Please support our advertisers; they make it possible for you to receive Deafweekly.
SPONSOR DEAFWEEKLY! Become a sponsor and you will receive banner ads on our home page and in each issue, as well as a 100-word text ad every week to promote your products and services. In addition, you will be helping thousands of readers keep up with important news in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Interested? Send us an email!
SIGN UP HERE for a free subscription. Be sure to open the confirmation email and click on the link to activate your subscription. It is required by law and prevents others from signing you up without your permission.
ADDRESS CHANGES are self serve. Simply unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of every newsletter, then sign up for a subscription with your new address.
ADVERTISE IN DEAFWEEKLY FOR $20 OR LESS PER WEEK
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NATIONAL
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
San Diego, CA
DEAF MOTORIST CONVICTED OF HITTING PEDESTRIANS DURING ZOMBIE WALK 2014
A San Diego jury Wednesday convicted a deaf motorist of felony reckless driving for hitting several pedestrians in 2014 during the Zombie Walk outside the Comic-Con convention. Matthew Pocci Jr., 47, was driving with his girlfriend, her sister, and the sister's 9-year-old child, when he stopped to let Zombie Walk marchers pass by. But after waiting for several minutes, he honked his horn and began moving forward. / Los Angeles Times
New York, NY
BROOKLYN WOMAN SCORES GUARANTEED INTERPRETERS FOR DEAF HOMELESS PEOPLE
A deaf woman who struggled to navigate the city’s homeless shelter system with no interpreter recently won a settlement that will ensure other heard-of-hearing refuge residents won’t face the same barriers she did in finding permanent housing. The city’s Department of Homeless Services last Tuesday agreed to pay Grace Ihetu and her family $117,500 for their suffering and ensure all deaf people living in shelters get access to sign-language interpreters from now on, and Ihetu said she is thrilled at the outcome. / The Brooklyn Paper
Chattanooga, TN
NEW LAW MONUMENTAL FOR DEAF COMMUNITY
Until recently, deaf children suspected of being abused, relied on their parents or family members to be the sign language interpreter for law enforcement agents and investigators. It’s a stark contrast to the process of questioning fully communicable abused children. In those cases, the child is questioned free from the potential abuser, in a safe, comfortable environment. It’s a disparity so glaring, it’s somewhat astonishing it’s taken until 2015 to be acted upon. But alas it has. / The Chattanoogan
San Francisco, CA
WOMAN MISTAKENLY THOUGHT DEAF LYFT DRIVER WAS KIDNAPPING HER
A woman thought she was being kidnapped by her Lyft driver in San Francisco late Thursday night, and jumped out of the car at a stoplight and ran away, breaking her ankle in the process. But it turns out it was all just a misunderstanding—the driver is deaf, and didn't hear the woman's instructions to stop when she thought they were going in the wrong direction of her destination, SF Gate reports. Police believe that the driver was in fact, heading in the right direction, but was using a different route from what the woman expected. / SFist
South Whittier, CA
DEAF AND MUTE MAN WOUNDED IN STABBING
A man was found stabbed in the neck along a South Whittier street Friday, but the deaf and mute victim could not immediately tell deputies what had taken place, authorities said. A passer-by reported finding the man suffering from a gash to his neck shortly after 1 p.m. at Meyer Road and Fidel Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Cynthia Chavez said. The wounded man was taken to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. / Whittier Daily News
Glendale, AZ
DEAF MAN MISSING AFTER VISITING RELATIVES FOUND SAFE
A missing Peoria man who is deaf and suffers vision problems has been found safe. Anthony Insana, 79, hadn’t been seen or heard from since leaving a relative’s home in the area of 11200 N. 50th Avenue Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Glendale police didn't immediately provide details about how or where he was found. / KPHO Phoenix
