Deafweekly June 9, 2010

deafweekly

June 9, 2010
Vol. 6, No. 32

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 2010 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: VIDEO CAPTURES OFFICER KICKING DEAF MAN / WTSP
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NATIONAL
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San Francisco, CA
STEVE JOBS UNVEILS IPHONE 4 -- AND ITS VIDEO CALLING FEATURE
Seeking to keep its edge in the smart phone market in the face of new competition, Apple Inc. on Monday unveiled its latest iPhone, equipped with mini cameras on front and back to allow for video calls. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs, ever the showman, demonstrated the new video telephony program, dubbed FaceTime, by using the new iPhone to place a video call to another Apple executive. "I grew up with 'The Jetsons' and 'Star Trek,' just dreaming about video calls," Jobs said. "And it's real now." / Los Angeles Times

Breathitt County, KY
DEAF BREATHITT CO. MAN SHOT, KILLED
Kentucky State Police continue to investigate after a deaf Breathitt County man was shot and killed in his own home Friday. It happened at a mobile home on Kentucky 542 around 1:00 Friday afternoon. His family says 46-year old Ralph Spencer lived alone there. They say he was a kind person who would never want to hurt anyone. It was his friend, who was supposed to take him to the grocery store that morning, that found his body in the living room. / LEX18

Albuquerque, NM
SETTLEMENT OK'D IN MOLESTATION CASE
A New Mexico School for the Deaf student who sued the school alleging she was molested by an employee will receive a $60,000 settlement in the case. The student filed a lawsuit last year alleging that a school van driver molested her during a 2008 ride, and a federal judge approved the settlement last month. According to court documents, the student said driver Ronnie Sandoval "made flirtatious sign language signs and then fondled her arms, chest and breasts." The student, then 16, reported the incident to her therapist, who took her to state police. / Albuquerque Journal

Framingham, MA
COPS: FRAMINGHAM CARETAKER LEFT MENTALLY DISABLED CHARGES IN HOT VAN
A Framingham man hired to care for three deaf and mentally disabled people left them sitting in a hot van while he mowed his lawn Saturday, police said. Jon D. Dresser, 47, was arrested outside his 8 Berkley Road home at 2:40 p.m., police spokesman Lt. Ron Brandolini said. A neighbor called police to complain, telling them Dresser left the people in the van for more than an hour, police said. / The MetroWest Daily News

Delaware County, PA
DEAF MAN CONVICTED IN CHILD-PORN CASE
A deaf defendant was convicted Friday of more than 90 counts of sexual abuse of children involving possessing pictures of youngsters as young as 7 in sexually explicit poses. Sakuna Ganbari, 60, of Rutledge disputed that he had been sufficiently advised by authorities of his rights through sign language interpreters, when he signed a statement in April 2009 admitting the child pornography was his, according to defense attorney Denis Leonard. / The Delaware County Daily Times

Indianapolis, IN
SNACK BAR FIRE DAMAGES INDIANA DEAF SCHOOL
Firefighters say a blaze that started in a dormitory snack bar caused $100,000 in damage to the Indiana School for the Deaf. The Indianapolis Fire Department was called out to the school at 3:15 p.m. Thursday for a possible fire at one of the dormitories. Students and faculty were already evacuating the building when fire crews arrived. Firefighters did not find any signs of fire from the exterior, but when they went inside to the second floor snack bar area, they found heavy smoke and a small fire. School officials believe the fire was caused by a small refrigerator that shorted out while it was defrosting. / WISH-TV

St. Louis, MO
GALLAUDET SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF CLOSING AFTER 83 YEARS
It's been part of the St. Louis public school system for 83 years; now the Gallaudet School for the Deaf is closing. It's one of six city schools to be shuttered as the district tries to save money. After more than 80 years the Gallaudet School for the Deaf is being shuttered and its 69 students will be attending other schools. St. Louis public school officials say this is not just about dollars and cents, but about a better future for children who attended this school. / KSDK

