprentice contestant Marlee Matlin "retarded," and perpetuated the false notion that vaccines cause autism. There have been multiple lawsuits against his properties for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Writing for the LA Times in October, disability advocate David Perry called Trump the "most ableist presidential nominee in modern American political history."



Policy-wise, the future for deaf people is as murky as it is for everyone else, as Trump constantly introduces and walks back proposals varying in levels of moral reprehensibility, legality, and feasibility. According to his most recent statements, his plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and "re-establish high-risk pools" (as his website puts it) would result in loss of healthcare coverage for many Deaf and Disabled people whose conditions can be classified as preexisting. Deaf and Disabled people who depend on Medicaid for insurance or medical devices not covered by traditional health insurance are also fearful, as Trump's rollback of ACA's Medicaid expansion could affect the approximately 7 million people who have gained coverage under it.



Deaf and disabled people have also voiced concern about a potentially weaker ADA under Trump. The ADA is enforced by the Department of Justice's civil rights division, and given Trump's properties' alleged ADA violations and the traditional conservative stance against government spending and oversight, cuts seem likely, leaving us at the whim of private companies' bottom lines.



The ADA bars employers from discriminatory hiring practices and protects our rights to "reasonable accommodations" like closed captions and sign language interpreters at work and school. For the wider disability community, the ADA ensures things like wheelchair ramps, elevators, and handicapped parking and bathrooms. An ADA weakened by lack of oversight and money could well mean continued police brutality against people with disabilities. In the case of Deaf people specifically, law enforcement already has troubling record of arresting and detaining people without providing interpreters, or even a pen and paper, to explain the reason for arrest or Mirandize them. Unarmed Deaf people, whom police misinterpret to be aggressive or using gang signs, have been killed with impunity—Daniel Harris, Edward P. Miller, and John T. Williams are among the more famous cases.



Questions of discrimination and accessibility if the ADA becomes less of priority in a Trump DOJ also extend to the education sector. Schools for the Deaf, branches of their state public school systems, are likely to be endangered by budget cuts and funding shifts from the public sector to charter and voucher systems, which Trump endorses. Deaf schools are often among the first to be cut from struggling districts, with Deaf students instead sent to mainstream schools where they are unable to communicate directly with their teachers and peers. Further, Deaf schools traditionally serve as hubs for Deaf culture, providing independent living and job training for post-grads, offering (often free) American Sign Language (ASL) classes to interested locals, leading research in linguistics and special education, and hosting social and cultural events—all resources left defunct upon the closure of a Deaf school.



And where fears of budget cuts and eugenics intersect, some worry about the threat of mandatory cochlear implantation, via which Deaf students could theoretically be integrated into hearing schools at a lower cost. Though it sounds extreme, it's not any larger a violation of one's individual medical choices than Trump and Pence's assault on women's reproductive rights. (The idea that the decision not to implant one's child is evidence of neglect has already surfaced in family court, though so far the argument hasn't been successful.)



Finally, as hate speech against racial and religious minorities spikes across the country, Deaf and disabled people have also experienced post-election hate speech in the name of the president-elect. In one example, Lena Van Manen, a CODA (child of Deaf adults who is a native sign language user) and a coordinator at the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education in Indiana, wrote on Facebook about being confronted while facetiming with a Deaf friend in Starbucks. Used to people staring while she signed, she ignored the glare from a man across the store until he got in her face and screamed, "This is white America now. Take your retarded self and go somewhere else."



We can't know for sure what Trump will do, but if he does what he says he wants to do, it will hurt us. His words already have.



SOURCE



Related:

Why Deaf People Will Be Voting For Trump

Marlee Matlin Slams Donald Trump ‘Retarded’

Deaf Voters: ‘Retarded & White America’ Rigged

Marlee Matlin Stand Up Comedian At Trump Roast Comedy Central

Presidential Debates - Trump Versus Clinton

Donald Trump Wins The Presidential Election

'The Simpsons' Predicted Trump's Presidency

Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton Parodies

The Challenges of Being Deaf in a Hearing World

Deaf News: Even though I knew that I was Deaf and used sign language, parts of my identity were still fragmented.



TORONTO, ON -- Torontoist: This article is part one of a series on accessibility in Toronto for a Deaf, queer, nonbinary person. I grew up in small-town southern Ontario. I hated it--I wanted to experience something bigger, but I didn’t know what or how. My life was slightly different from others. I was a Deaf kid living in a Hearing world.



Growing up as a Deaf kid was really challenging. There were limited options, especially in a tiny community. Unlike hearing kids who went to their local schools, I had to get up earlier than other kids so I wouldn’t miss the short school bus.



