Deaf News: Local Waitress teaching fellow employees sign language for school project.
PITTSBURGH, PA -- “Hello, welcome to Kings. My name is Ashley. I’m your server. What can I get you to drink?”
Waitress Ashley Carney uses sign language as she waits on Taylor Doyka. Taylor, Deaf since birth, appreciates the effort made on her behalf.
Her friend, Emily Gabriel, herself a part-time waitress at Kings in Delmont, taught fellow employees the art of sign language.
“Emily had everyone come back in the back and we all came in and learned a little bit of everything,” Ashley recalls. “She went through as much as she could, and then we tried to copy her.”
Emily is a junior, minoring in sign language, at Saint Francis University in Loretto. As part of a class project, she asked manager Jim Pochedly if she could teach sign language to a couple of waitresses.
“He was actually like, why don’t you teach everyone?” Emily says. “And it just kind of snowballed.” She’s thrilled by the response of fellow waitresses...
WATCH: Documentary film - Stop Deaf child sexual abuse in Philippines.
CEBU CITY, Philippines -- Gualandi Volunteer Service Programme, Inc (GVSP) continues its mission for the Deaf community to live in a Deaf-inclusive society. Established in 2005, the non-stock, non-profit organization has been working with volunteers in projects for and with the Deaf community.
Deaf children and women are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. In a study conducted by the Philippine Deaf Resource Center, it was revealed that 65-70 percent of Deaf boys and girls are being molested. The large amount of cases continues to rise and remains concealed. However, the Deaf community receives little attention.
In an effort to raise awareness on putting a stop to the increasing number of cases of sexual abuse of Deaf children and women, the five-year program Break the Silence Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Network Project was started by GVSP under the guidance of Stairway Foundation, Inc. It focuses on abuse prevention, identification and response and advocacy both in the hearing and Deaf community through different projects set in agencies, schools and communities.
The sense of urgency on this issue also paved the way in the organization of a run for a cause event by GVSP entitled Break the Silence Run: Stop Deaf Child Sexual Abuse. It is set to happen on April 21, 2013, Sunday, 5:30 a.m. at Ayala Center Cebu Terraces, Cebu Business Park.
Break the Silence: A GVSP initiative in creating a Deaf child sexual abuse prevention and exploitation network in the Philippines in partnership with the Stairway Foundation,Inc., the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID) Lets combat and stop the rising cases of child sexual abuse in the Philippines. Defend and protect the Deaf. Lets empower them. Support GVSP! SAVE the Deaf children and women! credits by: Julie Rose Benabaye of the De LaSalle College of St.Benilde, SDA.
There will be four categories: the regular 4K, 8K and 16K and a separate category for Persons with Disabilities (wheelchair, blind and Deaf)... Read The Full Story.
Deaf patient left unable to communicate with hospital staff for 12 days after staff failed to provide sign language interpreter.
DUNDEE, Scotland -- A Deaf patient was left isolated and unable to communicate for 12 days in Ninewells Hospital because of a failure to provide her with access to a sign language interpreter, according to a report by Scotland’s public services watchdog.
The female patient who had been admitted to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital for surgery to have her appendix removed had a very limited lip reading ability and did not have a good understanding of written English.
And it was “impossible to say” with any certainty whether the deaf patient had given informed consent for the surgery,
Jim Martin, the Scottish public services ombudsman, has ruled that NHS Tayside failed to adhere to the board’s informed consent policy and found that the failure to obtain a sign language interpreter for the patient was “unacceptable”.
He states in his report that a complaint had been raised on behalf of the patient, known as Ms A, that the board failed to provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter during her 12-day stay at Ninewells where she had been admitted for surgery to remove her appendix.
Ms A was a BSL user with very limited lip-reading ability. She did not use verbal communication and did not have a good understanding of written English.
Mr Martin states: “Although hospital staff took steps to try to communicate with Ms A, at no point did they provide an interpreter. This was despite Ms A repeatedly pointing to a poster on the wall, which was for interpreter services, and handing staff a BSL interpreter’s card on two separate occasions.”
He continues: “In the course of my investigation I took independent advice from my equality and diversity adviser and a medical adviser. The equality adviser said that staff had not taken reasonable and appropriate steps to obtain a BSL interpreter for Ms A in line with their legal duty to do so under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010. She said that once they had been alerted to Ms A’s need for a BSL interpreter, a clear plan should have been drawn up to try to coordinate the availability of doctors and others communicating with Ms A and a BSL interpreter, sufficiently trained to be able to communicate complex medical issues.”...
WATCH: English Subtitles - Tanzania's First Deaf Mechanic.