Detroit, MI
APPEALS AND EFFORTS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENTS HELP SAVE SCHOOLS
Parents at the Detroit Day School for the Deaf spent much of the last few months organizing rallies, talking to politicians and launching a letter-writing campaign to keep the school open. On Monday, they learned all their work had paid off. The school was among 18 that got a reprieve after months on a Detroit Public Schools closure list released in March. Dawn Pauling, president of the Local School Community Organization, said that if the school had closed, the next closest place her 15-year-old son could attend was a live-in program in Flint. / Detroit Free Press

Alexandria, LA
FORMER EMPLOYEES SUING IP OVER HEARING LOSS
More than 150 former employees of International Paper's Pineville Mill are suing the company for alleged hearing loss suffered on the job. Each of the 155 plaintiffs is seeking a maximum of $50,000 in damages. The suit alleges that workers at the Pineville Mill "were exposed to an unreasonable risk of harm by being exposed to loud noise caused by permanent defects in Defendant's Pineville facility." IP was negligent, the suit alleges, because "the injuries sustained by Plaintiffs were entirely preventable and could have been avoided by the use of proper safety procedures and safeguards." / The Town Talk

St. Paul, MN
DEAF MAN'S CASE AGAINST HIBBING TACONITE SET FOR TRIAL
A deaf man's discrimination lawsuit against Hibbing Taconite Co. is set for trial after a federal judge denied the company's request for an immediate ruling in the case. James Edstrom and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accuse the company of denying him employment at its mine because he is deaf. Hibbing Taconite had asked U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle to rule in its favor on the matter before going to trial. But Kyle said this week there is enough evidence suggesting Edstrom's claims should be fully heard. / MPR

Charlotte, NC
CITY LOOKS AT DEALING WITH HEARING-IMPAIRED
Statesville officials are looking into enhancing employee training for dealing with the hearing-impaired. The move follows emotional public comments from the mother of a hearing-impaired Statesville resident, who said the city was not complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. At City Council meetings this spring, Summer Lipford took issue with the way police handled her son, Michael Godbey, during a recent arrest. "If a Mexican is arrested, a Spanish interpreter is called in immediately," she said. "But what about those who cannot hear?" / The Charlotte Observer

Silver Spring, MD
NAD URGES DICTIONARIES TO RECOGNIZE 'AUDISM'
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) sent letters to major, well-known dictionaries including Merriam-Webster, Oxford, American Heritage, Dictionary.com, Encarta, Harper Collins and Random House requesting that the word “audism” be added as an entry in their dictionary products. “Audism”, first coined in 1975, is generally defined as prejudice, stereotype, or discrimination - both intentional and unintentional - on the basis of hearing, typically against persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. / NAD

Silver Spring, MD
ACTION ALERT! S. 3304-EQUAL ACCESS TO 21ST CENTURY COMMUNICATIONS ACT
Take Action Now! Ensure that ensure that S. 3304 -- Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act is the strongest legislation possible -- contact the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, and tell them why! Volume counts! Send e-mail, fax letters and make phone calls! Send this Action Alert to everyone you know -- encourage others to take action now! Set up a phone/fax/e-mail party -- make plans to take action together -- now! / NAD

Frederick, MD
MSD GRADUATES ENCOURAGED TO PAINT THEIR CANVASES
Maryland School for the Deaf valedictorian Michelle Mansfield-Hom believes a person's life is a canvas. "No one dies a copy," she signed. "Each one of us dies as an original." While a canvas shows colors, it also conveys the passions, beliefs and feelings of its creator, Mansfield-Hom signed. "One day your life will flash before your eyes," she signed. "Make sure it's worth watching." Mansfield-Hom is one of 31 MSD graduating seniors. The school's 142nd commencement ceremony was held Saturday morning at the school's auditorium. / The Frederick News-Post

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INTERNATIONAL
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Johannesburg, South Africa
DEAF TO ENJOY 2010 WORLD CUP
In a first for sport, FIFA said video reports from all 64 matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will be broadcast in International Sign on its website, www.fifa.com. In a statement to The Zimbabwean from Switzerland, the organisation said this would enable deaf and people with hearing impairments across the globe to follow all the matches of world football’s showpiece event even more comprehensively. / The Zimbabwean

