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Last issue's most-read story: COVINGTON SECURES APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT FOR 6,000 DEAF AND HEARING-IMPAIRED POSTAL WORKERS / PRNewswire
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NATIONAL
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Springfield, MO
DEAF FORMER STUDENT WINS CASE
Jessica Wells had always wanted to be a nurse. Getting accepted to the Cox College of Nursing, she said, was “a dream come true.” She completed two semesters at the school and was preparing for her third when she says the rug was ripped from under her. She was discharged from the program. It’s not that her grades were bad. Or that she was some sort of troublemaker. She was discharged because she is deaf. / Springfield News-Leader
See Also WOULD YOU HIRE A DEAF NURSE? / HealthLeaders Media
Omaha, NE
DEAF STUDENT, DENIED INTERPRETER BY MEDICAL SCHOOL, DRAWS FOCUS OF ADVOCATES
Speaking with the parents of a sick infant, Michael Argenyi, a medical student, could not understand why the child was hospitalized. During another clinical training session, he missed most of what a patient with a broken jaw was trying to convey about his condition. His incomprehension, Mr. Argenyi explained, was not because of a deficiency in academic understanding. Rather, he simply could not hear. Mr. Argenyi, 26, is legally deaf. Despite his repeated requests to use an interpreter during clinical training, administrators at the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Neb., have refused to allow it. / The New York Times
Concord, NH
BLIND AND DEAF MAN'S CAREGIVERS SUED OVER LACK OF ACCESS TO INTERPRETERS
“How can I come up and say just a regular conversation or ‘Hi’?" Right now, David Losacano can’t say those things to his brother. And 46-year-old Teddy – who is blind, deaf and has a cognitive disability sustained from a bout of scarlet fever as an infant – can’t say anything back. Those skills have slipped away not by natural deterioration, David contends, but because of disuse. In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, David and his lawyer, Kirk Simoneau, place blame for that digression on the organizations that coordinate Teddy’s care. / Concord Monitor
Dallas, TX
WAL-MART SUED IN TEXAS FOR UNLICENSED SALE OF HEARING AIDS
Members of the Texas Hearing Aid Association have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) based on claims that the world's largest retailer sells hearing aids without the state-mandated license.
The group is seeking to stop Wal-Mart's hearing aid sales immediately, in addition to asking the court to require the return of profits from prior sales. / PRNewswire
Houston, TX
FOUL-MOUTHED HACKER HIJACKS BABY'S MONITOR
An unknown hacker apparently gained access to a 2-year-old girl's baby monitor, calling her by name and harassing her, and her parents, with insults and profanity. The only positive about the situation, dad Marc Gilbert said, is that Allyson never woke up. She was born deaf and has cochlear implants to help her hear, which she was not wearing while sleeping. / CNN
New York, NY
HOW GOOGLE GLASS LETS A HALF-DEAF PERSON HEAR
The technologists, early adopters, and so-called “explorers” who got their hands on the first pairs of Google Glass have been describing the moment they slide on the odd-looking headset for the first time with a kind of evangelical fervor. Few have conveyed the power of the device, though, with the kind of personal insight offered by David Trahan, who is deaf in his right ear. Little did he know when he was invited to be a Google Glass Explorer that the device would let him hear in a way he hadn't before. / Fast Company
Santa Fe, NM
DEAF SCHOOL RENOVATION BEGINS
Work crews began cutting down trees and knocking down walls Friday on the campus of the New Mexico School for the Deaf on Cerrillos Road. The project, which will continue into next week, is part of a campus renovation plan that includes removing dead trees, building a new wall/fence partition farther away from Cerrillos Road, and creating a wider sidewalk to handle increasing pedestrian traffic near and on the campus. / The Santa Fe New Mexican
Enumclaw, WA
DAHLQUIST RECOGNIZED FOR HER WORK TO IMPROVE EDUCATION FOR DEAF STUDENTS
Rep. Cathy Dahlquist, R-Enumclaw, was presented an award by James Christianson, president of the Washington State Association of the Deaf, for her legislation, House Bill 1144, outlining standards for educational interpreters. The award was given to her in recognition of her “extraordinary service and dedication to improve the quality of the deaf education in the state of Washington." / Patch.com
Internet
URGENT: GOVERNMENT PLANS TO LIMIT ACCESS TO CAPTIONCALL SERVICE
The Federal Communications Commission is about to make changes to telephone captioning service that affect you and anyone you know who is hard-of-hearing. CaptionCall is strongly opposed to these changes because they are not in the best interest of our customers and the millions of hard-of-hearing Americans who rely on telephone captioning services for everyday communication. The FCC believes that many people are receiving captioned telephones and using captioning who don’t need it. Thus, the agency is trying to reduce the use of telephone captioning services by making it harder to have access to it. / CaptionCall
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ALOHA FROM HAWAII!
