Deafweekly April 26, 2006

deafweekly

April 26, 2006
Vol. 2 No. 27

Editor: Tom Willard

Deafweekly is an independent news report for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community that is mailed to subscribers every Wednesday and available to read at www.deafweekly.com. Please visit our website to read current and back issues, sign up for a subscription and advertise.

Deafweekly is copyrighted 2006 and any unauthorized use, including reprinting of news, is prohibited.

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NATIONAL
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NAD SELLS HALEX HOUSE FOR $4 MILLION

The National Association of the Deaf announced last week that it has sold Halex House in Silver Spring, Md., its headquarters for the past 35 years. The sale closed April 14 and netted $4 million, which will be invested to preserve principal funds and generate interest income. NAD’s board of directors decided in January 2005 to sell the building because it needed millions of dollars in repairs. The building was purchased in 1971 for $640,000 and was appraised in 2004 for $2.5 million. “This successful sale has enabled the NAD to preserve its original investment many times over,” said CEO Nancy Bloch. The organization relocated last month to a 6,000-square-foot rented office, where it will remain for at least five years.

GALLAUDET FACULTY QUESTION SELECTION PROCESS

A group of Gallaudet University faculty members have gone public with their concerns about the school’s search for a new president. Six members of the Diversity and Field Placement Committee, in an open letter to the board of trustees and Presidential Search Committee, asked that the original pool of applicants be reevaluated “from a multicultural lens.” In particular, they noted the absence of former board president Glenn Anderson as a finalist, an omission that “leads us to question the degree of commitment to diversity.” Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that hundreds of students rallied on the football field last week, some upset about the three finalists (Jane Fernandes, Ronald Stern and Stephen Weiner) and others celebrating that all three are deaf. Another website on the presidential search has emerged (www.notwithoutus.org) and a poll on www.gallypreswatch.com indicates Stern is favored by about 56% of respondents - though 54% believe Fernandes will get the nod.

SCHOOL PRAISED FOR RESPONSE TO STUDENT’S DEATH

The Faribault (Minn.) Daily News ran an editorial last Friday praising the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf for its response to the death of student David Bowen Jr. Bowen, one of 140 students at the school, died April 11 after falling from a highway overpass. School officials brought in counselors from other schools and organized an on-campus memorial service that culminated with a bonfire, encouraging students to write letters to Bowen that were “sent skyward in the ashes of the flames.” Students also left mementos at the site of Bowen’s death and signed a condolence banner, while MSAD Director of Education Sean Virnig addressed students over an internal cable TV system to make sure, as he put it, that “no one felt responsible.” Said the editorial: “We admire the staff of MSAD for the tremendous steps they took to make sure the students could grieve, feel comforted and begin to move on.”

RIT ELECTS DEAF STUDENT GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Sorkin has been elected to serve a one-year term as student government president at the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology. Sorkin, 24, is the first deaf student to serve in such a role at a U.S. college made up mostly of hearing students, said an RIT news release. An Elk Grove, Calif. resident, Sorkin is a film/video and animation major who attends RIT through the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. RIT has 15,500 students, of whom 1,100 are deaf or hard of hearing. She is finishing her term as Student Congress president of NTID, one of eight colleges of RIT. Her vice president, Boston native Daniel Arscott, is hearing. “Even though Dan doesn’t know sign, we get by with one-on-one communication like anyone else would,” said Sorkin.

ASPEN CAMP CANCELS SUMMER PROGRAM

Officials at the Aspen (Colo.) Camp School for the Deaf have decided to cancel this summer’s program after the resignation of longtime executive director B.J. Blocker. “She’s retired,” board president Bob D’Alessio told the Aspen Times. “We’re going to use this summer to refresh the camp and move forward.” Blocker, executive director for 21 years, will be replaced on an interim basis by board member Judith Cross while a search is launched for a new director. The camp will become a year-round operation, said D’Alessio, and a capital fund-raising campaign for this purpose will begin “very soon.”

