Deafweekly July 26, 2006

deafweekly

July 26, 2006
Vol. 2 No. 38

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.

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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AIRLINE INDUSTRY OPPOSES DEAF ACCESS RULES

The airline industry is fighting a government proposal to make air travel more accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing flyers, reported Travel Weekly. The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in February that would, among other things, require captioning on airline TVs and audiovisual systems and training of employees to communicate with the hearing impaired. But the Airline Transport Association said in comments filed last month with the DOT that the agency underestimates the costs and overestimates the benefits of the proposed rules. The airlines prefer to let the marketplace address the issue, said the ATA, and the DOT “should not consider our active participation in the work group as an endorsement of the petition.”

AOL ADDS CAPTIONING TO CNN NEWS REPORTS

America Online announced last week that it has started offering closed captions on select CNN news reports, said MediPost Publications. AOL’s announcement marks the first major effort by a large Internet provider to offer closed captioning of live-action video, said the report. “This is the first consistent programming that is being offered with captions over the Web,” said Jennifer Sagalyn of WGBH’s Media Access Group in Boston. One challenge for AOL is the Internet’s demand for updated material, and AOL’s Tom Wlodkowski said captioned CNN video may be delayed by as much as 30 minutes after the non-captioned material becomes available. (To activate AOL’s captions, click on the CC button that appears on the AOL Media Player below the video window.) WGBH is also working with Yahoo to make its website more accessible, but calls those efforts “still more in the discussion phase.”

GALLAUDET DENIES BOARD WILL RECONSIDER APPOINTMENT

Gallaudet University issued a statement Monday in response to “false information about the Board of Trustees’ retreat that has been widely disseminated by an unauthorized person.” The university was acting in response to a news release sent by Brian Riley of Gallyprotest.org through Press Method, a paid press release distribution service. The release claimed that the board was meeting “earlier than expected on short notice ... in order to reconsider the appointment of President-Elect Jane Fernandes.” The board retreat this weekend in Herndon, Va. had been previously planned, said Gallaudet, and will focus on “the successful transition to Dr. Fernandes’ presidency, and Effective University and Board governance.”

NEW YORK APPROVES CAPTIONED TELEPHONE SERVICE

The New York State Public Service Commission voted last Wednesday to make captioned telephone service available to the state’s deaf and hard-of-hearing residents. A PSC news release said the new service will begin in January and a new program envisions making this service available to up to 300 customers per month. “The proposed roll out ... would be the largest monthly installation rate of the service in the country,” said PSC Chairman William Flynn. Captioned telephone service involves an operator who listens in and transcribes what is heard in nearly real time, allowing hearing-impaired callers to speak for themselves and read the other parties’ words on their telephone. Pam Holmes of Ultratec, the Wisconsin company that provides the captioned telephones, said additional details would be available soon.

WOMAN WHO LOST TWO FINGERS SUES MEAT COMPANY

Kimberly Wallis is suing a meat-processing plant in Beardstown, Ill. where she has worked since March 2004, saying she lost two fingers as a result of sexual harassment. According to Copley News Service, the deaf 30-year-old is seeking at least $300,000 from Cargill Meat Solutions, saying the company did little to respond to her complaint about a co-worker’s “unwelcome and sexually offensive conduct.” On September 28, the man began throwing meat at her, leading to an argument that caused her to become distracted and get her hand caught in a cutting machine. Her thumb and pinky finger were severed, the suit says, and while her thumb was reattached, it is useless. The lawsuit, filed July 13 in U.S. District Court in Springfield, also claims Wallis attended meetings with supervisors and the coworker but was not provided with an interpreter.

SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING COMPLEX BREAKS GROUND

A 48-unit, $5 million housing complex for elderly blind or deaf people broke ground in Spartanburg, S.C. last Thursday, reported the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. The complex will be located across from the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind and is targeted to open next summer. Most of the funding comes from National Equity Fund, which helps develop public housing nationwide. SCSDB President Sheila Breitweiser said the school will work closely with residents to build mentoring relationships with students. “It’s a very difficult thing to be a senior and be isolated,” said Breitweiser. “None of the (eventual residents) will need to be isolated ever again.”