Cleveland, OH
DEAF PATIENT SUES CLEVELAND CLINIC OVER DISCRIMINATION
Charles Williams, an 84-year-old Cleveland Heights resident, filed a discrimination suit against the Cleveland Clinic Foundation for what he describes as an ongoing failure to provide ASL interpreters during his visits to the hospital. Williams is completely deaf. Williams describes a series of visits to the hospital — dating back to 2007 — during which he claims the Clinic either ignored his requests for an ASL interpreter or failed to ensure that one would be present. / Cleveland Scene Weekly
Peoria, IL
STARBUCKS SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY DISCRIMINATING AGAINST DEAF STAFF
Obviously, most of the adult world couldn’t function without their java, but that doesn’t give companies like Starbucks a pass on providing disabled employees proper accommodations. Laura Roberts, a Starbucks employee for seven years, has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks. She claims that the store fired her in retaliation after she repeatedly asked for ASL accommodates. / The American Genius
Austin, TX
AUDIT FINDS FIRE SAFETY CONCERNS AT SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
At the historic Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, strobe lights are supposed to flash in case of fire. But in some places on campus, those visual alarms do not work, according to a state audit report released Tuesday. The auditors — who inspected the campus in September and October — also found flaws in the school's sprinkler system safety devices, a lack of emergency exit signs and problems with smoke containment and fire detection. / The Texas Tribune
Silver Spring, MD
NAD PRESIDENT ASKS COMMUNITY TO BECOME UNIFIED
CHRIS: Greetings everyone. This is probably one of the most difficult messages that I have ever had to give. It is evident that the deaf and hard of hearing community is not unified, with all the different individuals and groups making strong comments against each other. There have been bullying incidents on social media as well. This breaks my heart. This kind of hostility is what gives hearing parents concerns about sending their children to a deaf school. / NAD
Peninsula, OH
BROTHER OF TRAIN VICTIM REMEMBERS HER AS 'VERY LOVING'
Cuyahoga Valley National Park officials have identified the woman who was struck and killed by a train in Peninsula Sunday as Heidi Howard, 38, of Ravenna. Howard was killed by a Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train about 3:30 p.m., according to park officials. “Some of the general public were yelling to her that the train was coming,” said Mary Pat Doorley, a park spokeswoman. Howard was hearing impaired, according to her brother, Eric Howard. However, Eric said Monday he does not “feel her hearing impairment was a factor in the accident.” / Record-Courier
Milwaukee, WI
MOM SAYS DAUGHTER MAY LOSE HEARING AFTER FIGHT AT MILWAUKEE SIGN LANGUAGE SCHOOL
The fight between eighth-graders happened at the Milwaukee Sign Language School. "I'm not saying I want people to walk on eggshells because my daughter is deaf -- but at least have some kind of consideration," Nikia Vann, the girl's mother said. Vann's daughter was one of the first children to receive a cochlear implant, back in 2003. The cochlear implant in the girl's head allows her to hear. But now, her processor has been cracked after a short but violent fight at school. / fox6now.com
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
READ WHAT THEY SAY
Unlock the phone with CapTel® Captioned Telephone! CapTel shows word-for-word captions of everything a caller says over the phone, letting you read everything that they say. Like captions on TV – for the phone! Captions are provided by a free service, no monthly fees or contracts required. For more information or to order call 1-800-233-9130 V/TTY or visit http://www.weitbrecht.com/captel.html . For more info about CapTel or any of the many assistive listening devices we offer, email: sales@weitbrecht.com.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
CapTel® Captioned Telephone – See What Everyone is Talking About!