In a Country where the Deaf are classified with animals & non living things, its almost near impossible for any Deaf person to make a headway in life.
Johari, just like a few other Deaf is one of the first to show the communities in Tanzania & the World that "Deafness is not inability & everyone deserves a fair chance in life" Deaf people can do anything except hear!
WATCH [CC] - Discover how Ginny's SMU experience encouraged her to start up a social enterprise for the Deaf.
Ginny Ong Jing Yun is undergraduate in Bachelor of Science (Information Systems Management) and Started up a social enterprise for the Deaf. "I thought that nobody would understand what I was saying. Over the years, Singapore Management University (SMU) slowly gave me a lot of tips on how to participate effectively. I learnt how to be more outspoken, more confident of myself.
Two years ago I set up this social enterprise it's called iDeaf-Connect. My aim is to use this company to create Deaf awareness. Also, we wanted to have a business to provide jobs for the Deaf. We aim to use this place as a training hub.
I will go out and meet my clients. I will give talks and I will share with them how they can work with the Deaf better. The broad-based curriculum at SMU gave me a lot of knowledge. It helped me to understand better how companies run their business.
You have a lot of projects so you have to face a lot of deadlines. It motivates me to be quick, be creative, think out of the box to finish the project. So the same thing can apply to my company as well. To me, if not for the interactive style (of education) in SMU, I wouldn't be here talking to you today." Welcome to SMU. Discover a Different U at http://.smu.edu.sg/admissions.
Deaf Theatre: Sign language production makes history in South Africa.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- For the first time in history, a South African Deaf Theatre organisation is set to perform in Europe at the Clin d’Oeil Festival, which is a one-of-a-kind, multi-disciplinary event that aims to highlight the richness of the sign language community. And the chosen body is the Catalina Theatre for its breakthrough performance of Listen with Your Eyes.
The Tonight caught up with the director of the Catalina Theatre, Alison Swannick, to chat about this honour that’s been bestowed on South Africa.With an interpreter joining us, Swannick said she was elated that the play was chosen for the European fest.
“When I got the e-mail, I screamed. I never expected to get that invitation. On the other hand, I am a bit scared. At first it felt like it wasn’t even real. The first thought I had was, ‘where is the money going to come from?’, because the only difficulty was that we would have to pay half the airfare. And we’re looking for funders.
It’s like our time has finally come. It’s more for the young actors who are involved in this, so I’m ecstatic for them.”
Last year, Swannick hosted the first Deaf theatre festival in South Africa, Talking Hands. Chatting about the response to that event, she says: “The festival was a success, but there was not enough audience support. It was the first time, so we learnt a lot. But it was a difficult experience and we had no sponsors.
“But in terms of the performances at the festival, they were very good. Everybody reported that they enjoyed it. There are no deaf filmmakers in South Africa, so many people enjoyed the international films that we showed at the film fest. But, now when I look at it, it was successful because one of our performances is going to France. It was a major breakthrough in Deaf performance art.”...
WATCH [CC] - Puppet teaches students sign language at school.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Indiana -- From their ABCs, to different types of animals, Friday, students at Wea Ridge Elementary School learned how to communicate with the Deaf through sign language.
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Yet, students didn't learn from just anyone. They were taught by Mandy the Puppet. The play is put on by a group called "Kids First."
Program Coordinator Gail McCormick said the program began locally in 1994. "The goal of the program is to make the students realize that they can be accepting of children with special needs, of individuals with special needs," said McCormick.
McCormick said the play focuses on a girl named Mandy. Mandy is approached by a young girl who loses her kitten, and together, they find the lost kitten by using sign language.
Volunteer Beata Ribeiro said using puppets to illustrate the communication barrier allows kids to kick down their own barrier when it comes to asking questions...
WATCH: Minor Deaf girl, gang rape victim gives birth to child in India.
BANGALORE - Kalpana, India -- 15, Deaf and mute cannot convey her feelings through words to others. But her eyes reflect her trauma and agony.
A gang rape victim, Kalpana’s agony has compounded when she gave birth to a baby at a hospital in Allahabad.
She was gang raped last year at her village in Allahabad district allegedly by two youths of the same village. The culprits later convened a panchayat and forced her parents not to approach police but to settle the matter outside. The panchayat had held that the culprits should pay Rs 21,000 each to the family of the victim.
However, police got wind of the matter through the local media and registered a case and arrested the alleged culprits.
None bothered to think about the victim who became pregnant. Sources said the families of the culprits also tried to force an abortion but did not succeed.
The minor gave birth to a baby a few days back. The poor parents had to borrow money from a money lender to admit the girl to the hospital... Read The Full Story.
Answer: "One cannot expect positive results from an educational or political action program which fails to respect the particular view of the world held by the people. Such a program constitutes cultural invasion, good intentions notwithstanding."
Thought: We wanted to 'communicate' with our Deaf child in spoken English -- even if only slightly -- so we decided to forbid her use of sign language, even though it is the only natural, robust, and fully accessible language for a Deaf child.
Rebuttal: "Any situation in which some men prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence; ... to alienate humans from their own decision making is to change them into objects."
We, the people of Texas, are on the verge of failing a critical part of our community. State budget cuts are threatening access to language for Deaf children, and it is our shared responsibility to make sure they retain this fundamental right. Unite with the Texas School for the Deaf as we transform lives through our language and education services. Join us in our relentless crusade to fight for Language for All.
WATCH [ASL/CC] - Yosemite Deaf services explains how to explore in Yosemite National Park.
Driving around Yosemite is much different than driving around the rest of California. Here are some things to remember if you are planning to explore Yosemite by car.
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Deaf Services in Yosemite National Park:
Watch this short video to learn about the Deaf services program in Yosemite.
A hearing mother kills her two Deaf children, commits suicide in India.
UTTAR PRADESH -- Unable to witness the plight of her two Deaf children, a 30-year-old woman allegedly killed them before committing suicide in Hamirpur district.
According to the sources, the woman was upset over the disabilities of the children. Husband of the woman works in Shimla while she was living with the minor children in Jharrajputan village of the district, police said.
Last night, she allegedly fed Sulphas tablets to the two children and later consumed it herself, police said. After consuming the poisonous tablet she called up her husband to inform about it, police said.
The youngest child, a girl, died on the spot while the woman and the son succumbed in a hospital later, police said.
"I am fed with my life and can not bear the stress anymore" these were the words wrote by Vandana Sharma before she hung herself to ceiling fan of her house. On Wednesday when neighbors discovered foul smell they got suspicious after which the door of the house was made to open.
Vandna Sharma's body was found hanging with ceiling fan while dead three kids were in bedroom. She killed them by smothering pillow. Two were girls and a son was two and half years old who was Deaf by birth. Her Husband is posted in Ratnagiri and stays there most of the time. Vandana Sharma could not bear the the stress and ended up her and three innocent kids lives.
Bismark Lithgow, 24, charged in death of 19-year-old Francis Pellerano. Police say Lithgow stuffed the victim’s body into a 55-gallon drum.
NEW YORK CITY -- A Harlem man was arrested for stabbing his Deaf teenage girlfriend to death and stuffing her body into a 55-gallon drum, cops said Thursday.
Bismark Lithgow, 24, was charged with murder in the killing of Francis Angelica Alfonso Pellerano, 19 whose bloodied body was found in a container in Lithgow’s Seventh Ave. apartment on March 2, cops said.
Lithgow’s grandmother made the grisly find after she drove her bipolar grandson to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital because he was acting strange, sources said.
The city’s medical examiner later determined Pellerano was stabbed to death.
Lithgow, who is also Deaf and worked as a janitor for the New York Sports Club on W. 145th St., was arrested after he was released from the hospital on Wednesday... Read The Full Story.
The GNAD said the phenomenon was leading to many expectant mothers among Deaf persons losing their lives while others were disheartened and disappointed, given the unfair treatment meted out to Deaf persons visiting health centres across the country.
Mr James M. Sambian, Executive Director of the GNAD, made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Monday to explain the challenges death persons encounter when accessing healthcare.
He said lack of sign language interpreters was resulting in inappropriate diagnosis because of communication barrier among Deaf patients and the hearing medical officers and the nurses.
Mr Sambian explained that the situation had resulted in the incidence of incorrect prescriptions consequently leading to preventable deaths.
The Executive Director noted that due to lack of understanding and interpretation of sign language, a medical officer in one of the health centres in the Ashanti Region sometime ago, prescribed wrong medicine to a pregnant Deaf woman which consequently killed her.
To break the communication barrier and getting an intermediary, many Deaf persons in most cases had to bear the entire cost of engaging a private sign language interpreter in order to access quality health... Read The Full Story.
The incredible footage, shows the profoundly Deaf mom, Amy tries out her new cochlear implant an electronic device surgically implanted in the ear to provide a sense of sound.
A 26-year-old mother, who was born Deaf, was able to hear her son’s voice for the first time with a cochlear implant. Amy was sitting in her doctor’s office with her family as she tried out the implant, an electronic device surgically implanted in the ear.
She started crying instantly after hearing her six-year-old son Blake speak to her for the first time. “Hi mom,” Blake said, as the room erupted with laughter. Amy nodded to indicate she heard what he said. “I feel weird,” she said. “It feels so different.”
