Deafweekly Oct. 20, 2004

deafweekly

October 20, 2004
Vol. 1 No. 1

Editor: Tom Willard

Welcome to the premiere issue of DEAFWEEKLY! The purpose of this free weekly e-zine is to help people keep up with news in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. With the recent demise of many deaf-related print publications, there is a strong need for this kind of service and a strong desire to raise the level of journalism in our community. Please let your friends know about this new service and encourage them to sign up for a free subscription at our website: www.deafweekly.com. Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated, and we are seeking sponsors and advertisers to help support this service. For more information, contact mail@deafweekly.com.

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AROUND THE U.S.A.
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DEAF ADVOCATES JOIN FORCES FOR KERRY CAMPAIGN

The Kerry-Edwards campaign announced Oct. 8 that it has formed a National Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans for Kerry-Edwards Steering Committee. The co-chairs are Gregory Hlibok, a leader in the Deaf President Now movement, and Judy Stout, who teaches political leadership at Gallaudet University. They are joined by 12 other leaders, activists and social service providers, and they will target an estimated 27 million Americans with hearing loss nationwide to help elect the Kerry-Edwards ticket.

WAL-MART ORDERED TO PAY FORMER DEAF EMPLOYEE

Wal-Mart has been ordered by a federal jury to pay $27,000 to a former manager who is deaf. Lily Spencer, 40, had sued the company for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. She claimed the New Castle, Del. store where she worked did nothing to stop harassment from co-workers. After deliberating for seven hours, the jury agreed that Wal-Mart subjected Spencer to a hostile work environment, but rejected her claim that the company did not do enough to accommodate her disability and her demand for punitive damages. Spencer told the News Journal that she had mixed feelings about the verdict. “I just felt that they didn’t understand deaf culture enough,” she said.

PLANS UNDERWAY FOR SIGNING TOWN IN SOUTH DAKOTA

Activists working to create a new town in South Dakota for sign-language users have dropped their plans to locate at the Salem interchange on Interstate 90 and are now looking at sites at the Bridgewater and Canistota interchanges, both in McCook County. Progress on the fledgling town, to be called Laurent, was reported in the Oct. 11 Argus Leader of Sioux Falls. Laurent Co. co-founders M.E. Barwacz and Marvin Miller will decide soon about conducting a meeting on the town’s master plan in November or late winter. Miller wrote in an online journal of the need to raise $300,000 to cover initial costs. One of the biggest obstacles, Barwacz said, was skepticism expressed by those who don’t believe the town can be built. But several families, representing nearly 150 adults and children, have already reserved a home in the proposed town.

HURRICANES DAMAGE FLORIDA CAMP FOR DEAF KIDS

Sertoma Camp Endeavor, a nonprofit summer camp for deaf children in Winter Haven, Fla., suffered extensive damage from the series of hurricanes that hit Florida in late summer. Camp director Loretta Mazzuco estimates at least $100,000 in damage to the camp and hopes the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help out if insurance does not cover everything. “I’m very grateful that even though the camp had counselors and children in it when Charley hit, no one was hurt,” she told The News Chief. The camp, founded in 1976, has an annual budget of $150,000 and serves more than 3,000 campers.

CALIFORNIA TEEN FORMS NEW GROUP TO SERVE DEAF

Warren Ryan, 17, was inspired by his deaf uncle to create a new advocacy group for the deaf. According to the Desert Sun, the Rancho Mirage, Calif. teen has worked most of his summers and school breaks without pay since he was 14 to establish the organization. Deafsense, located in Palm Desert, is a charitable nonprofit organization that raises funds to provide a support network and advocacy center for the deaf in the Coachella Valley. Planned services include independent living, education and job placement. Deafsense raises money through donations and a recycling collection program, with recycling bins located throughout the valley. For more information, visit www.deafsense.org.

NEW YORK COP SIGNS TO HELP DISTRAUGHT MAN

New York City Detective Anita Golden started learning sign language two years ago, and it paid off when she used her signing skills to help rescue a deaf man who was threatening to jump off a roof. Golden responded to a mid-afternoon call Oct. 13 from the Marlboro Houses in Gravesend, Brooklyn. She found Dwayne Jones, 25, atop the seven-story building. Golden spelled out her name, and Jones began to open up. After 10 minutes, Jones was distracted long enough for police to pull him back to safety. “He said he had a fight with his girlfriend earlier at the building,” Golden, a 10-year NYPD vet told the Daily News. “His heart was broken and he wanted to die.”