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTERNATIONAL
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Halifax, NS, Canada
ALLEGATIONS AT FORMER N.S. SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF TAKEN SERIOUSLY: PREMIER
Nova Scotia's premier says he takes allegations of abuse at two provincially run schools for the hearing impaired seriously, although the province will need to verify the allegations. McNeil said he knows little about a proposed class-action lawsuit launched Wednesday that names the provincial government as a defendant. The claim alleges systemic sexual, physical, and mental abuse at the former School for the Deaf in Halifax and the former Interprovincial School for the Education of the Deaf in Amherst. / CTV News
Vancouver, BC, Canada
DEAF RESTAURANT MAKES AN EXPERIENCE OUT OF A MEAL
Today, Lisa Christiansen and Jason D'Souza checked out Deafined, an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant with a twist: all of the servers are deaf or hard of hearing. The menu's items are numbered, and come with a guide to ASL. Few of the servers lip read, and writing things down is considered the option of last resort. Deafined's manager, Nicole Ryan says there's been a bit of learning curve since the restaurant opened in May. / CBC News
Kyodo, Japan
DEAF COMMUNITY HOPES 2020 OLYMPICS A 'GAME-CHANGER' FOR BETTER SOCIAL INCLUSION
Peggy Prosser was sitting in front of a travel agent in Japan when she was abruptly informed that she would not be able to fly back to the United States to visit her family because she is deaf. He wrote on a piece of paper that flying was not an option as she would be unable to follow safety instructions. To Prosser this was nonsense. It spoke more to the ignorance of the travel agent than anything else. She finally got her tickets after the agent talked to a supervisor, but the incident left a bad aftertaste. / The Japan Times
Jerusalem, Israel
ONLINE 'SIGNING' DICTIONARY FOR COMMUNICATING WITH DEAF
Do you want to communicate with a deaf person but don’t know how to sign the words with your hands? The Institute for the Advancement of Deaf Persons has just produced a free, innovative and cutting-edge dictionary on the Internet based on the latest technology. The dictionary features some 3,000 photographed symbols, constituting an extensive vocabulary of signs used on a daily basis by the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Israel. / Jerusalem Post
Sussex, England
DEAF MAN REVIEWS ROCK CONCERT
Crawley News had a deaf man from Ifield review a Purple Zeppelin gig on Friday night - a tribute band who play Led Zeppelin’s and Deep Purple’s hits - and it was as charming as its was fascinating. Despite being almost completely deaf, 61-year-old Richard Symonds seemed to have a great time. “What a great night out last Thursday! Purple Zeppelin were in town - at the Hawth to be exact. And were they good? Yes, and more - they were great.” he wrote. / The Independent
Christchurch, New Zealand
DEAF CHRISTCHURCH MUM'S DESPERATE BID TO HEAR
A profoundly deaf single mother is battling to get cochlear implants so she can share her hearing sons' world - despite being turned down for publicly-funded surgery. Social work student and single mother Nikki Dawson, 31, has been deaf since birth but believes cochlear implants will help her connect with her two hearing sons and transform her life. "I feel like a hearing person stuck inside a deaf body. ... A cochlear implant would help me to feel less isolated," she said through email. / Stuff.co.nz
Victoria, Australia
STACEY BARNARD GETS TATTOO OF A HEARING AID TO SUPPORT DEAF DAUGHTER
When Stacey Barnard, 26, found out her newborn daughter Georgia was hearing impaired, she was heart broken for her little girl. At 13 weeks, Georgia, now seven, was fitted with hearing aids and was wide-eyed as she heard for the very first time - but soon grew tired of them. 'From the day she learnt to grab she learnt to take out the hearing aids which caused issues because they would get lost or fall apart,' Ms Barnard, from Victoria, told Daily Mail Australia. / Daily Mail
Thiruvananthapuram, India
THEY CALLED THIS DEAF MAN AN 'IDIOT' AND LOOK WHAT HE WENT ON TO BUILD
The neighborhood kids in Saji Thomas's remote Idukki village used to call him 'potten' (idiot) and not just because, as children often cruelly do, he was born deaf and mute but because he was also constantly trying to piece together junk into something new. The 45 year-old 'potten' has come a long way. Thomas designed and built a twin-seater ultralight aircraft on his own from used parts and recycled material which got him into the record books and will see him featured on Discovery Channel. / Times of India
Indore, India
DEAF-MUTE GIRL GEETA 'HAPPY IN INDORE'
Geeta, the deaf and mute girl who last week returned to India from Pakistan, is "happy in Indore", External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today. A day after her return from the neighbouring country, 23- year-old Geeta had left for Indore to stay at an institution for the hearing impaired until her family was located by the government. Geeta, who had accidentally crossed over to Pakistan over a decade ago, after arriving in India had failed to recognise a family which she had initially identified from photographs. / Daily News & Analysis
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
The Z™ offers the best in videophone technology, providing equipment options to meet customers' individual needs and offering features not available through other VRS providers. Professional, nationally certified interpreters follow standards of service excellence above and beyond FCC requirements. Dedicated to a spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence, The Z™ continues to set the industry standard as the nation's premier VRS provider. Go to www.zvrs.com for more information on all of our products, services and features. Don't have a Z phone? You can still join The Z™ Life by calling 888.888.1116 to connect to ZVRS from any videophone!
