Deafweekly June 13, 2007

deafweekly

June 13, 2007
Vol. 3 No. 17

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 2007 and any unauthorized use, including reprinting of news, is prohibited. Please support our advertisers; they make it possible for you to receive Deafweekly at no charge.

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NATIONAL
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EIGHTH GRADER, VAN DRIVER KILLED IN MINNESOTA CRASH

Amanda Berglund, 14, of Scandia, Minn., an eighth grader in a St. Paul program for deaf students, was killed Thursday afternoon, May 17 when her shuttle van rear-ended a school bus that had stopped to let students off. Driver Scott Wendt, 30, also died in the crash. “The guy came at like 60 mph and just rear-ended the bus and didn’t even hit his brakes or anything,” said Travis Strike, 17. An investigation would look at whether a mechanical problem, inattentive driving or health condition contributed to the crash, Sheriff Bill Hutton told the Stillwater Gazette. Wendt received five speeding tickets between 1996 and 2002 but had a clean driving record with Twin City Transportation, company officials said

NEW JERSEY MAN STRUCK DEAD ON HIGHWAY

Thomas B. Cline, 37, a deaf Bordentown Township resident, was struck by a car and killed early last Friday, said the Burlington County Times. Cline was walking alone on Route 13 in the right lane of the highway at 12:04 a.m. when he was hit by a car driven by Edward Steffen. Cline died at 2:42 a.m. at a Trenton hospital, said Lt. Norman Hand. Steffen, who was uninjured and remained on the scene, has not been charged. “It’s a low visibility area,” said Hand, “and the next thing he knew the victim was in front of him.”

AFTER TWO MONTHS, WASHINGTON MAN STILL MISSING

Khoi Vu, 25, a deaf and mentally disabled man from Vancouver, Wash., has not been seen since he disappeared April 7 from the home he shares with his sister, brother-in-law and parents. Vu said he was going to bed and was found missing the next morning, reported The Oregonian. After three weeks, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office shifted Vu's case from missing persons to criminal investigation. “There’s definitely something wrong,” said Sgt. Tim Bieber. Yesterday, KPTV reported that a reward for information leading to Vu’s safe return has been increased to $5,000. Anyone with information is urged to call the sheriff’s tip line at 877-274-6311.

AUDITS FIND FLORIDA SCHOOL MISMANAGED MILLIONS

The St. Augustine Record reported last week on state audits that found millions of dollars mismanaged at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. The audits, from 2002 to 2006, showed poor accounting procedures, mismanagement of funds and undocumented expenses. Questionable expenses included $42,700 for maintenance of the Ed Parry Press Box, a 71-square-foot facility built in 1997. School president Elmer Dillingham declined to comment for the article; Mary Jane Dillon, chair of the Board of Trustees, said she would respond later.

THREE FACE CHARGES IN BOWLING ALLEY DEATH

Three Nassau County, Fla. men face up to 15 years in prison for manslaughter in the December 2, 2006 death of a deaf man, Bruce Doss, 22, died of asphyxia and stress outside a bowling alley in Yulee after being restrained for up to 20 minutes. Michael Gammons, 35, Peter Turlington, 25, and Ralph Turlington, 24, are being held on $250,000 bond, said News4Jax.com. Doss, 22, . “He was face down on the ground, and his face was pushed to where he could not breathe,” said Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves. Police ruled the death unintentional, but Seagraves said, “Did he really, technically, need to be restrained?”

SEX CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST NEW HAMPSHIRE MAN

Sexual assault charges against a deaf New Hampshire man have been dropped, the Nashua Telegraph reported last week. Victor Laporte, 33, faced four counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault alleging he raped a woman and molested a 5-year-old girl, each incident punishable by up to 10 to 20 years in prison. Prosecutor Paula Philbrook declined to say why she dropped the charges, but Laporte’s lawyers had argued their client was unable to communicate with them despite a judge’s ruling last year that he was competent to stand trial.