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HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT

A deaf female employee of Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital was charged Friday with engaging in sex acts with a deaf male patient, reported the Parsippany (N.J.) Daily Record. Marie (Terri) Battles, 60, was charged by a state Department of Human Services police officer with official misconduct and two counts of sexual assault. She was suspended with pay, though officials are trying to suspend her pay while the criminal charges are pending. Battles had worked since 1999 in a locked ward in the hospital’s program for hearing-impaired, mentally ill patients. The 30-year-old patient, who was admitted to the program in 2000, told police that he and Battles had consensual sexual relations on several occasions in his hospital room between September and March 15. Battles posted $5,000 bail after her arrest.

FORMER TEACHER PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD ABUSE

A Utah man accused of hitting a 3-year-old student at the Utah School for the Deaf and the Blind has settled his case with a guilty plea. Robert Zancanella, 67, was initially charged with class A misdemeanor child abuse, reported the Salt Lake Tribune, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of class B misdemeanor attempted child abuse. According to court documents, Zancanella lost his temper on October 25 and struck the child three times. The settlement requires that he surrender his teaching license, complete an anger-management class and pay $150 in court costs. If he stays out of trouble for one year, the case will be dismissed.

MAN MISSING FROM GROUP HOME FOUND AT RESTAURANT

A deaf man in Longview, Texas who went missing from the group home where he lives was found by staff members of a local Jack In The Box restaurant. Richard Kent, 37, walked out of the Sabine Valley Center with no money and just a bag of clothes, reported KSLA News 12. He had been missing more than 24 hours when Jack In The Box employee Renalda Ward saw him outside the restaurant and suspected he was the missing man she had heard about. “I asked him, ‘Do you want to eat?’ and so he came over here and we got him something to eat,” said Ward. Renea Sartain, administrator of the group home, promised, “There will be an investigation.”

INDIANA DEAF PROGRAM JOINS LEAGUE FOR BLIND, DISABLED

DeafLink, a program in Fort Wayne, Ind. that serves deaf and hard-of-hearing people, has moved its headquarters to the League for the Blind & Disabled, said the Fort Wayne News Sentinel. Founded 16 years ago, DeafLink made the move last Monday and plans to hire three new employees. “We’re excited about the transition,” said League President David Nelson, who is now learning sign language. Kim Drake, editor of a newsletter for the local deaf community, is excited, too. “The league has accomplished so much for the deaf community in the one month we’ve known them,” she said.

NEW JERSEY SCHOOL WINS NATIONAL ACADEMIC BOWL

A team from Mountain Lakes (N.J.) High School has captured the top spot in the 10th annual National Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Washington, D.C. The team beat John Hersey High School of Arlington Heights, Ill. in the championship match by a score of 62-46 and finished the competition with an 8-2 record. Monroe #1 BOCES of Rochester, N.Y. bested Indiana School for the Deaf in the third-place round with a 35-27 score. The event is sponsored by Gallaudet University and its five regional centers around the country. This year’s sponsors were the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Sorenson Video Relay Service and Verizon.

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INTERNATIONAL
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TORONTO TO ‘EXPLODE’ WITH DEAF CULTURE OFFERINGS

An “explosion of comedy, drama and art will soon hit stage, screen, canvas and production studio - courtesy of the deaf culture” reported the Toronto Star. It begins Sunday when a group of deaf and hearing actors present seven short theater pieces over 90 minutes at Harbourfront Centre. The “ASL Showcase,” directed by P.J. Hammond and produced by Joanna Bennett, will be presented twice: Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m. and Monday, May 1 at 7 p.m. (Info: www.harbourfrontcentre.com, 416-973-4000 voice). Then there’s the Toronto Film Festival, which runs May 10-14 at various locations and includes a gala presentation of “It’s All Gone Pete’s Tong.” (info: www.tidfaf.ca). And on Friday, May 12, the Ontario Association of the Deaf will present the 32nd annual Mayfest at St. Lawrence Market (www.deafontario.ca/homepage.html). Finally, on Sunday, May 14 in the historic Distillery District, Toronto’s first Deaf Culture Centre will open to the public, with an art gallery, gift shop, museum, research facilities, a library, multi-media production studio and community board room. See www.ccsdeaf.com for more information.

ELDERLY CANADIAN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO KILLING WIFE

An elderly Canadian man who is blind and partly deaf pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the stabbing death of his terminally ill wife in her hospital bed. Judge Fred Sandhu called Tony Jaworski’s act “illegal but understandable,” reported the Globe and Mail. The Winnipeg, Manitoba resident was sentenced to three years probation and spared further jail time after the judge agreed that Jaworski’s sentence be limited to the 17 months already served in custody. Jaworski, 88, showed no emotion and declined to address the court, telling Sandhu he couldn’t hear a lot of the arguments but had discussed his plea with his lawyer.

