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Last issue's most-read story: FACULTY, PARENTS SEEK TO OUST SUPERINTENDENT OF CALIF. SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF IN FREMONT / abc7news
Deafweekly subscribers as of today: 5,536
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NATIONAL
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Fremont, CA
VERNIG OUSTED AS HEAD OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
The embattled head of the California School for the Deaf has been removed from his post, the state’s top education official said Aug. 26. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson’s announcement came a week after he appeared on campus, where teachers, staff and parents aired their grievances against Sean Virnig, the school’s first deaf superintendent and an alumni. The announcement letter to the school community did not give a reason for Vernig’s ouster, although Torlakson did indicate he wanted to make sure the school year runs as smoothly as possible. / The Mercury News
Washington, DC
100% OF HULU'S FULL-LENGTH CONTENT TO BE CLOSED-CAPTIONED BY SEPT. 2017
Hulu announced Sept. 6 that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) that calls for the streaming service to provide closed captioning for all of its full-length English and Spanish content by September 2017. In 2011, NAD filed suit against Netflix, charging that the streaming service violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide closed captioning for most of its content. / VideoInk
Omaha, NE
BURKE HIGH RALLIES AROUND DEAF STUDENT WHOSE BACKPACK WAS STOLEN, THROWN IN TOILET
The Burke High community has rallied around Alex Hernandez, a deaf student whose backpack was thrown into a school toilet last week. Hundreds of dollars were raised to replace Hernandez’s damaged belongings via a GoFundMe campaign, and his fellow students voiced support on social media. School administrators said that while Hernandez’s backpack was stolen, he wasn’t specifically singled out by bullies. / Omaha World-Herald
Charlotte, NC
TROOPER'S CHASE OF DEAF MAN REACHED 100 MPH BEFORE FATAL SHOOTING
No more than 7 minutes and 30 seconds elapsed on Aug. 18 from the time a state trooper began chasing Daniel Harris to the approximate moment the 29-year-old deaf man was struck with a fatal bullet from the officer’s gun. But that short clip of radio traffic between Trooper Jermaine Saunders and his dispatcher offers the most detailed account yet of the 7-mile chase, which started when Saunders said he clocked Harris’ Volvo going 88 mph in a 70 mph zone. / The Charlotte Observer
Lansing, MI
STATE HELPS DEAF DRIVERS, POLICE COMMUNICATE
Imagine you're a police officer, and the driver you've just pulled over for speeding isn't following your commands and won't keep their hands still. Imagine you're a driver, and you can't hear what the officer is telling you to do, and you need your hands to tell him so. That's the predicament drivers who are deaf face every time they're pulled over. That's why police and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights have developed a new placard to help officers and individuals who are deaf communicate visually with each other. / Lansing State Journal
Hackensack, NJ
DEAF PRISONER SUES NORTH JERSEY JAIL OVER ALLEGED RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
A former jail inmate who is hearing impaired has sued Bergen County, claiming jailers and medical staff violated his rights by failing to address his medical issues. David Rocco, 47, says staff at the Bergen County Jail and jail healthcare provider, Corizon, failed to provide "appropriate and reasonable auxiliary aids" to ensure the inmate could communicate with his attorneys, family and medical staff. / NJ.com
Washington, DC
DINING AND D.C.' S DEAF COMMUNITY
&pizza founder Michael Lastoria says his rapidly expanding company wouldn’t be what it is today without the District’s deaf community. He’s not alone. Richard Brandenburg, the Director of Culinary Strategy for Edens, which operates Union Market, says deaf diners have been a phenomenal part of the market’s success. What these two have in common is that they share a zipcode with Gallaudet University. / Washington City Paper
Grand Rapids, MI
ALL CELEBRATION! CINEMA SITES TO CARRY CAPTIONING DEVICES FOR DEAF
Celebration! Cinema says it is equipping all of its theaters with closed captioning devices, after a deaf man filed a discrimination lawsuit against the company. Celebration! Cinema said all 11 of its theaters will carry closed captioning devices by mid-October. The theater chain also plans to upgrade assistive listening and add descriptive audio for visually impaired visitors by that date. / WOODTV.com
Spartanburg, SC
MUSEUM PRESERVES HISTORY OF S.C. SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND THE BLIND
On the campus of the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind, the newly renovated Cedar Springs Museum traces the history of the school and highlights the accomplishments of deaf and blind students. Alumni from both the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind recently united to complete the remodel of the museum. The old photos, films, building models and artifacts preserved inside the museum are a way to show current SCSDB students what is possible. / Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Rochester, NY
UR MEDICAL STUDENTS LEARN LESSONS FROM DEAF COMMUNITY