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SEATTLE MAN IS CLARKE SCHOOL’S NEW PRESIDENT

William Corwin has been chosen as Clarke School for the Deaf’s new president, succeeding Dennis Gjerdingen, who is retiring after 26 years as leader of the school. Corwin currently works with the National Court Appointed Special Advocates in Seattle, which matches volunteers to children in foster care. An attorney and father of two deaf children, he starts his new job July 1.

UTAH SUPERINTENDENT TO RETIRE

Linda Rutledge, superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind for the past three years, has announced her plans to retire June 22. A national search is under way to find her replacement, said the Salt Lake City Deseret News. Timothy Smith, superintendent of the South Summit School District and a former principal, coach and teacher of English, French, health and math, has been named interim superintendent.

FLORIDA BOY, 10, HONORED AS HERO

A deaf 10-year-old Florida boy was hailed as a hero after he helped save his sister’s life. J.J. Doolittle found his sister hanging from her high chair by her shirt and immediately alerted his mother, who is also deaf. He then rushed to a neighbor’s house to call 911 and ran back home to await police and EMTs, reported KSDK-TV. The emergency workers didn’t understand sign language, so J.J. wrote down what happened to his sister. The toddler was resuscitated and went to the hospital and is now home and doing fine. At an award ceremony, J.J. thanked the first responders for their patience with him, but they replied that he deserves all the credit.

MISSING ALZHEIMER’S PATIENT FOUND AFTER THREE DAYS

A deaf man with Alzheimer’s disease was found wandering the streets of Garden Grove, Calif., May 18, three days after he went missing from his home in the same city. According to The Orange County Register, it was the third time since November that Reginaldo Onate, 73, has gone missing. Just one week earlier, Onate, who has a pacemaker and needs several daily medications, was found more than 36 miles from his home near Los Angeles International Airport after a three day search, police reports said.

NEW YORK COUPLE FIGHT EVICTION OVER TAXES

A deaf Troy, N.Y. man and his wife are fighting eviction from their home for failing to pay taxes. Robert Brignola and wife Vicky owe the city $101,806 in taxes, interest and charges on two properties, said the Albany Times Union. “No municipality is in the business of kicking people out of their homes,” said Troy Corporation Counsel David Mitchell, but “Mr. Brignola was years in arrears on his taxes.” Brignola, a familiar sight at government meetings who “lectures elected officials on the conduct of government,” says he has not received a tax abatement he is entitled to because he is deaf. An appeals court judge signed a temporary stay May 23 and agreed to hear the couple’s appeal.

MOTOR VEHICLES TELLS DEAF DRIVER ‘PROVE IT’

When Mary Cunningham tried to renew her driver’s license at the Motor Vehicle Commission in Lawrence, N.J., she wrote on the forms that she was deaf, just as she’d done for over 40 years. This time, however, she was told she would need to get a note from a doctor to prove it. Husband David, also deaf, renewed his own license a few months earlier without any such requirement, reported The Trentonian. Joan Toth, a friend of the couple, criticized what she called a “hit and miss policy,” but verification of a hearing loss of 41db or more has always been on the books, New Jersey School for the Deaf driver education teacher Martha Fowler said. It just wasn’t enforced until January.

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GERMAN FUGITIVE DISCOVERED IN THAILAND

A deaf man was arrested in Thailand May 16, two years after escaping pedophilia charges in Germany by leaving the country before sentencing. Emil Bernnuer, 68, “is deaf and cannot speak and is a fugitive in Thailand,” said the Pattaya Daily News. On the run from a 10-month prison sentence (plus sexual offender counseling), Bernnuer was detained by Thailand police and will be handed over to German authorities. Bernnuer “refused to cooperate [or] look at the camera,” said the report, “and also tried to bite a reporter’s and a police officer’s fingers.”

