Please support our advertisers; they make it possible for you to receive Deafweekly.
SPONSOR DEAFWEEKLY! Become a sponsor and you will receive banner ads on our home page and in each issue, as well as a 100-word text ad every week to promote your products and services. In addition, you will be helping thousands of readers keep up with important news in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Interested? Send us an email!
SIGN UP HERE for a free subscription. Be sure to open the confirmation email and click on the link to activate your subscription. It is required by law and prevents others from signing you up without your permission.
ADDRESS CHANGES are self serve. Simply unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of every newsletter, then sign up for a subscription with your new address.
ADVERTISE IN DEAFWEEKLY FOR $20 OR LESS PER WEEK
Last issue's most-read story: DEAF WOMAN SUES CITY FOR FALSE ARREST, DENYING INTERPRETER / NY Daily News
Deafweekly subscribers as of today: 5,597
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NATIONAL
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jacksonville, FL
POLICE: DEAF MAN STABS HOME INVASION SUSPECT WITH SWORD
A suspect in a home invasion robbery at Sable Palms Apartments who was stabbed by a deaf man early Tuesday morning has been arrested, authorities said. Elvedin Zukic, 19, faces charges of home invasion robbery with a firearm and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The victim tried to convey to the suspect he did not understand what he wanted, police said, then went to his bedroom and grabbed a silver sword with a black handle. / Firstcoastnews.com
Los Angeles, CA
'BLACK LIVES MATTER' PROTESTORS PUSH AND GROPE DEAF STUDENT
I am Deaf. My name is Ashley-Anne Hobbins. I am the Young Americans for Freedom Coachella Valley Chapter Founder and Chairman. I was invited to attend this event by the CSULA YAF Chapter Chairman, Mark Kahanding. As we attempted to enter our event, our small group of Young Americans for Freedom students and invitees were deliberately targeted by student protestors. These activists were yelling profanities at us such as ‘white supremacists’ and far worse, then chanting ‘black lives matter’ slogans. / YAF.org
Salt Lake City, UT
DEAF COMMUNITY MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD ON CAPITOL HILL
When Cathy Holt enters the Division of Services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DSDHH), more affectionately known as the Sanderson Community Center, a sense of home comes over her. It is here where the deaf and hard of hearing can go to get help with jobs, health care, interpreting services and feel part of a community who cares for them. All of this has the potential to change dramatically in the coming days, with the state Legislature voting on HB325, a bill to move the DSDHH that is currently under the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation to be overseen by the Department of Workforce Services. / KSL.com
Topeka, KS
DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING DAY RAISES AWARENESS AT THE STATEHOUSE
The Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing held presentations to raise awareness inside the Statehouse Wednesday. Informational booths were set up in conjunction with the Kansas State School for the Deaf and the Deaf Cultural Center to promote the state resources available to deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens. Interpreters were made available for guided tours and also for legislators to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing constituents throughout the day. / WIBW
New Orleans, LA
DEAF MAN BLAMES HAND SURGICAL ASSOCIATES FOR DELAYED TREATMENT
A Gonzales man who is deaf says staff at Hand Surgical Association refused to provide sign language interpreters, effectively denying and delaying his treatment for hand pain. Terrance LeMaire filed a lawsuit on March 1 in U.S. District Court. According to the complaint, LeMaire sought treatment in March 2014. Although a doctor at Hand Surgical ordered a scan of his hand, the suit says he was unable to receive treatment there because of staff resistance to provide interpreters. / Louisiana Record
Cleveland, OH
CLEVELAND POLICE GET NEW IPADS, APP TO COMMUNICATE WITH DEAF RESIDENTS
Every day, Cleveland Police come into contact with people from all kinds of backgrounds, including members of the deaf community, and sometimes it’s not always easy to communicate with them if they don’t know sign language, but they’re now being given a new tool to help with that. "Every police district now has an iPad available where an officer can access an app on the iPad and get a live ASL interpreter," said Captain Jim McPike. / fox8.com