BOOK ‘DEAFENING’ VOTED OUT IN ‘CANADA READS’ PROJECT

The book “Deafening” is no longer in the running for a contest to choose a single book that should be read by all Canadians. CBC Radio’s “Canada Reads” panel voted out the book last Wednesday, with Frances Itani’s novel about a deaf girl growing up in the early 1900s in Ontario receiving three “no” votes from the panel. “There was excessive attention to detail, excessive attention to her deafness,” said panelist Scott Thompson, an actor and comedian. “Isn’t there anything more to this person than her deafness?” Writer Susan Musgrave voted it down, too, saying, “I was falling asleep.” Three more books remained in the running, with the final book expected to be chosen last Friday.

COLLEGE WORKER TO TEACH HEARING KIDS TO SIGN

A hard-of-hearing communication support worker from Blackburn College in the U.K. has come up with a plan to teach sign language to hearing students throughout East Lancashire. Debbie Reynolds’ program is believed to be the first of its kind, reported the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. As a pilot project, Reynolds, 31, spent five weeks with 18 hearing 5th-graders at one school, teaching British Sign Language and awarding certificates after students learned lip reading, finger spelling and signs for numbers, colors and common phrases. It was a success, and now Reynolds is set to roll out the program across the region. “The idea is to break down barriers,” she said. “It helps get rid of stigma and people feeling they are different.”

U.K. DAD SAVES BABY SON AS FIRE ENGULFS HOUSE

A deaf father in Manchester, U.K. heroically saved his baby son when a fire engulfed their home last Wednesday, said the Manchester Evening News. James Whittleworth, 22, jumped from a window onto a flimsy garage roof, which collapsed around him. He and 16-month-old son Jan were taken to a hospital with minor injuries and later released. The fire began in a chip pan while Jay’s mom, Marie, was out. “I noticed a noise while I watched TV,” said Whittleworth. “At first I thought it was a problem with my hearing aid.” When he opened the living room door, there was smoke everywhere and it was totally dark. “I managed to make it upstairs and found Jay’s bedroom,” he said. With the room quickly filling with smoke, he ran to the window and “there was nothing to do but jump for it.”

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DEAF SOCIETY TO RUN ENTERPRISE CENTER

One of the most important historic buildings in Blackburn, U.K. is being converted to an enterprise center that will be run by the East Lancashire Deaf Society. The £3.5 million renovation ($6.25 million US) will restore the three-story building to its former glory, said the Blackburn Citizen, while also adding a new addition on the back. When completed next May, the King’s Court Enterprise Centre will contain 28 offices, conference facilities, four shops and a café. The structure has a long history: citizens gathered there in 1815 to celebrate victory in the Battle of Waterloo. “It would have been cheaper to knock it down and start again,” said Doug Alker, the deaf society’s chairman, “but it should be restored because it’s an important part of our heritage.”

‘JAPAN’S HELEN KELLER’ IS FOCUS OF NEW FILM

Japanese moviegoers will soon be treated to the country’s first film on the life of a deaf and blind person. “Have You Ever Heard of Japan’s Helen Keller?,” about a 74-year-old woman whose name is being withheld for privacy reasons, will debut in June. Independent filmmaker Sumio Yamamoto, 52, met the woman two years ago and immediately “thought her story should be made into a film at all costs,” he told the Antara News in Indonesia. The woman lost her hearing and eyesight in accidents in her early 20s and went on to master Braille and form the country’s first nationwide group to improve conditions for the disabled in 1964. But since her mother died in 1975, the woman has lived alone without social interactions. “Local residents isolated her under the pretext of providing her with a better life, but actually it was to protect their normal daily lives,” said Setsuo Nakayama, 68, the film’s director.