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LIFE & LEISURE
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
St. Augustine, FL
DEAF WOMAN'S VIDEO AT STARBUCKS GOES VIRAL
A new technology is getting a lot of attention — and for good reason — at the brand-new Starbucks by the outlet malls in St. Johns County. A video posted on Facebook shows a customer named Rebecca King using sign language for an order -- and barista, Katie Wyble, quickly signs back. Wyble says she's had a "passion for sign language since I first saw a teacher use it when I was in preschool." Wyble used a two-way video screen to see King, and the duo quickly completed an order for two coffees. / Action News Jax
Hampshire, IL
GREAT RESPONSE TO HELP DEAF STUDENT OBTAIN COCHLEAR DEVICE
The response has been overwhelming, said Patti Nihells, a Hampshire High School physical education teacher organizing a fundraiser for a deaf student who wants to hear again. Donations are pouring in for Maria Niño, a 15-year-old freshman from Aurora, who has a cochlear implant in her right ear, but needs a replacement external computing device that helps her process sounds. Maria doesn't yet have medical insurance -- other than Medicaid. The device she needs could cost from $9,000 to $12,000. / Daily Herald
New York, NY
DEAR MEDIA: STOP DESCRIBING THE DEAF AS 'MUTE'
The phrase "deaf-mute" is problematic, and it is not an appropriate way to discuss a person. Calling someone "mute" silences them and strips them of their agency -- it sticks a label on them that devalues their autonomy. Mute is a loaded term which carries the distinct connotation that people who are deaf don't have anything to say. / The Huffington Post
Loretto, PA
SIGN JAM OPPORTUNITY FOR DEAF, HEARING COMMUNITIES TO 'COME TOGETHER'
Sign Jam, an annual event that allows students to learn more about ASL, was held Oct. 15 in the Stokes Center’s auxiliary gym. Rodney Watson, the co-creator of Sign Jam, taught students who attended the event how to sign and dance to Michael Jackson’s “Xscape.” He also performed to Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” Watson said Sign Jam has “opened the door” for the deaf and hearing communities to come together. / Troubadour
Lima, OH
DEAF TOWN AT OSU LIMA
One local university allowed students and staff to walk in the shoes of the deaf community, Monday afternoon. Ohio State Lima's American Sign Language classes hosted a Deaf Town on campus which gave participants an opportunity to be a hearing person in a deaf world. The event consisted of locations including a bank and a doctor's office, where local residents from the deaf community interacted with participants. / WLIO
Rochester, NY
RIT/NTID 50TH ANNIVERARY REUNION DATES ANNOUNCED
The 50th anniversary of Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf will culminate in a reunion hosted on campus June 28 to July 1, 2018. The announcement appeared in a joint video statement from reunion co-chairs Chris and Staci Wagner of Bradenton, Florida, and NTID Alumni Association president Joe Riggio of Fishers, Indiana. / NTID News
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
Do you love to go on a cruise vacation . . . or ever want to go on one?
You can join deaf group cruise or create your own for you and family and/or friends and even groups. This Full Time Cruise Travel Agent is Deaf. You can call 801-331-5235 VP. It is a free service. You can see at www.MyDeafCruise.com to see available deaf group cruises. They are going to Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean, South America, Etc.