Boston, MA
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEAF SAY STATE SERVICES LACKING
Advocates for deaf and hard of hearing individuals on Friday called the Legislature's attention to what they said are significant funding shortfalls that threaten their ability to communicate with others. As legislators continue their work reviewing the $39.55 billion fiscal 2017 budget proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker, advocates told the House and Senate Ways and Means committees that cuts to the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing have made life more difficult for deaf residents. / The Berkshire Eagle
Morris County, NJ
GROUP BUILDING $20M HOME FOR DEAF SENIORS IN MORRIS
New Jersey Deaf Senior Housing is hosting its fourth annual fashion show and gift basket auction to raise money for a planned multi-million dollar housing project for deaf seniors in Morris County. The group was formed in 2006 to build a home that offered communication access for all people with hearing loss. Through fundraising, donations, and charitable events like the fashion show, the group hopes to make the home a reality. / Daily Record
New York, NY
NYPD REACHES OUT TO DEAF COMMUNITY TO OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION
The NYPD is boosting its efforts to reach out to the city's deaf community. Officers attended a meet-and-greet event in Gramercy Park on Saturday. The department says it hopes the gathering can help its officers find more effective ways to communicate with the deaf population. We spoke with the NYPD's first deaf staff member who says this event is important to bridge the gap between police and the hard of hearing community. "I feel like it's about time," said Kathleen Mattera. / NY1 News
Falmouth, ME
CENTER FOR DEAF CAN NOW ACCEPT PRIVATE DONATIONS
A bill by state Sen. Cathy Breen, D-Falmouth, that supports the Maine Education Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing became law last week without Gov. Paul LePage’s signature. The law now removes restrictions which prohibited the school, formerly known as the Gov. Baxter School for the Deaf, from accepting private donations from alumni, foundations and others. Breen’s bill was enacted by the Senate on Feb. 18. LePage did not sign or veto the bill within a 10-day window, so it became law without his signature. / The Forecaster
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
READ WHAT THEY SAY
Unlock the phone with CapTel® Captioned Telephone! CapTel shows word-for-word captions of everything a caller says over the phone, letting you read everything that they say. Like captions on TV – for the phone! Captions are provided by a free service, no monthly fees or contracts required. For more information or to order call 1-800-233-9130 V/TTY or visit http://www.weitbrecht.com/captel.html . For more info about CapTel or any of the many assistive listening devices we offer, email: sales@weitbrecht.com.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
CapTel® Captioned Telephone – See What Everyone is Talking About!
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTERNATIONAL
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Punjab, India
MINOR DEAF-MUTE GIRL ENTERS INDIA, HANDED BACK TO PAKISTAN RANGERS
A five-year-old deaf and mute Pakistan girl, who inadvertently crossed over into the Indian territory in Punjab's Abohar sector, was handed over to the Pakistani Rangers by Border Security Force. This came after the BSF jawans found the girl in Natha Singh Wala Border Outpost area along the international border. / India Today
Tokyo, Japan
CAFES RUN BY VISUALLY, HEARING IMPAIRED SET MODELS FOR EMPLOYMENT
Walking into “Sign with Me,” a soup cafe in Tokyo, customers are greeted not by the typical Japanese “irasshaimase” shouts of welcome but sign language and gestures from courteous staff members. Masahiro Yanagi, the cafe’s 43-year-old owner, is hearing impaired himself. “Perhaps we can create a (business) model in which people who can hear are welcomed into the world of those who cannot,” Yanagi thought, and he opened the eatery in December 2011. / Japan Today
Bukit Batok, Singapore
DEAF MILLENNIA INSTITUTE STUDENT DID NOT LET DISABILITY DEFEAT HIM
His friends call him a "good listener". Which is a lovely compliment, since he is deaf. Millennia Institute (MI) student Brendan Lau, 20, thanked his close friends when he topped his cohort after the release of GCE A-level examination results last Friday. Two of them even learnt sign language so they could communicate with him better. Mr Lau who scored five As, has been deaf since he was an infant, as a result of drugs administered for a pre-existing gastrointestinal problem. / The New Paper
