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NATIONAL
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San Antonio, TX
DEAF MAN FOUND SHOT TO DEATH HAD INDEX CARD WITH 'SORRY' WRITTEN ON IT
Police charged a woman with murder on Monday after she told investigators she shot and killed a man on Sunday morning. Michelle Chase, 49, was arrested Monday night. She had called police about 10 a.m. Sunday to an apartment complex in the 600 block of South Rio Grande Street, where officers found 50-year-old William Farr dead on the sidewalk. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Farr, who was deaf, was found with a small index card on him with “sorry” written on it . / San Antonio Express-News
Santa Fe, NM
DEAF SCHOOL STUDENTS, SUPPORTERS' OPPOSITION QUASH PROPOSAL TO PUT COLLEGE AT THEIR CAMPUS
State Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas says he didn’t set out to change the mission of the Santa Fe-based New Mexico School for the Deaf. He simply wanted to study the possibility of expanding opportunities at the school by adding a four-year college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students to the campus. But supporters of the public school packed a House Education Committee hearing Tuesday to let lawmakers know they do not want to dilute the school’s purpose: to prepare deaf and hard-of-hearing K-12 students for college and careers. / The Santa Fe New Mexican
Seattle, WA
SCAMMERS STEAL FROM SEATTLE HEARING, SPEECH & DEAFNESS CENTER
Scammers are stealing from an organization that helps children who are deaf or hearing impaired. It's a crime that will make you cringe: scammers, stealing from an organization that helps children who are deaf or hard of hearing. What's worse, Seattle Police believe the thieves could be targeting other local non-profits. The most recent incident happened at the Seattle Hearing, Speech, and Deafness Center, or HSDC. "We lost almost $10,000," said executive director Lindsay Klarman. "I was in shock, and my stomach just dropped." / King5
Tallahassee, FL
TO LAWMAKERS' SURPRISE, NO QUALIFICATIONS FOR ASL INTERPRETERS
There’s a bill moving through the legislature that would update the qualification process for educational interpreters. That’s because currently neither the State nor the Board of Education has established criteria. Representative Lori Berman of Boynton Beach says it’s time to change that. “Florida is one of only five states that has no standard for sign language interpreter qualifications in K-12 programs,” she said. / WFSU
Columbus, NE
DEAF CUSTOMER UPSET WITH MCDONALD'S OVER TREATMENT
A clash between a customer and the company: the video captured at a Columbus, Nebraska drive-through went viral recently. Just two hours into the New Year, Jonathan Ramos arrived at the McDonald’s drive-through window. His frustration in trying to place an order is evident in the use of his car horn, something, he himself, doesn't hear. It struck a nerve with one of the employees. Video captured an employee’s response: "You can leave or I'm going to call police. Do you get that one?" / WOWT
San Francisco, CA
50 CENT SUPPORTS STARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION SUPER BOWL EVENT
Amid the Super Bowl hoopla over the past weekend, the Starkey Hearing Foundation generated some serious celebrity philanthropy to change a select group of children's lives forever. 50 Cent led the charge on Saturday, February 6 for the 2016 Starkey Hearing Foundation Super Bowl Hearing Mission where he and several other famous faces gifted children with state-of-the-art hearing aids. The Starkey Foundation’s expert team of audiologists provided more than 70 San Francisco residents with their own custom digital hearing devices. / HipHopDX
Silver Spring, MD
SURVEY: HOW'S YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH ONLINE VIDEOS?
