Deafweekly Dec. 15, 2004

deafweekly

December 15, 2004
Vol. 1 No. 9
Editor: Tom Willard

Deafweekly is an independent news report for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It is mailed to subscribers every Wednesday morning and available to read at www.deafweekly.com. For information, contact mail@deafweekly.com.

To subscribe, please visit www.deafweekly.com. After you sign up, you will receive a confirmation email. Be sure to click on the link in this email to activate your subscription. If you’ve signed up but haven’t received anything, please send a note to mail@deafweekly.com so the problem can be resolved.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NATIONAL
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NFSD GETTING OUT OF THE INSURANCE BUSINESS

The National Fraternal Society of the Deaf is not closing, said NFSD Grand President Al Van Nevel in the current edition of The Frat, but it is getting out of the insurance business. The NFSD has merged with the Catholic Order of Foresters, and the COF will be taking over the NFSD’s insurance operations. The NFSD was founded in 1901 to provide low-cost insurance, which was being denied to deaf people at that time. Headquartered in Springfield, Ill., the Society has 7,000 members and 76 Divisions. The organization will continue to function as a fraternal society without insurance benefits, Van Nevel said. “How well and for how long the NFSD continues to operate on this basis is entirely up to how much the deaf and hard-of-hearing community supports the new concept,” he said.

VIRGINIA HOUSE SPEAKER WANTS STAUNTON SCHOOL TO STAY

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William Howell, R-Stafford, weighed in on the potential consolidation of two state schools for the deaf at a new location Dec. 8 when he toured the Staunton campus of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. “To just uproot it ... doesn’t really make a lot of sense,” he said. Howell was invited to the school by two local delegates who want the state to renovate the Staunton school and consolidate there, said the News Leader. The next step of the consolidation plan, said the governor’s press secretary, would be for the governor or the General Assembly to submit budget amendments this month or in January.

DEAF MAN KILLED RETURNING HOME FROM BASKETBALL GAME

Albert Ricardo Ross II, 19, of Montgomery, Ala., died Sunday afternoon in a one-car accident on Interstate 95 in Volusia, Fla. Ross, one of several hearing-impaired passengers returning to Alabama after a deaf league basketball game in Daytona Beach, was in the front seat of an SUV when the driver swerved to avoid a traffic slowdown, causing the SUV to roll 1-1/2 times and ejecting Ross, who was not wearing a seatbelt. He was airlifted to Halifax Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Ross, the first deaf employee at a Target store in East Montgomery, “had a long way to go, accomplished a lot and would have accomplished a lot more,” his father, Albert Ross, Sr. told the Orlando Sentinel. Police arrested Courtney Walker, 21, on charges of obstructing justice after he lied about driving the car. He has been released under supervision.

HOSPITAL AGREES TO SETTLEMENT ON INTERPRETER COMPLAINT

A hospital system in Minnesota has agreed to pay over $200,000 to settle a complaint that it failed to provide appropriate sign-language interpreters for its deaf patients. In addition to paying a $40,000 civil penalty, Fairview Health Services will pay $82,000 to Linda and Michael White; $22,500 to Julie Oberley; and $63,000 to Michael and Ariana DeMarco. The agreement, called a consent decree, is the first of its kind in the nation, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Brooker. The U.S. Attorney’s office teamed up with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on the investigation, and the resulting 24-page agreement is “a blueprint for what all hospitals in Minnesota should be providing to deaf patients,” reported the Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minn.

DEAF COUPLE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR HOME

Police in St. Clair, Pa. were called to a home Dec. 8 by a postal carrier who noticed the mail hadn’t been picked up in five days. Inside, they found the bodies of Ralph and Frances McAloose, who were both deaf. Authorities believe the couple died of natural causes. They had been married since 1955 and lived in their home, rented from the Schuylkill County Housing Authority, since 1988. Frances McAloose, 77, seldom left her home, said The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa., but Ralph McAloose, 79, was described as a popular “man about town.” Said police officer William Dempsey: “Everybody is shocked and saddened.”

BOMB THREATS VIA RELAY SERVICE CLOSE HAWAII SCHOOL

Students at the Education Laboratory School in Honolulu were sent home last Wednesday after the school received two bomb threats via the deaf relay service. According to a University of Hawaii school newspaper, students in the K-12 school were first evacuated at about 8:30 a.m. when a message claimed that there were three bombs on campus. After a security sweep, students and staff were allowed back on campus. But when a second threat at around 10 a.m. resulted in another evacuation, all 398 students assembled at a designated emergency site across the street were told to go home. “Honestly, with the world that we live in, you never know,” said school principal Jane Burke.

