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

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.

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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.

Girl & Deaf Grandparents Killed In House Fire

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO [CC] - Girl and Deaf grandparents killed in house fire hours before rape trial in the small town of Ohio.



YOUNGSTOWN, OH - A northeast Ohio prosecutor says a 10-year-old girl died in a house fire early Monday morning, hours before a man suspected of raping her was scheduled to go on trial.



A total of three people were reported dead by the Youngstown Fire Department after the blaze on the city’s south side.



Neighbors in the 3600-block of Powers Way say they heard a loud explosion around 3:30 a.m.; moments later, they saw flames rip through the two-story home. “I looked out the window and the fire broke out from the bottom of the basement, just whoosh. And it was totally on fire.”



Dozens of firefighters were needed to control the flames. When it was out, firefighters found the bodies of two adults and their 10-year-old granddaughter. The adults are identified as Billy and Judy Schmidt, both in their 60s.







“Everybody who knew Billy loved him. He had friends all over the United States, he could probably go anywhere in the country and probably run into somebody that he knew,” said Connie Glozier, the victim’s sister.



The Schmidts, who were both Deaf, were raising their granddaughter. Neighbor Pamela Jones says the girl played with her grandchildren.



“I just can’t believe that something like this would happen,” said Jones. “I’ve been crying all day.”



Adding to the tragedy of this fire, the 10-year-old girl was the victim of an alleged sexual assault. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Robert Seman, appeared in court this morning.



“On literally the eve of trial, hours before this trial was supposed to begin, this victim dies in a fire under suspicious circumstances, at the very least,” said Mahoning County Assistant District Attorney Stephanie McLaughlin. “Only 10 years old, somebody who did not deserve these things that happened to her.”



Seman has not been charged in connection with the fire, but his bond was revoked and he was taken to jail. If convicted on the rape charges, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison... Read more: pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/03/30/fire-officials-3-dead-in-youngstown-house-fire/

Deaf Pilot Gets License In Ohio

Exclusive: Deaf woman pilot gets license that not going to stop her from taking to the sky.



LANCASTER, OH - Learning to fly is no easy feat, but Lancaster native Jenny Hurst was not going to let being Deaf stop her from taking to the sky.



From a young age, Hurst dreamed of being a pilot like her grandfather, a captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. She has always been drawn to flying, she said, and before 9/11, one of her favorite things to do was to watch planes take off from Port Columbus International Airport. In her younger years, she went as far as telling boyfriends plane-watching was her preferred way to spend a date.



Aware of that desire, Hurst’s husband of 17 years, Adam, looked into flight lessons at Sundowner Aviation at the Fairfield County Airport for his wife, who has been Deaf since the age of 2. Officials there agreed to take her on, and one year later, after fitting in two to three hours of flight instruction per week, Hurst got her pilot license. She took her first solo flight July 18.



On Sunday, Hurst took her family up in the plane for the first time, although the family of six could not all fit in one flight. Hurst hopes to become registered in instrument flight rules so she can be allowed to fly larger planes that will fit her entire family.



Another use for the pilot license may be flying materials from suppliers to Hammock Gear, the backpacking outfitter the Hursts own in Lancaster. While Hurst would love to be a pilot for hire, she said she is still exploring her limits as a Deaf pilot and her abilities with communication... Read more: lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/local/2015/03/24/deaf-pilot-gets-license-lancaster/

Deaf Puppy Dumped On Busy Highway In Ohio

VIDEO: Hundreds calling with adoption questions on Deaf puppy dumped near Portage County highway.



AKRON, Ohio - An estimated 800 people have called One of a Kind Pets Rescue to inquire about a Deaf puppy that was left inside a cardboard box near a highway last month.



"Everybody wants to meet this puppy that has gotten so much exposure," said Georjette Thomas from One of a Kind.



The puppy, a 9-week-old Jack Russell terrier mix named Cara, was found in a shoebox on the side of Tallmadge Road in Brimfield Township on Jan 12.



She had a hairline fracture in a front leg and open wounds. Animal experts determined the puppy was Deaf after she didn't respond to commands.

"To think that this puppy was disposable by somebody or to somebody is unfathomable to us," Thomas said.



Since news spread that Cara is available for adoption, One of a Kind has been flooded with calls and visitors.



Many people have already filled out adoption papers and dozens more are expected. ... Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/akron_canton_news/hundreds-calling-with-adoption-quesions-on-deaf-puppy-dumped-near-portage-county-highway



Deaf puppy left in shoebox on Brimfield highway up for adoption.



BRIMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio - The Deaf Jack Russell terrier dumped in a box on the side of Tallmadge Road last month is ready to go to a real home.



Police Chief David Oliver is still looking for the person who abandoned the disabled dog on the side of a busy highway.



The pup, named "Cara," is now available for adoption at One of a Kind Pets in Akron.



"Cara is still a little peanut, but she appears to have doubled her size," says a story on petfinder.com. "She is Deaf and does very well mimicking the other dogs in her foster home. She follows the pack."



A motorist spotted the pooch and brought the dog to the police station. Oliver posted a picture on the department's Facebook page, where it has generated a lot of interest.



The puppy was turned over to One of a Kind Pets in Akron. ... Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/02/home_sought_for_deaf_puppy_lef.html