TDI, NAD, HLAA, and CSD want your feedback! Please answer a few questions to share your experiences while watching videos with closed captions on the Internet. Your responses will help us identify gaps in captioning coverage and identify ways to close those gaps. Last day to take survey is March 4, 2016. / TDI
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INTERNATIONAL
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Mthatha, South Africa
FIVE DEAF MURDER SUSPECTS BACK IN COURT
Five deaf learners from Efata School for the Deaf and Blind in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape are expected to be back at the Mthatha Magistrate's Court for a formal bail hearing Tuesday morning. They have been in custody since September last year. They are facing murder changes following the killing of deputy principal, Nodumo Mzimane at the school's hostel last year. The main delaying factor to the bail hearing has been alleged improper sign language interpretation. / SABC News
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
BOSNIAN FIRST-GRADERS REACH OUT TO DEAF SCHOOLMATE
When Mirzana Coralic asked the primary school in her Sarajevo neighborhood whether they would enroll her deaf son, teacher Sanela Ljumanovic volunteered without thinking much about it. Then September came and 6-year-old Zejd was there, silently sitting on one of the school's benches, his eyes wide open. At the time, no one at the school, not even Zejd, knew sign language. "We have to come up with something here," Ljumanovic remembers thinking. / The Associated Press
Barcelona, Spain
'THE LOCAL CHURCH SHOULD FULFILL THE NEEDS OF THE DEAF COMMUNITY'
The Christian ministry for deaf people “Micrisordos” has organized a Catalan sign language course in Barcelona, Spain, where the students will learn the basics of this language. It is an intensive course of 30 hours, taught by two experts in Catalan sign language. The Spanish online newspaper, Protestante Digital, has talked with one of the teachers, about the course and the situation of the deaf people in the society and in the local church. / Evangelical Focus
Bedfordshire, England
FEARS THAT THREE-DAY DEAF FESTIVAL 'WILL BE TOO NOISY'
Police are objecting to a licence for a three-day festival likely to attract at least 500 deaf people from across the UK – because they fear the event will be too noisy. The England Deaf Party wants The Deaf Foam Festival to take place on July 8-10 at Stockwell Farm, Leighton Road, Eggington, with entertainment running through until 4am. Despite not yet having a licence its website says certain ticket types are sold out or nearly sold out. / Leighton Buzzard
London, England
BRITISH EMBASSY QUITO LAUNCHES PROJECT TO SUPPORT DEAF CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES
British Ambassador Patrick Mullee attended the official launch of a manual for Ecuadorean families with deaf children on 31 January. The manual was prepared by Ecuadorean NGO “Fundación Vivir la Sordera” (Living Deafness Foundation) with support from the British Embassy Quito and British NGO Deaf Child Worldwide. It provides practical advice to help families better support deaf children. You can download the Manual for free. / GOV.UK
Ireland
PROUD TO BE DEAF -- IRISH WOMAN LISA CARROLL WHO SWAM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL
Even though it's mid-winter, Lisa Carroll (45) and two friends shed their warm clothes and plunge into the chilly Irish Sea. They stroke their way through the choppy waters and eventually round a distant buoy. When they return to the iconic Forty Foot, Lisa is freezing, but she's still upbeat. "I get so cold I can't feel my body, but I keep on swimming anyway," she quips with a grin. Later, nursing a cup of hot chocolate in Dun Laoghaire, she explains that she is a member of the Irish Deaf Women's Group. / Independent
Paris, ON, Canada
APARTMENTS OFFER 'PEACE OF MIND'
A new $3-million apartment complex in Paris will give its deaf-blind residents a measure of independence many have never experienced. With a beaming smile, Julia Seed, who is profoundly deaf and has little vision, ran her hands along the kitchen cupboards and bathroom tiles in her bright new apartment this week, taking in the location and texture of each fixture. It was the first time she'd been inside her new home, which is just getting some finishing touches before her March move-in date. Heather Arsenault, Seed's intervenor for the past 13 years, led the tour, pushing Seed's wheelchair through every room so she could map out her new quarters. / Brantford Expositor
Surry Hills NSW, Australia
THORNTON HALL TO BE REFURBISHED WITH HELP OF DEAF TRADESMEN
Peter Cipollone has called on deaf tradesmen to help bring his vision for Thornton Hall to life. Mr Cipollone, a heritage building specialist, has worked with deaf people for decades and said their “great attention to detail” would be an asset in the historic site’s refurbishment. “Their whole motor communication is centred around their eyes . . . they have a heightened sense of visual perception,” he said. The work of six men will be especially crucial to the refurbishment project. / Daily Telegraph
Singapore
DEAF AND LOSING SIGHT, SHE'S BLAZING TRAIL FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF-BLIND
A fever when she was less than a year old cost Miss Lisa Loh her hearing. Now aged 27, she is dealing with the slow but certain prospect that she is going blind. But before that happens, she is trying to help herself, and others like her, cope with living with two devastating disabilities. Together with the Singapore Association for the Deaf, she is pioneering support initiatives for those who suffer from being both deaf and blind, or deaf-blind. / The Straits Times
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The Z™ offers the best in videophone technology, providing equipment options to meet customers' individual needs and offering features not available through other VRS providers. Professional, nationally certified interpreters follow standards of service excellence above and beyond FCC requirements. Dedicated to a spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence, The Z™ continues to set the industry standard as the nation's premier VRS provider. Go to www.zvrs.com for more information on all of our products, services and features. Don't have a Z phone? You can still join The Z™ Life by calling 888.888.1116 to connect to ZVRS from any videophone!