London, England
THE INCREDIBLE MOMENT A DEAF BABY HEARS HIS MOTHER'S VOICE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME
Gurgling in a mix of wonder and joy, this is the incredible moment a child hears his mother's voice for the first time. Eight-month-old Jonathan was born deaf and had cochlear implants put into his ears so he could hear. His father filmed the tear-jerking moment they were turned on for the first time, capturing the amazement in the boy's face as he heard his mother's voice saying his name. The clip has become a YouTube sensation with 1.4 million views, mostly in the last few weeks. / The Daily Mail

London, England
DEAF AND DISABLED ARTISTS CHOSEN TO GO PUBLIC FOR 2012
Three south east Deaf and disabled artists have been awarded £55,000 ($80,000 US) to take their work into the public realm. Sarah Scott, Lorna Giezot, and Zoe Partington-Sollinger were chosen for the Go Public art commissions by two Arts Council England regularly funded organisations, arts agencies Dada-South and Artpoint. Go Public, launched in 2009, is a two-year initiative that aims to raise the profile of the unique and inspiring contribution Deaf and disabled artists make to contemporary society. / Arts Council England

Staffordshire, England
PAST EXPERIENCE LEADS TO ARTIST'S CREATIVE INSPIRATION
The centerpiece of Linda Bagnall's art installation - Visual Speech - is a large arrangement of gravel laid out on the floor of Staffordshire University's Cadman Building. At first glance it's a simple and beautifully-formed pattern. On closer inspection, and with a little explanation from Linda, it becomes clear that it is in fact a profile of a nose and a pair of lips. The 45-year-old, from Highfields, Stafford, is one of 300 undergraduates to be taking part in the 2010 AMAZE art and design degree show at the College Road campus in Stoke. / This is Staffordshire

London, England
BEING DEAF TAUGHT ME TO WRITE
My university professor told me that you know the stone that you trip over the best. Language is the stone that I’ve been tripping over all my life. Coming from the American deaf community, language is what people talk about constantly. But they talk about it in a way that is worlds apart from the way that writers and artists talk about it, and I struggle with this. Our native language is sign language and it has a different relationship with the world. / The Times

Saint Helier, Jersey
JERSEY EISTEDDFOD HOSTS SIGNING CHOIR COMPETITION
Jersey's Eisteddfod will play host to the first ever national competition for signing choirs in the Autumn. It's hoped the event will put the island on the deaf music map. The signing choirs class was proposed by the Jersey Society for Deaf Children and Young Adults and will be part of the music section. Vivienne Armstrong of the Society says signing choirs are integral to deaf music, adding there's a misconception deaf people don't get music. She says this is an opportunity to dispel this myth. / BBC News

Toronto, ON, Canada
MUSEUM LAUNCHES 'TACTILE TOURS' FOR BLIND VISITORS, ASL PROGRAM FOR DEAF
The Royal Ontario Museum is introducing "tactile tours" for blind visitors, allowing them to explore certain objects by touch. The once-a-month tours, led by museum guides, will feature artifacts from the world cultures and natural history galleries. The museum is also launching monthly American Sign Language-English interpreted tours for visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing. The ROM says it has received an anonymous gift of $1.5 million ($1.425 million US) to support the programs. / The Moose Jaw Times Herald

Kochi, Kerala, India
YESUDAS SUBMITS PROJECT TO KALAM
Singer K J Yesudas submitted the project of his new initiative 'Hridayatharangam,' aimed at helping the hearing and speech-impaired, to former President A P J Abdul Kalam in Kochi on Sunday. He requested Kalam's guidance and support for the project. In his proposal, Yesudas said it was a unique project, aimed at helping the deaf and the dumb, especially the poorest among hapless children. / Express News Service