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STRIP CLUB NEAR TEXAS SCHOOL RAISES QUESTIONS

A “Hooters for women” that opened near the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin violates a city rule against adult-oriented businesses within 1,000 feet of a school or park, said CBS 42 on Monday. The La Bare Nightclub says it should not be held to the rule because it is not adult oriented but rather “adult suggestive.” Two undercover officers, however, witnessed dancers wearing minimal clothing and touching themselves in a suggestive way. A court hearing this week was postponed due to a club co-owner’s family emergency. La Bare was allowed to open because the city thought it was just another bar, said the report. CBS 42 asked people in the area if they were bothered by the club. “I don’t think strip clubs should be anywhere near schools,” said Laura Reed of Austin.

MISSING PERSONS REPORT FILED FOR LOS ANGELES WOMAN

KNBC-TV in Los Angeles reported Tuesday on a deaf 21-year-old woman who disappeared last Friday near a bus stop. A missing persons report was filed Monday for Erika Monica Barrios, a Wilmington resident who was last seen at Marlton Charter School walking toward an MTA bus stop on Martin Luther King Boulevard. She is described as 5-foot-10 and 150-155 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. The L.A. Police Department can be contacted with information at 310-548-7605.

HALF OPPOSE MARYLAND PLAN TO ADMIT HEARING STUDENTS

A plan to admit hearing students to the Maryland School for the Deaf was opposed by half of the voters in an online poll conducted by The Frederick News-Post. Of 202 voters, 42 percent favored the plan, 50 percent were against it and 8 percent were unsure, said the News-Post last week. MSD Superintendent James Tucker revealed two weeks ago that he and the school’s board of trustees are considering admitting hearing students fluent in American Sign Language to the school. One reader, Carrie Larson, suspected the proposal is motivated by money and a desire to raise test scores. But “I did not move across the country to have MSD become a school for hearing kids,” she said. “MSD cannot even educate deaf students to their fullest potential.”

SOUTH CAROLINA HOSPITAL SETTLES ADA COMPLAINT

McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, S.C. is the latest hospital to agree to comply with the 16-year-old Americans with Disabilities Act, reported the Associated Press. The hospital settled a federal complaint filed in December 2003 by Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc. after two deaf patients were not provided with interpreters. The settlement, signed July 10 with the U.S. Justice Department, admits no wrongdoing and involves no money. Pete Cantrell, an attorney with the Columbia-based advocacy group, said such cases are “unfortunately too common” in South Carolina. Steve Fitzmaurice of the S.C. Association of the Deaf said the same problems occur in doctor and lawyer offices and in court. “It’s sad to say it took a grievance to get any hospital to follow the law,” he said.

MISSING KENTUCKY MAN FOUND NEXT DAY IN CREEK

An elderly deaf man who went missing last Wednesday near Stanton, Ky., was found the next day two miles from home, reported the Lexington Herald-Leader. About 50 people had been searching the woods for Gene Hackworth, 76, after he failed to return from a walk. The missing man was found by David and Kathryn Creech in a creek on their 90-acre property. Hackworth “was on all fours, on his knees and hands, in about a foot and a half of water,” said David Creech. “When he looked up, the biggest pleased look come over his face.” Emergency medical workers checked Hackworth at the Creech home before taking him to a hospital for evaluation.

VERMONT INMATE PROVIDED WITH VIDEOPHONE

A deaf Vermont inmate has been provided with what is “possibly the first videophone at a state correction facility nationwide,” said Sprint in a recent statement. The unidentified inmate can now use a videophone to communicate with his deaf son and other deaf people who have been pre-approved by the prison. He can also call hearing people through the video relay service. “The deaf inmate now has equal access to the world that is currently afforded to his fellow hearing inmates,” said Elena Krueger, Sprint’s account manager in Vermont. The videophone is in a secure location and the inmate is allowed to make calls only on specific days and during limited times, with all video calls recorded from start to finish.