There is one rule at the “Deaf Strong Hospital,” and that is "No speaking." It was a rule some first year medical students at the University of Rochester learned the hard way. “I didn’t even know where to begin, where to start,” said student Dillon Auvenshine. Deaf Strong is not a real hospital, but an exercise where students pretend to be the patient and deaf volunteers play the doctor. / WHAM
Flagstaff, AZ
MAN KILLED BY TRAIN DESCRIBED AS DEAF
The man who was fatally struck by a train last week could not hear, according to his stepson and officials at the Flagstaff Shelter where the man frequently stayed. Lloyd Begay, 64, was killed on Friday afternoon after being hit by an eastbound train as it was crossing Fanning Drive. According to the police report, Begay was walking south toward the railroad tracks on the east side of Fanning Drive and appeared to be looking at the ground and unaware of the oncoming train when he walked onto the tracks. / Arizona Daily Sun
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INTERNATIONAL
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Leveque, Haiti
TRIPLE MURDER SHAKES COLONY OF DEAF PEOPLE IN RURAL HAITI
A triple murder has shaken the village of Leveque in rural Haiti, testing the community and sense of security nurtured by its large population of deaf families who were relocated there after the devastating earthquake six years ago. The murders of three deaf women, Vanessa Previl, Monique Vincent and Jesula Gelin as they tried to get home from the capital Port-au-Prince in March seemed a chilling reminder of the prejudices and superstition that many in the village grew up with, even in their own homes. / Reuters
Vancouver, BC, Canada
B.C. SETTLES HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINT BY DEAF MAN ALLEGING DISCRIMINATION
A lawyer for a deaf man says her client has won a human rights victory after the British Columbia government’s failure to provide financial support meant he was nearly evicted for being unable to pay his rent. Sarah Khan says 43-year-old Christopher Shay filed for income assistance in September 2014 and had to withdraw from a computer science course after waiting five weeks for money. Khan says she and another lawyer filed a human rights complaint against the province’s social development ministry, alleging discrimination and failure to accommodate their client’s disability. / Toronto Star
Halifax, NS, Canada
'THE DEAF EXPERIENCE' DURING HALIFAX EXPLOSION EXPLORED IN NEW DOC
The 1917 Halifax Explosion has been the subject of numerous movies and books. But the disaster as experienced by the deaf community has been relatively unknown. That’s why Linda Campbell and Jim McDermott, who are both deaf, decided to co-produce a documentary film to highlight that story. ‘Halifax Explosion: The Deaf Experience’ should be ready for viewing in time for the 100-year commemoration of the event on Dec. 6, 2017. / Metro News Canada
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
RAPPER, WHO WAS BORN DEAF, RAISES MONEY FOR CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY
Hip hop spread across Winnipeg on Saturday with the beats and rhymes raising money and awareness for the Canadian Hearing Society. Rapper Daily played five shows across the city. However, when he was born, hitting the stage and spitting out rhymes was an unlikely future. "I was actually born deaf, it wasn't until about the age of three, due to surgical implants, I was able to hear," Daily said. / CBC News
Brighton, England
GROUND-BREAKING DEAF CAFE OPENS IN BRIGHTON
A café staffed almost exclusively with deaf people has opened as the first of its kind in the country. Dottie’s Café opened in East Brighton Park on Monday with more than 40 deaf visitors among the first to visit the venue. Organizer Ruthanne Garrett said the café was inspired by two family members – her star baker and 12-year-old daughter Maida Mosidi Nasab and her mother Dottie Croall who set-up a community café in Liverpool 70 years ago. / The Argus
London, England
BRITISH CHEF WENT TEMPORARILY DEAF AFTER EATING THE WORLD'S HOTTEST NOODLES
A British chef who ate the world's hottest noodles - 4,000 times stronger than Tabasco sauce - went deaf for two minutes after scoffing the dish. Ben Sumadiwiria, 22, from London, found the dish at a tiny back street restaurant in Jakarta, Indonesia. The ‘death noodles’ have 100 bird’s eye chilies crushed together giving it a Scoville rating of 20 million - compared with hot Tabasco which is just 5,000 on the scale. / Mirror
Hexham, England
WATCH DETERMINED DEAF JOB HUNTER'S INSPIRING VIDEO
It’s not easy to keep your spirits up when you’re out of work. Well, imagine how much harder it is if you’re registered deaf, and your last boss has sadly passed away. That’s what happened to qualified dog groomer David Cartner, but he is not letting the challenges get in his way and has come up with an innovative way to try and find a new job looking after animals. / Chronicle Live
Glasgow, Scotland
SHELTERED HOUSING CHIEFS FACE QUESTIONS AFTER ELDERLY DEAF COUPLE ATTACKED
Sheltered housing chiefs are facing questions over resident safety after a deaf couple were savagely attacked in their own home. The victims, named locally as James and Cathy Oliver, were last night recovering in hospital Cathy, 80, suffered a broken hip and underwent surgery on Friday afternoon, Husband James, 82, suffered cuts to his head and hand. Both are profoundly deaf and police say neither would have been able to communicate during their ordeal. / Daily Record
