Deafweekly October 12, 2011

deafweekly

October 12, 2011
Vol. 7, No. 46

Editor: Tom Willard

Deafweekly is an independent news report for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community that is mailed to subscribers on Wednesdays and available to read at www.deafweekly.com. These are the actual headlines and portions of recent deaf-related news articles, with links to the full story. Minor editing is done when necessary. Deafweekly is copyrighted 2011 and any unauthorized use is prohibited. Please support our advertisers; they make it possible for you to receive Deafweekly.

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Last issue's most-read story: GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY ADJUSTS TO A CULTURE THAT INCLUDES MORE HEARING STUDENTS / The Washington Post
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NATIONAL
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Pella, IA
NEW RULE LEAVES IOWA'S DEAF STUDENTS WITHOUT HELP
A state law forced school administrators this year to dismiss Jayden Van Sant’s sign-language interpreter, leaving the 14-year-old hearing-impaired freshman at Pella Christian High School without a communication assistant for the first time since he started school. The reason is a 2005 law that went into full effect in July and requires sign-language interpreters to obtain a license before working professionally in Iowa. / The Des Moines Register

Montgomery, AL
LAWMAKERS SUED FOR TAPPING DEAF AND BLIND SERVICES FUND
The Alabama Dual Party Relay Board, which oversees the collection of money from landline phone customers to fund phone services for deaf and blind Alabamians, has filed a suit against lawmakers to stop a bill that would use the money they collect for other uses. Under the new law, all money collected from a surcharge on landline phones will be reallocated for education spending. Telephone customers were told that the state would continue to use these funds to ensure deaf and blind Alabamians have the services that enable them to use phones. / WBRC

Staunton, VA
$71M VSDB CONSTRUCTION PROGRESSING
When Mary Murray asked the construction team working on a dorm at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind to build a stove in the kitchen, she should have been more specific. "They built a stove top and not an oven," Murray, the director of the dorm program, said with a laugh. But the Kjellstrom + Lee Construction team has been working with the Staunton school for over three years now and is used to requests to make the new buildings as accommodating as possible. So they built an oven. / The News Leader

Austin, TX
MISS DEAF AMERICA RAISES AWARENESS OF DISABILITY
Assistant English instructor Rachel Mazique is the only deaf member in the English department and she utilizes two interpreters who voice for her during her class. As Miss Deaf America, she said she uses her title to raise awareness about the deaf community and their unlimited capabilities. Miss Deaf America, ambassador for the National Association of the Deaf, discussed her experiences with the organization, deaf culture and deaf advocacy during a coffee style chat Tuesday in the Student Services Building. / The Daily Texan

Seattle, WA
CLASS HELPS DEAF BHUTANESE REFUGEES RESTART THEIR LIVES
Nancy Allen, an American Sign Language (ASL) teacher at Highline Community College, goes through a stack of name cards, holding up each one and looking quizzically at the students. "Whose is this?" she signs. A short man in his 50s smiles hesitantly and raises his hand slowly as he sees the card with his name. "What is your name?" Allen signs. The man points to his chest, crosses his fingers in the sign for "name" and then slowly shapes his stout, weathered fingers to form: "D-H-A-N. My name is Dhan." / The Seattle Times

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INTERNATIONAL
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Brisbane, Australia
WE CAN CONSIGN DEAFNESS TO HISTORY': BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
A prominent educator on disabled children is under attack from the deaf community after reports that she described deafness ''as a scourge in our world'' during an awards ceremony. The remarks by Dr Dimity Dornan, director of Brisbane-based organisation Hear and Say, were made when she was named Telstra's Queensland Businesswoman of the Year on Tuesday. Reports of her acceptance speech have enraged several deaf and disability associations. / The Age

See Also MY DEAFNESS IS NO SCOURGE; AN OPEN LETTER TO DIMITY DORNAN / ABC

Geelong, VIC, Australia
DEAF MAN FIGHTS OFF HOME INVADER
A deaf man who fought off an intruder to his Norlane home with a plank of wood yesterday was "a decent bloke" who was defending his property, according to neighbours. Police said the 47-year-old man, who has limited speech due to a hearing impairment, confronted an intruder at the rear of his Station St home and chased him down the driveway and on to the street. / Geelong Advertiser

Onekawa, New Zealand
LAWYER SAYS DEAF ROBBER 'SAD CASE'
A profoundly deaf man has admitted robbing an Onekawa dairy with an iron bar and stealing $129. An audible panic alarm was activated by the sole female attendant of Wycliffe St Superette after Rikihana Paea, 25, threatened her with an iron bar and demanded cash on September 9. / NZ Herald News

Munich, Germany
CREATING 'LIFE WITH SUBTITLES' FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED
Two Munich-based social entrepreneurs have developed a new smartphone transcription service that allows people with hearing impairments to communicate without relying on sign language or live interpreters. The motto for Michaela and Robin Nachtrab's company could very well be 'life with subtitles.' Using technology they have developed over the past three years, the couple hopes to give the more than 300,000 hearing impaired and deaf people living in Germany the ability to communicate in an everyday environment - without sign language and without interpreters. / Deutsche Welle