On July 5, 2014 our “Diamond Head School Alumni” are planning to visit the four major islands by taking a cruise on “The Pride of America”. We thought it would be great to include others who wanted to join our cruise as we celebrate our school’s 100 year Anniversary and meet our classmates on the different islands. If you would like to take this Hawaiian Cruise with us, please email me at ltomiyasu@yahoo.com or contact Paul Tomiyasu @ VP (808) 692-0560 for information.
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INTERNATIONAL
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Montreal, QC, Canada
CLASS-ACTION AGAINST MONTREAL CLERGY WHO SEXUALLY ABUSED DEAF & MUTE CHILDREN CAN GO AHEAD, JUDGE RULES
A Quebec judge rejected a motion to delay a multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuit against a religious order accused of sexually abusing deaf and mute children. The trial should begin next year, said lawyer Pierre Boivin, who represents the victims. Members of the Clerics of Saint Viator are accused of molesting hundreds of their students at a school for the deaf and mute in north Montreal between 1940 and 1982. / Vatican Crimes
Dartmouth, NS, Canada
DEAF CANDIDATE RELIES ON TECHNOLOGY TO CAMPAIGN
The NDP candidate for Dartmouth North is using technology and a fast typist to communicate with potential voters. Steve Estey became deaf at the age of 35, so he doesn't use sign language in day-to-day conversations. He brings an iPad or an iPhone along with an assistant who types what's said so he can read it from a screen while he's campaigning door to door. “I've never seen anyone text as fast in my life,” he said. / CBC News
Merseyside, England
PLANNING APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO TRANSFORM FORMER BIRKDALE DEAF SCHOOL INTO HOUSING
A former Birkdale school for deaf children could be transformed into luxury housing under a new planning application. Birkdale School for Hearing Impaired Children has been vacant since 2003 and under new plans the derelict building could be transformed if plans are approved by Sefton Council. It proposes building 27 luxury apartments inside the school building and constructing 30 houses on the former school’s playing fields. / Southport Visiter
London, England
THE QUESTION: SHOULD PRISON SENTENCES BE AUTOMATICALLY REDUCED FOR DEAF PEOPLE?
Last week, a deaf man from Kent was convicted of raping a 21-year-old Norwich woman and given a five year jail sentence, which the judge said would have been six if it were not for his deafness. It’s the first we have heard of a prison sentence being reduced for deafness but it could have happened before. So the question for you is this: Is being deaf in prison more of a punishment than being hearing in prison? / The Limping Chicken
Derby, England
CAFE RUN BY DEAF VOLUNTEERS IS VANDALIZED FOR THE SEVENTH TIME
A community cafe run by an award-winning deaf woman has been targeted by vandals for the seventh time in a year. Raiders climbed onto the roof of the building, in Arboretum Park, and ripped open a skylight before trying to break a window. Police said the offense happened overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, while the park was locked. The cafe was set up in July 2010 by Niki Johnson, after she was made redundant from her previous job. / This is Derbyshire
Cheshire, England
DEAF AND BLIND ARTIST WINS AWARD
A deaf artist has been commended for his intricate work based on Chester Zoo – made all the more remarkable because he has been blind since he was a teenager. Minerva Hussain has Usher syndrome, which started to affect his sight when he was 18, gradually getting worse until he was left with just peripheral vision. But the 44-year-old uses photographs, a magnifying glass and his memory to create vivid, incredibly detailed and tactile work that the viewer can see with their fingers as well as their eyes. / Northwich Guardian