$78,000 GRANT FOR STROBE ALARMS

Seven schools for the deaf in six Southeastern states will receive free strobe alarms for their students. The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded a $78,000 grant to distribute 583 strobe alarms to deaf schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Fire Department officials will install the alarms in students’ homes in an attempt to curb the high fire injury death rates in the region. According to the Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi has a fire death rate of 36.9 per million. In comparison, Hawaii had the lowest with 4.1 fire deaths per million.

WOMAN WITH HEARING DOG BARRED FROM FESTIVAL

Police Chief Douglas Davis of Waynesboro, Va., has apologized to a deaf woman who was barred from entering the Virginia Fall Foliage Art Show Oct. 9 because she had a hearing dog with her. Kris Sutton, 22, was stopped by a police officer when she attempted to enter the show with KC, a black Norwegian elkhound. KC was wearing a hearing-dog vest and Sutton offered to show the officer a legal book that explains her right to have KC in public, but “He still wouldn’t listen to me,” Sutton told the News Leader. She went to the police station, where a supervising officer apologized and made sure she could enter the festival. Police Chief Davis said the department would receive additional training. “We’re going to try and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

ADVOCATE SEEKS TO EXPLAIN TELEPHONE RELAY SERVICE

Donna Williams of Winchester, Va. is tired of people hanging up on her when she calls through the relay service. So Williams, an outreach specialist for the deaf and hard of hearing with Winchester’s Access Independence, decided to do something about it. She invited Matt Myrick, the Virginia Relay account manager for AT&T, to speak to the local business community. Unfortunately, only one person showed up for the presentation. But Williams remains undaunted, telling the Winchester Star that familiarity with the relay service can be beneficial to business owners who wish to serve deaf and hard-of-hearing customers.

DRIVE-IN THEATER SHOWS OPEN-CAPTIONED MOVIES

The Midway Drive In in Minetto, N.Y. showed two open-caption movies during Deaf Awareness Week in September. The special showings resulted from a request by Dan Farfaglia, whose girlfriend is deaf, to Midway Drive In owner John Nagelschmidt, who was Farfaglia’s high school science teacher. Nagelschmidt was able to obtain two movies from Insight Cinema, which provides open-captioned movies throughout the country. It is believed to be the first drive-in theater in the country to show open-captioned films. “We received official verification from Insight Cinema that this is definitely the first time that something like this has happened,” Farfaglia told the Valley News. “It feels like Christmas for some people.”

NEW JERSEY SUES MOVIE CHAIN OVER CAPTIONING

Four of America’s largest movie exhibition chains have agreed to install captioning devices in 44 multiplexes throughout New Jersey, state attorney general Peter Harvey has announced. AMC, Clearview Cinemas, Loews Cineplex Entertainment and National Amusements agreed to install the captioning systems over the next several months. At the same time, the state is suing Regal Entertainment Group, attempting to force the chain to install captioning devices in all 12 of its locations in New Jersey. According to Boxoffice Magazine, Regal plans to “aggressively defend” itself against the suit, believing that deaf moviegoers prefer open-captioned movies rather than the system being installed in the other theaters, which projects captions onto small screens for individual deaf patrons.

FORMER MISS AMERICA VISITS PITTSBURGH SCHOOL

Heather Whitestone McCallum, Miss America 1995, stopped by the Depaul Institute in Pittsburgh Oct. 7 and gave an inspiring presentation for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at the school. She recounted her experiences as the first deaf person to become Miss America and she urged students to set short-term goals to help them achieve their own dreams. McCallum said that the cochlear implant she received three years ago helped her pronounce her own name, but admitted that it was a lot of work and “I don’t like speech therapy either.” Quoted in the Pittsburgh Catholic News, McCallum advised the students that they can’t hide their problems. “You must face them,” she said. “It’s okay.”

A SPECIAL HOME MAKEOVER FOR DETROIT FAMILY

ABC-TV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will air a show Oct. 24 featuring a Detroit couple who are deaf and their two children, a 12-year-old blind/autistic son and a 14-year-old son who learned at an early age to communicate with and help care for his family. The mission of the Makeover team is to give the family every high-tech communication and safety solution available to people with hearing loss. HITEC Group International, a Burr Ridge, Ill. distributor of assistive listening devices, is helping the team. Said Michele Ahlman, HITEC vice president, “This project presents us with a great opportunity to use our knowledge and expertise.”

CONDITION UPGRADED FOR WOMAN HURT IN WRECK

The condition of a Maryland School for the Deaf student has been upgraded from critical to serious last week following an automobile accident Sept. 15. Marijuana Suric, 18, an Astoria, N.Y. native, is being treated at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. She and fellow student Marsha Lahun, 20, were thrown from a 1993 Geo Metro during a single-car crash on U.S. 340. According to the Herald-Mail, Surac was thrown over a guardrail, suffering severe head injuries and an airway obstruction. Lahun sustained less serious injuries and spent several days at Washington County Hospital in fair condition.