MALDIVES MAN ARRESTED FOR DISTRIBUTING LEAFLETS

Police in the Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives have arrested an 84-year-old grandfather on charges of distributing leaflets. Ismail Mohamed, a deaf activist said to visit the Maldivian Peoples Party office in Malé up to 10 times a day, was arrested April 29 “whilst distributing prints of a statement made by the family of Hussain Salah, who was murdered by the Maldives Police on 15th April,” said a blogsite dedicated to his freedom. According to Minivan News, Mohamed was reportedly ordered to say who gave him the leaflets or face detention in a jail for political prisoners.

SCOTLAND TEEN SENTENCED FOR PUNCHING DEAF MAN

James Williamson, 18, escaped a jail sentence for punching a deaf man in the face over a money dispute, said the Perthshire Advertiser in Scotland. Williamson confessed to striking 21-year-old Sean Kidd in broad daylight February 13 and knocking him to the ground. Williamson, who had no previous convictions for violence, was ordered by Perth Sheriff Court to pay a £200 ($394 US) fine and an additional £200 to the victim. He spent 41 days in jail awaiting trial, a period Sheriff Michael Fletcher called a “reasonably lengthy time in custody.”

COLLEGE STUDENT WINS AWARD FOR SWIM GOGGLES

A Redditch, England college student won a top design competition - the BT Award, worth £1,000 ($1,973 US) - for “Swimear,” which alerts deaf swimmers to race starts and coach’s instructions. Richard Linford discussed his design with several organizations and interviewed a hearing-impaired swimmer for research, said the Redditch Advertiser. The portable system consists of wireless interactive goggles worn by swimmers and wristbands worn by coaches or event officials that can send signals to up to eight pairs of goggles. The system allows deaf swimmers “to adopt a natural start position,” said Linford, “rather than having to twist unnaturally to see hand and flag signals.”

‘MYSTERY’ OF DEAF VILLAGE REPORTED IN INDIA

The Nagaland Post in India reported last month on Jhumarvad, a “mysterious village of the deaf” where there is hardly a house in the village without at least one hearing-impaired occupant. “Even treatment makes no impact on us,” said resident Shakeel Ahmad, who has three sons, two of whom are hard of hearing. Forty of the primary school's 110 students have a hearing impairment. “I have to speak loudly in the classroom,” said a teacher. Doctors are baffled and can’t explain it. Said Manish Kumar, an ENT specialist: “The disease might have resulted from some food habit or absence of the hearing vein.”

WALKS ACROSS CANADA EARN MONEY FOR DOG GUIDES

Twenty-four people and their dogs headed out for the Purina Walk for Dog Guides around Bell Park in Sudbury, Ontario, 11 a.m. last Saturday, reported Northern Life. It was one of more than 180 similar walks around Canada to raise money for dog guide training programs. The Sudbury walk raised $6,700 in pledges, while overall the program has taken in more than $20 million to date. Proceeds benefit three dog guide programs across Canada that train dog guides to work with the blind, the deaf and the mobility impaired.

NEW ZEALAND TO BEGIN SCREENING NEWBORNS

A screening program to check New Zealand newborns for hearing loss, set to start next month as part of a $16 million ($13.5 million US) government plan to address hearing issues nationwide, has been a long time coming, says the National Foundation for the Deaf. Peter Thorne, chairman of the foundation, told TV3 News that the new system is “long overdue.” The initiative also calls for $8.4 million ($7.1 million US) to be put aside over four years to provide deaf children with cochlear implants.

DEAF, BLIND RECOMMENDED FOR AUSTRALIAN JURIES

The Australian government released a report last month saying that deaf and blind people should be allowed to serve on juries, said The Sydney Morning Herald. The Law Reform Commission noted that interpreters, stenographers and computer-aided transcripts would help disabled jurors and pointed out that New Zealand and the United States already allow disabled jurors. “In a society which depends on the jury system,” said Attorney-General John Hatzistergos, “it is important that we ensure that the system is broadly based, whilst at the same time not distracting from the quality of justice.”

