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Last issue's most-read story: IN MEMORY OF GIO MANGANELLI / Celebrating Gio's Life
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Washington, DC
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY MARKES 150 YEARS SINCE LINCOLN SIGNED A BILL FOR DEAF HIGHER EDUCATION
Momentous events preoccupied President Abraham Lincoln on April 8, 1864. Lincoln found a moment that day to sign a bill. It authorized the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind to award degrees “in the liberal arts and sciences . . . as are usually granted and conferred in Colleges.” Exactly 150 years later, Shane Dundas marveled Tuesday at what Lincoln’s signature meant to people everywhere who are deaf and hard of hearing: the founding of what would become known as Gallaudet University. / The Washington Post
Los Angeles, CA
MARLEE MATLIN FAN FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES OVER SUICIDE THREAT
A fan who contacted Marlee Matlin and publicly threatened to kill herself is now in the crosshairs of cops ... because cops say the phantom has committed the crime of public nuisance. The fan -- who claimed she was a quadriplegic named Raena Patatta -- tweeted at Marlee April 2, writing, "I've decided to end my life today. It's been a struggle, but I've had enough. This will end my pain and paralysis. Sorry @MarleeMatlin :(" Marlee immediately contacted police in Nova Scotia -- where Raena said she lives -- and the Halifax PD scrambled to find her. / TMZ.com
Detroit, MI
DEAF WOMAN ROBBED AT DETROIT GAS STATION
A woman says she was robbed at a gas station in Detroit but did not get any help from employees, even after they realized she was deaf and could not call 911 herself. Shakira Magee says she was waiting a gas station for a nearby store to open when a man came up and tried to speak with her. She motioned she could not hear him since she was deaf, and says he smiled and walked away. She continued texting but says the man came back, pushed her, grabbed her phone and took off in a car. / Fox 2 News
Atlanta, GA
DEAF COMMUNITY RALLYING FOR EQUAL RIGHTS IN GEORGIA
Hundreds of Deaf people in Georgia are hoping a hearing this week will give them equal rights in the state. In a case that's dragged on for nearly a decade, two families say they can't get the services they need for their deaf children. "It's been very stressful in our home, and we just don't know what to do,' said Georgia mother, Martha Timms. For the past 17 years, Martha Timms has been fighting to get mental health services for her son, who is also deaf. / WXIA-TV
See Also DEAF MENTAL HEALTH BATTLE GOES TO FEDERAL APPEALS COURT / WXIA-TV
Brattleboro, VT
SCHOOL FOR DEAF FACES DECLINING ENROLLMENT
A Vermont school for the deaf is facing declining enrollment and staff pay cuts. The Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro has seen its on-campus enrollment shrink from about 140 in the early 1980s to about 20 now. Staff took a 6 percent pay cut this year, and the school is considering new revenue sources, such as providing on-campus apartments for deaf and hard-of-hearing senior citizens. Austine President Bill Gurney said the school may be somewhat a victim of its own success in helping students stay in their home communities. / The Associated Press
Colorado Springs, CO
HISTORIC OLD BUILDING MASKS MODERN FACILITIES AT DEAF AND BLIND SCHOOL
Don’t be fooled by the imposing old stone buildings of the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind standing tall atop the hill at Institute Street east of downtown Colorado Springs. They only look old from the outside. You might be surprised at what’s inside the 17 buildings on the 37-acre campus on North Institute Street behind the white wrought-iron fence. / Colorado Springs Gazette
Rochester, NY
CALCULATIONS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN THIS COMPETITION
Math — all types of it — was the problem. And they welcomed it. Middle school students from across the country came to Rochester to compete over two days in the National Math Competition for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students. The event was held Friday and Saturday at National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology. / Democrat and Chronicle
Tampa Bay, FL
HEALTH AGENCY'S FLAWS HURT THE HEARING IMPAIRED
As a physician who has devoted significant time to traveling the world recently on a volunteer mission to help people with hearing impairments, I have a new sense of the significance of World Health Day, which was celebrated Monday. I also have a new sense of the limitations of the organization associated with this day: the World Health Organization. / Tampa Bay Times
Memphis, TN
FIRST STORM-SPOTTER CLASS OFFERED TO MEMPHIS DEAF COMMUNITY
In a world where most lifesaving warnings — fire alarms, tornado sirens, radio alerts — come in the form of sounds, some members of the deaf community are looking for better ways to stay safe during severe weather. Subscribe to read the full story. / The Commercial Appeal