Victoria, Australia
THE SILENT WORLD OF MUSIC
Losing sight did not stop Claude Monet from painting expressive scenes of his water lily garden. The world became blurry, but he continued to create immersive colour variations never seen before. Traralgon pianist, Michelle Stevens can relate to this experience. She lost her hearing about 20 years ago and was born blind, but still, she kept playing. / Latrobe Valley Express
Canberra, Australia
SCHOOLBOY WINS HUMANITY AWARD AFTER LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE TO HELP DEAF CLASSMATE
A schoolboy in Australia has been praised for learning sign language in order to help his friend fit in at school. Ross Kelly, a year six student from Canberra, learned the language from scratch to communicate with his friend Isam Gurung, who had just transfered from a specialist school for the hearing impaired. Ross and Isam initially started passing notes to each other before Ross went on to the learn Auslan (Australian sign language) so that he could translate lessons and assemblies for his friend. / The Independent
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LIFE & LEISURE
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Athens, GA
UGA STUDENT WHO IS DEAF DEDICATED TO HELPING OTHERS SUCCEED
One day while goofing around in the main library, Luke Bundrum filmed a music video with some of his friends. But there was something distinctly different about Bundrum’s music video that separated it from most — he and his friends used ASL to sign the lyrics to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling." The 18-year-old was born legally deaf. Without the help of a surgical implant, he would not be able to hear his own music video. / The Red and Black
Aurora, IL
GROUP WORKS TO RESCUE DEAF ANIMALS
With a background in social work, Amber Kay, who now teaches ASL at Joliet Junior College, promised herself that one day she would give back to animals that gave her so much comfort when she was growing up. Every animal deserves a chance, she said, and sometimes a second or third chance. In 2004, Kay started Fur Angels Animal Sanctuary with the goal of rescuing deaf animals. / Chicago Tribune
Mexico, NY
FIRST-EVER CENTRAL NEW YORK DEAF TEENS MAGAZINE
The Center for Instruction, Technology and Innovation recently released its first-ever “Central New York Deaf/HH Teens” magazine featuring the biographies, struggles and successes of Central New York teens who are hard of hearing. “Our purpose for the magazine was to highlight the talented deaf teens of CNY while also expanding the reader’s knowledge of deafness,” said CiTi teacher of the Deaf/HH Tamara Seymour. Eight students are featured in the first edition of the publication. / Oswego County Today
Amarillo, TX
LOCAL DEAF CHURCH FOCUSES ON COMMUNITY, COMMUNICATING
Worshiping at Paramount Baptist Deaf Church is not a silent affair. Deaf people who can speak joyfully shout during the baptism of one of their friends. A member of the church’s hearing minority sits in the front pews with a microphone, interpreting into spoken English the prayers and messages signed by Pastor Darrell Bonjour. Prayer is held with eyes open. Conversations are signed in the pews. / Amarillo Globe-News
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WORKING WORLD
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Riverside, CA
HIRING MORE DEAF PEOPLE PART OF INLAND FIRM'S GOAL
About 18 months ago John Taylor settled into the waiting room of his dentist ’s office and began reading a magazine article about a restaurant in Canada that had deaf people on its staff, and was a hit with diners. Taylor, the vice president of operations for Trademark Plastics in Riverside, said an idea came to him as he was “getting my teeth drilled. ... ‘Hey, we have positions here that would could fill with deaf people – operators, inspectors, all kinds of positions. I could even see engineers in our field.” / The Press-Enterprise
Rochester Hills, MI
CAR DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES MARKET FOR DEAF CUSTOMERS
This year, a Detroit-area auto dealership put out a TV commercial with a unique twist. The commercial features John Fox, owner of Fox Automotive, talking about everything they have to offer. And standing next to him, there's a man signing for hearing-impaired viewers. / Michigan Radio
Arlington, VA
TED TALKS PRESENTER SAYS BEING DEAF HAS BEEN 'GREATEST GIFT'
At the age of ten Roy learned she was losing her hearing. By age 15, she was classified as profoundly deaf. She was filled with fear during those years, but today, she says that being deaf has given her a unique way of experiencing the world. She believes that these differences of people with disabilities will help “make and design a better world for everyone, both for people with and without disabilities.” “I believe that losing my hearing was one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received,” said Elise Roy, a former disability rights lawyer in her TED Talks. / Live Action News
Maryville, MO
OPINION: NORTHWEST IS MAKING A MISTAKE DISSOLVING THE DEAF STUDIES MINOR
The vision statement found on Northwest’s website is “We will be THE university of choice for a comprehensive, exceptional student experience.” By dissolving the Deaf Studies minor without making an effort to save it, I believe Northwest goes against its vision.