FILIPINO YOUTH AIMS TO BECOME CHESS MASTER

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported Sunday on Marc Christian Nazario, a 12-year-old chess prodigy who was born without ear canals. Marc can only hear sounds within earshot, said his mother, Cynthia, but his disability offers some advantages. “He can concentrate and focus more on his game,” she said. Marc learned to play chess on his mother’s Palm Pilot four years ago, and before long he was beating his father and two older brothers. The family hired a tutor, and soon Marc was winning tournaments. Last year, Marc came to the United States with his mother to play in one tournament. When U.S. Filipinos heard of their visit, supporters donated money and took them to other tournaments. Marc ended up staying three months and returning home with four medals. His future goal? “To become an International Master by 15, a Grand Master before I am 18, and a World Champion at 22,” he said.

MALAYSIAN DEAF TAKE PART IN CEREMONY

Students and educators from the KIU Speech Centre in Kampung Pandan, Malaysia joined special guests for a ceremony last Wednesday at the Putrajaya Marriott. The occasion was the signing of an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the National Association of the Deaf Malaysia and E-Frontline Dot Com Sdn Bhd, reported the Malaysia Star. The speech center’s headmistress, Roslina Ahmad, explained that KIU “is a method of communicating with the deaf using eight basic hand shapes representing the consonants.” The technique allows deaf children to learn to speak and parents to "master the program in a matter of days,” she said. The MOU was signed by NAD-Malaysia president Raja Datuk Seri Azureen Sultan Azlan Shah.

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LIFE & LEISURE
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BROTHER OF OSMOND SINGERS VISITS MISSISSIPPI

Justin Osmond, the hearing-impaired brother of singers and talk-show hosts Donnie and Marie, visited the Magnolia Speech School in Jackson, Miss. Saturday to promote awareness for the deaf, reported WLBT-3 News. He was representing the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and was in town to promote the establishment of Mississippi’s first AGBAD chapter.

CHICAGO HOSTS ANNUAL FINGER SPELLING BEE

ABC-7 in Chicago reported Monday on the annual deaf finger spelling bee, which is just like any other spelling bee except “their words come out of their fingertips.” The event was sponsored by the City of Chicago’s Office for People with Disabilities and coordinated by Kate Kubey. Students from local junior high schools won the right to be at the bee after winning contests at their own schools. Contestants were given words in sign language and had to finger spell the word correctly to stay in the game. Yanay Rodriguez, the fifth-grade winner, explained the importance of spelling: “Because it’s good for my future to know how to spell.”

FILL OUT HEALTHCARE SURVEY, WIN $75 (MAYBE)

Sociometrics Corporation is seeking deaf and hard-of-hearing adults to participate in an online survey. The Los Altos, Calif. company is developing materials for healthcare providers to communicate effectively with deaf patients and provide appropriate care. The survey is anonymous, takes 5-10 minutes to complete and asks about your experiences with healthcare providers. If you want, you can enter to win one of three $75 prizes in a “thank you” drawing. Unfortunately, today is the last day the survey link (www.socio.com/survey/nidcd/adults.htm) will be active, said Sociometric's Laura Lessard (llessard@socio.com).

READERS PROTEST USE OF ‘HEARING IMPAIRED’

Two readers of Northern Star, the college newspaper at Northern Illinois University, objected to the use of “hearing impaired” in an article on a recent pageant that raised money for Gallaudet University. “I’m insulted that you keep referring to us as such,” wrote sociology student Ashley Brockway. “It’s condescending and disrespectful to call someone impaired.” Francisco Nava, a political science major whose girlfriend is hard of hearing, wrote, “I can safely say that using the phrase ‘hearing-impaired’ is not only wrong, but disrespectful. It shows the same disrespect as if someone were to refer to a black person as ‘caucasian-impaired.’”

BALTIMORE AGENCY TO MARK 80TH ANNIVERSARY

The Hearing and Speech Agency (HASA) in Baltimore, Md. will mark its 80th anniversary with its first major, annual fundraising event to support the communication needs of more than 4,000 Maryland residents with hearing loss or speech or language disorders. This year’s inaugural event, called Vibe ‘06!, will feature WJX-TV weatherman Bob Turk, the recipient of a cochlear implant. “I can now hear what the anchors are saying,” said Turk, “but in the past they might say, ‘Gee, it sure is foggy today,’ and I might say, ‘What about frogs?’” Vibe ‘06 will take place at the National Aquarium in Baltimore next Thursday, May 4, with tickets at $150 per person and an estimated 300 guests expected for cocktails, Australian lite fare, a live auction and entertainment. See www.hasa.org/vibe for more information.