Russia
RUSSIAN SIGN LANGUAGE BIBLE TO OPEN UP SCRIPTURE TO DEAF MILLIONS
There is one on most everyone’s bookshelf, coffee table or, more recently, their phones. American Christians are used to having access to a Bible they can read in their own language, with a variety of translations. DOOR International President and CEO Rob Myers would like people to consider what life would be like if there were no Bible to read in your language. That is the case for the Deaf in much of the world. / Mission Network News
Belfast, Ireland
DEAF MAN, 57, PLEADS GUILTY TO HISTORIC SEX ABUSE CHARGES
A 57-year-old man was put on the Sex Offenders' Register after he pleaded guilty to charges of historical sex abuse dating back more than two decades ago. Joseph McDowell admitted a total of six charges of gross indecency with, or towards a child between October 31 and December 1, 1993. McDowell, who is profoundly deaf, made his pleas before Belfast Crown Court on Monday, with the help of a sign language interpreter. / The Irish News
Manchester, England
AUTHOR WENT DEAF AFTER HAVING AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO DUST MICE FECES
A mother-of-two has revealed how an allergy to an infestation of dust mites in her home left her almost completely deaf. Marnie Riches, from Hale, greater Manchester, was shocked when her lack of hearing was put down to an extreme reaction to dust mite faeces that caused her ear canals to collapse. The author and mother-of-two had never suffered any hearing problems before moving into her home in Hale in 2013. / Daily Mail
London, Engand
HEARING-IMPAIRED PROGRAMMER SHOWS A NEED FOR ACCESSIBILITY
Hollie Kay built her first website in 1999, despite discouragement from teachers over her taking up “computers” as a lifelong career path. She didn’t pay attention. While her schoolteachers dismissed her lack of following orders as “willful disobedience,” as she puts it, she was really using machines and websites as a way to cope with being deaf, which she was since infancy. The 34-year-old London-based front-end developer is now working for Springer Nature with a large team of developers who maintain the publishing platform for scientific and academic journals. / SD Times
Porthcawl, Wales
GROUNDBREAKING SELF-HELP DVD FOR DEAF COMMUNITY LAUNCHED
Self help is a booming industry with literally hundreds of DVDs on the market designed to reduce stress and aid relaxation. But what if you are deaf and use British Sign Language? “We researched and researched on the internet and there was absolutely nothing available,” said Sue Williams, a freelance BSL interpreter, from Porthcawl . To fill the void, Sue, her husband Steve, his business partner Nico Burgui, members of the deaf community and the British Deaf Association came together to make a relaxation DVD called Take Time for Yourself. / Wales Online
Ottawa, ON, Canada
FUTURE FOR OTTAWA SCHOOL FOR DEAF AND LEARNING DISABLED STUDENTS IS UNDER STUDY
The future of an Ottawa centre for children who are deaf or have learning disabilities is unclear, as the Ontario government studies what should happen to four similar schools in the province. Centre Jules-Léger is no longer taking applications for new students while a consultation is done with parents and the community. The other schools being studied are the Robarts School for the Deaf in London, the Sagonaska School in Belleville, Trillium School in Milton and Amethyst School in London. / Ottawa Citizen
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
DEAF SWIMMERS MAKE SPLASH
Brantford's Brandon VanWyk helped make history as the national deaf swim team competed at its first Swimming Canada event. "It was a great weekend overall," VanWyk said about the Speedo Western Canadian Open, Feb. 18-21, in Winnipeg. Competing against some of the best swimmers in Canada, VanWyk was part of team that set a Canadian deaf record in the four-by-50-metre relay of one minute, 56.44 seconds, and he achieved a personal best of 29.97 seconds in the 50-metre backstroke. / Brantford Expositor
Toronto, ON, Canada
DEAF GIRL MAKES BEAUTIFUL MUSIC IN REGENT PARK
Nikita Austin plays piano, flute and steel pan. She can make complex music with a special iPad app. Those would be big achievements for any teen. What makes it so remarkable is that Nikita is deaf. She can’t hear the music — she feels it with her body. “I don’t hear music with my ears, I hear it by vibration,” she explained. / Toronto Star
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
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!