++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WORKING WORLD
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Northridge, CA
NEW CSUN NATIONAL CENTER ON DEAFNESS DIRECTOR ADVOCATES FOR A STRONG VOICE IN THE DIGITAL AGE
The National Center on Deafness (NCOD) at California State University, Northridge has been an important fixture on campus and a strong voice in the Deaf community for 50 years. Cathy McLeod, the new director, is starting the next half-century with big ideas to help the center empower students in the digital age. / CSUN Today
Munster, IN
THIS DOCTOR DESIGNED HIS OWN LINE OF HEARING AIDS
An estimated 35 million Americans are hearing-impaired, yet less than a third of them use a hearing aid. One reason: A typical hearing aid costs $1,500 while top-of-the-line models go for as much as $5,000, too much for many people. Dr. Sreekant Cherukuri, an ear, nose and throat specialist, sells hearing aids that range from $349 to $549 apiece. He also invented them. Cherukuri, 43, developed a prototype in 2008, after ordering hearing aids on eBay and taking them apart to learn what goes into them. He launched MDHearingAid and his first device the next year. / Crain's Chicago Business
Stanford, CA
STANFORD FRESHMAN GRACE O'BRIEN AIDS DEAF CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING WORLD WITH EARS FOR YEARS
Grace O'Brien is a problem solver, so when she heard that there are about 30 million hard-of-hearing people in developing countries, she decided to make a change. Influenced by her father, who suffered from hearing loss due to a brain tumor, O'Brien founded Ears for Years, a nonprofit organization that provides hearing aids to deaf children in developing countries, when she was 14 years old. Now 18, she has given the gift of hearing to more than 200 children in five different countries around the world. / TODAY.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Internet
'ANTM' CONTESTANT NYLE DIMARCO SAYS BEING DEAF IS A BLESSING
"America's Next Top Model" cycle 22 contestant Nyle DiMarco recently said that he believes being deaf is a blessing and not a curse.In an interview with MTV News, DiMarco said that he never felt that being deaf was a disadvantage for him to excel in the competition. In fact, he said that he feels it has helped him reach out to his fans. "I do not think I was ever at a disadvantage in the competition. Basically, photoshoots do not require spoken language to communicate, let alone to take great photos," he said. / Yibada
Providence, RI
R.I. MUSICIAN MAKING COMEBACK DECADES AFTER HEARING LOSS
Wearing a vest, purple shirt, and tie, Stu Nunnery was standing in the home of Jennifer and Nat Harris, on Oct. 25, just before his first public musical performance in 34 years. "Just a few years ago, I never thought this would be possible," Nunnery said. "Now I have an opportunity to do something that brings me tremendous joy." Nunnery, 66, is best known in Rhode Island as an agricultural advocate. But back in the 1970s, Nunnery had a promising career as a musician and songwriter. / Providence Journal
Santa Fe, NM
ADVOCATE GROUPS PUSH FOR DEAF-FRIENDLY MEDIA
The 2012 Academy Award-winning silent film The Artist is about an unemployed silent film star unable to make the transition to talking movies. When the silent movie era ended, so too did the moviegoing experience for individuals who are deaf and many of the hard of hearing. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires aids and services when they are necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals with hearing, vision, or speech impairments, unless it would result in an undue burden. / The Santa Fe New Mexican
New York, NY
DEAF AUDIENCE MEMBERS OFFER CRITIQUES ON DEAF WEST'S 'SPRING AWAKENING'
While hearing audience members who aren't fluent in ASL can certainly appreciate the significance of Broadway's Deaf West Theatre Company revival of SPRING AWAKENING, there are naturally nuances of the production more apt to be noticed by Deaf audience members. The Guardian reports on sending six New Yorkers to see the play, five of them Deaf. / Broadway World
Lafayette, IN
ART SHOWS ANGLES OF DEAF EXPERIENCE
Finding your way into Ellen Mansfield's art isn't difficult. Bright, varied colors turn a glance into a stare. Paintings, tiles, mandalas and more offer multiple means of communication. And although each work centers around a focal point, details spin out layers of meaning, leading viewers into a deaf world that includes vibrancy and struggle. With her exhibit, "My Deafhood Art: Traveling Through the Darkness to the Light," Mansfield wants to impart the darkness of being kept from using ASL as well as the joy she has experienced personally and as part of the deaf community. / Lafayette Journal & Courier