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WORKING WORLD
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COMPANY SIGNS ON TO HELP WITH CSD CALL CENTERS

A company called Calabrio, Inc. has been called in to help Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) “reengineer its complex and unique contact center operations,” said a PRNewswire press release last week. “We need a much more accurate workforce management system than our homegrown method of pulling data from switch reports and crunching numbers on a calculator,” said CSD's CEO Benjamin Soukup. Among CSD’s challenges in running dozens of contact centers is to avoid overstaffing, a common but expensive strategy to ensure service levels are met. Calabrio says it helps its customers achieve 99.5 percent accuracy, “taking the guesswork out of forecasting and scheduling and thereby generating immediate savings.”

INNER-EAR RESEARCH TOPIC OF MONTANA WORKSHOP

The McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls, Mont. was “bulging with brain power” last week during a three-day workshop on genetics and the inner ear, reported the Great Falls Tribune. Speakers included Irving Weissman, a Great Falls native involved with stem cell research, and James Battey, who oversees hearing research for the National Institutes of Health. “If we can replace or regenerate hair cells in the ear, a hearing aid is a poor substitute,” said Battey. Weissman added, “We’re showing that good research is being done in Great Falls, Montana, where the necessary mouse models are one-third of the cost they are elsewhere.” The workshop was organized by Pin-Xian Xu, an MRI scientist who has been researching the inner ear for four years.

WORKER HONORED ON 2O YEARS WITH CAR DEALERSHIP

The Honda City car dealership in Levittown, N.Y. honored deaf employee Donald Mingo, 46, with a 20th anniversary party last Friday, reported Newsday. Except for three sick days, two personal days and his annual two-week vacation, Mingo has reported to work every day for 20 years. “Donald loves his job,” said his mother, Callie Mingo. “Sometimes I think he would sleep there if he could.” His job entails washing, waxing and detailing new cars for customer pickup. Aside from being deaf and unable to speak, Mingo was left with a limp after childhood polio. “I’m embarrassed to say, if I hadn’t inherited Donald, I wouldn’t have hired him,” said Charles Levy, the dealership’s general manager. “Now, I’m like, ‘Does he have a brother? Bring him over.’”

DESIGN FIRM RECOGNIZED FOR 'DEAF AFRICA' WEBSITE

Mega Star Media Inc. of Reno, Nev. was recognized as an Official Honoree by The Webby Awards, called the “Oscars of the Internet” by The New York Times. The company was recognized for two custom websites, one of which - www.DeafAfrica.org - is a nonprofit website designed to help deaf children in Ethiopia. Mega Star Media lead designer Sandy Rowley “is an angel and artist extraordinaire!” said Joanne Sherif, director of Deaf Africa Association. “After seeing the site, I called her to ask if she had been to Africa because she caught the warmth of Ethiopia in every page.” Established in 1996, this year’s Webby Awards received over 5,500 entries from all 50 states and more than 40 countries worldwide.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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LOSS OF FUNDING THREATENS DEAF WEST THEATRE

The Los Angeles Times did a story last week about “the trimming of an obscure, almost hidden federal grant” that has threatened the existence of Deaf West Theatre and similar groups around the nation. Funding of about $2 million a year from the U.S. Department of Education stopped coming to deaf theater groups last year, and “We don’t know exactly why it was removed,” said DOE spokesman Jim Bradshaw. “An explanation does not appear in the legislation’s report language.” Deaf West lost $800,000 toward its $1.2 million annual budget, meaning some projects “may never see the light of day.” The only surviving full-time employees are Ed Waterstreet, who founded the theater in 1991, and Bill O’Brien, managing director and producer. Waterstreet and self-described “make-believe lobbyist” O’Brien pressed their case when they took several U.S. senators to see “Big River” when it played at Ford’s Theatre in Washington.

MONTANA SCHOOL CHOIR PERFORMS WITH TABERNACLE

The sign language choir from the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind performed to a full house of 21,000 Friday night at world headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Expressions of Silence, a 25-member Great Falls-based choir, performed at various venues since arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah last Wednesday, reported the Great Falls Tribune, including a Sunday morning live performance on television and radio. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” said Brittany Manus, 15. It was not hard to pick up sounds from the huge 235-member Tabernacle Choir, said Manus. “She can hear that and it’s powerful,” said Expressions of Silence co-director Jennifer Wasson.