NEW PBS RULES CALLED ‘CENSORSHIP FOR DEAF PEOPLE’

A report from ContactMusic.com claims that a new directive from the Public Broadcasting System on how programs are to deal with offensive language amounts to “censorship for deaf people.” The directive includes a statement saying “if the F-word or the S-word were uttered to camera so that the viewers could recognize it from the speaker’s mouth, the lips must be pixelated.” Louis Wiley Jr., executive editor of “Frontline,” disagrees with the news rules. “If public television producers are forced to not only bleep words but also to pixelate lips, most will simply cut the scenes, no matter how powerful or relevant.” The Federal Communications Commission has the authority to fine stations up to $325,000 for each utterance of offensive language, said the report.

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INTERNATIONAL
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AIRLINE SAYS BLIND, DEAF, DISABLED CAN’T TRAVEL ALONE

A Southeast Asia airline said last week that it will no longer allow blind, deaf and other disabled passengers to travel alone on flights in Thailand, reported the Houston Chonicle. AirAsia defended itself against criticism that the policy was discriminatory, saying as a low-cost carrier it did not have the ground staff to assist disabled travelers. CEO Tassapon Bijileveld’s responded to accusations from Thailand’s Association of the Blind that a blind American passenger was told two weeks ago in Bangkok that he could not board his flight because he was traveling alone. Bijileveld said the airline apologized to the passenger but defended the ground staff that turned him away. AirAsia, based in Malaysia, has the region’s largest fleet among low-cost carriers and serves Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and Macau.

MOVIE INDUSTRY TO ANSWER TO COMPLAINTS IN CANADA

Several movie theater, studio and distribution companies will appear before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario to answer allegations that they have failed to provide captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing movie-goers. According to a media advisory from Toronto last week, 19 days of hearings beginning November 2 and ending in April are expected to produce a ruling on movie theater access that will have significant outcomes for deaf people and the movie industry, said the release. The hearings are the result of a complaint by the Ontario Human Rights Commission and three deaf Canadians - University of Toronto student Nancy Barker, Canadian Hearing Society official Gary Malkowski and Ottawa lawyer Scott Simser. They allege that the lack of movie captioning violates both the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. The Caption Movies Now Coalition’s website can be found at www.captionmoviesnow.com.

DEAF U.K. TEEN SAVES YOUTH FROM DROWNING

A deaf teenager risked his own life to save a young boy from drowning in a flooded quarry, reported the Evening Post in Leeds, U.K. Michael Morton, 14, spotted his brother’s friend, 9-year-old Bradley Richardson, struggling in the water and plunged in to rescue him. Michael, a student at Castleford High School, was walking his dog earlier this month when he saw Bradley in the water and friends looking on, horrified. “I was just frightened he was going to die,” said Michael. Now his school is looking for a way to recognize their hero student’s courage. “We’re aware that there’s numerous local bravery awards and if there’s a chance to nominate Michael for one of them we will certainly take it up,” said Castleford Headmaster Roy Vaughan.

NUNAVUT CONSIDERS LEGAL STATUS FOR SIGN LANGUAGE

The Canadian territory of Nunavut is considering legal status for two sign languages, including one that is apparently unique to deaf Inuit, reported the Canadian Broadcasting Company on Sunday. If it happens, Nunavut would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to recognize an indigenous sign language. Language specialist James MacDougall, a professor at Montreal’s McGill University, studied the hand signals, body language and facial expressions of the 155 deaf people in Nunavut and concluded that “there did seem to be a very powerful language there” that he has termed Inuit Sign Language. The Canadian department responsible for official languages is working on a proposal to include both Intuit and American sign languages in new legislation that would protect the country’s various languages. If the bill passes, said the CBC, the government would be mandated to develop more services for deaf citizens.