Our Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing program was at a mainstream school with other hearing kids. The Deaf kids would have their own homeroom, taught by a “Teacher of the Deaf.”



Students in our program would occasionally be placed in “normal” classrooms with other hearing students, communicating through the use of an interpreter. Unfortunately, none of the teachers in the program were actually deaf, so no examples of healthy Deaf adult role models were present in my childhood.



The only other option was to attend a provincial school for the Deaf. The problem? I couldn’t stand being away from my mother, and attending the school meant that I’d have to live in residence. So I didn’t have much exposure to the Deaf community growing up, except for a few events here and there.



I remember attending Mayfest, an annual Deaf expo hosted by the Ontario Association of the Deaf (OAD) at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto. The number of Deaf and signing participants often overwhelmed me--they signed so differently, not like the way I did.



There were literally hundreds of them from various backgrounds, of different races, and of all types of disabilities. This event was something that I looked forward to every year--a favourite part of my childhood, being in a space where we could celebrate being ourselves.



It was not until I became a teenager that I understood that my school taught us Signed Exact English (SEE) and not American Sign Language (ASL). So that was why others signed differently.



The signing system I had learned was intended to accommodate hearing people and “improve” our English literacy skills. This, I felt, had taken away my Deaf community and Deaf culture. I was being assimilated, and, due to that, I had no sense of identity.



Even though I knew that I was Deaf and used sign language, parts of my identity were still fragmented. Nearly everyone around me was straight and I didn’t fit the mold. I knew that, despite being Deaf, I was further marginalized by my own Deaf community. What did you expect? Growing up in a small community meant limited options, limited resources, limited identities, and limited access.



This meant that the Deaf community that I grew up in was not accessible for me as a deaf person with emerging identities yet to be discovered.



In Grade 12, something happened that paved the way to my discovery as a culturally deaf person. There was an interpreter shortage, and I couldn’t attend all of the classes that I registered for. I remember showing up for a class and the interpreter was not in her typical assigned seat, and the teacher continued to speak while I looked around, feeling lost, like a fool.



That was it. The lack of accessibility led to my ultimate decision to transfer to a school for the Deaf.



Through socializing with Deaf peers, fragmented parts of my identity and soul were finally put back together and began to feel whole. This journey helped me unpack internalized audism, and change the “d” in deaf to a “D,” to represent my transition to a culturally Deaf person.



Approaching the end of high school, I thought, “What am I going to do?” I thought I’d attend a local post-secondary institution, become a teacher, and lead a very boring life, only because that’s what my family wanted for me. But what did I want? To be accepted, to be in a place where I could be myself.



That space was discovered at Gallaudet University, where I met more members of the queer and trans community. That led to me coming out, embracing different parts of my identity.



Every summer on break from university, I attended the Pride festivities in Toronto and discovered the Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, where I met more folks like me.



But what was in my future after graduation? I wasn’t so sure yet.



Toronto was this place that I’d always dreamed of living in. This city was the place that I was going to move to after I graduated from Gallaudet University.



Being the capital city of Ontario, you’d think this city would be accessible for a person like me.



Toronto, you are exceptionally large, with a population of more than six million people in the city and its surrounding areas. Here, you can expect to find a few communities that you belong with. You’d expect more options, more resources, more identities, more accessibility, right?



The next article in this series will detail what accessibility in Toronto looks like.



SOURCE



Related: #Deaf Canadians



Related Deaf and Hearing Worlds:

Deaf Awareness: Alone In A Deaf World

Deaf Awareness: Alone In A Hearing World

Ted Evans - In Search Of The DEAF WORLD

Living In Between The Deaf And Hearing Worlds

A Hearing Son In Deaf Family 'I'd Rather Be Deaf'

Dropout Rate Among Mainstream Deaf Students

Life and Deaf - BBC4 Documentary

Through Deaf Eyes - Documentary Film

DGM Raises Awareness For Deaf Community

Deaf News: Deaf Grassroots Movement raises awareness for Deaf community.



GULFPORT, MS -- WLOX: Members of a nationwide organization called the Deaf Grassroots Movement met outside Gulfport City Hall on Thursday in an effort to raise awareness for the needs of the Deaf community.



They held signs and spoke to city leaders about opportunities offered by the city, as well as how to improve their education, job opportunities, and communications access.



City spokesman Chris Vignes said the city is one of the only on the coast that offers sign language interpreters during city council meetings. He thinks it's important for groups like DGM to raise awareness and also for the city to pay attention to their requests.