NEW CHARGES FILED IN BEATING DEATH OF GAY DEAF MAN

Two men charged with the beating death of a gay homeless deaf man were indicted on six new charges last week, and face the death penalty as a result. Daniel Fetty, 39, was beaten with bricks, boards and bottles, stripped naked and dumped in a trash container during the Oct. 2 assault in Waverly, Ohio, and died 12 hours later at a Columbus hospital. Martin Baxter, 28, and Matthew Ferman, 22, were charged in the assault, which Prosecutor Rob Junk says is considered a hate crime because the victim was gay. A third man, James Trent Jr., 19, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter Dec. 6 and sentenced to seven years in jail, and is expected to testify against the other two. Baxter, saying he was drunk and high at the time, said Fetty was attacked not because he was gay but because he took Ferman’s cigarettes. “It’s like a dream,” he said. “And I wish it all would end.”

‘HUMILIATED’ DEAF WOMAN SUES NEW HAMPSHIRE MALL

Rhonda Abbott of Haverhill, Mass. filed a lawsuit recently against the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H. under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Abbott, 45, claims a store clerk had her arrested and “humiliated” her after she requested a pen and paper to communicate. Her complaint also names Prints Plus, mall security and three Salem, N.H. police officers, the Boston Herald reported Sunday. Abbott’s attorney said she “was subjected to great indignities, humiliation and disgrace” during the Nov. 3, 2001 incident, in which she tried to present her receipt for a framed print. According to the suit, the store manager called mall security when Abbott refused her orders to leave the store. Two off-duty police officers responded, handcuffed her and took her to the police station, said the suit, which was filed in federal court in Boston. “Things like this happen all the time to us,” the director of a Concord, N.H. deaf agency told the Herald.

JUDGE TELLS DISABLED MAN TO STOP SUING EVERYONE

Wheelchair user Jarek Mokski has been barred by a federal judge from filing any more lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mokski, 34, paralyzed in a motorcycle accident 10 years ago, has filed 400 suits since 1988 against restaurants, wineries, bowling alleys, banks and other public facilities. In a ruling in Los Angeles last week, U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie said Mokski was running a “scheme of systematic extortion,” in most cases seeking damages of $4,000 a day from the targets of his lawsuits and then agreeing to a cash settlement. According to the Associated Press, Mokski filed three suits last year claiming to have suffered identical injuries at three different restaurants on the same day. Mokski’s attorney Thomas Frankovich said the ruling was a miscarriage of justice and vowed to get the order lifted or appeal the decision.

WOMAN HIT BY CAR IN RAPID CITY, S.D.

A deaf woman was struck by a car last Saturday night in Rapid City, S.D. A policeman told the Rapid City Journal that Grace Phipps, 60, was crossing Fifth Street when she was hit by a Honda Accord driven by Gerry Janis, 26. Phipps was thrown into the windshield and carried about 10 feet before falling into the street in front of the car. “She was pretty seriously hurt,” the officer said. According to police, both Phipps and Janis had been drinking prior to the accident. Janis was arrested for a fourth DUI and vehicular battery, said Rapid City police on Monday.

NEIGHBORS DON’T WANT DEAF CLUB IN THEIR AREA

The Silent Athletic Club in Mayfair, Pa. would like to relocate to the Mayfair Catering Club and wants to transfer the club’s existing liquor license to the new location, but neighbors and elected officials are opposed to the move. According to the News Gleaner of Philadelphia, their concerns are centered on parking and traffic, which are already problems in an area that contains several bars and taverns. The deaf club has had its liquor license since Prohibition, said their attorney Barry Goldstein, and has never had a citation. He said the club would be open only for occasional affairs and functions, “and it shouldn’t damage the neighborhood whatsoever.” Ann Atherholt, who circulated a petition against bringing the club to the area, said, “It has nothing to do with them personally or anything like that.” On some weekends, she said, residents “can’t find a parking spot anywhere for blocks.”