Karachi, Pakistan
SIGNS OF HOPE
There was no sound but the message was conveyed, brilliantly, exuberantly and vividly, to an audience that responded to the nursery rhyme performance by kindergarten children with silent but heartfelt applause. Raising their hands in the air and twisting their wrists a couple of times, the audience conveyed their approval to the hearing impaired children who used gestures to relate stories, poems and songs. If anyone felt disabled at the programme organised by the Family Educational Services Foundation (FESF) on Saturday, it was the person who did not know sign language. / The Express Tribune

Ntinda, Uganda
BRITANIA TO HIRE THE BLIND
Britania Allied Industries is set to recruit the deaf for their packaging industry. Vinay Dawda, the managing director, announced this during a visit to the Uganda School for the Deaf in Ntinda on Saturday. Dawda, who had taken donations to the children as celebrations to mark the World Environment Day, was concerned that many deaf people were jobless mainly due to discrimination. “We shall employ the deaf to work in the packaging sections. We are appealing to the deaf who are of working age to come for jobs,” he said. / The New Vision

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LIFE & LEISURE
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Tucson, AZ
ST. PHILIP'S ASL INTERPRETER BRINGS SERVICE TO LIFE FOR DEAF
Alicia Moylan stood before a grateful couple and signed the entire Sunday service at St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church. Moylan, 26, began volunteering Sunday as an American Sign Language interpreter at the church's 9 a.m. service. She'll volunteer each Sunday this summer at the church, 4440 N. Campbell Ave. Clifford and Nancy Rowley, who are both deaf, watched intently as Moylan interpreted the hymns, readings and sermon using her hands and her facial expressions and postures of the body. / Arizona Daily Star

Overland, MO
FREE BED SHAKING FIRE ALARMS FOR THE DEAF
Safety officials are now applauding the idea of shaking the hearing-impaired awake in case of a fire. The West Overland fire district is the first to land a grant to make the devices available to some of its residents. The devices are tied into ordinary smoke alarms. They start off the "Bed Shaker" mechanism and are designed to wake those who cannot hear. / KPLR

Silver Spring, MD
HOW DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING AMERICANS ARE USING INSTANT MESSAGING AND E-MAIL AT HOME AND AT WORK
The National Association of the Deaf recently asked people about their use of Instant Messaging (IM), email, TTY, and relay services. The Verizon Foundation provided the funds to conduct the study. The NAD worked with Hofstra University, on Long Island, on the project. Hofstra used new software that posts questionnaires on a Web server. Respondents just clicked on the Web address, answered the questions, and that was that -- no printing, no mailing, and no delay. People enjoyed this survey. / Interconnection World

Staunton, VA
DEFYING THE ODDS: VSDB GRADUATE IS MODEL OF PERSEVERANCE
DaSam Benn didn't just beat the odds — he pummeled them. He lost his mother to breast cancer as a child. His father was in and out of his life, but mostly out of his life. And the public schools he attended in the Norfolk area lacked the resources to teach the deaf student to use sign language. But despite the obstacles, the 20-year-old graduated from Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind on Friday. / The News Leader

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Washington, DC
VISUAL SYSTEM THAT INTERPRETS SIGN LANGUAGES DEVELOPED
Over 100,000 people with hearing impairments use Spanish sign language, which is made up of hundreds of signs. Now, scientists have selected over twenty of these signs to develop a new visual interpretation system, which allows deaf people to carry out consultations in the language they commonly use. Signs can vary slightly depending on each user. Project researchers took this into account during the trials carried out with different people to help the system 'become familiarized' with this variability. / DNA

Ashland, OR
SOU'S FIRST DEAF GRADUATE PLEDGES TO 'HELP PEOPLE AND SAVE THE WORLD'
Buoyed by a society increasingly supportive of deaf people, Monica Alfaro on Saturday becomes Southern Oregon University's first deaf graduate — and will head into the job market this summer as she begins her career in crime scene investigation and juvenile justice work. Alfaro, a Latina and Klamath Falls native, lost her hearing from a disease at age 2. She said she was inspired to pursue the field of law enforcement after a childhood vehicle accident in which a policeman "calmed us, when we were freaking out and gave me a pink cup — it was so nice." / Mail Tribune