"Anytime you have a chance to help people in need, whether it's a special disability or bringing awareness to a cause, we're glad that they're here, because we can learn from what they need and how we can better help," Vignes said.



On it's website, the group says the goal is to promote equality for all with the quality of life improved for the Deaf community.



This is the second time the Deaf Grassroots Movement has promoted a nationwide rally. The first was on May 4, 2016.



SOURCE



Related DGM on the News:

Protest Draws Small Crowd, Attention - Newsleader

Deaf Grassroots Movement's National Corner Rally Held Today - KATC

'Deaf Grassroots Movement' Rallies at Main Street Square - KOTATV

Deaf Grassroots Movement Activist and Supporters Rally at Shepler Park - KSWO



Follow @Deaf Grassroots Movement:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/deafgrassrootsmovement

Official Website - http://deafgrassroots.wixsite.com/tdgm



Deaf Grassroots Movement Hastags:

Facebook - https://facebook.com/hashtag/dgm

Instagram - https://instagram.com/explore/tags/dgm

Twitter - https://twitter.com/hashtag/dgm



Related Deaf Deaf Grassroots Movement:

DGM and NAD - Partners For Deaf Rights

Deaf Grassroots Movement - National Deaf Rally

Deaf Grassroots Movement Nationwide Rally

Deaf Protest at White House in Washington DC

Deaf Protest At The White House 2015 Live Video

#WheresTheLove Ft. Deaf Community In ASL

VIDEO [CC] - ASL: #WheresTheLove Ft. Deaf Community - Black Eyed Peas.

This an American Sign Language interpretation of "#Whereisthelove" by Black Eyed Peas Ft the World. We Are a World of Color. One Family. One Bond.



Thank you to Dyer Art Center & SLT for your support from the National Technical Institute of the Deaf and community in America.

A new version "#Whereisthelove" by The Black Eyed Peas featuring The World was released on August 31, 2016, in collaboration with a great number of artists within the music industry. The proceeds of the charity single will go to educational programs.



Produced & Directed By:

Tina Banerjee

Reena Banerjee

Keith Bonilla

Louis Albano



From National Technical Institute of the Deaf.

'Silence is Golden' in Bali's Deaf Village

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Deaf people for generations in Bali's village, everyone speaks sign language of the Indonesian island.



KIKI SIREGAR BENGKALA -- Straits Times: Balinese women dressed in gold bodices dance to rhythmic drumming while waving fans as men in purple outfits sit cross legged around them, jiggling their arms and chanting. It appears to be just another show on the Indonesian resort island, known for its ancient culture and rituals, but there is a key difference - the dancers are all Deaf and cannot hear the beat.



They perform the moves, learnt over months of hard training, from memory.



The village of Bengkala has been home to an unusually large number of Deaf people for generations, and nowadays about 40 out of its approximately 3,000 residents have severe hearing loss.

But unlike in other parts of Indonesia where they could face mistreatment, local people have taken the Deaf residents to their hearts. In many ways, life in the small hamlet has come to revolve around them.



As well as the dance project, a unique sign language called Kata Kolok has been developed in the isolated village which has been mastered by those with hearing impairment, as well as many of those who can hear, prompting interest from scientists around the world.



In addition, Deaf villagers are trained in skills such as making handicrafts that can be sold in the heaving tourist resorts of the island, and they work side by side with other villagers in the rice fields.



"Human rights are the same everywhere. So I thought, why should the Deaf be ostracised?" said Ketut Kanta, who heads a community group for the village's Deaf residents.



The approach is relatively unique in Indonesia, where the disabled often suffer harsh discrimination.



Bengkala, in northern Bali, has existed for about eight centuries.



Residents often scrape a living tending to the surrounding rice fields and education levels are generally low.



In the past, villagers thought the high incidence of deafness was due to a curse but those superstitions - and the prejudices they created - have largely been abandoned after experts concluded it was due to a recessive gene common among the local population.



It was not until the 1960s that the village began to make efforts to better integrate its Deaf residents and nowadays everyone is treated equally, according to village head I Made Arpana.



"We don't differentiate between Deaf villagers and non-deaf villagers," he said, adding that the community did not want the hard of hearing residents to feel "inferior".



A key factor in creating this peaceful co-existence has been Kata Kolok, which literally translates as "Talk of the Deaf", and is used to varying degrees by around 80 per cent of the villagers.



It is different from international and Indonesian sign language. It has grown organically over the decades and has its own unique signs created by villagers to reflect how they see the world.



Attempts to ensure harmony in the village start at a young age, with a Bengkala elementary school teaching all children side by side.



The 77 students are all given lessons in the local sign language, and are introduced to elements of Indonesian and international signing.