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PARENTS OF ‘SEX TEXT PEST’ HOUNDED FROM HOME

The parents of a deaf man arrested in April for sending thousands of sexually explicit text mails to 15 female coworkers and students at the deaf center where he worked have been hounded from their home, said the Evening Post in Preston, U.K. William and Evelina Parkinson reportedly had no idea their son, William Jr., was believed to be Britain’s “worst sex text pest,” said the report. Parkinson kept the police investigation and trial a secret from his parents, said the Post, even keeping up the pretense that he still worked as a cleaner for the charity, Deafway, in Brockholes Brow. The Parkinsons disowned their son but were still forced from their home of 29 years by vigilantes who smashed windows and painted PERVERT on the walls, leaving them “homeless with no idea where they will sleep tonight.” Parkinson sent his victims up to 85 text messages a day, causing one woman to move, another to fear leaving her home and a third to go out on sick leave.

SAILING TRIP, GREAT WALL TREK RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY

Two deaf women will take part in a sailing competition this week on the Isle of Wight in the U.K., reported ic SurreyOnline. Katie Davison, 33, and Ruth Morrison, 20, will compete in Cowes Week with Julia Brett and coach Richard Beardsley, who are both hearing and know British Sign Language. Davison said she couldn’t wait for the festival, which began Tuesday and runs through August 5. “It is rare that disabled people are part of Cowes Week, and I feel proud of myself.” The report also featured Mark Flower, 35, who trekked across the Great Wall of China, covering 47 miles in five days over steep mountains under a hot sun. Flower went on his own and met 32 other challengers for the trip. “I am profoundly deaf and my speech is not that brilliant,” he said, “but we all got on very well and they were keen to learn sign language.” Both pursuits were designed to raise money for the National Deaf Children’s Society.

U.K. CHARITY SPONSORS SKYDIVING FUNDRAISER

People in Cambridgeshire, U.K. are being invited to jump out of an airplane “and help change the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing people,” said the Cambridge Evening News. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People is sponsoring a skydiving event that will give “Superman wannabes” the chance to fly through the air and raise money for charity. The skydiving will take place on weekends at airfields near Peterborough and Chatteris, and is free to participants who raise at least £375 ($700 US) for the RNID, a national charity that represents 9 million people with hearing loss in the U.K. Write to Caroline Jupe at events@mid.org.uk if you want to jump.

DEAFBLIND UK STAGES RALLY TO BOLSTER INDEPENDENCE

A government official donned blackout goggles and ear plugs to simulate being deaf and blind and help publicize a rally this week sponsored by Deafblind UK. Peterborough, Cambridgeshire MEP Richard Howitt was challenged to pick up a bottle of water and pour himself a drink - not an easy task in a simulation that included other bottles that in real life could contain hazardous liquids such as bleach. “It was a bit scary and I felt very, very dependent on the person who was guiding me,” said Howitt. The rally is designed to bolster the independence of deaf-blind people with many activities that can be completed alone. In one area, for example, deaf-blind people will get a chance to drive a car under the eye of trained instructors. “We want to help more people to understand the condition,” said Deafblind UK spokeswoman Jo Johnson.

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LIFE & LEISURE
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NEW WEBSITE LISTS 'BEST OF DEAF BLOGS'

A new website was launched recently that makes it easier to find deaf-related blogs. DeafRead.com, subtitled “Only the Best of Deaf Blogs,” was created by TaylerInfomedia, a deaf-owned company in California that has unveiled several deaf-related websites in recent months. Owner Tayler Mayer said the new site has the single purpose of “providing to our readers trash-free and junk-free blog content!” Mayer, who collaborated on DeafRead.com with Jared Evans, said he is always looking for editors to decide what is and isn’t published on the site. DeafRead.com features a Top 10 blog listing by page views and plans to sponsor a Blog Award program. Check it out at www.deafread.com.

DEAF AND HEARING BROTHERS SEEK ADOPTIVE FAMILY

The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported July 17 on a pair of brothers, one of who is deaf, who would like to be adopted together. Joshua, 11, is deaf and communicates through sign language. He likes to help around the house, has a good sense of humor and is good with kids. He would benefit from a smaller family and needs a family who knows or is willing to learn sign language. His brother Brandon, 9, is polite, friendly and loves to learn. For information on Joshua and Brandon, call Wendy Sowers at 816-889-2233 or email to Wendy.M.Sowers@dss.mo.gov.