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

Great New Prices on Blackberry and Treo Devices with $29.99 Plan!
The lowest upfront prices anywhere with no mail-in rebates needed on any device! Get a Blackberry 6230 or 6710 for FREE with $29.99 Blackberry Unlimited data plan. The Sidekick II is only $159 with the $29.99 Sidekick Unlimited data plan. See the other great prices for the Blackberry 7230 and 7730 as well as the Treo 600. Hurry, special offers end 12/19/04, or while limited supplies last! Check out the low prices for all wireless devices at Harris Communications. Go to http://www.harriscomm.com/link/?www.harriscomm.com?sr=deafweeklynews or contact us at mailto:info@harriscomm.com.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

Proposals are invited on wide range of subjects for workshops, panels, and presentations for the 8th Biennial Deaf Seniors of America Conference to be held from August 31 to September 5, 2005 at the Hilton Hotel in San Francisco, California.
Proposal submissions must be postmarked no later than Monday, January 31th. To submit a proposal, go to http://www.deafseniors.com/, click on “SF-2005 DSA” and then from the menu on the left, select Presentations Description and Presentations Application. For more information contact Robert Roth at rob88roth@comcast.net or call TTY at (510) 483-7054. For general information on the conference, visit http://www.deafseniors.com/.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTERNATIONAL
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

RUSSIAN DEAFLYMPIC PRESIDENT RESIGNS

The Russian Deaflympic Committee has accepted the resignation of its president, Nikolay Klimov, according to a report Dec. 10 from Deafsportlawsuit.com. Klimov reportedly was convicted recently by a Moscow court on forgery charges and was one of four people sued this month by Rafael Pinkhasov Pinchas and Felix Shlimovich for property theft and defamation of character. (The other three are his son, son-in-law and the interim CISS/Deaflympics president.) Valery Rukhledev has been named to replace Klimov as head of the Russian Deaflympic Committee; Rukhledev is also running for president of the CISS/Deaflympics.

BRITISH DEAF CENTER ROBBED OF EQUIPMENT

The U.K.’s Liverpool Echo reported last week on a robbery at a Merseyside youth center for deaf children. Thieves used a ladder and smashed a window to get into the center and help themselves to six TVs and DVD players along with six playstations. Club officials were forced to cancel several activities since the robbery, and “it has really hit the children hard,” said center manager Ian Duncan. “Now we are going to have to raise more money and start all over again.”

LETTER-TO-EDITOR WRITER VOTES NO ON DEAF DRIVERS

Derrick D. Gillespie of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica shared his thoughts on deaf drivers in a recent letter to the editor of a local newspaper. Jamaica is thinking about granting deaf people the right to drive, but Gillespie issued an “urgent appeal” that the matter be reconsidered. “The carnage on our Jamaican roads is already horrific,” Gillespie said. “How will the hearing-impaired ever be able to function normally on our sometimes very chaotic Jamaican roads when they will not be able to even hear the simple horn of another driver warning them of danger?”

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

With HIP Relay Wireless, there is no software to download!!
HIP Relay Wireless is available nationwide and does NOT require you to download any software. You could choose another Wireless Relay provider, but WHY?
No other provider makes using relay so simple!
Place Hamilton relay calls with your Blackberry, Treo and Sidekick or with ANY device that runs AIM® or has a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) browser!
How?
With AIM®, send an instant message to HipRelay.
With a WAP browser, go to http://www.hamiltonrelay.com/.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

VISIT WWW.DEAFPAGER.COM
Sales: Sidekick II - FREE with $29.99/month plan! Please visit www.deafpager.com for details.Other: Blackberry 7230 - $79.99 after rebates, Blackberry 6230 - $59.99 - Blackberry web/email service plan, now $29.99 per month! Sony wireless card for your laptop for only $19.99 and unlimited internet access for 29.99/mo!
New Models: Motorola A630 - Lowest as $19.99, depend on service plan.
More models, visit www.deafpager.com!
Contact Us: info@deafpager.com Fax: 202-517-9135. http://www.deafpager.com

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LIFE & LEISURE
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

‘DEAF CHILD’ CARTOON RAISES SOME EYEBROWS

A recent cartoon by Brian Zaikowski (www.bztoons.com) left some people scratching their heads in puzzlement. The single-paneled strip shows a young boy with a blank expression standing in the road next to a DEAF CHILD street sign. After readers called the cartoon offensive and insensitive, Deafweekly contacted the cartoonist for an explanation. “It was not my intention to minimize the seriousness of the disability, but to make light of the sign itself,” said Zaikowski via email: “The idea of the cartoon was that the sign compels people to ask themselves, ‘Okay, where is this child? Is he/she confined to a certain distance from the sign? How would I know which child it would be?’ I realize now this isn’t the best humor and regret upsetting anyone.” Zaikowski added that he’d received an email from the “very upset” mother of a deaf child, and that he has removed the cartoon from his website.