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LIFE & LEISURE
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Knoxville, TN
ASL STUDENTS TAKE A TRIP TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN DEAF CULTURE
A group of American Sign Language (ASL) students, accompanied by part-time instructor Sara Evans, attended the Mason-Dixon Girls’ Basketball Tournament at the Tennessee School for the Deaf in Knoxville last Saturday. Evans encouraged students to attend the trip in order to immerse themselves within the Deaf world and practice their signing with others. “Whenever I have the opportunity to see my students utilize a skill I taught, it truly warms my heart,” Evans said. / Lee Clarion
Cottonwood, AZ
CIRCLE CRACKS SIGN BARRIER
“Can you imagine? Having no one to talk to?” Laurie Lee asked. Deafness is a difficult subject — an affliction that fewer than two or three children per 1,000 are born with, but which many more suffer from throughout their lives. Hearing loss, if not full deafness, often results in social isolation, particularly in smaller rural communities such as those found in the Verde Valley. A new group is making headway in relieving that isolation, however. / journalAZ.com
Maryville, MO
A REMINDER OF DEAF CULTURE, THE OVERLOOKED MINORITY
America is in a constant battle to advocate for diversity, but too often we believe that culture is synonymous with race or ethnicity. Webster defines culture as “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place or time.” According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are approximately 70 million Deaf individuals in the world. These 70 million people have their own language, traditions and values. However, as America continues to fight for equality among all peoples, the Deaf community is often forgotten. / Northwest Missourian
Palm Springs, CA
GAY AND DEAF DESERT RESIDENTS: IT'S NOT A DISABILITY
You may not have noticed, but almost every time you’re out on the town for theater, movies, dining, and socializing at the local watering holes, there are probably Deaf folks nearby. It’s true: a sizable, active, deaf, LGBT community thrives in the Coachella Valley. / The Desert Sun
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WORKING WORLD
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Los Angeles, CA
CI WEAR FOUNDER RECEIVES PATENT FOR SPECIALTY SHIRT TO HELP DEAF SON
Ci Wear, LLC., an apparel company focused on creating active gear for the hearing impaired, announced Feb. 9 the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 9,242,093 for a specialty garment used during physical activity to conceal a hearing device and its wires to protect against entanglement and dislodgment. This proprietary shirt design reduces the exposure of hearing devices such as cochlear implant (CI) processors, smartphones and MP3 players; and their prospective sound cords/headphones. / PRWeb
Baltimore, MD
TILAK RATNANATHER: A ROLE MODEL FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS
Tilak Ratnanather, associate research professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins, has earned a reputation as a remarkable scientist, researcher, role model, and mentor. Born with probable damage to his inner ear, Ratnanather was fitted with hearing aids at an early age and attended schools for the deaf through high school. His family moved from Sri Lanka to London due to England’s superior system of education for the deaf. Ratnanather attended University College London where he became its first congenitally profoundly deaf student to pursue an undergraduate degree in mathematics. / Biomedical Engineering News
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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San Francisco, CA
MARLEE MATLIN DISAPPOINTED BY SUPER BOWL TV SNUB
Deaf actress Marlee Matlin was “genuinely surprised” to discover her stint signing for Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl was cut from the TV broadcast. The Oscar winner took on the job of translating the singer’s performance of the U.S. National Anthem into American Sign Language on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf during the football extravaganza in Santa Clara, California on Sunday. However, Matlin later found out her role had not been featured in the TV broadcast, and she fears millions of hearing-impaired viewers missed out. / SFGATE
Fort Smith, AR
VIOLINIST, BORN DEAF, TO PERFORM AT CARNEGIE HALL
A local teen’s passion for music has landed her at New York City’s prestigious Carnegie Hall. Emily Bieker is a sophomore at Southside High School, and has been playing the violin since she was 11 years old. After going through an audition process, she was selected to play in the Honors Performance Series. “The acoustics are just perfection, and it rings for a long time and I would love that,” Bieker said. “And I get to do it!” / 5newsonline.com
Worcester, MA
LIGHT OPERA'S 'TRIBES' GETS TO HEART OF COMMUNICATION
The central character in Nina Raines’ “Tribes” may be deaf, but the wildly entertaining and dysfunctional family that surrounds him in this unsettling, moving and profanely funny play are beset with a far more familiar handicap – the hard of listening. They pretend that Billy is just like them, and although Billy can read lips quite well, it’s sometimes a challenge for him to keep up with the furious contentious verbal confrontations that incessantly pass for communication between his parents, his brother and his sister. / Worcester Telegram
Chestertown, MD
DEAF WEST THEATRE REVOLUTIONIZES COMMUNICATION
In January I was lucky enough to see one of “Spring Awakening’s” last performances on Broadway, before the end of its run. Getting to see any show on Broadway is a treat, and “Spring Awakening” is an incredible show that was overdue to be revived, but this was not just any production. The show, which was put on by a Los Angeles production company called Deaf West Theatre, is extraordinary in that half of its production team, artistic staff, and cast is deaf or hearing impaired. / The Elm
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SPORTS
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Jacksonville, NC
ALTHOUGH DEAF, NORTHSIDE'S LEOMBRUNO SEES HIMSELF AS JUST ANOTHER WRESTLER
As the first deaf wrestler to put on a singlet for an Onslow County high school, Patrick Leombruno is a trailblazer and an inspiration -- to everyone, it seems, but the 18-year-old Northside High School senior who barely nudges the scale past 100 pounds. Others see the bigger picture. They see a teenager who despite being unable to hear his coach or the referee -- much less the crowd -- is competing in one of the most grueling of sports where the slightest of errors can lead to defeat in a blink. What Leombruno sees is different. / Atlantic Broadband
Tacoma, WA
DEAF WRESTLER FELS EVERY DETAIL ON THE MAT
For Puyallup High wrestler Josh Franich, the greatest sound he hears isn’t one people typically think of first. It’s the one that comes from within the junior before he wrestles each match. It’s the voice telling him this is his match, his time to shine. It’s also heard in the routine Franich goes through as he paces outside the circle with a big grin on his face before every match. This voice is the voice of a wrestler’s confidence, built from the success of a young life. / The News Tribune
Colorado Springs, CO
UCCS BASKETBALL TEAM VISITS CSDB
For the fourth year in a row, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) women’s basketball team visited a CSDB basketball practice. The CSDB boys’ and girls’ teams participated in drills set up by the UCCS team. Time was set aside for the CSDB Bulldogs to ask the UCCS Mountain Lions about life as college student-athletes. / CSDB
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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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DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH PROGRAMS
The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind (CSDB), located in Colorado Springs, Colorado invites you to consider our employment opportunities. Applications are being accepted for Director of Outreach Programs.
Interested persons are invited to visit CSDB's website at http://www.csdb.org/careers-2/classified-3/ where the official job announcement may be found.
Full-Time; 260 days (July through June) beginning 2016-2017.
Salary: Base salary shall be based upon appropriate qualifications
Contact information:
Chelle Lutz, Human Resources
Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind
33 North Institute Street; Colorado Springs, CO 80903
clutz@csdb.org; 719-578-2114; 719-578-2239 (fax)
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Advocates in Framingham, MA is Hiring!
Advocates is seeking talented professionals to join our team, providing health services within the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community.
Clinical Program Manager: Perform functions of Direct Care Counselor, program supervision/direction.
• Qualifications: MA; or BA/BS and 3 years’ experience.
Community Crisis Stabilization Clinician: Provide mental health and substance abuse services.
• Qualifications: BA and 2 years’ experience.
Direct Care Counselor: Supervise daily activities, provide support/guidance/role modeling. All shifts available!
• Qualifications: BA/BS; or HS diploma/GED and 1 year experience.
Mobile Clinician: Provide clinical supervision and rehabilitative direction to individuals who carry a diagnosis of mental illness, assist in the coordination of services, provide clinical leadership.
• Qualifications: MA and 1 year experience; or BA/BS and 3 years’ experience.
Minimum Qualifications Include:
• ASL fluency.
• Valid driver's license/reliable transportation.
• Related education (as applicable).
Visit www.advocates.org/careers to apply today!
Advocates is an EOE/D/F/M/V.
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Come Work With The Best!
Northeast Arc has full and part-time positions, working with adult individuals who are deaf, available in Lynn, Salem, Swampscott and Beverly, MA. You'll be working with deaf individuals using various communication skills including gestural, written and Signed English. Do you know ASL? If so, I'd like to speak with you about our direct care positions. We offer an excellent benefits package, paid trainings and the support you will need to become a successful part of our experienced, long-term team of professionals. For additional information or to send your resume, please email Kathy Tracy Ktracy@ne-arc.org.
Compensation: $12 for per diem shifts and $14 for PT/FT shifts.
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PAHRTNERS DEAF SERVICES
A Division of Salisbury Behavioral Health
PAHrtners Deaf Services is a dynamic team of behavioral health professionals serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and adults. Our environment is one of incredible teamwork and mutual support with a staff comprised of 85% Deaf or Hard of Hearing. As a result of our commitment to the Deaf/HoH community, PAHrtners is rapidly growing with the creation of new programs and expansion of our existing programs. Whether you are a high school graduate, recent college graduate or professional with many years of experience in the field of human services, we have a career building position waiting for you! E.O.E.
PAHrtners Deaf Services is in collaboration with Green Tree School & Services to open a school program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students with additional needs in Philadelphia, PA
-- POSITIONS AVAILABLE AT GREEN TREE SCHOOL & SERVICES IN PHILADELPHIA, PA
Special Education Teacher Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Full-time
Para-educator Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Full-time
Staff Interpreter
Full-time, Part-time or Flex available
Behavior Manager/ Behavior Management Assistant
Full-time