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EDUCATION & SCIENCE
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MANY DEAF STUDENTS FAIL ENGLISH TEST, NEWSPAPER REPORTS

The Clarion-Ledger of Mississippi reported Oct. 11 on the difficulties faced by deaf students when taking the English assessment tests required to receive a high school diploma. Students who have never heard spoken language are required to pass the same test as their hearing counterparts. “These tests are grossly unfair to deaf students,” said Jean Andrews, director of graduate programs in deaf studies/deaf education at Lamar University in Texas. Officials at the Mississippi School for the Blind and Deaf said no deaf student has ever passed the English assessment test on the first try. Student Lynn Lane, 17, earned five A’s and a B on her last report card, but has yet to pass the vocabulary portion of the English test despite at least four tries. She said she could ace the test if an interpreter were allowed, but the state’s Department of Education prohibits interpreters for the reading and vocabulary portions of the test.

N.D. DEAF SCHOOL WELCOMES TWO PROGRAMS

The North Dakota School for the Deaf has opened its doors to two preschool programs, Early Explorers and Head Start. Director Allison Dybing told the Devil’s Lake Journal that the programs had been spread out, “a classroom in one school, another in a different school, and offices in another location.” The relocation to the deaf school is working out perfectly, she said. “They provide food service, maintenance, interpreting and even one of our aides is a graduate of the program at NDSD.”

$13 MILLION RENOVATION COMPLETE AT S.C.S.D.

A four-year, $13 million renovation of Walker Hall at the South Carolina School for the Deaf has been completed. The 145-year-old building was reopened and dedicated Oct. 15 and is now fully accessible and in compliance with fire codes. According to The State, Walker Hall houses an updated kitchen and student dining room, offices, a cultural arts center, an art gallery, mirrored dance studio, and contemporary music and art studios.

DISCOVERY OF PROTEIN MAY AID IN DEAFNESS TREATMENT

The discovery of a protein in the ear called TRPA1 could lead to better treatments for people with hearing problems. The protein converts sound into nerve impulses which are sent to the brain. TRPA1 is found on the tip of hair cells in the inner ear. It works by forming a doughnut-like channel in the cell membrane. “In the absence of sound, the hole is closed,” said Jeffrey Holt of the University of Virginia. “But when sound strikes the protein, the hole opens like a trap door, allowing potassium and calcium ions to flood into the cells. Because these elements carry a positive charge, an electrical signal is generated which is relayed to the brain for interpretation.”

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BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
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SORENSON MEDIA OPENS NEW CALL CENTER IN ATLANTA

Sorenson Media announced Oct. 6 the opening of its newest Video Relay Service call center in Atlanta. The center joins a growing list of Sorenson Media VRS call centers nationwide. “I am delighted to see the rapid growth of Sorenson VRS,” said Pat Nola, COO, who explained that the call center helps the business maintain its commitment to short waiting times and brings new employment opportunities to the Atlanta area. Sally Phillips is director of the new center.

NEVADA IS LATEST STATE TO GET CAPTEL RELAY

Sprint announced Oct. 13 that it is now offering CapTel relay service in Nevada. CapTel (captioned telephone) is an assistive technology developed to assist hard-of-hearing people and deaf individuals with good speech when using the telephone. Developed by Ultratec, Inc. of Madison, Wisc., the CapTel phones work like any phone but with one important difference: captions are displayed on a built-in screen where the user can read the words while talking with the other party. CapTel services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sprint now offers this service in 19 states and through the Federal Relay.

BUSINESS INSTITUTE DEDICATES NEW CAPTIONING LAB

A new closed-captioning lab at the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa has been named in honor of Sen. Tom Harkin’s late brother, Frank, who was deaf. AIB and Harkin dedicated the new lab Oct. 14. According to KCCI-TV, the Harkin Captioning Lab will help train broadcast captioners and simulate real situations that a TV captioner may encounter. AIB has been training captioners for more than 60 years. Harkin authored the Americans with Disabilities Act and said the new lab is another step to bring disabled people into the mainstream of society.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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TRAVELING TROUPE RATHSKELLAR PLANS FINAL PERFORMANCES

Rathskellar, a touring group that incorporates sign language, mime, drums, dance and poetry, has announced its final performances in Washington, D.C. Nov. 11-13. The shows will feature five former members along with a small gallery where photos, props and costumes will be displayed. “It is time to send Rathskellar into the sunset,” said longtime director and performer Jonathan Kovacs. The troupe, formed in 1998, has performed in Holland, Germany, Denmark, France, Sweden, Canada. Performances will take place on the Gallaudet University campus; for ticket information, visit www.rathskellar.com.