Made Budiasih, whose seven-year-old son goes to the school, said she was worried for his future when they discovered he was deaf at birth, but said the inclusive educational centre had made all the difference.



"I was despairing, but then I found out about this school," she said.



Still, it is not always easy teaching deaf students as they often become frustrated and act out, according to teacher I Made Wisnu, who has been working at the school for a decade.



There are no junior high schools equipped to teach Deaf students, so most have to drop out of the system once they've graduated from elementary classes.



Despite the challenges, village chief Arpana is determined to safeguard the unique culture of the hamlet's Deaf community, saying he would be a "sinner" if he did not.



The clearest expression of the village's warm embrace of its hard of hearing population is the unique project "Dance of the Deaf", which has started to draw a trickle of foreign visitors to the out-of-the-way village, giving residents hope for a brighter future.



Tambourine player I Wayan Getar, speaking in sign language through an interpreter, told AFP: "Tourists from China and Europe are coming to watch us, and they really enjoy it."



SOURCE

Deaf Woman Loses Legal Battle To Be Juror

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Deaf woman loses High Court bid to serve on jury in Australia, claims “a smack in the face” for the Deaf community.



BRISBANE, AU -- The Independent: The High Court in Australia has ruled to deny a woman the chance to become the country’s first Deaf jury member, a decision she later described as “a smack in the face” for the Deaf community.



In 2012, a registrar told Gaye Lyons from Queensland she should be excused from jury duty as a sign language interpreter could not be sworn into the conference room, according to state law.



The 69-year-old can lip read but needs an interpreter to communicate, and decided to take her case against the Queensland government to the High Court.

To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.

The court decided to uphold state law and said the presence of an interpreter in a deliberation room would cause “an incurable irregularity” which could affect the outcome of a case, resulting in the dismissal of Ms Lyons’ appeal.



Queensland attorney general Yvette D’Ath said the confidentiality of jury deliberations and the right to a fair trial were “among the most fundamental tenets of Australia’s justice system”, according to AP Australia.



"We're the same as everybody else, we're human, we have kids, we go to work, we drive cars, we pay mortgages - I was just fuming because I could not have equal access to this," Ms Lyons told reporters outside court.



"Why should the powers that be decide what's right for me, why should they decide what I can and can't do? It just made me livid, I was seething about the whole thing.”



Ms Lyons has repeatedly cited her detailed interest in the law and said jury duty was “something I really wanted to take part in”.



"After five years of struggle, just fighting for access for the Australian Deaf community, it felt like a slap in the face.”



"For them [the High Court] to say that interpreters could not relay information accurately, that was the living end, that was the last straw for me. Deaf people should not be treated differently. The High Court does not see that,” she added.



In 2011, a Deaf woman served on an inquest jury in the United Kingdom after several legal challenges found Deaf people can fully comprehend courtroom discourse and jury deliberations through interpreters.



Exemptions for Deaf people carrying out jury service in criminal trials were removed in Ireland and the UK after legal challenges during the 2000s. In the United States, they have been serving on juries since 1979.



New Zealand is another country where sign language interpreters are employed by courts to help Deaf jurors contribute to trials.



SOURCE

The D.C. Police Department's Deaf Liaison

VIDEO: Deaf News: Meet the DC Police Department's Deaf Liaison officers.



WASHINGTON -- NBC4: For more than a decade, the D.C. police department's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Liaison Unit has been building bridges with the Deaf community.



It's the only specialized police unit in the country dedicated to protecting Deaf people.



Officer Myra Jordan came up with the idea 14 years ago. She learned sign language as a child, when she played with a neighbor who was Deaf.

The 25-year veteran of the department went to the chief with her idea to combine her love for police work and sign language.



"The Metropolitan Police Department was struggling with communicating or interacting with the Deaf community, and we needed to build that bridge," Jordan said.



She was joined on the unit two years ago by Officer Teyna Ellis. She learned how to sign so she could help at her church.



In addition to the pair's regular patrol duties, they train other officers in the basics of communicating with Deaf people, like "knowing the universal sign of a Deaf person, to be able to communicate with them during a traffic stop," Ellis said.



Advocates for the Deaf community say the liaison unit has made a particularly big impact in dealing with Deaf victims of domestic violence.



"In the past, people didn’t know who to talk with and they didn’t feel comfortable making the report because they didn’t know who is going to understand me ... but now there is someone who speaks my language," said Shazia Siddiqi. She is executive director of the organization DAWN, which aims to end abuse in the Deaf community.



Jordan said the unit's work is paying off for police and for the community. She says it comes down to one word: trust.