Linlithgow, Scotland
TWO SENIOR OFFICIALS SUSPENDED BY DEAF SCHOOL OVER 2009 CASE
Two senior officials at Scotland's national deaf school have been suspended pending an inquiry into the way a historic allegation of inappropriate behaviour by a member of staff was dealt with. The board of Donaldson's Deaf School, Linlithgow, has taken the unusual step of suspending Janice MacNeill, chief executive, and Mary O'Brien, the head teacher, to establish whether correct procedures were followed in a case dating back to 2009. / Herald Scotland
Glasgow, Scotland
TEACHER SWAPS CLASSROOM FOR SAILING CRAFT AS HE TRAVELS THE WORLD SOLO
An inspirational and intrepid teacher at a North Glasgow school has been praised after sailing the globe – despite being profoundly deaf. Gerry Hughes circumnavigated the earth in his vessel Quest III. Gerry, 56, set out on his epic voyage from Troon Marina on September 1, 2012, and returned to Troon on May 8. He is the first deaf person to circumnavigate the globe solo via the five Great Capes. / Kirkintilloch Herald
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
WINNIPEG SWIMMER MAKES PERSONAL BEST AT DEAFLYMPICS
Thomas Osborn brought back a few personal-best times from the Deaflympics. The 17-year-old swimmer, who lost his hearing at the age of 10, said he was happy with his performance last month in Sofia, Bulgaria. The host city of Sofia was filled with deaf athletes and supporters — about 10,000 in all — and the competition was crowded with swimmers from all over the world, Osborn said. / Winnipeg Free Press
Sydney, Australia
VIDEO-ON-DEMAND PROVIDERS 'IGNORING DEAF AUSTRALIANS'
Leading video-on-demand and catch-up TV providers are failing to provide captions for the hearing impaired, according to a report from Media Access Australia. The not-for-profit is calling for voluntary compliance, or failing that, government regulation. ABC and SBS provide captioning on their iView and On Demand services, but the commercial providers are falling behind, the report says, with only iTunes offering captioning on some content. / AdNews
Karachi, Pakistan
DEAF, MUTE, ABANDONED: INDIAN WOMAN STRANDED IN PAKISTAN FOR 13 YEARS
Geeta, Meetu, Guddi, Fatima... no one knows the real name of this 21-year-old deaf and mute Indian woman stranded in Pakistan for 13 years now. She was around 8 years old when Pakistani authorities found her disoriented and lost on a train and sent her to a destitute home in Lahore. Last year, she was shifted to Karachi and lives with a family that runs a charity orphanage there. Since August last year, officials have made new attempts to find her family. / Indian Express
Orkney, South Africa
DONATION HELPS DEAF GIRL STAY AT SCHOOL
Hearing-impaired 4-year old Phatsimo Ntlhane will be able to carry on attending the special school Eduplex in Pretoria after receiving a huge donation to cover school fees. The pledge came after Phatsimo's mother Masego Nthlane made a plea for help when her daughter Phatsimo faced expulsion from school unless a deposit of R21 000 ($2,075 US) was paid. Anglo Gold Ashanti handed over a cheque of R45 000 ($4,450 US) to the family last week. / allAfrica.com
Trinidad and Tobago
DEAF STUDENT GETS CSEC DISTINCTION
Amir Andi-Abodoerrachman hopes to become a civil engineer just as his deceased father was, and already the young man is taking steps to achieve this goal. The 18-year-old, who is deaf and cannot speak, obtained six passes including a distinction in the June 2013 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. / Newsday
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Sprint Relay is coming to Baltimore!