Framingham, MA
LEARNING CENTER FOR DEAF RAISES $3.6 MILLION
The Learning Center for the Deaf has raised $3.6 million in debt to help finance the construction of a 20,000-square-foot early-childhood center and library for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The Learning Center for the Deaf said the planned early-childhood center will consist of a new building separate from the school’s 17 existing facilities in Framingham and will house a new library, the CVS/Caremark Library. The school’s primary campus sits on 12 acres, not including a smaller satellite school in Randolph, Mass. / Boston Business Journal

Des Moines, IA
SHE TEACHES HEARING KIDS TO USE SIGN LANGUAGE
If 2-year-old Max Wardell wants more to eat, he can tell his mother, Melissa, in more than one way. He can verbally ask for more crackers or use sign language to tell her what he wants. Signing has been a part of Max's life since he was an infant. His mother is a certified instructor for My Smart Hands - Des Moines, and can teach hearing children, parents and caregivers American Sign Language as another way to communicate. "I really think sign language would benefit anyone," she said. / The Des Moines Register

Provo, UT
LANGUAGE-LOVING TEEN WANTS TO GO GLOBAL
Recent Provo High School graduate Kathlene Ornano let out an overjoyed "squeak" when she learned she had won a $3,500 scholarship through Jiffy Lube's "What Drives You?" essay contest. Ornano wrote about her love of cultures, languages and people. A daughter of Peruvian immigrants, she grew up speaking both Spanish and English and developed a passion for languages. She studied American Sign Language at Provo High and hopes to become an interpreter for the deaf. / Salt Lake Tribune

Grand Junction, CO
DEAF DOG INSPIRING OTHERS TO CHASE THEIR DREAMS
Watching Eric Melvin and his Australian sheep dog Angelyne you wouldn't think anything was out of the ordinary. But if you looked a bit closer you might. Angelyne doesn't respond to voice commands only hand signals, that's because she's completely deaf. She was born with sealed eardrums. Melvin says, "I didn't know that when I first got her." After trying to teach Angelyne American Sign Language Melvin decided to come up with his own hand signals. / NBC11

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Washington, DC
'GALLAUDET' FILM LAUNCHES ONLINE
A film that involved over 200 Gallaudet students, alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, board or associates members, and members of the community has been released to the public. The eight-minute film, entitled simply "Gallaudet," was released June 1. The online release follows a successful community launch in April at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C. The work is directed by alumnus Ryan Commerson and produced by Deaf Studies professor Dr. Dirksen Bauman. / GU Daily Digest

Chicago, IL
A DEAF WOMAN CREATES A BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF SOUNDS
The whirr of a fan. The purr of a cat. The strike of a match. Marsha Engle would never hear those sounds again. But then she had an idea: Maybe she could "hear" by seeing. She approached William Huber, a photographer who lives in Batavia. "I need somebody to photograph sounds for me — sounds I can't hear anymore," she told him. Huber was taken aback. "I thought, 'How do you photograph sound?' " he said. "I've never seen it done." / Chicago Tribune

Ferndale, MI
HILLS NATIVE IS A DEAF RAPPER ON A MUSICAL MISSION
Just like the beating of his heart, there's a rhythm in Sean Forbes that keeps him pressing on to reach his dreams — to make music, to inspire others, to reach out to other deaf people who happen to love music. At 28, his dreams are in full view and ring clearly in his head and in his heart. The Farmington Hills native began losing his hearing at age 1, following a high fever. Being deaf has never stopped him from hearing — and feeling — music. He's not sure anymore if he hears the beat or feels it, but it doesn't matter. / The Observer

Ann Arbor, MI
NOVEL EXPLORES THE CULTURAL DIVIDE BETWEEN DEAF AND HEARING
The new novel "Four Days in Michigan" by Philip Zazove is about a young deaf woman in Michigan who falls in love with a soldier home on leave. It takes place in the lead up to World War II and it explores the vast divide between Deaf culture, with a capital D, and the hearing world. The author knows a great deal about this divide. He was the first deaf person mainstreamed in public schools in the suburbs of Chicago and he went on to become one of the nation's first deaf doctors. / Michigan Radio