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LIFE & LEISURE
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Washington, DC
HOW COCHLEAR IMPLANTS ALLOW THE HEARING-IMPAIRED TO LIVE BETWEEN THE DEAF AND HEARING WORLDS
My son travels between silence and sound each day. He received his first cochlear implant when he was a year old. Now in middle school, he’s spent almost his whole life with the ability to turn off the world’s noise at will. In the morning, he attaches the external magnets of his cochlear implants to each side of his head, where they transmit sound from the microphones and speech processors worn over his ears. With his implant, he’s become part of a new generation of profoundly deaf kids who are assimilated into the mainstream hearing world. / The Atlantic
Silver Spring, MD
PROCLAMATION FOR NATIONAL DEAF YOUTH DAY
To recognize deaf and hard of hearing youth across America, the National Association of the Deaf proclaims March 6th as National Deaf Youth Day, starting 2017! This proclamation is a result of one of the priorities established at the last NAD Conference in Atlanta in 2014. The NAD thanks and recognizes Pennsylvania Society for Advancement of the Deaf for being the state model and originator of the National Deaf Youth Day priority. / NAD
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WORKING WORLD
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Goleta, CA
STUDENT EXCELS IN PROGRAM WITH MOTTO 'DEAF CAN DO IT'
Armando Ramirez, who goes by Angelo, is the only man enrolled in City College’s Cosmetology Academy—and the only deaf student in the program. He returned to college after taking off several years to explore various career options. Now back in Santa Barbara, Ramirez is pursuing his dream of becoming a hairdresser. Sitting at City College with an interpreter, he began describing his experiences. / The Channels
Cortez, CO
DEAF STUDENT TEACHING LESSONS ON ACCESSIBILITY
Going back to school as a single parent with two kids is challenging for many. For Amanda Schuster getting certified as a cosmetologist has had an additional layer of complexity because she is completely deaf. To get the most from her classes, she taught her instructor and others at the Southwest Colorado Community College how to accommodate her, helping to pave the way for other students that might follow her. “I’ve never allowed my deafness to stop me,” she said. / The Cortez Journal
Pittsburgh, PA
SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER FINDS WORK 'REWARDING'
Cori Adoh remembers her favorite assignment as a sign language interpreter. It was at a Cleveland hospital, where a deaf mother was giving birth and needed help to communicate with doctors and nurses. “Where I can touch lives the most, to me, is the most rewarding,” she said. For Adoh, 40, of New Kensington, sign language started as an informal curiosity and became a career. “A deaf person has to find ways to communicate with people every day,” Adoh said. “They can't just walk in (a fast-food restaurant) and say, ‘I want a number 3.' ” / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Charleston, WV
SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER HELPS YOUTH HOOPS PLAYERS
On Monday evenings, Brittany Halstead laces on her sneakers and makes sure her hands are limber. The Scott Depot resident's hands and feet get quite a workout when she assists her husband, Sam, during youth basketball practice at Maranatha Fellowship in St. Albans. Brittany provides sign language interpretation for three players with hearing loss on one of Maranatha's All-Star Youth Basketball League teams. She is also one of the interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing during church services at Maranatha. / Athletic Business
Bangor, ME
VOLUNTEERS OFFER TAX HELP FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED
Local organizations provided free tax help to hearing impaired folks in Bangor. Volunteers gave assistance using American Sign Language. The second annual event was a collaboration among Disability Rights Maine, New Ventures Maine and the United Way. Organizers say they hope to see the program grow in the years to come. “Deaf tax day is really important. We’ve been doing it for two years and it’s important that we provide communication access for the deaf community,” says Wanda McMullen, an advocate for Disability Rights Maine. / WABI TV5
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
New York, NY
NYLE DIMARCO IS FIRST DEAF MALE CONTESTANT TO COMPETE ON 'DANCING WITH THE STARS'
Nyle DiMarco, winner of the recent season of “America's Next Top Model,” is the first deaf male contestant to compete on “Dancing With the Stars.” The actor and model said it was hard to know whether model Tyra Banks or the "Dancing" judges would be tougher. “I think it’s a difficult question because the panel on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ I don’t know them yet, and I haven’t danced at all growing up, so we’ll see what happens,” DiMarco, 26, signed on “Good Morning America." / ABC News
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SPORTS