SPOTLIGHT CONTINUES TO SHINE ON VARDON FAMILY

The Vardon family of Detroit, featured last month in a special two-hour episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” continues to make headlines. According to the Daily Oakland Press of Pontiac, Mich., the Vardons flew to Los Angeles recently to participate in the Family Television Awards Show. Judy Vardon and son Stefan were featured on the show, which aired last Thursday. Entertainment Tonight did a story on the Vardons Monday, and TV Guide’s Dec. 23 cover will feature Stefan and Ty Pennington, the star of the makeover show. Teen People Magazine also did an interview with Stefan recently. More than 20 million people viewed the Vardon’s appearance on Extreme Makeover, the show’s biggest-ever audience.

VISIT WITH SIGNING SANTA ON YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN

Sprint Video Relay Service, powered by CSD, wants all friends, family and children at heart to know that a Signing Santa will be available through video. Santa will be waiting for you on Friday, Dec. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. CST and Saturday, Dec. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST. Go to SigningSanta.com (webcam) or SigningSanta.tv (videophone). Mark your calendars so you don’t forget to Sign with Santa!

FILL OUT A SURVEY, (MAYBE) WIN A GIFT CERTIFICATE

A research team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf is conducting an environmental sound survey and would like input from people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They want to know what kind of devices you use to receive environmental sounds, and what kind of devices you would find useful in the future. The online survey takes about 15 minutes to complete, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of 20 Amazon.com gift certificates worth $25. To take the survey, go to http://rledev.mit.edu/selectsurvey/selectsurveyaspadvanced/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=145.

A NEW FLAG FLIES IN BEVERLY

A new American flag is hanging over the Beverly (Mass.) School for the Deaf campus thanks to Sen. Edward Kennedy. Students had become more engaged in the political system thanks to the recent election and “were disappointed with the appearance of our old worn, flag,” said Mark Carlson, the schools’ executive director, in a letter to the Beverly Citizen published Dec. 10. The students decided to write to Kennedy, and the senator responded in “an affirmative fashion,” wrote Carlson. “The new replacement flag will help to represent the vitality of our American democracy and instill the respect of flying such an honored symbol.”

AOL, MCI ANNOUNCE NEW TELEPHONE SERVICE FOR DEAF

America Online announced a new service this week that lets AIM users with hearing disabilities access incoming calls using a local number provided by MCI. According to CNET News, calls to that number can be relayed to any stationary or mobile computing device that uses AIM. The My IP Relay Number service turns any AIM-enabled computing device into a “phone,” AOL and MCI said. “We are harnessing the power of IP to enable people with hearing disabilities to make and receive calls while on the go,” said Steven Johnson, MCI’s vice president for enhanced services.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

Sprint Relay Wireless, powered by GoAmerica®, is available on the Sidekick/HipTop wireless devices. Sprint Relay Wireless is also accessible through the RIM 850, 857 and 950 devices running WyndTell® service.
Sidekick and HipTop wireless device users access Sprint Relay by clicking on the bright TTY icon directly from the chooser screen. To download and install Sprint Relay Wireless, access the device’s “Catalog” download feature. In the catalog, simply select “Sprint Relay Wireless” from the Applications list, and select “Purchase” to download and install the service for free. For more information on Sprint Relay Wireless, visit http://www.sprintrelay.com/ or email srw@goamerica.com.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

DAVIDEO PRODUCTIONS (www.davideo.tv)
GIVE THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Help your family and friends laugh with these Deaf Comedy books and videos:
- DEAFINITIONS and MORE DEAFINITIONS: Written by a deaf humorist, these books
contain clever words, phrases and crisp, animated illustrations that describe your sometimes hilarious, sometimes awkward experiences in the shared world of Deafies and Hearies. Excellent material for Deaf Culture classes! 8.5" x 5.5", paperback, 128 pages each. Both for $15.95 plus shipping/handling and sales tax if applicable.
- DEAFOLOGY 101: Watch how Prof. Glick acts out as he touches upon all kinds of everyday situations Deafies and Hearies experience but were afraid to raise hand and ask what they are called! VHS, almost 1 hour of non-stop, fast-paced action, closed-captioned and voice-narrated. $29.95 each plus shipping/handling and sales tax if applicable.
- "THE OLD FOGEYS" #2 and #3: These 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" black and white 52-page books consist a collection of cartoons with a focus on Deaf culture and Deaf concerns. $4 each plus shipping/handling and sales tax if applicable.
For more details, visit http://www.davideo.tv/ or email to davideo@satx.rr.com.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WORKING WORLD
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MOSQUITO OFFICIAL HANGS UP HIS NET AFTER 20 YEARS