Rockville, MD
TENTH ANNIVERSARY FOR 'ASSOCIATION OF ADULT MUSICIANS WITH HEARING LOSS'
The Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss group will be celebrating their 10th anniversary on June 8, 2010. These are deaf and hard of hearing musicians who have a love for playing their musical instruments and their music. Over the years it has grown painfully slow until the last few years we have seen more new members join than the last 8 years. Currently there are 156 members that play all kinds of musical instruments from the flute, piano, guitar, banjo to singing with their voice. / Kokonut Pundit

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SPORTS
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Rochester, NY
DEAF PITCHER KETCHNER WITHIN STEPS OF MAKING BASEBALL HISTORY
Ryan Ketchner has waited eleven years for a promotion to Major League Baseball, but Major League Baseball has been waiting more than a century for Ryan Ketchner. Ketchner, a starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers AAA farm team, the Toledo Mud Hens, was born deaf. Hearing aids in each ear give him about 10 percent of an average person’s hearing. They allow him to at least be aware someone is speaking and help with his outstanding lip-reading skills. Still, applause - and boos - from the crowd, calls of “I’ve got it,” on pop flies, and even the crack of the bat are lost on Ketchner. / AHN

Los Angeles, CA
ASHLEY FIOLEK OVERCOMES DEAFNESS TO EXCEL AS ONE OF MOTOCROSS RACING'S ELITE
The fastest woman on the track cannot hear the engine roar to life when she kick-starts her motorcycle. But Ashley Fiolek can feel its awesome power -- its every vibration -- when she shifts into gear and launches into competition. "I hear it my own way," explained Fiolek, 19, who despite being deaf has emerged as the dominant force in the rollicking sport of women's motocross. "I can feel everything about my bike. I have grown up riding that way so it's nothing new to me." Fiolek, 19, will be in Texas this weekend for the Freestone National, the second of eight Women's Motocross Assn. competitions. / GrindTV.com

Essexville, MI
GOALKEEPER KARLIE PENN REVELS IN SOUNDS OF SOCCER DESPITE HEARING LOSS
There’s a crash as an attacker and defender collide in front of the goal. A boom as the ball is rocketed toward the top shelf. A thud as it’s batted away by the outstretched glove of the leaping goalkeeper. A roar from the fans. And Karlie Penn, legally deaf since first grade, takes in each and every soccer sound. Penn was diagnosed with sensorial hearing loss at age 6, but it hasn’t stopped her from blossoming into a swimmer, a wrestler and a four-year starting keeper for the Essexville Garber girls soccer team. / The Bay City Times

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EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AT GLAD, INC.

* Network I.T. Administrator - Los Angeles, CA
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* Community Advocate - Riverside, CA
* Community Interpreter - Los Angeles, CA

To learn more about these positions, please visit our website, www.gladinc.org.

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Rochester Institute of Technology
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
NTID Access Services
Director/Assistant Dean for Access Services

The Director/Assistant Dean for Access Services provides strategic leadership to and direction for the Institute’s access service functions serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students, faculty/staff and visitors.

PhD or EdD in educational administration/leadership, special education, communication needs/assessment and similar programs.
Minimum ten years experience in management responsibilities in secondary and/or post-secondary education.
A superior level of knowledge and skill in American Sign Language and Deaf Culture.
Ability to implement both strategic and tactical plans for Access Services.
Ability to effectively collaborate with institutional and external research and development programs.
Ability to demonstrate competencies using shared governance processes and/or participative involvement in decision-making opportunities.

The Rochester Institute of Technology is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Members of protected classes and individuals with the ability to contribute in meaningful ways to the university’s continuing commitment to cultural diversity, pluralism, and individual differences are encouraged to send an application.

See detailed job description at our website under the IRC #38360. Your application and any relevant documentation such as resume and cover letter should be uploaded via this website http://mycareer.rit.edu in order to be considered for any positions you are interested in.

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