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LIFE & LEISURE
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WORLDWIDE TOUR ON TAP FOR CHRISTY SMITH, INTERPRETER

Christy Smith, the deaf Colorado woman who survived 33 days on CBS’s Survivor: The Amazon (2003) and Dave Justice, an interpreter with a background in sociology and art, have announced their plans to travel around the world. Smith and Justice plan to visit New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, Thailand, India, Nepal and Kenya and meet with deaf storytellers, community leaders, youth and organizations, recording the experiences on video, snapshots and journal blogs. They’ve spent a year making plans and “we now turn to you, our friends and family, for support,” they said. Visitors to their website (www.discoveringdeafworlds.com) can track their travel, sign up for a newsletter and make donations to help with expenses.

DRIVER LEARNS TO SIGN FOR DEAF STUDENT

Gary Graden, a meat cutter for 40 years who started driving school buses when he retired three years ago, was honored last month by the Bremerton, Wash. School Board for his efforts to communicate with Amber Silvers, 5, a student in a Kitsap deaf and hard-of-hearing program. When he first met Amber, “I felt so sorry for her getting on a great, big old bus with some big old bus driver who doesn’t talk to her,” Graden told the Kitsap Sun. When the district began offering drivers sign language classes, he was quick to sign up. “It meant a lot to us,” said Elaine Silver, Amber’s mom. “It was like he was saying she is somebody worth talking to.”

AFRICAN NATIVE ORDAINED AS CATHOLIC PRIEST

Paul Zirimenya, an African native and current Bay Area resident, was ordained as a Catholic priest last Saturday in San Francisco, Calif. Deaf community members were invited to “acknowledge, celebrate and congratulate” Father Zirimenya and attend his first Mass, which took place Sunday at St. Joseph’s Center for the Deaf Catholic Church in Union City, Calif. It was the first time in nearly 30 years that a deaf Catholic priest was ordained in the area, said Kata Strawn, the center’s director of religious education.

ILLINOIS TEEN WINS $1,500 IN OPTIMIST CONTEST

Jeff McKinzie, 16, of Bloomington, Ill., toppled nine other finalists to win a $1,500 scholarship in the Optimist International Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Nearly 300 local Optimist clubs took part in the annual program and the finals were held Saturday in Peoria. McKinzie, 16, fine-tuned his four-minute speech (theme: “My Biggest Challenge”) for three weeks, said Nancy Schenck, his teacher at University High School in Normal. He is the second U High student to win the award, said the Pentagraph, after Amanda Dudgeon won last year.

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HARKIN BILL PROVIDES $100 MILLION FOR CAPTIONERS

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has introduced “The Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2007,” (S. 675, February 2007), a bill that would authorize $100 million in grants for training and job placement of closed captioners and court reporters. The demand for realtime writers has grown, partly because of government rules requiring most new programming to have closed captioning. Those who complete their training nearly always find jobs quickly, said Harkin, since so few people enter the field. The Senate passed a similar bill two years ago but the House did not act on it. This year, Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) has introduced companion legislation, HR 1687.

VRS PROVIDERS PETITION FCC ON NON-COMPETE DEALS

Five video relay service providers have petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to declare non-compete agreements on VRS interpreters “unreasonable.” The petition - filed May 21 by Hands On VRS, CSDVRS, SnapVRS, GoAmerica and the Communication Access Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - asks the FCC to declare invalid an agreement used by competitor Sorenson Communications that bars employees from working for one year for a VRS competitor or for any entity that contracts with a competing VRS provider. Hands On CEO Ronald Obray said the FCC should protect interpreters’ rights to work where they want and “ensure that this scarce resource is managed wisely.”

HEARING-AID FIRM PHONAK TO BECOME SONOVA

Swiss company Phonak Holding, the world’s third-largest producer of hearing aids by sales, plans to change its name to Sonova in August. It’s part of a rebranding and expansion program that includes acquiring German rival ReSound. (Germany’s Federal Cartel Office rejected the acquisition but Phonak is appealing.) Phonak reported a 40% increase in profit for the year ended March 31, said Business Week, and aims to outperform competitors with products such as the Audeo, which comes in 15 colors and mimics the look of Bluetooth hands-free cell phones. Phonak CEO Valentin Chapero admits it’s a challenge to sell hearing aids: “It’s very difficult when you are making a product that actually nobody wants.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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NTD DIRECTOR MAKES RETIREMENT PLANS

Paul Winters will retire by December 31 after four years as executive director of the National Theatre of the Deaf, said NTD Board Chairman Harvey Corson in a statement. Winters, who joined NTD as a board member in 2001, presided over rough times that included the elimination of federal funding, said Corson. Winters “led the retrenchment and reinvigoration” of the 40-year-old theater group and “kept the NTD alive and progressing,” he added. The group is now seeking a new executive director and has set a June 30 application deadline; job details may be obtained from Corson at h.corson@comcast.net.

YOUNG ARTISTS INVITED TO ENTER ‘DRIVEN’

VSA arts has issued a call for entries for “Driven,” a national juried exhibition for young artists with disabilities. Fifteen finalists will be chosen and $60,000 in awards - including a $20,000 grand prize - will be presented. There is no entry fee, and United States artists ages 16-25 with a physical, cognitive or mental disability are invited to enter by submitting four JPEG images that best represents their work. Friday, July 6 is the entry deadline, and artists need to give themselves enough time to submit their work through CaFE- www.callforentry.org - because no slides or hard copy materials will be accepted. To learn more, click here.

PERFORMERS WITH DISABILITIES SOUGHT FOR REGISTRY

The Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts (formerly the Non-Traditional Casting Project) is looking for performers with disabilities who would like to be included at no charge in Artist Files/Online (AFO), a national talent database. Formed in 1986, the Alliance helps meet the casting needs of networks, studios, theaters, artistic directors and independent producers. To be included, send a headshot and resume to Christine Bruno, Disability Advocate, Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1600, New York, NY 10036.

INTERNATIONAL PERFORMERS SET TO APPEAR IN MADRID

Five signing theater groups have agreed to perform in the cultural program of the 15th World Congress of the WFD (World Federation of the Deaf). El Grito, a Spanish deaf theater company, will kick things off July 16, followed by Norwegian performance artist Teater Manu two days later. Uganda’s Silent Theatre, which explores issues like social exclusion, takes the stage July 19, with Hong Kong’s Theatre of Silence set for July 20. The Brazilian group TSB’s “racial and cultural fusion will be the perfect closing” on July 21. The World Congress takes place in Madrid, Spain, and a clever animated video of deaf children inviting people to attend can be seen here.

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SPORTS
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VOLLEYBALL STANDOUT URGED TO GO FOR OLYMPICS

David Smith, who recently wrapped up four years on the volleyball team at the University of California, Irvine, helped the Anteaters to their first-ever NCAA title on land "without the benefit of hearing,” said The Signal. Smith, the nation’s top hitter in 2007, became the fourth first-team All-American in school history and set UCI hitting percentage records for a game, season and career. “I’m just a regular Joe who plays volleyball well and has a national championship ring on my finger,” said the 6-foot-7 senior. Coach John Speraw thinks Smith should try out for the Olympics. “He can be one of those guys,” he said. “I think he should.”

PAPER PROBES PAY DISPARITY FOR DEAF SCHOOL COACHES

The Indianapolis Star reported last month that coaches at the Indiana School for the Deaf earn less than 25 percent of what other Indiana high school coaches make. For example, the average pay for coaching football is about $6,962; ISD pays $1,383. For volleyball, coaches earn an average $3,579; at ISD it’s $774. (The figures come from a Ball State University journalism class project.) The stipends were calculated decades ago, said ISD Director of Operations Rose Hemmelgam, and “it’s very rarely been updated, obviously.” The school would like to pay more, she added, “but as a state agency, it’s beyond our control.”

‘DUMMY’ TAYLOR TO BE HONORED IN KANSAS CITY

June 30 will be a big day for deaf baseball fans in Kansas City, Mo. when Luther “Dummy” Taylor is honored before a Royals-Chicago White Sox baseball game at Kauffman Stadium. Taylor is a famous Kansas School for the Deaf who played for the New York Giants in the early 1900s and helped develop the signs that are currently used in baseball, said Leonard Hall in the Olathe News. Commemorative baseball cards highlighting Taylor will be given to the first 10,000 families entering the gate. Pre-game activities begin at 6:30 p.m. and $14 tickets can be purchased from Chuck Theel at Ctheel@ksd.state.ks.us. A special dinner and game seat in the Stadium Club is available for $125 with only 25 tickets left; call Bette Prentice-Rogers at 913-782-5808.

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COMING EVENTS
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CSUN UNVEILS NEW SUMMER INSTITUTE

The National Center on Deafness at California State University, Northridge is launching its first Annual Summer Institute. Summer Institute 2007 will focus on sign language interpreting, with Anna Witter-Merithew, Allisun Kale and Gary Sanderson serving as instructors. Next year, the Institute will expand to cover leadership training, interpreting skills and captioning. For a brochure with more information, click here.

SEAPORT DEAF FESTIVAL SET FOR AUGUST 19

The South Street Seaport in New York, N.Y. is set to host the Seventh Annual Seaport Deaf Festival, scheduled for Sunday, August 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event boosts free admission, entertainment with D.J. Supalee, door prizes and about 50 vendor booths. Exhibitors are still needed (tables costs $250) and you can contact Al Lepre at allepre@aol.com or write: P.O. Box 251, Carle Place, NY 11514, fax 5116-997-1037.

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MILESTONES
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RICK BALDI, 55, SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR

Richard T. “Rick” Baldi of Laurel, Md. died suddenly Friday, June 1 of a heart attack at age 55. A 1978 Gallaudet University graduate who earned a master’s degree in social work in 2004, Mr. Baldi worked in various social work positions. Most recently, he was employed as a substance abuse counselor in Voorhees, N.J., commuting on weekends to be home with his family. Mr. Baldi is survived by his wife of 15 years, Gina Oliva, a Gallaudet University professor of physical education and recreation, and a son and daughter from a previous marriage. A funeral was held Saturday in Laurel. Memorial donations may be made to the Substance Abuse Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Center for Family Services, 108 Somerdale Road, Voorhees, NJ 08043.

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EMPLOYMENT
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You can advertise your job openings here for just $20 a week (up to 100 words, 10 cents each add'l word) and reach nearly 7,000 Deafweekly subscribers. Our website gets an additional 3,000+ page views each week. Start spreading the news! To place your ad, send the announcement to mail@deafweekly.com.

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2 Position Openings:

Health Specialist(s), 30-35 hrs/week, Excellent Benefits.
Project HOPE of DEAF, Inc.
Boston, Massachusetts

The Health Specialist(s) will provide direct services and/or prevention education for Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing and Late-Deafened individuals living with cancer, obesity, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or other health related conditions.

-- Provide case management services including assessing consumers’ health needs, developing and monitoring service plans, coordinating referrals for support services, and providing support related to utilizing resources for self-help and health maintenance.
-- Collaborate with health/medical service providers, to promote accessible services.
-- Provide peer support services including developing and operating regular peer support activities and groups.
-- Conduct 1:1 and group public health awareness and prevention education activities.
-- Outreach to Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing and Late-Deafened people.
-- Prepare written and statistical reports on activities and progress.
-- Develop public health brochures and write articles.

Bachelor’s degree in Human Services area. Fluency in ASL. Demonstrated knowledge of deafness, at least three years in a related field. Experience in direct services preferred. Ability to prepare and facilitate trainings and presentations. Healthcare related experiences and knowledge of public health issues preferred. Computer literate.

Immediate opening.

Send Cover Letter and Resume to:
Hannah Lewis, Project HOPE Program Director
hlewis@deafinconline.org

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Sign Language
New York Society for the Deaf Services

Job Description:

Assistant Residence Manager will assist the Residence Manager in supervising staff and overseeing daily operations of residential facility for emotionally disabled and deaf individuals. Acts as the first line Supervisor in the absence of senior manager to ensures the safe operation of the facility and maximize the functioning of emotionally disabled adults in order to prevent hospitalization . Responsible for coordinating staff schedules to ensure adequate coverage at all times consistent with budgetary constraints. Provides case management services and functions as part of the inter-disciplinary team.

Skills and/or Experience Required:

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology or related human service field from an accredited college or university. An equivalent combination of education and experience and experience will be considered in lieu of degree.

A minimum of 2 years experience in social service setting, preferably related to homelessness, and in a residential facility.

Bilingual in Spanish preferred.

Fluency in American Sign Language required.

To Apply:

To apply for this position, please visit our FEGS Career page at http://www.fegs.org/careers or go to http://www.fegs.org/ and click on Career Services and enter PO3631 or the title Assistant Residence Manager in the Text Search field.

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Teaching Positions Available
The Charter School at National Deaf Academy
Mount Dora, FL

* Elementary/Middle School (all subjects)
* K-12 Physical Education
* K-12 Special Needs/Autism

Qualifications:
* Degree in Deaf Education. Content area degree a plus
* Proficiency in American Sign Language
* Willingness to become highly qualified

Closing Date for applications: July 1, 2007

Send letter of interest, resume, official transcripts and 3 letters of reference to:

Rebecca Hilding, Director
The Charter School at National Deaf Academy
19650 US Highway 441
Mount Dora, FL 32757

352-385-3019

For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.csnda.com

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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.

- Regional Director - Riverside
- Director of LIFESIGNS - Los Angeles
- Community Interpreter 1 - Riverside
- Community Interpreter 2 (2 positions open) - Riverside
- Community Advocate - Los Angeles
- Placement Coordinator - Crenshaw
- Lead Dispatcher - Los Angeles
- Hard of Hearing Specialist (Temporary) - Los Angeles and Riverside
- Community Advocate - Riverside
- Community Advocate (Temporary) - Riverside

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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Client Support Specialist, Position Announcement
Deaf Counseling, Advocacy and Referral Agency - Fremont, CA

The Client Support Specialist will work with deaf, hard of hearing, deafened individuals and deaf senior citizens and provide services including peer counseling, advocacy, and community education on health issues, senior citizen issues, entitlement benefits and daily living issues. DCARA offers extremely competitive benefits such as 4-day work week schedule (40 hours), 12 days of holiday leave plus one week paid winter holiday, and full medical, dental, vision and life insurances. For more details, see www.dcara.org.

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Position: Product Manager, Relay Services
Location: Hackensack, NJ

This position is responsible for managing the company’s product portfolio of new and existing Internet-based relay products, services, features and platforms, in timely response to customer, market, competitive, and operational requirements.

This position includes the following responsibilities: (i) manage new and existing relay product/service offerings for deaf and hard-of-hearing customers; (ii) drive product/service development/management process within the company and with outside vendors, producing and iterating specifications throughout; (iii) develop and implement customer research and cultivate first-hand understanding of customers; (iv) monitor product/service performance and drive product/service lifecycle changes as required; (v) participate in development and management of overall customer communications strategy and customer/trade promotion strategy; (vi) develop pricing/offers and pursue initiatives for new business development. This position reports to the Vice President of Product Management.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Technical or marketing degree with 4-6 years of product management experience; telecommunications or hearing/speech industry experience desirable
Ideal candidate must enjoy technology and its use in building bridges among the Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing communities
PC literate for analyses and forecasts/budgets
Able to juggle multiple projects & changing priorities with enthusiasm; be able to give clear direction to ensure deadlines are met and quality results are achieved
Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills
Attention to detail and accuracy
Work with minimal supervision to coordinate activities with internal departmental staff and contractors
Knowledge of or interest in people with hearing loss; American Sign Language conversational abilities very desirable, or willingness to learn required
Ability to travel, especially on weekends, required

Application deadline: Until filled

Please submit your resume or application to: hr@goamerica.com

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Position: Product Manager, Hard of Hearing Products & Services
Location: Hackensack, NJ

This position is responsible for managing the company’s portfolio of new and existing products and services geared to, but not limited to, the Hard of Hearing market (e.g., hearing-aid compatible mobile phones, Internet-based captioned telephone service, voice carry over services), in timely response to customer, market, competitive, and operational requirements.

This position includes the following responsibilities: (i) develop, recommend, and implement strategic/tactical product/service offerings primarily targeting (but not limited to) the Hard of Hearing Market; (ii) manage new and existing product/service offerings for hard-of-hearing customers; (iii) drive Hard of Hearing product/service development/management process within the company and with outside vendors, producing and iterating specifications throughout; (iv) develop and implement customer research and cultivate first-hand understanding of customers; (v) monitor Hard of Hearing product/service performance and drive product/service lifecycle changes as required; (vi) participate in development and management of overall customer communications strategy and customer/trade promotion strategy; (vii) develop pricing/offers and pursue initiatives for new business development. This position reports to the Vice President of Product Management.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Application deadline: Until filled

Please submit your resume or application to: hr@goamerica.com

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INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS NEEDED

Position: i711 Relay Specialist
Location: Hackensack, NJ

We are seeking independent contractors to help drive i711 relay services revenue by assisting customers with installing required hardware and/or software and by providing remote and/or onsite customer training to ensure positive, sustained, and increasing customer usage of i711 relay services.

i711 Relay Specialists have the following responsibilities, among others: (1) complete an assigned number of remote installations of i711 VRS per month; (2) review and approve customer applications for webcams, and conduct follow up interactions with customers until installation and usage is confirmed; (3) provide technical assistance to customers requiring help in setting up webcams, updating their videophone directories, and placing VRS calls; (4) participate in trade shows and community events, with an emphasis on qualifying prospects, capturing installation leads, and arranging for fulfillment; (5) provide remote and/or onsite customer education and training on using i711 relay services; and (6) provide, on an escalation basis, second-tier customer support and/or technical assistance to relay users, in collaboration with the Customer Support team.

QUALIFICATIONS:

4-year college degree or equivalent experience in a sales-, technical-, or community-related field
Self-starter with firsthand experience and knowledge of what it takes to “sell” relay services in a highly-competitive marketplace
Able to work effectively both in a team environment and independently, with minimal supervision
Demonstrates strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation/teaching skills
Able to multi-task effectively in a fast paced environment, with strong follow-through on a wide variety of details
Demonstrates strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
Able to travel to and from customer premises by private car and/or public transit
Able to work on a flexible schedule in order to meet sales and customer needs (some weekend and evening work time required)
Able to read and write large volumes of email and instant messages (IM)
Knowledge of or interest in people with hearing loss and communication challenges
Conversational fluency in American Sign Language (ASL)
3 years experience with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office applications, and with using the Internet
Troubleshooting experience on PC and Macintosh; desktop support certification a plus
Technical experience with videophones, webcams, videoconferencing software, residential firewalls/routers, and wireless devices, or willingness and aptitude to learn
Experience presenting product information directly to end-user customers
Experience working in a customer service role preferred

Application deadline: Until filled

Please submit your resume or application to: hr@goamerica.com

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