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WORKING WORLD
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TEXAS MAN TO WORK WITH U.S. ARMY IN ITALY

A deaf alumnus of the University of Texas at San Antonio will spend the next three months in Italy serving alongside the U.S. Army, said UTSA Today. Marc Rubin, 28, will work as an inventory computer assistant in the logistics department. Military officials said Rubin is the first deaf person to work with the military overseas. Rubin, an experienced skydiver, recently helped train hundreds of U.S. soldiers for parachute certification. When asked to help in Italy, Rubin told KENS-TV, “I couldn’t say no.” A link to the captioned KENS-TV report on Rubin can be found at www.utsa.edu/today/2006/07/rubin.cfm (under the photo caption).

DEAF MAN JOINS POLICE FORCE ON ISLAND IN ALASKA

A deaf campus safety officer at the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology was sworn in as a police officer in Hoonah, Alaska on July 6, reported the Democrat and Chronicle. Anthony Wallace, 28, completed his final day of work at RIT on June 30 and two days later was on a plane to Alaska, which he had never visited before. An All-American wrestler at RIT, Wallace comes from a family of several police officers and has helped train other officers about interacting with the deaf. “There was absolutely nothing he couldn’t do,” said Bob Craig, RIT’s former campus safety director. In Hoonah, an island of about 1,000 people 50 miles southwest of Juneau, Wallace will not only be a police officer but will also be responsible for firefighting and emergency medical services. “I’m so intrigued with Alaska,” he said. “I love hunting and fishing, and to be a police officer there is just icing on the cake.”

WOMAN IS FIRST TO COMPETE SCHOOL’S NURSING PROGRAM

Tennille Thomas of El Monte, Calif. has become the first deaf student to complete the Certified Nurse Assistant program at Hacienda La Puente Adult School, said the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Thomas, 29, who was born deaf, “noticed there aren’t any deaf CNAs except for me, so I felt like I should do it.” She recently passed her state licensing test and now works as a caretaker of handicapped people for Success Inc., an Orange County agency. She prefers to work without an interpreter, using body language, gestures and writing to communicate. Thomas said she wants to care for babies, the elderly and everyone in between. “She’s more observant of patients’ feelings,” said Bonnie Kollman, the adult school’s CNA program director. “She’s got so much more compassion and understanding than a hearing person.”

CENTER OFFERS GUIDELINES FOR ACCESSIBLE MEDIA

The National Center for Accessible Media has announced the publication of guidelines for making electronic media accessible to people with sensory impairments. The NCAM, a division of Boston captioning pioneer WGBH, is making the publication, “Accessible Digital Media: Design Guidelines for Electronic Publications, Multimedia and the Web,” available free of charge at http://ncam.wgbh.org/publications/adm/. A free CD of the step-by-step guidelines is also available by writing to access@wgbh.org.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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DEAF MAN'S MAKEOVER POSTPONED TO THE FALL

The episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover featuring deaf Californian Phil Janes (Deafweekly July 12) that was scheduled to air on August 3 has been postponed to the fall. "This way more people will have the chance to see Phil's new look this Fall," said an announcement from the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, where Janes is a job placement coordinator.

SHOSHANNAH STERN CAST IN CBS SERIES ‘JERICHO’

Deaf actress Shoshannah Stern has been cast in a new CBS series called Jericho, said Inside Bay Area following a Rose Bowl press event last week. The Fremont, Calif. resident will play “one of the townspeople cut off from the rest of the world after a mysterious nuclear chain reaction rocks the country,” said the report. The role was not intended for a deaf actress but Stern impressed the show’s executives, with producer Jon Turteltaub calling Stern an amazing actress who not only gets better and better, but “also gets prettier and prettier in every scene.” Stern will play a sweet young country girl, a departure from her recent role on Showtime’s “Weeds” - a career move that’s sure to gain her mother’s approval. “I took her to a ‘Weeds’ press party and kept telling everyone I was the deaf whore,” said Stern, “and my mom kept telling me, ‘Stop saying that.’”