Northwest is no longer allowing students to declare a Deaf Studies minor as Marcy Roush, the previous ASL professor, accepted a job at a d/Deaf school. Anyone who was taught by Roush knows this was her dream job. / Northwest Missourian
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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New York, NY
NYLE DIMARCO, DEAF MODEL AND ACTIVIST, VISITS FORDHAM
At this year’s Welcome Week speaker, there was not a chorus of audible claps, but rather a room full of people waving their hands in the air. That is because actor Nyle DiMarco, winner of “America’s Next Top Model” and “Dancing with the Stars” is deaf, and the shaking of hands in the air is the ASL method of applause. On Sept. 1, DiMarco spoke about his time not only on the two aforementioned shows, but also his advocacy for the deaf community through the Nyle DiMarco Foundation and his other work. / The Fordham Ram
See Also MARYLAND GOVERNOR TO PRESENT CITATION TO NYLE DIMARCO / Shoreline Media Group
Los Angeles, CA
NEVER DATED A DEAF GUY? MAN, YOU'RE MISSING OUT!
Meet Dickie Hearts. He’s a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, an avid hiker, biker and weight-lifter, and a total comic book/super hero geek. Oh, and he’s also deaf. “I face a lot of interesting challenges,” he tells Queerty in an exclusive interview. Hearts is a busy guy. He just finished shooting a guest spot on a show. He’s also hard at work on a pitch for a new web series. All that is in addition to regularly going on auditions, taking acting classes, and working on short film projects. / Queerty
Louisville, KY
DEAFESTIVAL CELEBRATES ART, LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts transformed into the Land of Oz for DeaFestival 2016. DeaFestival is a day-long celebration of deaf and hard of hearing art, language and culture. The goal is to help with networking and to educate the hearing community to better understand deaf culture. / WDRB
Seattle, WA
DEAF DRAMA YOUTH CAMP PERFORMS AT VOLUNTEER PARK
A group of young drama students gave a quiet but powerful performance at the Volunteer Park Amphitheater on Sunday, that was the culmination of a three-week camp for the deaf and hard of hearing. This was the first year nonprofit Deaf Spotlight hosted its Deaf Drama Youth Camp. The goal was to introduce deaf and hard-of-hearing children to the world of theater and teach different aspects of the performing arts in ASL. / Capitol Hill Times
Bangor, ME
TOUR TO HELP THE DEAF ENJOY AMERICAN FOLK FESTIVAL
The American Folk Festival is making it easier for everyone to enjoy the music this weekend. There have been sign language interpreters on hand at the festival since it began 15 years ago. This year, organizers surveyed the deaf community about what they want to see at the Folk Festival. Interpreters will provide a two-hour tour at the artisan tents, allowing the deaf and sign language users to experience the different cultures. / WCSH6.com
Rochester, NY
RIT/NTID WELCOMES DEAF AND HEARING ISRAELI PERFORMERS SEPT. 28
A combination of Israeli Sign Language, expressive gestures and physical theatre will intrigue audiences during a free performance of the Ebisu Sign Language Theatre Laboratory, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, in Panara Theatre on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus. The performance is sponsored by RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester and the Jewish Community Center of Rochester. / RIT/NTID News
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SPORTS
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Baton Rouge, LA
NBC DOING SHOW ON LOUISIANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF FOOTBALL TEAM
Louisiana School for the Deaf was primed to shoot for its version of the football stars. A 68-8 victory over Carolinas School for the Deaf closed last season and was supposed to be a launching point. The goal is still to win the deaf schools’ eight-man football national championship. Now there is added motivation for the War Eagles, who are the subject of a upcoming story on NBC’s weekend Today program, tentatively set for Sunday. / The Advocate
Salt Lake City, UT
WOMAN IS FIRST DEAF PERSON TO WIN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MARTIAL ARTS EVENT
A Utah County woman brought home the gold in a world championship sword competition. And, she did it without being able to hear a word of instruction. Safarri Jessop was born deaf. Jessop won the gold medal at this year's Panam Mulimpia Games in Las Vegas -- making her a world champion sword fighter. She is the first ever deaf champion in the games. "I thought, 'I can't believe it, I won. That's amazing,' " she signed as an interpreter spoke for her. / KUTV