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Columbus, OH
DEAF BASEBALL PLAYER CONTINUES TO INSPIRE FOLLOWERS
William Ellsworth Hoy might be the most inspirational player not in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Hoy, a deaf Ohioan who starred for the Cincinnati Reds in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, has inspired biographies, documentaries, at least one play and — most recently — an illustrated children’s book. “The William Hoy Story: How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game” (Whitman, 32 pages, $16.99). Author Nancy Churnin was drawn to his story in part because her son, like Hoy, was stricken by meningitis in early childhood. / The Columbus Dispatch
Louisville, KY
LOUISVILLE MAN KICKS UP A STORM AS HE HEADS TO DEAF WORLD CUP
Louisville native Will Frentz was born with a hearing loss, but that hasn't stopped him from competing on soccer fields across the world. There was a time when Frentz couldn't hear anything. "I was born completely deaf in both ears." In his early years, Frentz attended the Louisville Deaf World School. Then at age 3, he received a cochlear implant. That's also around the time he first picked up a soccer ball. "I had to really keep my head up a lot more instead of looking down at the ball,” he said. / WDRB 41
Indianapolis, IN
A SILENT COURT: INSIDE DEAF HOOSIER BASKETBALL
Get an inside look at the Indiana School for the Deaf Orioles' varsity boys basketball team. From in classroom to their group meal time and inside the locker room to on the court, these boys have one message. "We are not different." (Video) / Indianapolis Star
Morganton, NC
NATIVE PROGRAM AT SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF TO HONOR CROWE
The late Charles Albert “Inky” Crowe was an outstanding athlete. The EBCI tribal member attended the North Carolina School for the Deaf, where he excelled at sports, especially football, becoming a two-time Deaf All-American halfback. He later went on to become a coach at the school, where he was beloved by staff and students. This summer, NCSD is honoring the memory of their legendary coach and mentor with a summer Native American Program. / The Cherokee One Feather
Pittsburgh, PA
DEAF CHEERLEADERS SIGN THEIR TEAM SPIRIT
Cheerleaders for the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf may not be yelling, but that doesn't mean their messages aren't being heard. Members of the cheerleading squad use hand signals and facial expressions to promote their team spirit. They cheer for the Lions boys and girls basketball teams at the Edgewood school in front of a crowd of deaf and hearing fans. They are part of the Eastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association Division I, which includes schools in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania. / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Grand Rapids, MI
DEAF BOWLER CONQUERS CHALLENGES BEYOND THOSE OF OTHER FRESHMEN
Caleb Palm has conquered challenges beyond what most other high schoolers have seen. That hasn't stopped him from supporting his teammates and friends or knocking down pins. A member of the Northview High School bowling team, Palm was delighted to see teammates’ names on an MLive poll about the most impressive bowler in the area this season. The poll was up four days before Palm realized he was one of the 31 bowlers receiving votes. Palm won the poll last week with a total of 14,623 votes. / MLive.com
Rochester, NY
RIT DIVER NATALIE SNYDER UNDETERRED BY OBSTACLES
Being deaf certainly hasn’t made her life easier, but RIT senior Natalie Snyder knows firsthand that things could be exponentially more difficult. For instance, all she has to do is see the effort her diving coach, cancer survivor Cliff Devries, must put in to maneuver his way around the pool with the right side of his body paralyzed, and that provides more than enough motivation to push her through her own tough days. “He’s somebody I can look up to,” Snyder said. / Democrat and Chronicle
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EMPLOYMENT
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Assistant Director Wanted
The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans is hiring an Assistant Director. This position supervises a small team of staff and vendors, serves in the capacity of the Executive Director as directed, and provides high-level support to advocacy and legislative efforts to improve public policies with Minnesotans who are deaf, deaf blind or hard of hearing. The position is also responsible for the development of comprehensive work plans to implement statewide strategies as well as effectively manage its meeting process. Advanced communication skills in American Sign Language and written English required. The State Minnesota offers a comprehensive benefit package. Full details at www.mn.gov/careers, posting number 3390. Application deadline is 4/4/2016.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Job Announcement
The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind are currently accepting applications for the following positions for the current school year: