deafweekly

 

January 16, 2013
Vol. 9, No. 12

Editor: Tom Willard

Deafweekly is an independent news report for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community that is mailed to subscribers on Wednesdays and available to read at www.deafweekly.com. These are the actual headlines and portions of recent deaf-related news articles, with links to the full story. Minor editing is done when necessary. Deafweekly is copyrighted 2013 and any unauthorized use is prohibited. Please support our advertisers; they make it possible for you to receive Deafweekly.

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Last issue's most-read story: DEAF MAN BUILDS SNOW SCULPTURE TO SAY 'I LOVE YOU' IN SIGN LANGUAGE (BUT MIGHT SOME TAKE IT AS AN INSULT?) / Daily Mail
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NATIONAL
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Burlington, NC
DEAF MAN STABBED WHEN SIGN LANGUAGE MISTAKEN FOR GANG SIGNS, POLICE SAY
A North Carolina deaf man using sign language was stabbed several times after another man mistook the gestures as gang signs, police say. Terrance Ervin Daniels was signing with another deaf man when 22-year-old Robert Jarell Neal thought he was flashing gang signs. Police say Neal stabbed Daniels with a kitchen knife several times, as witnesses reported seeing the victim trying to defend himself. / Fox News

Cincinnati, OH
APPEALS COURT RULES FOR DEAF MAN WHO WANTS TO BE A LIFEGUARD
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday reversed a lower court ruling that had blocked a 22-year-old deaf man from becoming a lifeguard in Michigan. The appeals court remanded the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan for further proceedings. In 2006 Nicholas Keith, who has been deaf since birth, passed an Oakland County lifeguard training course with the help of an ASL interpreter. During the following year, Keith was hired to be a guard at a wave pool, conditioned on an pre-employment physical. According to court records, the doctor who performed the physical told Keith that he could not be a lifeguard because he is deaf. / Reuters

Salt Lake City, UT
UTAH SCHOOL BOARD OUSTS SUPERINTENDENT OF DEAF, BLIND SCHOOLS
The state school board decided Thursday not to reappoint Steve Noyce as superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind for next school year. Debra Roberts, state school board chairwoman, declined to discuss Thursday why the board decided not to continue Noyce’s appointment, citing privacy concerns. She said there was no wrongdoing. / The Salt Lake Tribune

Corona, CA
DEAF MAN ROBBED AT KNIFE POINT, BEATEN IN CORONA
A deaf man was robbed at knife point and beaten outside of a library in Corona, police said Friday. The crime, which was captured on surveillance video, occurred around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when the victim was standing outside the Corona Library in the 600 block of South Main Street. The three suspects approached the man and took an unknown amount of money from his hand, according to Corona police. / CBS Los Angeles

New York, NY
FOR A HOMELESS DEAF MAN, AN IPAD MAKES LIFE EASIER
Some of the problems Abreham Zemedagegehu faces as a homeless person in New York, like cold weather and lack of sleep, are fairly predictable. Some are less so: the police have gotten angry with Mr. Zemedagegehu because they did not realize that he could not hear their instructions. He was born with no hearing in one ear and only a little in the other. The Community Service Society, one of the organizations supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, drew $1,308 from the fund to buy Mr. Zemedagegehu an iPad and accessories last month. / The New York Times

Brimfield, OH
SEARCH FOR PERSON WHO DUMPED DEAF PUPPY
Police Chief David Oliver is wondering who left a deaf puppy on the side of the road in a cardboard box. Thanks to the Brimfield Police Department, Cara is getting a second chance. According to a lengthy Facebook posting by the chief of police, the dog was found Saturday. Chief Oliver wasn't shy about calling out the person who abandoned the puppy. "Whoever did this lacks character, period. It was mopey behavior," Chief Oliver said in his Facebook post. / WKYC


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The Dream Must Go On!

Deaf West Theatre honors retired Founding Artistic Director at a gala fundraising event on Saturday, Feb 9 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, California at 7:00pm. Scenes and vignettes from Deaf West productions including "Cyrano", "Children of a Lesser God", and "Big River" will be featured amid a lineup of special guest stars from Deaf West Theatre's history.

For more information about the event, please go to http://www.deafwest.org/ed.html.