Edinburgh, Scotland
EDINBURGH WEST MP LAUNCHES NEW SERVICE FOR DEAF PEOPLE
Mike Crockart MP for Edinburgh West is the first elected member in the UK to make Deaf Action’s SignVideo available at his constituency office. The service provided through Deaf Action in collaboration with SignVideo, means that Deaf BSL constituents are able to visit Mike to discuss their concerns without having to worry about a language barrier. The latest technology means that a translator joins the meeting via a webcam and provides simultaneous translation. / STV Local

Doncaster, England
STATION TOUR FOR DEAF STUDENTS
Safety advice and information will be given to deaf students at Doncaster railway station today. British Transport Police (BTP) and East Coast have teamed up to host the ‘welcome’ session for people from Doncaster College for the Deaf. Staff will be offering guidance on how to get travel information and giving them a tour of station this afternoon. Pc Kenda Bradbury said: “This is an excellent opportunity for both officers and students to meet each other." / Doncaster Free Press

London, England
DEAF VIEWERS COMPLAIN ABOUT STANDARD OF BBC SUBTITLES
Mangled subtitling on live BBC programs is providing viewers with some unintended comedy moments. The BBC has come under fire from groups for the hard of hearing for its increasing number of bizarre gaffes, which have included calling the Labour leader Ed Miller Band and the Church of England leader the arch bitch of Canterbury. / Daily Mail

Swaziland
MISS DEAF PRINCESS GETTING MARRIED
Three weeks after the Miss Deaf contest, Thandeka Mnisi who was crowned the second princess has pulled out. Mnisi pulled out because she will be getting married in a few weeks. This has therefore, seen Vuyisile Masangane who was awarded most photogenic contestant, stepping into her shoes. All the prizes that were to be handed to Mnisi will now go to Masangane. / The Swazi Observer

Ghana
3 DEAF STUDENTS TAKE ORAL EXAMS; WAEC VOICES DISMAY
The Public Relations Officer of West African Examinations Council, WAEC, Mrs. Agnes Teye-Cudjoe has expressed dismay about reports that three deaf and dumb students were forced to write the Oral English paper this year. Mrs. Teye-Cudjoe said, it has always been the policy of WAEC to exempt persons with hearing impairment from taking oral exams and also make provisions for other impairments, hence, the news come as a surprise to the council. She stated that probably, the candidates failed to indicate on their forms that they were deaf and dumb. / GBC News

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LIFE & LEISURE
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Kaysville, UT
PARENTS OF DEAF CHILDREN MUST NAVIGATE SOUNDS, SIGNS AND CHOICES EARLY
When Colton Rosbach failed a few hearing tests during his first 3 ½ months of life, it was the least of his parents Shelli and Phil Rosbach's concerns. Weighing less than 2 pounds at birth, Colton's serious health issues eventually resolved as he grew. His hearing, however, never improved, leaving it up to his parents to decide how their infant son would communicate for the rest of his life: with his voice, or with his hands and possibly his voice. Parents across the state face the same decision. / Deseret News

St. Louis, MO
CATHOLIC DEAF MINISTRY SEEKS TO REKINDLE SPIRITS AND BOOST PRESENCE
Before Monica Niemira was born in the 1960s, her mother, who had suffered from a case of Ruebella during her pregnancy, knew that something was going to happen to the baby she was carrying. Monica was born deaf. As a child, she went to Central Institute for the Deaf, where she learned to speak and read lips and received her education. It wasn't until she was in college that Niemira learned sign language. Raised in a Catholic family, Niemira said that her experience at Mass made her feel "lost and left out" -- that was, until she learned sign language and more about the deaf culture. / St. Louis Review

Silver Spring, MD
TDI / CEPIN SURVEY ON USING PHONES WHILE DRIVING
The purpose of this survey is to collect information that will be part of a safe driving program. Please be assured your responses will be kept confidential and will not be shared. This survey will end on October 24, 2011. / TDI

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WORKING WORLD
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Aurora, NE
HAMILTON TELECOMMUNICATIONS CELEBRATES 110TH ANNIVERARY
Hamilton Telecommunications® has announced the celebration of its 110th year of providing telecommunications products and services. Hamilton was also one of the first providers of Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) which has since expanded to include Captioned Telephone (CapTel®) Service. / MarketWatch

Baltimore County, MD
CCBC'S CAROL C. TIPTON HONORED WITH THE 2011 RID DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Carol C. Tipton of Silver Spring, Md., associate professor in the Interpreter Preparation Program at the Community College of Baltimore County, has been named the 2011 Distinguished Service Award recipient by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. The national organization recognized Tipton for her professional service to the Deaf and interpreting communities dating back to the 1970s. / Citybizlist

Salt Lake City, UT
UTAH COMPANY DEBUTS VIDEOPHONE FOR DEAF
It’s not the much-hyped announcement of the new iPhone, but Sorenson Communications also introduced new hardware this week that was more anticipated by the deaf community. The Taylorsville company, which researches and develops communications services and systems for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, introduced Wednesday the new version of its video relay service, a type of videophone. Called ntouch VP Videophone, the third-generation device is a processor and minicamera that users can hook up to a television for phone conversations with an interpreter. / The Salt Lake Tribune