CALIFORNIA AGENCY SPONSORS ART CONTEST FOR KIDS

DeafHope, a Hayward, Calif. agency that works to end domestic violence and sexual assault against deaf women, is sponsoring a national art contest for children. “Happy Home, Healthy Home” is the theme of the contest, which is open to children age from 5 up to high school age. Participants can be deaf or hearing, but they must have at least one deaf parent. According to DeafHope art therapist Brian Berlinski, every child will win something. Thursday, May 18 is the postmark deadline. For a complete list of contest rules, write to Brian@Deaf-Hope.org.

MARLEE MATLIN WRITES SECOND CHILDREN’S BOOK

Simon & Schuster will release Marlee Matlin’s second children’s book next month, reported the L.A. Daily News. “Nobody’s Perfect” is the title, and acceptance is the theme. “It’s about the friendship between a deaf girl and another girl in school who seems practically perfect in every way, but the friendship is frustrating, and it turns out she is hiding a brother who is an autistic kid,” said the author. Information on the book can be seen here: www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?sid=33&pid=517590. In other Matlin news, America Online is honoring the Oscar-winning actress as its CEO of the year at a May 17 ceremony in New York City. In AOL’s view, CEO stands for “Chief Everything Officer,” and mother-of-four Matlin “certainly fits the description,” said the report. More can be found at www.aol.com/ceo.

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SPORTS
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‘NORTH OF THE BORDER GAMES’ HELD IN TEXAS

The Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times reported Saturday on the annual North of the Border Games for the Deaf, which were organized by Ray High School teacher Patrick Grona, 55. He is one of 11 hearing-impaired Corpus Christi Independent School District educators teaching about 200 deaf students in 12 counties. “This competition’s important for unity of the South Texas deaf population,” said Grona, who drew on his own history of hurling shotputs, discus and javelin and later coaching track. The games featured 30 members of the Deaf Club of Southtip Texas competing against the Coastal Bend Sea Gulls, who won in 2005. “The games now gather longtime friends,” said Grona. “It helps develop social skills for some in small towns never around other deaf people.”

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COMING EVENTS
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FLORIDA SCHOOL PLANS CLASS REUNION IN JUNE

The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine is hosting a class reunion for “early years till 1959.” The June 15-18 event will include an icebreaker, campus tours, a cook out, entertainment, museum touring, a banquet and a church service. A combo ticket is $45; or $35 for only the banquet. Mail checks (indicate turkey or ham) to Darwin Holmes, 105 Starling Ave., Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411. The Holiday Inn at 1302 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd. (904-494-2100 ext. 706) is offering a rate of $89 per night. For questions, contact Gertha Kurtz at VP 301-776-4685, Gertha.W.Kurtz@nga.mil.

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MILESTONES
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LONGTIME EDUCATOR AUDREY SIMMONS-MARTIN, 87

Audrey Simmons-Martin, 87, a longtime educator at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis, Mo., was laid to rest at a funeral last Thursday that was attended by just 14 people, reported KSDK-TV News. Mrs. Simmons-Martin began her teaching career at CID in 1942, a year after graduating from Washington University. “She was very famous, and so I remember being very impressed with her,” said Robin Feder, CID’s executive director. “We were all somewhat in awe of her because of her reputation.” Mrs. Simmons-Martin lectured around the world and co-authored several books, while also founding, in 1958, what is now CID’s Family Center. Her husband died in 2004, and they had no children.

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EMPLOYMENT
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CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

Society’s Assets, Inc is seeking a qualified individual to work as a Customer Service Representative at the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System in Madison, Wisconsin.

General Information
The Customer Service Representative performs a variety of job functions in order to provide an optimum level of relay customer service. The primary job responsibilities of the Customer Service Representative are to serve as the principal point of contact for WTRS consumers and give educational presentations about the relay system. This position requires travel and schedule flexibility.

Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Three or more years of exposure to Deaf Culture and the diverse communication needs of people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing and/or Speech Disabled.
- Fluency in American Sign Language (ASL)
- Ability to communicate effectively on the phone and in person
- Experience in public speaking
- Excellent presentation skills
- Excellent customer service skills

Additional Skills Preferred
- Preference for studies in Communications or Social Services
- Basic data entry skills and knowledge of a variety of computer programs (Microsoft Office Suite preferred)
- Knowledge of telecommunications equipment
- Experience teaching ASL classes

Salary
Salary is commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package!

Submit cover letter and resume to:
Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System
Attn: Human Resources Manager
8383 Greenway Blvd, Suite 90
Middleton, WI 53562
Phone (Voice/TTY): (800) 600-7826
Fax: (608) 827-0402
Email: kathy.ottelien@hamiltonrelay.com

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

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KANSAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
POSITION VACANCIES

The Kansas School for the Deaf, 450 East Park St., Olathe, KS 66061, is currently seeking qualified individuals for the following positions for the 2006- 2007 school year:

Secondary Principal **Immediate Opening**
Elementary Teacher
Secondary Mathematics Teacher
Secondary English Teacher
Anticipating Full Time Dormitory Teachers
Substitute Teacher, Para and Dormitory

Placement made within agency guidelines on salary schedule depending upon professional background and experience. KSD offers excellent benefits. Applicants will be screened and the most highly qualified applicants will be invited for an interview session. Positions are open until filled. KSD is located in the Heartland of the USA, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. For area info on excellent schools and affordable housing check out: www.kcmo.org/ and www.olatheks.org/.

For an application and a job announcement on each of these positions, please refer to our website at www.ksdeaf.org or contact Teresa Chandler, Human Resources Office, at (913) 791-0501 (V/TTY) for further details on the positions. E-mail: tchandler@ksd.state.ks.us. Fax #: 913/780-6563

An Equal Employment/Educational Opportunities Agency
Tobacco Free Campus

“KSD Embraces Diversity”

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DCARA has a few exciting job openings in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area:

Full-Time Client Support Specialist position (San Leandro)
Part-Time Staff Interpreter position
Full-Time Job Developer/Interpreter positions

SALARY & BENEFITS: Salary for all positions is negotiable depend on experience and education. DCARA offers extremely competitive benefits such as 4-day work week schedule, 12 days of holiday leave plus one week paid winter holiday, and full medical, dental, vision and life insurances.

DEADLINE: All positions are open until filled.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applications and full employment position descriptions are available at www.dcara.org, then click on “Employment”.

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT GLAD

GLAD is an Affirmative Action Employer with equal opportunity for men, women and people with disabilities. For more information on the following positions, please go to: www.gladinc.org. The status of all positions is: Regular, Full-time, Non-Exempt, Full Fringe Benefits unless otherwise noted. All positions are open until filled.

Community Advocate - Los Angeles
Job Developer/Interpreter - Norwalk
LIFESIGNS Director - Los Angeles
LIFESIGNS Clerk - Los Angeles

If interested for any of these positions then please submit resume and application to:

Jeff Fetterman
Human Resources Specialist
Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc.
2222 Laverna Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90041
V/TDD: (323) 550-4207
Fax #: (323)550-4204
E-mail: jfetterman@gladinc.org

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PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE MANAGER-C
(Telecommunications Assistance Program Manager)
$3,287 - $4,840 monthly

AS THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM MANAGER for the Oregon Public Utility Commission, you will supervise the subordinate staff and provide direction to and monitoring of the three Residential Service Protection Fund programs that deliver telecommunications services to disabled and low income Oregonians, and represent the agency as a liaison between constituent groups, legislature and the programs

If hired, the state will pay your medical/dental premiums, and you will receive nine paid holidays per year, generous sick and vacation leave benefits and 24 hours personal business leave. You will also receive significant technical training opportunities at no cost to you. All this plus living in Salem in close proximity to Portland, Eugene, the Oregon Coast and the Cascade Mountains! To learn more about Oregon, check out the following web pages: http://bluebook.state.or.us and http://www.salemchamber.org/community/about.html.

For more information about this recruitment, visit the State website at www.oregonjobs.org and look for Announcement Number LE060150. This website also has the necessary application forms. Or you can call (503) 373-1368 (voice), or (800) 648-3458 (TDD/TTY) and ask for a copy of the announcement. Completed applications must be received by 5:00 PM on May 23, 2006. An EEO/AA employer.

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