After 20 years with the Anastasia Mosquito Control Board of St. Johns County, Fla., Robert W. McClintock was given an emotional send-off last week, said the St. Augustine Record. McClintock was said to be the first deaf person to win election to a government office when he was elected to the first of five four-year terms in 1980. He served as commissioner for three of his five terms. McClintock also was instrumental in establishing the Broward County Association of the Deaf. “I can’t explain how I feel,” he said to his fellow board members, who praised his many accomplishments. “Without you, I couldn’t have done it.”

LAW CENTER SEEKS DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS

Disability Rights Advocates, a nonprofit law center in Oakland, Calif., is investigating discrimination complaints against Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Amtrak and FedEx. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, and you’ve experienced problems such as lack of interpreters or other needed accommodations at these companies, please contact DRA via email at general@dralegal.org or via US Mail at 449 15th St., Suite 303, Oakland, CA 94612.

20 YEARS ON THE STREETS EARNS MISSISSIPPI MAN RECOGNITION

Willie Lyons Jr. was recognized last week for 20 years of service to the city of Pascagoula, Miss. Lyons works with the street department and takes pride in “fixing up the town,” he told the Mississippi Press. A Chicago native with seven brothers and seven sisters, Lyons moved to Mississippi in 1981 at his father’s urging, and landed the city job after getting a tip from two deaf friends. “I learned in high school (at the Illinois State School for the Deaf) to work hard,” said Lyons. “I enjoy my work.” Lyons has never been involved in any accidents, and his supervisor of 14 years, Danny Myers, said, “He’s one of my most reliable men.”

SCHOOL GIVES THANKS TO SERVICE CLUB’S DONATIONS

Every year, the Tucson chapter of Sertoma International raises about $60,000 for the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. “They raise money for specific types of equipment and wish lists that we have,” ASDB superintendent Doris Woltman told KOLD-TV News. “Last year they funded our media department, our TV studio.” Last week, a crowd of about 100 Sertoma members gathered for a performance by students, the school’s annual way of saying thanks. “We really love working with these people and we can see the good that we do,” said Tucson businessman Jack Furrier.

DEAF LEFT OUT IN EMERGENCY PLANNING, NEW REPORT SAYS

The safety of 28 million deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans is in jeopardy because of serious weaknesses in the nation’s emergency preparedness infrastructure, said a report issued last Friday. Titled “Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Communication Access: Lessons Learned Since 9/11 and Recommendations,” the report is the work of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network, a coalition of 16 national organizations of deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened and deaf-blind individuals, and the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons, of Fairfax, Va. Two priorities identified in the report are the need to develop a system of broadcasting emergency information that does not depend on the ability to hear; and the need to have deaf, hard-of-hearing and deaf-blind people involved in making preparations for emergencies and disasters. The report can be viewed at www.nad.org/DHHCANer.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

SIGN LANGUAGE FOR THE FAMILY VIDEO SERIES and COMPANION BOOK
English and Spanish Versions both in video or DVD format.
The NEW 2005 SIGN LANGUAGE CALENDAR ASL, English and Spanish
It is also available as a FUNDRAISER for your organization.
8 ½ x 11 full color laminated Sign Language Posters.
BROCHURES AND A FREE PROMOTIONAL CD will be sent upon request.
E-mail your request to: coloroflanguage@bak.rr.com .
Visit our website at http://www.coloroflanguage.com/

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

‘SUE THOMAS’ IN DANGER OF CANCELLATION

Fans of PAX-TV’s “Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye” are mounting a campaign to save the show, which is scheduled to end production in January, two and a half seasons before its contract expires. Created by David Alan Johnson and Gary R. Johnson, “Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye” stars Deanne Bray, a deaf actress, in the true life story of Sue Thomas, a deaf woman once employed by the FBI. A spokesman for Pebblehut Productions, which produces the program, confirms that production will cease late next month but says the show is “not dead in the water yet.” If you’d like to help save the show, visit www.stfbeyefanfic.com.