BILL O’BRIEN LEAVING DEAF WEST THEATRE

Bill O’Brien is resigning as managing director and producer for Deaf West Theatre to become the new director of theater and musical theater for the National Endowment for the Arts, said the Los Angeles Times. O’Brien will join the NEA in September and help design and lead national leadership initiatives related to theater. O’Brien, who was instrumental in Deaf West’s 2003 Tony-nominated Broadway run of “Big River,” said the North Hollywood theater would not immediately replace him due to the “long governmental relations effort” to restore deaf theater funding that was eliminated by Congress in 2004. O’Brien, who had a recurring role on NBC’s The West Wing as Marlee Matlin’s interpreter, said he was “thrilled and honored to be part of Deaf West over the past seven years.” NEA Chairman Dana Gioia added, “We’re delighted to have an artist of his caliber.”

COMPOSER TO PERFORM NEW WORK IN MASSACHUSETTS

A musical composer and performer named Nardi, who has been nearly deaf since early childhood, will perform his latest romantic stories and music in a ladies-only concert in Springfield, Mass. on August 24. Nardi’s “unique mix of romantic ballad, jazz, Latin and symphonic arrangements include piano, sax, strings, flute and percussion, which he performs on grand piano and keyboards,” said a press release. “His romantic vocals and signature performance is calming yet stirring.” Nardi lives and works in New England and Palm Beach, Fla., and performs up and down the Eastern seaboard. The August 24 concert at the Barney Estate Carriage House will include light fare and a wine tasting; tickets are available by calling 413-731-5514 or visiting www.nardimusic.com.

MARYLAND ART AUCTION TO BENEFIT ASDC

A fundraising art auction has been set for September 9 in Frederick, Md. to benefit the American Society for Deaf Children. The auction, at the Community Hall, CSD of Maryland, will be provided by Ross Galleries, which represents over 3,000 artists and also provides sculptures and art glass, estate jewelry and sports memorabilia. Previews begin at 7 p.m. and the auction will begin an hour later. Tickets are available for $10 per person and include appetizers and beverages. All proceeds will support ASDC’s work in areas such as advocacy, parent training and information referral. Barbara Raimondo can be contacted for more information at baraimondo@earthlink.net.

DAVIDEO PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES THIRD FILM SHOWCASE

Davideo Productions announced recently that it will host its third showcase of deaf-related accessible films on August 18-19. The event, called Cinema for Everyone, will take place at the Historic Palace Theater in Seguin, Texas. The showcase is sponsored by the Texas Association of the Deaf, and attendees can receive 50 percent off a TAD membership with their movie ticket stubs. Davideo owner David Pierce said the program was created to showcase independent films. “We give filmmakers a place to show their latest productions and get a share of the box office receipts,” he said. Information on this year’s showcase may be found at www.davideo.tv (click on Movies).

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SPORTS
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PRIDE HAS MIXED EMOTIONS AS ANGELS CALL HIM UP

Veteran outfielder Curtis Pride had mixed emotions when he was called up by the Los Angeles Angels this week, said a Major League Baseball report. Pride, who is 95 percent deaf and in his 21st year of professional baseball, had been named to the U.S. team that will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament next month in Cuba. “I was supposed to leave August 16 to play for Team USA,” said Pride, “but I got called here.” Pride, who was hitting .318 with 7 home runs and 41 RBIs for the Angels’ AAA team in Salt Lake City, Utah, will provide a left-handed bat off the Angels bench and add depth to the outfield. “I feel I still can play a couple of more years,” he said.