STUDENTS’ ARTWORK TURNED INTO A POSTER

A painting by students in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing class at Gerald Ford Elementary School in Indian Wells, Calif. has been made into a poster and is being sold to finance class trips to Sacramento and science camp. The painting, which won a blue ribbon at the 2004 Indio Date Festival, shows a group of flowers, each in the I-Love-You handshape and a different color. Teacher Martha D’Arco told the Press-Enterprise (Riverside) that the students undertook the project to show pride in their class and raise awareness of disabilities. Posters are available for $15; visit www.rcoe.k12.ca.us for details.

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INTERNATIONAL
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DEAF COUPLE IN ENGLAND TURNED AWAY AS BLOOD DONORS

A husband and wife in England were turned down as blood donors because they are deaf. Graham Leader, 35, and his wife Kerry, 33, were barred from the blood drive by nurses who were unsure the pair could understand the medical questionnaire. “I thought they must be joking,” said Kerry. “I know my voice is difficult to understand, but my blood is still red, like anybody else’s.” The couple later received a letter from the National Blood Service backing the nurse’s decision. Said Dr. Robert Brearley, “There is no human right to give blood. It is our responsibility to protect the integrity of the blood supply and we can pick and choose who we take donations from.”

TORONTO OFFICERS CLEARED OF ASSAULT CHARGES

Two police officers in Toronto have been cleared of charges that they assaulted a deaf black man from Ghana two years ago. Judge Paul Robertson of the Ontario Court of Justice said he did not believe Peter Owusu-Ansah’s story, and eyewitnesses did not back up his claims that Constable Syed Moosvi punched him in the face and kneed him in the groin. The judge accepted the officer’s testimony that Owusu-Ansah was belligerent when asked to show ID, and that he showed animosity toward police as a result of having been stopped 17 times during the past four years. At the time of the incident, Owusu-Ansah was leaving a deaf center with several other black deaf men. They were stopped by Moosvi and Constable Wayne Taylor following a report of a nearby robbery that involved a number of black males. “I really don’t feel happy right now,” he told The Globe and Mail following the verdict. “I’m speaking the truth.”

AUSTRALIAN COURT REJECTS MURDER APPEAL

A deaf man in Australia who has been imprisoned 40 years for the brutal axe murder of socialite Jillian Brewer had his latest appeal turned down Oct. 14. Although he confessed to the crime long ago, Darryl Beamish now claims that the real murderer was notorious serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke, who was hanged in 1964. The Court of Criminal Appeal compared the details of Brewer’s murder and Cooke’s modus operandi before deciding to reject Beamish’s appeal. “What is a standout feature of the Brewer homicide is the multiple wounds that were inflicted,” said lawyer Simon Stone. “This is not a Cooke trait.”

WORLD GETS TO ADMIRE DEAF RUSSIAN’S WORK

Deaf and mute Russian artist Alexander Lobanov, confined to an asylum in Central Russia when he was 23 due to a severe mental disorder, spent the remaining 56 years of his life in the asylum. Lobanov died a year ago, and today his artworks are on display in many European and American galleries. The self-taught artist never started a drawing before making a frame for it. Toward the end of his life, the Lobanov created his own technique, painting with little sticks and matches. A dominant theme of his work was rifles, which stood for power and independence ... which he was deprived of. Novosti, the Russian News and Information Agency, said Lobanov left close to 300 drawings, 500 photographic portraits and several dozen notebooks he had made with his own hands. Selected works are now on display in his memorial room at the Afonino asylum.

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SPORTS
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CURTIS PRIDE ELECTS FREE AGENCY

The Anaheim Angels outrighted Curtis Pride to Triple-A Salt Lake Oct. 14, and he has elected free agency. Outfielder Pride, who is deaf, was signed to a minor league contract with the Angels in May and was called up to the team July 28. He appeared in 35 games, batting .250, and went hitless in two plate appearances in the divisional series with the Boston Red Sox. Pride, 35, has a Major League Baseball career batting average of .253 with 19 home runs in 388 games

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE

Players on the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team have started to learn sign language to communicate with incoming freshman Martel Van Zant, who is deaf. Van Zant has been using an interpreter to communicate, but looks forward to being able to talk directly with his coaches and teammates. “It gives me a better experience with my teammates,” he told KTUL-TV of Tulsa, Okla. “It makes me feel like they’re my brothers, ya know?”

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