ARTIST SEEKS PHOTOS OF DEAF WOMEN

If you’re deaf and female, Vikee Waltrip wants your picture. The actor-artist-adventurer is doing a poster project called “The Many Faces of Deaf Womyn.” She’s collected over 800 pictures of deaf women in her travels, but when she began to piece together the pictures she realized, “I’m only halfway there.” She needs pictures from 800 more women and prefers headshots - no torsos, legs or arms, she says. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, nor do you need to be all made up,” said Waltrip. “Just a simple, clear picture.” Send your photo as an attachment to DWPixes@v-dreamer.com.

VON TRAPP FAMILY STILL MAKING MUSIC

Two grandchildren of Maria and Georg von Trapp, whose love story was made famous in “The Sound of Music,” came together last night for a performance at a church in Richmond, Va. Elisabeth von Trapp, 50, a singer and songwriter, performed a concert that included a sign-language rendition of “Silent Night” by her cousin Elizabeth “Tizzy” von Trapp Walker, 51, a minister. According to the Times-Dispatch, Walker has been hearing impaired since childhood, and is co-director of the Deaf Visioning Team, part of the Virginia United Methodist Conference’s Commission on Disabilities. Proceeds from the concert are earmarked for scholarships at the first Deaf Camp at Camp Overlook in Massanutten next summer.

ARTISTS INVITED TO TAKE A SURVEY

Zachary Handler, a graduate student at Teachers College Columbia University in New York, is conducting a survey as part of his thesis research on working artists (visual, performing, literary, etc.) who are members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. The survey, which takes about 20 minutes to complete, can be viewed here: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB223YP8KZ6KM. All responses are confidential. For more information, write to surveyarts@hotmail.com.

N.J. MOVIE THEATER ROLLS OUT CAPTIONING EQUIPMENT

The Multiplex Cinemas at Town Center Plaza in East Windsor, N.J. was the site of a special open house last Friday to debut equipment that allows deaf, hard-of-hearing and visually impaired patrons to enjoy movies. According to the Trenton Times, Multiplex is one of several movie chains in the state that have agreed under a settlement with the state Attorney General’s Office to make first-run movies accessible during prime time hours. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, director of the civil rights division of the state Attorney General’s Office, called the significance “huge” and predicted that the movie chains’ accommodations will make New Jersey theaters the most accessible in the country and probably the Western hemisphere.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

Upcoming DIIT Workshops
http://www.rit.edu/diit
or 585-475-2225 V/TTY

Deaf Initiative in Information Technology (DIIT) would like to inform and invite you to attend their upcoming workshops held at NTID. DIIT sponsors computer and information technology workshops designed especially for deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals.

The workshops provide a unique opportunity:
* An All Sign Environment
* Learn New Technical Skills
* Network with Other Deaf IT Professionals

Introduction to Macromedia Dreamweaver
Instructor: Karen Beiter
Date: January 24-28, 2005
Place: NTID/RIT, Rochester NY
Cost: $300

Creating Web Pages with HTML
Instructor: Elissa Olsen
Date: February 21-25, 2005
Place: NTID/RIT, Rochester NY
Cost: $300

Introduction to Microsoft Access Database
Instructor: Ari Ogoke
Date: February 21-25, 2005
Place: NTID/RIT, Rochester NY
Cost: $300

Introduction to Macromedia Flash MX 2004
Instructor: Karen Beiter
Date: February 28-March 4, 2005
Place: NTID/RIT, Rochester NY
Cost: $300

PC Hardware Maintenance and Repair
Instructor: Tony Spiecker
Date: February 28-March 4, 2005
Place: NTID/RIT, Rochester NY
Cost: $400

For more information visit: http://www.rit.edu/diit. If you are interested in attending, click “Registration” on the left side of that web page, or call 585-475-2225 V/TTY.

DIIT is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

++++ADV+++++ADV+++++ADV++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SPORTS
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OREGON WOMAN ON QUEST TO ‘HIGHPOINT’ IN ALL 50 STATES

Miriam Richards, a Corvallis, Ore.resident who was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, has made it a goal to become the first deaf woman to “highpoint,” or reach the highest peaks, in all 50 states. She’s already made it to the top of 47 states, with only Washington, Wyoming and Alaska remaining on her list. Richards was ready to tackle the 14,410-foot Mount Rainier in Washington last May, but she and her guides had to back out after waiting several days for bad weather to pass. “I’m going back,” she told the Corvallis Gazette-Times last week. “Im going to finish.” She’s trying to raise $30,000 to climb Mount McKinley in Alaska next summer, which is about four times the guide company’s regular fee. According to the newspaper, Richards must pay more for extra accommodations because she’s deaf, and many guides have refused to take her due to safety and liability concerns.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EMPLOYMENT
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Employment Opportunities (5 positions)
TDI Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network Project (CEPIN)
Regional Emergency Preparedness Specialist (3 positions)
- Mid-Atlantic and Southeast region (NVRC, Fairfax, VA, closes 1/14/05)
- New England and Great Lakes region (D.E.A.F., Inc., Allston, MA, closes 1/14/05)
- West Coast and Hawaii region (DCARA, San Leandro, CA, closes 12/17/04)
National Coordinator - TDI/CEPIN, Silver Spring, MD, closes 1/7/05
Public Relations Specialist - TDI/CEPIN, Silver Spring, MD, closes 1/14/05
All positions full-time, contingent on project funding.
For more information about these positions, visit the TDI website http://www.tdi-online.org/ and click on “Our Resources” then “Emergency Preparedness” and “Job Announcements”.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
Director of Student Services

STARTING DATE: (Anticipated) April 1, 2005

SALARY RANGE: Negotiable-Commensurate with education and experience

BENEFITS: Comprehensive fringe benefit package

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
·1 Master’s Degree in Education (Deaf or Blind preferred), or Business Administration with direct school operations experience
·2 Three years teaching experience (Deaf or Blind preferred)
·3 Experience with personnel supervision and evaluation systems, problem solving, complaint resolution, and policy development
·4 Administrative Certification in field of Education
·5 Fluency in sign language or Braille communications

DUTIES: Administer all programs within Student Services, including:
·1 Cottage Life Program (Residential environment)
·2 Student Health Center (Nursing staff & care providers)
·3 Students and Campus Staff Transportation (Land & Airlines)
·4 Student Activities (After school training and recreational)
·5 Post Secondary Transition Program (Job & Life skills training)
·6 Summer Work Experience Program

LOCATION: ISDB is located in Gooding, Idaho (pop. 3,500) a small agricultural community located in south central Idaho within a short distance to mountains, rivers and related outdoor activities. The city of Gooding is a quiet, family oriented community. For more information about ISDB check our website at: www.isdb.state.id.us.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: Submit:
1. Letter of application
2. Copies of certification
3. Three letters of recommendation
4. Official transcripts
5. Resume

DEADLINE: Open until filled

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Human Resources Department at 208-934-4457 (V/TTY)
or send email to: sherry.hann@isdb.idaho.gov
Successful candidate will be required to furnish a background check within three months of employment as per Idaho Code 33-130.
Hiring is done without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability. In addition, preference may be given to veterans who qualify under state and federal laws and regulations. If you need special accommodations to satisfy testing requirements, please contact the HR Department.

Major Responsibilities:
Hire and train qualified staff to supervise students.
Conduct annual staff evaluation system based on job performance and growth.
Healthy, clean, and safe living environment for students who stay on campus during the week.
Comprehensive medical program to meet the needs of individual students.
Transportation program for students when they travel to and from school, including coordination of airline schedules and cost analysis.
Athletic program for boys and girls from elementary through high school.
Recreational program.
Student organizations in Cottage Life Program.
Employment program that provides opportunities for successful work experiences for high school students during summer vacation. Also, placement of seniors after graduation.
Guidance/counseling program for students as needed and required by state policies.
Budgets as assigned and provide input as budgets are developed.
In-service programs for staff in Students Services Department.
Comprehensive school activity calendar.
Behavior modification program in Cottage Life Program.
Public relations.
All other assigned duties at the discretion of the Superintendent.

Typical tasks performed:
Provide management, organization, guidance, and leadership for the Department of Student Services.
Develop appropriate relationship with students, parents, and staff.
Maintain good relations with the public.
Foster interdepartmental cooperation.
Provide appropriate environment for students served.
Communicate effectively with Superintendent and Administrative Leadership Team.
Develop departmental goals in accordance with laws, policies, regulations and the mission of ISDB.
Develop personal goals to meet employment needs and personal life needs.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Click here to subscribe or here to advertise.