RACER GUNDERSON IS #4 IN FINAL DAYS OF VOTING

Race car driver Greg Gunderson will soon find out if he is among 12 rookie drivers selected for a new TV reality show called “Racin’ for a Livin’.” The deaf Sioux Falls, S.D. native was one of 50 stock car racing drivers selected three months ago to compete for the 12 spots. According to Gunderson’s weekly e-newsletter, the final voting tally will be taken next Monday and as of July 24 he was #4 in voting. Aiming to finish in the #1 spot and prove that “deaf people can do anything but hear,” Gunderson has asked his fans to “please keep voting for me as often as you can every day.” You can vote at www.racinforalivin.com and learn more about Gunderson at www.gundersonracing.com.

BROTHERS PLAN FOOTBALL CAMP NEXT SUMMER

Carolina Panthers quarterback Stefan LeFors and his deaf brother Eric are planning to launch a football camp next summer for youth 13 and older who can communicate in sign language. According to the Madison (S.D.) Daily Leader, the camp will take place in July at Camp Lakodia in Madison. Camp Lakodia, a program of Communications Services for the Deaf (CSD), offers several sports camps but not a deaf football camp. “We thought it would be a good idea,” said Stefan. “We’re pioneers,” added Eric. The five-day camp will teach skill positions, fundamentals, techniques and football skills. Information on Camp Lakodia can be found at www.camplakodia.org.

GOLF TOURNAMENTS RAISE MONEY TO ASSIST THE DEAF

Two recent golf tournaments raised money to assist the deaf community. In Myrtle Beach, S.C., attorney Angela Elliot chaired the second annual golf tournament at Eagles Nest to raise funds for the School for the Deaf and the Blind Coastal Outreach Services, said The Sun News. The June 28 tournament raised about $8,000. In Cincinnati, Advocates for Deaf Education raised $20,000 in the organization’s third annual charity golf event June 9 at Hamilton Elks Golf Club, reported the Enquirer. The event attracted 160 golfers and included a dinner, raffle and silent auction. The organization awards grants to families and organizations to help purchase hearing aids, FM systems, cochlear implants, private tuition and educational programs.

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MILESTONES
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DONALD L. BALLANTYNE, PH.D., 83, RESEARCH DIRECTOR

Donald L. Ballantyne, Ph.D., one of the first deaf people to earn a doctoral degree, died at his Bloomfield, N.J. home on July 8. He was 83. Dr. Ballantyne earned a bachelor’s degree in 1945 from Princeton University, and a master’s degree (1948) and Ph.D. (1952) from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., reported the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger. He retired in 1990 after 36 years with the New York University School of Medicine, where he started as a research associate and ended as director of microsurgical research and training laboratories. Dr. Ballantyne was the first recipient of prestigious awards at both Gallaudet University and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. He was born in Peking, China, and is survived by his wife of 54 years, Mary Loretta, as well as two daughters, a son and three grandchildren.

DONALD HYDE, 85, ACTIVE IN KANSAS CITY COMMUNITY

Donald Hyde, 85, an active member of the Kansas City, Mo., deaf community, died July 16 after a battle with prostate cancer. An illness at age 2 robbed Mr. Hyde of his hearing, reported The Kansas City Star, but he soon adapted and became a standout athlete at the Missouri School for the Deaf in Fulton. During the summer he would return home to work on the family’s farm in northwest Missouri, competing with his younger brother, Larry, to see who could bale hay and load the wagons fastest. Mr. Hyde married his wife, Dorothy, who preceded him in death, in 1948, and the two shared a love for bowling, participating in deaf tournaments around the country. “They were very close and did everything together,” said Larry Hyde. Said sister-in-law Helen Hyde: “Donald was a wonderful, warm person. He would always come into the house and give me a hug and a kiss.”

MYRLE SWEET, TAUGHT AT CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF

A memorial was held July 15 in Fremont, Calif. for Myrle Sweet, a teacher and long-time friend of the deaf who died on July 5. Mrs. Sweet, who worked at the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley and Fremont before retiring, was affectionately known as Murph. Over the years, she taught many successful deaf adults in the Bay Area. Expressions of condolence may be sent to her daughter-in-law at sweetmisee@aol.com.