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INTERNATIONAL
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Flanders, Belgium
EUTHANASIA VICTORY FOR DEAF BELGIAN TWINS MARC AND EDDY VERBESSEM
Deaf identical twin brothers chose to end their lives by lethal injection after being told that they were going blind. Marc and Eddy Verbessem of Putte near Antwerp, Belgium, had lived together and worked as cobblers their entire adult lives. The devoted pair, who were born deaf, decided that they would rather die than never see each other again after being diagnosed with a genetic form of glaucoma. Despite objections from their older brother Dirk and their parents, Mary and Remy, the 45-year-old siblings applied for euthanasia under Belgian law and were granted the right to die. The Verbessem brothers died at Brussels University Hospital on 14 December. / International Business Times

Hobart, Australia
DEAF SOLO CIRCUMNAVIGATOR,ROLLED IN SOUTHERN OCEAN, STOPS IN HOBART
A Scottish man hoping to become the first deaf yachtsman to sail solo around the world non-stop and unassisted is in Hobart for repairs after his yacht rolled at sea. The profoundly deaf Gerry Hughes, who departed from Glasgow on 1st September 2012, was rolled in his 42ft Beneteau sloop Quest III and has found it prudent to stop at the southerly Australian capital. Gerry sailed single-handed across the Atlantic Ocean in 2005 and the circumnavigation is his latest adventure. / Sail-World.com

Melbourne, Australia
DEAF AND DETERMINED TO DAZZLE IN THE KITCHEN
As one of the young stars of Ten's new series MasterChef: The Professionals, she has a skill like no other contestant. Bonny Porter is a master lip-reader having been deaf since childhood, and during filming has listened to the instructions of renowned chef Marco Pierre White and host Matt Preston primarily using her lip-reading abilities. "Matt and Marco were very conscious of the fact that they needed to be looking at her when speaking. Her team members were always aware of this too," said Ten executive producer Margie Bashfield. / The Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney, Australia
THE ROYAL INSTITUTE FOR DEAF AND BLIND CHILDREN WIN ADSHEL'S CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN
The Adshel Christmas campaign has announced that The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) had won $400,000 worth of free outdoor advertising space from Adshel. The RIDBC is Australia’s leading provider of professional development and research in the education of children with hearing or vision loss. RIDBC garnered 36% of the votes and will aim to raise awareness for their cause across 500 of Adshel’s out-of-home advertising spaces in May this year. / mUmBRELLA

Gothenburg, Sweden
BONE-CONDUCTING IMPLANT COULD HELP DEAF PEOPLE HEAR NORMALLY
A new ear implant that uses the skull bone to transmit vibrations could help functionally deaf people hear normally, according to its creators. Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, developed the 6cm-long Bone Conduction Implant (BCI) as a replacement for the middle ear, attached to the skull under the skin just behind the ear. Unlike conventional bone-conducting hearing aids, the BCI doesn’t need to be anchored to the skull using a titanium screw through the skin, eliminating the risk of skin infection or the device falling off. / The Engineer

Toronto, ON, Canada
POLICE SEARCH FOR MISSING DEAF MAN
Toronto police are searching for a man who they say is deaf and without speech who went missing Saturday. Jegamar Thavanayagapathy, 28, was last seen on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., in the Gerrard Street East and Main Street area. He is a described as South Asian with a dark complexion, 5-foot-10, 180 lbs. with short black hair and a short beard. / 680News

Regina, SK, Canada
SINGER, BORN DEAF, PERFORMS FOR REGINA SHRINERS
There was a special guest at the WA WA Shrine Temple Saturday as the members gathered for their Annual General Meeting. Jérémy Gabriel is one of two international patient abassadors for Shriners Hospitals for Children. While the 16-year-old was born deaf, a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid implanted when he was six allowed him to hear, leading him to discover a love for singing. "Singing is my life," Gabriel says. / News Talk 650 CKOM

Merseyside, England
DEAFNESS WILL NEVER HOLD MY BOYS BACK
When our son Cameron was born early he was a happy baby, calm and sociable. A joy to look after, he smiled at everyone he met. When he was six months old, we found out I was pregnant again. We also realised that the trademark gurgles and babbling that had been such a part of his sociable persona were absent. We saw more things that caused concern, for instance, preparing for a birthday party, a balloon burst but Cameron sat unaffected, grinning away and didn’t flinch. / Daily Express