Though she was completely Deaf, she still received her high school diploma and college degree. She escaped from her silent life with the implant, something she had always dreamed of doing but never thought was possible.
“This is just a start to the road ahead to learn what sound is and where it comes from. It was the most amazing day ever to be a witness to this medical miracle and a true gift from God,” Amy’s aunt Catherine Arnold said.
Though the sound provided by the implant isn’t the same as natural hearing, it allows patients to hear and understand speech and environmental sounds like music... Read The Full Story.
The Importance of BSL Act for Deaf Education in the United Kingdom.
BSL translation of paragraph-by-clip of the Innocents of Oppression blog post to mark the 10th anniversary of the "official" recognition of British Sign Language today (18th March 2013).
Deaf News: Deaf man strikes wife’s lover with axe in Zimbabwe.
CHINHOYI, Zimbabwe -- A 63-year-old Deaf man from the Mamina communal area in Mhondoro, Christmas Makomeke, has been sentenced to three years in prison for striking a fellow villager with an axe accusing him of having an affair with his wife.
Makomeke was sentenced on his own plea of guilty to attempted murder when he appeared before Chinhoyi regional magistrate Never Katiyo last week.
The court heard that the complainant Cylus Bhunu (58) sustained serious shoulder, chest and head injuries in the attack which occurred on December 5 last year.
However, Makomeke had his jail sentence wholly suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour and that he pays $500 fine before March 29.
In passing sentence, the court considered Makomeke’s advanced age as a mitigatory factor and that he was Deaf and had been extremely provoked by the complainant who was, according to overwhelming evidence adduced in court, having an affair with the former’s wife.
The court heard that on December 5 last year at around 6am, Makomeke met Bhunu just outside the latter’s cattle pen.
Makomeke, who was armed with a hoe and an axe, accused Bhunu of having an affair with his wife... Read The Full Story.
This vlog covers of clarifies on the definition of cyberbullying.
Manuals to educate the public, teachers and parents summarize, "Cyberbullying is being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material using a cell phone or the internet." Research, legislation and education in the field are ongoing. Basic definitions and guidelines to help recognize and cope with what is regarded as abuse of electronic communications have been identified.
Cyberbullying vs. Cyberstalking:
The practice of cyberbullying is not limited to children and, while the behavior is identified by the same definition when practiced by adults, the distinction in age groups sometimes refers to the abuse as cyberstalking or cyberharassment when perpetrated by adults toward adults.
Common tactics used by cyberstalkers are performed in public forums, social media or online information sites and are intended to threaten a victim's earnings, employment, reputation, or safety. Behaviors may include encouraging others to harass the victim and trying to affect a victim's online participation.
Rahat seems to live for tormenting drive-through employees. He's pulled several pranks on unsuspecting fast food victims, including one in which he pretends his money catches fire while trying to pay. Here's the video part 1, 2 and 3.
Part 2 - Magic of Raha stumped drive thru workers by pulling up to the window in a suit that camouflages him with the car seat. Watch as employees go through a variety of emotions, ranging from spooked to questioning their mental health.
Part 3 - In another, he creates a shock while the the employee returns his change and then he dramatically pretends to faint at the wheel. In one of the most obvious pranks, he puts a fake hand up his sleeve, so the employee takes his hand off with the money.
This might be the best one yet. The video is presented by Penguin Magic and it's been viewed more than 3 million times.
Fashion News Live Live is the ultimate online resource to find exclusive celebrity and fashion designer interviews, beauty tips, industry updates and much more. Unique in its format, Fashion News Live seeks out interviews and behind the scenes access to bring the online community into the worlds of fashion and entertainment.
Deaf entertainer teaches students with comedy act. Internationally renowned entertainer performs for Temecula ASL students.
Decades ago, CJ Jones walked into a St. Louis, Mo., public school and was told he was not allowed to sign. The Temecula Valley High School students that the Deaf entertainer performed for Tuesday live in an entirely new and accepting world.
“It’s amazing to see the change,” Jones said through an interpreter. “It makes it a lot easier for Deaf kids to feel like, ‘Oh, I’m not alone. I’m not strange. I’m not different because I’m Deaf and everybody’s hearing.’
“If they see hearing people sign, they feel confident and empowered.”
For more than 30 years, Jones has been spreading that word through one-man shows like the one he delivered Tuesday for more than 200 American Sign Language students in Temecula Valley’s newly minted performing arts center.
Afterward, the school’s ASL club participated in a workshop a series of non-verbal acting, gesturing and miming exercises aimed at giving many of the students their first real opportunity to learn the nuances of sign language from a Deaf person who’s learned to live in a hearing world.