"The officers aren't afraid of the unknown because they know the unknown now, and the community isn't afraid because they trust the police," she said.



Ellis and Jordan regularly get requests to help train officers from other police departments. They said they're proud that D.C. is leading the nation.



SOURCE

Deaf Interpreter Goes Viral On Social Media

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Hurricane Matthew approaching South Carolina, Haley's sign language interpreter's flair gains attention of social media.



COLUMBIA, SC -- WLTX: For the last several days, standing inches away from South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley at her emergency briefings, you've likely seen Jason Hurdich.



He's the sign language interpreter who's just off to the side of the governor when she's speaking. Even though the New York native has only been in South Carolina for two months, it's his job is to make sure that everyone watching understands Hurricane Matthew's potential impact on South Carolina.



"A storm is very serious so I need to make sure that i am culturally matching what the Deaf community needs when they get their information," he said.

To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.

He's been interpreting for about 15 years. But as you're listening to the governor and watching Hurdich interpret for the Deaf community, he's watching Shonna McGee.



"I've worked with Jason for over 10 years and what I do in situations like this is I take the spoken information and I interpret it to him, and he clarifies and expands when necessary for the Deaf community to have clarity."

To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.

Hurdich is Deaf, so in this situation, the interpreter has an interpreter. So he translates what McGee hears.



It's a unique situation which means critical information doesn't get lost in translation for the Deaf community.



"Having someone who is a native to your language, giving them the information in their language is always the best, especially in critical situations like a hurricane," McGee said.



"My goal is really to empower the Deaf community to really thrive and encourage them to do that and improve their quality of life," Hurdich said. "The South Carolina Deaf community really needs Deaf leaders and nationwide also."



Interpreting is not Hurdich's full time job. he currently works as a counselor for vocational rehab in Charleston.



SOURCE



Related Hurricane Matthew:

Hurricane Matthew 'Skull' In Eerie Satellite Image



Related Terps Goes Viral:

Deaf Interpreter Goes Viral On Social Media

Houston's ASL Interpreter Steals The Show

Sign Language Interpreter Goes Viral During Ebola Press Conference

Lydia Callis: Bloomberg's Interpreter Goes Viral

De Blasio's Deaf Interpreter Steals Spotlight

Cyclone Sign Language Guy Goes Viral

Eurovision Sign Language Interpreter Is A Web Hit



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SNL Spoofs Fake Sign Language Interpreter Skit

Your Jokes About Bloomberg's Sign Language Interpreters Aren't Funny

'SNL' Opening Skit Puts Sign Language Interpreter Front & Center

Marlee Matlin Upset Over 'SNL' Sign Language Skit

ASL Interpreters Mocking Video Compilation

Lydia Callis, Bloomberg Interpreter Goes Viral



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Deaf Outraged Over Fake Sign Language Interpreter At Mandela Memorial

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NAD Says 'Fake' Interpreter Signing Gibberish

Real Interpreter of the Nelson Mandela Memorial

I'm Schizophrenic, Says 'Fake' Interpreter

'Fake' Sign Language Interpreter Defends Himself

ASL Morning Message: 'Fake Interpreter'

#FakeInterpreter - Rights For Deaf Children

Deaf Advocates Asks Europe Union For Interpreter Standards

IDHHC Poor Service To Deaf Illinoisans: Critics

Deaf News: Agency accused of poor leadership, service to Deaf Illinoisans.

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- The State Journal-Register: A tiny state agency says in a brochure that it exists to “decrease barriers” for Illinoisans with hearing loss.



But according to critics, the Springfield-based Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission is squandering its $800,000 to $850,000 in annual state funding through inept leadership and weak oversight.



“They are incompetent,” said Corey Axelrod, president of the Illinois Association of the Deaf, referring to commission director John Miller and assistant director Janet Lambert.



“They really shouldn’t be leading this particular agency,” said Axelrod, speaking on behalf of the 500-member, all-volunteer association.



Added Alan Thomas, Deaf services coordinator at the PACE Center for Independent Living in Urbana: “I don’t think they have enough expertise to run that agency. When I contact them for information, they don’t have much to share.”



Money that is going unused by the commission should be devoted to hiring more staff, Axelrod said, while Miller and Lambert should be replaced.



"They are underqualified and overpaid," Axelrod said.



Critics of the commission launched an online petition this summer that has been signed by 235 people and calls for the commission to “commit itself to make actual systematic changes and ensure that the state of Illinois, non-Deaf individuals and service providers, not only hear, but also listen to the needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community the IDHHC is supposed to serve.”