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Abused in Wisconsin? If you, or someone you know, were sexually abused as a child at St. John’s School for the Deaf in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we have an important message for you: Because the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has declared bankruptcy, you may now be able to bring a claim — even if previously you were told you could not. However, because there will be a limited amount of time the courts will allow for you to bring a claim, you must act now or you may be forever prohibited from doing so. Go to www.AbusedinWisconsin.com Today! Jeff Anderson & Associates

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Los Angeles, CA
THE BIG BANG THEORY EPISODE 5-4 REVIEW: FALLING ON DEAF EARS
Um, shouldn’t Raj have learned sign language long ago? It seems like dating a deaf woman is an obvious solution for his problem, but relying on someone as careless as Howard to interpret was definitely not a wise move. After realizing that Raj was feeling more and more like a third wheel as Howard and Bernadette start planning for their wedding, Penny decided it would be a good idea to set him up with a girl - and she had the perfect fit, a deaf girl from her spin class. Awesome, right? / Inside Pulse

Los Angeles, CA
SAG HONORS MARLEE MATLIN
Marlee Matlin has received the Screen Actors Guild Harold Russell Award, which honors performers with disabilities. The kudo -- which came as a surprise to Matlin -- was presented Thursday at the Media Access Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel while Matlin was hosting the breakfast event. Matlin said in her acceptance speech that that her colleagues need to seek more recognition of actors with disabilities. / Variety

Los Angeles, CA
A DEAF WOMAN WHO CAN FINALLY HEAR MEETS ELLEN
Ellen talks with a woman who was able to hear for the first time only a week ago. And Ellen has an amazing surprise for her! / The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Manhattan, KS
DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES STUDENTS TO POETRY THROUGH SIGN LANGUAGE
Students and community members alike shared an enriching exploration of the deaf community through the movie "Deaf Jam" in the School of Leadership Studies Sunday night. The film, a 2011 documentary directed by Judy Lieff, follows deaf New York teen Aneta Brodski as she learns to express herself through slam poetry using American Sign Language. The film also briefly chronicled the history of ASL, a communication form that was banned from public schools until the 1960s in favor of English Sign and spoken word. / Kansas State Collegian

Long Beach, CA
DANCE DEPARTMENT'S FIRST DEAF STUDENT 'FEELS MUSIC'
Carissa Homme's favorite part about dancing is warming up at the barre. "That's where I hear and feel the music," Homme said. "When I hear and feel it, I can feel how to move my body to the music." Homme, a 23-year-old Ohio native, is the first deaf student to be admitted into Cal State Long Beach's dance department, according to Faith Fontan, Coordinator of the Deaf and Hearing Impaired Support Services. / Daily 49er

Cedar City, UT
UTAH YOUTHS CAN'T HEAR SHAKESPEARE, BUT SEE HIS GENIUS
A group of deaf high school students may not have been able to hear the genius of William Shakespeare at a competition here last week, but they could still see it and act it. The students from the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind joined 3,000 others from six other states in the 35th annual High School Shakespeare Competition put on by the Utah Shakespeare Festival. / The Salt Lake Tribune

Don Mills, ON, Canada
BOOK REVIEW: WONDERSTRUCK, BY BRIAN SELZNICK
Among the influences and inspirations for Wonderstruck, Brian Selznick’s second illustrated novel for children, are: E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, about a runaway brother and sister making their hideout, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as homey as home; Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Thing Are; Through Deaf Eyes, a documentary on deaf culture; the American Museum of Natural History and its dioramas; and silent movies. / National Post

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SPORTS
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Fremont, CA
BLOOD CLOTS KEEP CSD FOOTBALL PLAYER JACY DIKE-PEDERSEN OFF FIELD
At first, California School for the Deaf football player Jacy Dike-Pedersen thought it was just asthma. The junior fullback/linebacker wasn't breathing normally during a scrimmage Aug. 27, but he didn't think it was a big deal. A few days later, his right arm began to swell. Dike-Pedersen was rushed to the emergency room at Kaiser Permanente in Fremont, and a day later an ultrasound was done. The diagnosis was startling -- Dike-Pedersen had blood clots under his right collarbone and on his right side under his armpit. He knew what that news meant to his football season. / San Jose Mercury News

Sulphur, OK
OKLAHOMA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF FOOTBALL: WHERE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS NEVER SHINE
Ask Colin Larkins about the field where his football team plays, and he uses his index finger to draw an X on the palm of his other hand. It's sign language. It means “put down.” Stand on the football field at Oklahoma School for the Deaf, and you realize why the quarterback feels so strongly. The facility is in need of serious upgrades. There are no lights, few bleachers and no press box. / The Oklahoman

St. Augustine, FL
FSDB FOOTBALL TEAM FALLS TO ALABAMA DEAF
Alabama School for the Deaf set the tone Saturday afternoon, running the first play of the game 70 yards for a touchdown in a 54-18 win over the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. The Silent Warriors (5-2) ran roughshod over the Dragons (0-5), scoring on each of their first four possessions. / The St. Augustine Record

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EMPLOYMENT
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