Sprint Relay is will be at the Deaf Seniors of America Conference in Baltimore, Maryland August 23-27. Stop by our booth to register with Sprint IP Relay and to learn about our special offers! Are you a Federal Employee? Learn more about Federal Relay at our booth or visit www.federalrelay.us! If you can’t make it to DSA, be sure to “like” our Facebook page and we will keep you updated!
www.facebook.com/sprintrelay
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LIFE & LEISURE
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New York, NY
STATEN ISLAND DEAF CLUB STRIVES TO PRESERVE ITS CULTURE
A lot has changed in the 58 years since the Staten Island Club of the Deaf was formed, but it remains integral to a membership that is as dedicated as ever, albeit diminished in size. Vice President Lester Siegel removes a plaque from the wall: It's a 1989 Advance article marking the deaf club's 35th anniversary. "In the past, it was a big deal having a deaf club," said board member Joe Pucciarelli. "Now our numbers are diminishing due to many factors." / Staten Island Advance
Rochester, NY
SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF STUDENTS DONATE FOOD TO LOCAL SOUP KITCHEN
Rochester School for the Deaf students were working hard Thursday morning to make a difference at a local soup kitchen. As part of their summer program, RSD students wanted to spend a day working at A Meal and More Soup Kitchen on East Avenue. But because the students were only in first and second grade, rules didn't allow them to help out with the food. So the class decided they would hold a food drive instead. / WHEC
Internet
DEAF MAN MOCKS A 'DEAF' BEGGAR
A recent video came to my attention of a Deaf man mocking a beggar at Las Vegas seen here in a Facebook video. This beggar was holding up a sign saying "Deaf. Hungry." Plus another word below which could not be read due to the blurry video. Ted, the Deaf man signing in the video, made an assumption that the beggar could not possibly be deaf but hearing simply because the beggar did not know sign language. / Kokonut Pundit
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WORKING WORLD
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Central Point, OR
RETIRING DOGS FOR THE DEAF LEADER IS 'AMAZING'
Robin Dickson is retiring after more than three decades at the helm of the national nonprofit Dogs for the Deaf Inc. "I want to spend time with my family, kids and grandkids," said Dickson. Dogs for the Deaf was started in 1977 by Dickson's father, Roy Kabat, who worked with animals in movies and television for many years before moving to Southern Oregon to semi-retire. Kabat saw the success of Guide Dogs for the Blind and believed dogs could be trained in other service capacities, Dickson said. / Mail Tribune
West Hartford, CT
AMERICAN SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF TEACHER WINS $2,000 ING GRANT
A teacher at the American School for the Deaf is one of 100 national winners of a $2,000 grant from ING U.S. through its Unsung Heroes program. ING said Christa Bolen won the award to help pay for "Photoliteracy: Demystifying Writing Through the Deaf Lens," a course for high school students at the school for the deaf. The course aims to "relieve some of the fear and uncertainty the students have about writing," the company said in a statement. / Hartford Courant
Austin, TX
GRANT HELPED SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF GO GREEN
In late 2011, the Texas School for the Deaf in South Austin won a $130,000 prize on Global Green USA’s Green School Makeover Competition, presented by an organization that promotes sustainability and green jobs. We wondered whether that achievement had resulted in significant increases in recycling and cost savings. Well, it’s sort of complicated, according to Keena Miller, who works in the Educational Resource Center on Deafness. / Austin American-Statesman
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Defective Cochlear Implants
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Internet
DEAF REDDITOR COVERS HIT SONGS IN ASL
The latest cover artist on Reddit is taking requests, but you won't hear him sing. You'll have to watch it happen. Harrison is deaf, and he regularly makes covers of hit songs in American Sign Language (ASL) for fun. With the help of hearing aids and the bassline vibrations emanating from his computer, he listens to the karaoke version of a song until he figures out where in the songs the words hit. Then it's all about the rhythm. / The Daily Dot
Staunton, VA
MUSEUM SITE FOR FESTIVAL
The Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce announced Friday morning that they would be hosting ‘Good Times, Tastes & Traditions – featuring Farming in the Valley’ on Sept. 21 and 22. The announcement was conducted on the grounds of The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in Staunton. “To continue our support of the arts, we are debuting a very talented student blue grass band from the Virginia School of the Death and Blind," said Linda Hershey, president and CEO of The Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce. / The News Virginian
New London, CT
NATIONAL THEATRE OF THE DEAF DEBUTS NEW SHOW AT HYGIENIC
The National Theatre of the Deaf is premiering its latest work, "See Our Signs!," right here in New London. "Signs" will be staged in a series of free shows at the Hygienic Art Park on Sunday, Tuesday and Aug. 25. And then the Little Theatre of the Deaf -- NTD's children's wing -- takes "See Our Signs" on tour. / The Day
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