Axelrod, 30, an Arlington Heights resident who works for a nonprofit group in the Chicago area, said he and others leveling criticism are "baffled" by the responses they have received from Miller and others at the commission the past several years... Read More at The State Journal-Register.



UPDATE: Deaf commission forming task force to address some complaints - Facing criticism from a statewide advocacy group for people with hearing loss, the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission voted Wednesday to form a task force to improve the quality of sign-language interpreters.



The commission, meeting at the Illinois State Library in Springfield, also decided to hold a “retreat” for commissioners the morning of their Nov. 10 meeting and use both public events to address concerns raised by the Illinois Association of the Deaf... Read More at The State Journal-Register.

CRTC Launches Canada Video Relay Service

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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

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 Marín 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

The Halifax Explosion - The Deaf Experience

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Documentary film explores experience of the Deaf community during Halifax Explosion.



HALIFAX, NS -- MetroNews: Film examines why everyone at the Halifax School for the Deaf survived despite damage and weather that followed the disaster. The 1917 Halifax Explosion has been the subject of numerous movies and books.



But the disaster as experienced by the Deaf community has been relatively unknown.



That’s why Linda Campbell and Jim McDermott, who are both Deaf, decided to co-produce a documentary film to highlight that story.

‘Halifax Explosion: The Deaf Experience’ should be ready for viewing in time for the 100-year commemoration of the event on Dec. 6, 2017.



“Nova Scotia actually has a long history of inclusiveness when it comes to the Deaf community and our allies,” explained Linda Campbell.



“Upon learning that the Deaf community's experiences during the Halifax Explosion is so poorly documented despite a wealth of books, movies and published stories about this important event, we felt it was necessary to preserve some of those stories for sharing.”



Campbell and McDermott agreed to an interview, but it had to be conducted via email as they both communicate using American Sign Language.



When collecting information for the film, Campbell said they were surprised to learn everyone in the Halifax School for the Deaf survived the explosion, despite how badly damaged the school was.



“It was so close to the zone of maximum damage that every single window shattered, plaster ceilings collapsed and doors flew off their hinges. Many people got badly cut by the flying glass,” Campbell explained.



“Yet only two boys were hurt badly enough to go to the hospital. Not only that, there was a bad blizzard with freezing temperatures right after the explosion occurred, and many people across Halifax died from exposure. Even so, no one in the (school), student or staff, died from the cold."



She said the film examines why everyone survived despite the damage, the shock, and the weather.



It will also introduce people to Maritimes Sign Language.



“Many people in Nova Scotia do not know we have our own distinctive sign language, Maritimes Sign Language (MSL) which is syntactically and grammatically distinct from American Sign Language (ASL),” Campbell explained.



“Unfortunately, MSL as a language is fading out, although you can still see old MSL signs being used during ASL conversations every day here. Our film will include examples of MSL signs and dialogue as a part of our storytelling process.”



McDermott said the documentary will include a mix of historical photographs, narration, and interviews with older members of the deaf community who attended the Halifax School for the Deaf.



Despite funding from municipal and provincial grants, the project requires additional funding. At press time they were just $100 shy of their initial crowdfunding goal on their IndieGoGo page.



“While we are nearing our stated goal, we do hope to raise at least $5,000 to cover post-production costs,” McDermott said.



SOURCE

Deaf Enabled News - The Media Hub

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf Enabled News is a society where Deaf people have equal opportunities to participate in all walks of life.



HYDERABAD, IN -- Welcome to the world of the Deaf! We are the Deaf Enabled Foundation, an organization that is of the Deaf, for the Deaf and by the Deaf. DEF It is our joy to share our desires, cares and needs with you. You will find a lot of videos on our website, this is because we communicate through Indian Sign Language and this is the best way for us to share what we have to say with our communites across India.



We welcome both the members of the Deaf community as well as the hearing people in our nation. Tech Mahindra SMART Plus new batch announcement and DEF moving to new office in Navketan Complex Secunderabad, India.

Our mission is to achieve equal access for Deaf people in every area of their lives. We are dedicated to work for the development of the Deaf community, enhancing the quality of life, providing educational facilities, promoting social and cultural awareness while working towards independence and barrier free communication for the Deaf in India. Subscribe at https://youtube.com/deafenablednews.



Follow @DEF:

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GooglePlus - https://plus.google.com/deafenablednews

Twitter - https://twitter.com/deafenabled

YouTube - https://youtube.com/channel/deafenablednews

Official Site - http://www.def.org.in



Related: Deaf Enabled Foundation - India National Anthem

Feel The Beat - Dancing While Deaf

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf Biography of Antoine Hunter - Feel the Beat: Dancing While Deaf - Empowers Deaf Community Through Dance - English Subtitles.