Christchurch, New Zealand
HOT PIZZAS FOR NZ DEAF PARENT CONFERENCE 2013
Deaf/hearing impaired parents and their children can now enjoy a hot slice of pizza for free at the second NZ Deaf Parent Conference in January 25-27 2013 at Living Springs, Governors Bay, in Christchurch - courtesy of Domino's. The event, which includes a series of educational workshops for CODAs (Children of Deaf Adult) and Deaf children, gives families the opportunity to share the challenges they face raising hearing impaired children. / Scoop News

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
HEARING-IMPAIRED MAN CLAIMS HE WAS IN WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME
A Barataria craftsman charged for robbery with violence claimed Dec. 31 he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kenyata James, 33, swore to Magistrate Nalini Singh in the Port-of-Spain Eleventh Court that he was being made to pay for a crime he did not commit, because of his “situation." James is hearing-impaired and is barely literate. / The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper


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LIFE & LEISURE
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Menlo Park, CA
FACEBOOK OPENS NEW WORLD FOR DEAF
One billion people use Facebook around the world. Its reach is undisputed and unparalleled, but its impact on one specific community has opened up doors to a new world - for the deaf. Christina Teani, 34, of South San Francisco is a teacher for special needs students. “You can often feel like that sometimes you are not good enough, you don’t feel like you’re part of a group,” Teani explained. But her life has changed, much like it has for her deaf friend, Sarah McBride of Palo Alto. “With Facebook, I’m able to communicate with my friends through chat,” she said. / NBC Bay Area

Silver Spring, MD
AN UPDATE FROM MISS DEAF AMERICA AMBASSADOR, CHANEL GLEICHER!
Hello! My name is Chanel Gleicher. I am the 2012 -- 2014 Miss Deaf America Ambassador. I am very honored that I was crowned as Miss Deaf America (MDA) last July during the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. My role as the MDA focuses on showcasing the NAD to Deaf communities, as well as being a role model to deaf and hard of hearing youth. / NAD

Boston, MA
A DRUG THAT RESTORES HEARING IN DEAF MICE
A drug that restores hearing in deaf mice Advances in regenerative medicine are coming in fast and furious these days, and a remarkable new breakthrough can be added to the list. Scientists at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have restored partial hearing in mice suffering from sensorineural hearing loss — a condition that happens after prolonged exposure to noise. Given the rise of an aging population, it's an important bit of scientific insight that could someday help millions of people get their hearing back. / io9.com


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WORKING WORLD
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Washington, DC
HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENT'S CASE AGAINST MEDICAL SCHOOL MAY PROCEED, COURT RULES
A federal appellate court sided on Tuesday with a hearing-impaired medical student who had sued Creighton University for denying him the hearing-assistance technology he had requested. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that the student, Michael S. Argenyi, had proved his claim that without such accommodations, he was unable to follow lectures and classroom discussions or successfully communicate with patients. The ruling reversed a district court's dismissal of the case and sent it back to the lower court for a trial. / The Chronicle of Higher Education

San Francisco, CA
YOUNG EMT OUT TO PROVE DEAFNESS NO OBSTACLE
For her birthday, Amber Tansey suited up and rolled to medical calls with San Francisco firefighters. The Santa Rosa native, now 28, has completed courses at SRJC's Public Safety Training Center and she aspires to go to work as an emergency medical technician. It would be an ambitious goal even if she were not deaf. “People are curious about how I can do the work,” said the 2003 Santa Rosa High alum. She said she communicates by every means available: hand gestures, sign language, computer messages, written notes, assistance from an interpreter, lip-reading. / The Press Democrat


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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Los Angeles, CA
'SWITCHED AT BIRTH' GOES DEEPER INTO DEAF CULTURE
Producers set out from the beginning to use “Switched at Birth” to open a window to deaf culture for hearing people who might know nothing about it and could see deafness as a handicap. To that end, the second half of Season 2, now ongoing, will include an episode done entirely in American Sign Language. The episode, which ABC Family calls a first for a scripted series on mainstream television, will air at 7 p.m. Monday, March 4. "The special episode will be told from the perspective of the series’ multiple deaf characters - with open captions for hearing viewers," the network said. / St. Louis Post-Dispatch

North Hollywood, CA
DEAF WEST THEATRE TO HONOR RETIRED FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ED WATERSTREE, 2/9
Deaf West Theatre will honor retired founding artistic director Ed Waterstreet at a gala fundraising event on Saturday, February 9. "The Dream Must Go On!" will take place at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City beginning at 7:00 pm. The evening is a tribute to Ed's legacy and will feature scenes and vignettes from past Deaf West productions, including Cyrano, Children of a Lesser God, Pippin and Big River, as well as the screening of the documentary film, Our Hands are Louder: The Incredible True Story of Deaf West Theatre, produced and directed by Joseph Sargent. / Broadway World