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READER RESPONSE
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(Re: Maryland Hospital Settles Lawsuit, Deafweekly July 19)

Even though Laurel Regional Hospital has settled, they are still not complying.

I was just there on July 7th and my mother was not provided with an interpreter, again. My brother was taken by ambulance to their hospital and was not conscious enough to understand what was going on. Understand, my mother was one of the plaintiffs in this same case. After asking repeatedly for an interpreter and requesting the alternative use of VRI [video relay interpreting], she was told that they could not provide an interpreter for family members and that if the patient were deaf they would have secured an interpreter.

They still think they can get away with using hearing family members to interpret. What a shame!

REBECCA PORRAS-DAVIS

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EMPLOYMENT
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Non-Profit mental health agency in Edgewater, MD has positions available in Deaf Program. Applicants must be fluent in American Sign Language and Spoken English. Minimum qualifications are a high school diploma or equivalent, AA or BA/BS degree with coursework and/or experience in psychology or human services preferred. Must have valid drivers license.

Interpreter/Mental Health Specialist - Full Time, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Mon-Thurs as Interpreter, other hours as needed for Mental Health Specialist (will include weekends). Interpreter must be able to interpret a variety of situations. Specialist duties include; coordination of doctor appts., transport clients to appts., medication monitoring, provide daily living skills & job support, and apply crisis intervention.

Rehabilitation Specialist - Part Time, Sat/Sun; Responsibilities include providing daily living skills support, medication monitoring, transporting clients to appointments, and applying crisis intervention when needed.

Send resume and cover letter to: Arundel Lodge, 2600 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, fax (410) 841-6045, email: Lmurphy@arundellodge.org.

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OPPORTUNITIES AT FEGS

FEGS is one of the largest health and human services organizations in the country with a budget in excess of $230 million and 3,500+ employees.

Excellent opportunity to become vital member of a multidisciplinary team, strongly rooted in the Deaf community. Seeking experienced professionals, fluent in ASL, to work with adult disabled, Deaf population.

CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER/PSYCHOLOGIST

Provide individual, group and family counseling services to adult Deaf clients of the New York Society for the Deaf outpatient mental health clinic. Requires MSW, LMHC or Ph.D.and related experience.

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER

Facilitate communication between Deaf, chronically mentally ill clients and staff of the Continuing Day Treatment Program. Interpreter services are required in individual and group counseling sessions, meetings, and other program activities as needed. Must have flexibility in working with client’s personal signing styles.

Bachelors' degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience) is required. Experience working in a health care or treatment setting is a plus. Other degrees and certifications will be considered.

Positions are located in lower Manhattan (West Village area) and are accessible by public transportation. Competitive salary and generous benefits.

Send resume to our HR Consultants: HR Dynamics, Inc. (DEPT. EK/ASL), 345 Hudson Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10014. E-mail: eskatz@hr-dynamics.com. EOE

Visit our website: www.fegs.org

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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.

LIFESIGNS Director - Los Angeles, CA

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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JOB OPENING

NATIONAL OUTREACH MANAGER

Hamilton Relay, Inc. currently has a full-time position opening for “National Outreach Manager”.

Position summary: Manages National and Regional Outreach Team and activities to insure that required activities are carried out according to specified objectives.

Preferred education, experience and skills:
Fluency in American Sign Language
A Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and or Public Relations, or three to five years management related work experience in relay industry or comparable work experience
Knowledge and/or experience working with individuals or organizations within the deaf, hard or hearing and/or speech impaired communities is helpful
Along with strong written, analytical and interpersonal skills.

As this position is responsible for a team dispersed across the nation, the geographic location from which this person works is relatively unimportant. All geographic locations will be considered.

Interested individuals may send all inquiries and/or resumes to hr@hamiltontel.com or to the attention of Cindy Blase in Human Resource Department by August 4, 2006.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.

Hamilton Relay, Inc. is a division of Hamilton Telecommunications based in Aurora, NE. Hamilton offers a competitive wage with an excellent company paid benefit package. Contact our HR Dept at: 800.821.1831 or email at: hr@hamiltontel.com.

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