OAKLAND, CA -- Antoine Hunter just wants to be heard and understood. Born completely without hearing in his left ear and hard of hearing in his right, Hunter, who's now completely Deaf, gravitated towards dance to express himself. Now, as director of the Urban Jazz Dance Company, Hunter's work as a dancer and Deaf community advocate inspired him to organize the Bay Area Deaf International Dance Festival.

Credits: Great Big Story.



Antoine Hunter Empowers Deaf Community Through Dance.

Credits: KQED Arts.



Related Deaf Dancers:

'DWTS' Season 22 Recap Clips of Nyle DiMarco

Deaf Taiwanese Dancer Proves Naysayers Wrong

Deaf Dancer: Oh Wonder - Lose It

A Short Film About A Deaf Dancer

Deaf Lebanese Contemporary Dance Performance

Deaf Contestant Leaves The Judges In Tears

Deaf Bulgaria On Dancing Stars TV Show

Deaf Mom Dances With Hearing Son Goes Viral

Family of Deaf Father Killed by Police Speak Out

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: Family members of Deaf father killed by North Carolina trooper speak out to the media in Charlotte.



CHARLOTTE, NC -- WCCB: Donors raised more than $2,600 for the family of the hearing impaired man killed when a state trooper shot him Thursday. Daniel Harris’ family says they will use the money to pay for his cremation.



Troopers say Harris was speeding and failed to pull over on I-485 Thursday night. When he did stop on Seven Oaks Dr., Trooper Jermaine Saunders says Harris advanced. That’s when he says he shot.



His immediate family members are also hearing impaired. His brother, Jay Harris, spoke to WCCB Charlotte through a sign language interpreter. “He was unarmed,” said Jay Harris. “And he is a Deaf individual, and I think that he was just afraid.”

To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.

Jay Harris thinks his brother was unaware Trooper Saunders was trying to pull him over for speeding. Trooper Saunders says he shot Harris because he was advancing and not following commands.



“He could not hear their warnings. He could not hear their commands to stop or to stay away from them,” said Jay Harris.



Harris was a father of a four-year-old little boy. Family says his mother is in the hospital with a heart issue since the shooting.



“He was shot, and now we’re left with nothing,” said Jay Harris.



They want the state to document in the DMV system when a driver is Deaf to alert officers when they pull over someone who is hearing impaired.



“What is wrong with us, and what is wrong with a system that allows this to continue to happen? It needs to stop,” said Jay Harris. “Daniel’s death represents that he is a hero in our Deaf community. He will raise awareness on this issue so that we can prevent this from happening to other Deaf people in our community.”



SOURCE



Related Story:

Deaf Man Killed In Shooting By State Police

How Deaf Drivers Can Be Safe From Police

Deaf Footy Fans Claims AFL Discrimination

Deaf News: Deaf footy fans claims Australian Football League discrimination.



MELBOURNE, AU -- The Age: The email came from a woman in Adelaide. "You moron, are you stupid? Are you paying for the interpreter or is the taxpayer paying for it? There are bigger issues in the world then a f--king interpreter".



Ramas McRae smiles, and shrugs his broad shoulders.



The Deaf community advocate has become the target of abusive messages after his public push to get the Australian Football League to provide Auslan (Australian sign language) translation at the Grand Final.



But when you're born with a disability, you learn to grow a thick skin, the Hawthorn fan says, signing to me through an interpreter, Mark Quinn.



A Hawthorn fan, McRae asked the league to provide a translator for the entertainment and ceremonies during the Grand Final this year, including the anthem. But the AFL refused, saying the closed caption system on TV was appropriate.



So McRae has lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission, claiming the AFL have discriminated against him on the basis of his disability, and also launched a change.org petition. He is supported by a range of groups, including Deaf Australia and Deaf Victoria.



With the AFL promoting awareness of the women's league, and LGBTI recognition through its Pride game, McRae wants it to extend this inclusion to Deaf people (at the cost of a few hundred dollars).



"The Deaf community, and Deaf football fans, have the right to be a visible part of this huge sporting event," McRae says. "As citizens, we also have the right to see the national anthem in our preferred language."



Closed captions often have a 30-second to one-minute time lag on them, and require a screen, which means people who are at the game will not be able to see them, he says. Auslan is a language with its own syntax and grammar, which is quite different to English.



Internationally, particularly in the United States, sign language is commonly used at sporting events, including at the grand finals of the National Football League and National Basketball Association.



"For Deaf Americans it's very normal. People are often quite surprised internationally that Australia lags so far behind."