Washington, DC
ONE TRACK
MIND: PRINZ-D, FIRST DEAF RAPPER, VOL. 2
Standout Track: No. 5, “Kick Em to the Curb,” a confident pop-rap tune with a hook that climaxes with the line, “I know it sounds absurd, but he’s a nerd/You better kick him to the curb.” Musical Motivation: The Birmingham, Ala., native, who attended Gallaudet University and now lives near the school, says the tale is based on a relationship he had with a woman who couldn’t let go of her ex-boyfriend. He’s Different, Yeah He’s Different: The self-proclaimed “first deaf rapper” says he “cannot hear a lick” without his hearing aids. / Washington City Paper

Green Valley, AZ
THEATERS OFFER DEAF, HARD-OF-HEARING A BETTER EXPERIENCE
Movie dates could see a revival for Green Valley residents whose hearing problems have caused them to shun social activities. New sound systems popping up in theaters alongside digital projection systems now required in the industry are luring back at least some of the crowd for whom theater-going was a weekly ritual. Whether up for a romantic evening, break from boredom or an afternoon outing with friends, hard-of-hearing users indicate they’re well worth trying. / Sahuarita Sun


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SPORTS
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Internet
PETITION: WILLIAM 'DUMMY' HOY PRO BASEBALL PLAYER
Dummy Hoy, the first deaf baseball player, said, "My two wishes in life are to live to be 100 years old and be in the Baseball Hall of Fame." Mr. Hoy missed his first wish by dying at the age of 99, having thrown out the first ball in the third game of the 1961 World Series in Cincinnati. It is our fervent hope that he will get his final wish. We urge you to carefully consider the following: / The Petition Site

Faribault, MN
MSAD BOYS NABBED BY NOVA CLASSICAL
Two key players fouling out and 35 turnovers were too much for the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf boys basketball team to overcome in Tuesday’s 72-68 road loss to Nova Classical Academy. Tommy Ellenbecker scored a season-high 24 points and added six steals but it wasn’t enough as Shaun Novella (12 points, seven rebounds) and Sammy Ellenbecker both fouled out. Nova out-rebounded the Trojans 33-27. “Nova has guys that are hungry in the paint where they will chip in points from second chances,” MSAD coach Lee Jones said. / Faribault Daily News


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MILESTONES
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Silver Spring, MD
IN MEMORIAM: MERVIN D. GARRETSON, 21ST NAD PRESIDENT AND 5TH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) mourns the loss of one of its greatest leaders - the only person to have served the organization both as a President and as an Executive Director. Mervin D. “Merv” Garretson passed away at the age of 89 on January 9, 2013 in Summerfield, Florida. He was born on July 25, 1923 in Sheridan, Wyoming. The love of his life, his wife Carol Jean Kaull Garretson passed away less than two months earlier, on November 28, 2012. They are survived by their five daughters, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. / NAD


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EMPLOYMENT

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You can advertise your job openings here for just $20 a week (up to 100 words, 10 cents each add'l word). To place your ad, send the announcement to mail@deafweekly.com.

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PAHRTNERS DEAF SERVICES

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

614 N. Easton Road, Glenside, PA 19038
215-884-9770 TTY/V 215-884-6301 FAX

PAHrtners Deaf Services is a dynamic team of behavioral health professionals serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and adults. We take great pride that our program is strongly Deaf/HOH centered with about 85% of our staff being Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Our staff environment is one of incredible teamwork and mutual support. As a result, we are rapidly growing with new programs and expansions of our existing programs. Whether you are a high school graduate, recent college graduate or have many years’ experience in the field of human services we have a career building position waiting for you! E.O.E.

PAHrtners is looking for dedicated, motivated, energetic individuals who are fluent in American Sign Language and knowledgeable about Deaf Culture and the Deaf Community to fill the following positions:

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM DIRECTOR
RESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT PROGRAM DIRECTORS
RESIDENTIAL COUNSELORS

For more information on each of these positions, go to our website at www.pahrtners.com

Send your letter of intent and resumes to:

Linda Claypool, Office Manager/HR
PAHrtners Deaf Services, 614 N. Easton Road, Glenside, PA 19038
Email: lclaypool@pahrtners.com Fax: 215-884-6301
www.pahrtners.com

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