Some sporting codes are keen on the idea. Melbourne Racing Club's head of racing, Jake Norton, contacted McRae after he heard about his request. The club would like to introduce interpreters at major race meets, he said.



The AFL believes an on-ground interpreter would not be seen by the crowd, because of the distance from the seating to the arena, a spokesman said in a statement.



And because the broadcast coverage moves around the crowd and arena – and rarely focuses on the announcer – an interpreter would not often be seen, he said.



Having an interpreter shown in a separate box in one corner of the television screen would still be difficult to see clearly, and would impact on the wider broadcast, he said.



The words of the anthem could be displayed on LED signage during the pre-game period, and the AFL is discussing this possibility, he said.



SOURCE

Introducing Coke Studio For The Deaf

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf News: 'Coke Studio for the Deaf' brings music to the 9 million hearing impaired people in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, PK -- Coke Studio, which has previously brought music from far-flung areas into the recording studio, has now come up with a beautiful initiative in Pakistan, that will enable the hearing-impaired to enjoy music.



Coke Studio for the Deaf, as the new initiative is called, has innovated with light and vibrations to make the experience accessible to those who cannot hear.

9 million people in Pakistan have some sort of hearing impairment. They can experience the rhythm of music through touch and sight, and we believe music is a feeling everyone should experience.

Speaking about the initiative, Ibrahim Khan, Coca-Cola brand manager, says, “Coke Studio reaches millions around the world, but not the nine million people hearing-impaired people in Pakistan. We wanted to bring a small change in that regard.”



The programme has been established in partnership with Deaf Reach Foundation.



A report in The The New Indian Express quotes Deaf Reach founder Richard Geary as saying, “Working together with Coke Studio has been a really amazing experience. Not just because we got to see the experience the young people enjoyed, but to create awareness in the country and internationally about the need to provide more opportunities for the Deaf community.”



SOURCE



Follow Coke Studio on Social Media:

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Twitter - https://twitter.com/cokestudio

YouTube - https://youtube.com/cokestudiopk

Coke Studio Pakistan - http://cokestudio.com.pk/season8

Deaf History THAT - "Before The NAD"

VIDEO [CC] - A short film from NAD - Deaf History THAT "Before The NAD"

SILVER SPRING, MD -- The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is excited to release the new video series, Deaf History That! In this brief episode, learn what were one of our favorite pastimes. Here's Linsay Darnall, Jr. shares about the New England Gallaudet Association of the Deaf. #deafhistoryTHAT.

To activate this feature, press the "CC" button.

Video description and transcript:

A man stands in front of an off-white wall and an old model ship on top of an old bookcase. A small transparent NAD logo appears on bottom right.



LINSAY: Deaf people were faced with a dilemma that had raised concerns among them. It was generally known that Deaf people, upon the graduation from school, would acquire jobs and live at their respective places. However, the idea of Deaf people living far apart from their friends could have a negative impact on their intelligence. They needed to gather and discuss solutions. So in 1853, Deaf people in New England congregated in Vermont and decided to establish an organization. Subsequently, in 1854, Thomas Brown, who was in charge in developing the constitution for the newly formed group, and others gathered for a meeting in Henniker, New Hampshire. The meeting lasted for several days which formed the constitution and the name of the new organization the New England Gallaudet Association of the Deaf, the NEGAD. The purpose of the organization was to promote the intellectual growth among the Deaf people who lived in various places and to become a model for other states to follow. Eventually, other states had established their own state association which prompted the eventual establishment of the National Association of the Deaf, the NAD. All of that began with a group of people who were posed with a question that led to the national organization that made it possible for all Deaf to advance.

Video cuts to same grey background with white text "This video series is made possible by the Emanuel "Manny" Golden Visual History Fund." In smaller text on the bottom, "National Association of the Deaf © 2016 All Rights Reserved"



NAD Series: Deaf History THAT - "Little Paper Family"



NAD History | National Association of the Deaf



NAD Series:

Deaf History THAT - "Little Paper Family"

Deaf History THAT - "Before The NAD"

Deaf History THAT - "Who Was Melville Ballard"



NAD History | National Association of the Deaf



Follow @National Association of the Deaf:

Facebook - https://facebook.com/nad

GooglePlus - https://plus.google.com/nad

Twitter - https://twitter.com/nad

YouTube - https://youtube.com/nadvlogs

Website - http://nad.org



Related Deaf Heritage Documentary:

Through Deaf Eyes - Documentary Film

Ted Evans - In Search Of The DEAF WORLD

Life and Deaf - BBC4 Documentary