“He’s inspirational for anybody whether you know sign language or not,” ASL teacher Darcy Calas said. “A lot of these kids have never had exposure to a Deaf person. To see him here and interacting with hearing people, to see how he’s able to communicate with the hearing world, it’s something that we just can’t teach in a classroom. You can’t learn that from a book.”... Read The Full Story.
WATCH [ASL/CC] - News footage perspective in 1987 at northeast campus of Gallaudet University.
WASHINGTON -- On August 24, 1987, Gallaudet's 6th president, Dr. Jerry Lee, announced that he would be leaving the presidency of Gallaudet University.
It prompted new (or rekindled) discussion among the Deaf community that it is time for Gallaudet to have a Deaf president leading the one and only Deaf university in the world. The search committee narrowed down from 67 applicants to 3 finalists: Dr. Harvey Corson (Deaf), Dr. Elizabeth Zinser (hearing), and Dr. I. King Jordan (Deaf).
On March 6, 1988, it was expected that the board would announce the new 7th president in the field house at 8:30 pm. Instead of making a formal announcement, the audience was told that "a news release had been hastily distributed two hours earlier" revealing that Dr. Elizabeth Zinser has been selected as first 7th president of Gallaudet University.
The reaction to the news was "met with shock, anger, disbelief, and, in some cases, tears" because every effort were made to the Gallaudet Board of Trustees with strong urgency that it is time for Gallaudet to have a Deaf president to lead the university. Upon the selection of Dr. Zinser, the birth of the now well-known Deaf President Now (DPN) protest officially began.
Deaf Providence woman's body found in drum in New York City.
NEW YORK CITY -- A young woman from Providence was the victim of a gruesome murder in New York City.
The body of 19-year-old Francis Alfonso Pellerano was found in a 55-gallon drum inside a Harlem apartment over the weekend.
"I always knew that something was going to happen to her. I wasn't sleeping at night," the victim's father, Manuel Alfonso, told NBC 10 News through a translator.
Pellerano was Deaf and could not speak. She was a student at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf on and off for about five years, until she left the school late last year.
Family members said she went to New York with a young man she met on Facebook. He is also Deaf.
Media outlets in New York reported that Pellerano may have been planning to leave the boyfriend. Pellerano's body was found in the barrel by the boyfriend's grandmother, who smelled a foul odor.
There have been no arrests. The boyfriend is under psychiatric care in a New York hospital.
"I want justice because I know he's not crazy. He cleaned all the blood after he killed her," Alfonso said.
The Rhode Island School for the Deaf is planning a memorial for Pellerano.
Man says Deaf son pushed from 3rd floor of hotel in Mexico. Victim suffered a broken hip, skull fracture and crushed ankle.
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- The father of a Deaf man from Kamloops, B.C., says his son was robbed and pushed over a third-storey railing while staying at a resort hotel in Mexico.
Ron Simpson says his son Kevin suffered a broken hip, skull fracture and crushed ankle in the attack in Cabo San Lucas last weekend.
He says Kevin was robbed of $850 and pushed off a third floor level of the hotel to the concrete below.
He calls the attack a case of attempted murder.
Simpson says his son is in hospital in San Jose, Mexico, and is in good spirits, but he needs to be brought home to get more medical attention.
The Canadian foreign affairs department says it is gathering more information and has officials standing by to provide consular assistance as needed.
Deaf people with mental illness need culturally sensitive treatment.
Medical practitioners need to provide culturally sensitive treatment to members of the Deaf community with psychiatric disorders to ensure they are diagnosed correctly and receive appropriate treatment, says Wolters Kluwer Health.
The report was published in the March Journal of Psychiatric Practice. The authors reviewed the limited research literature available about the mental health care of Deaf patients who communicate via American Sign Language (ASL) or gestures.
Communication strategies: Communication is challenging for Deaf people who communicate in sign language or in gestures.
"Deaf individuals comprise a cultural and linguistic minority group within the United States, and culturally and linguistically appropriate psychiatric treatment must reflect these differences," according to Sarah A. Landsberger, PhD, and coauthors of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
There are approximately 1.2 Americans with profound hearing loss. Some Deaf people are unable to hear most sounds, even with assistive listening devices such as hearing aids. Some Deaf people identify themselves as part of the Deaf community, with a unique language sign and culture.
Sign language is complex and complete with its own syntax, grammar and vocabulary. These Deaf people do not think of their hearing loss as a disability...
360 Chinese arrested for enticing 70 Deaf to commit crime in China.
BEIJING, China -- Chinese police have arrested 360 suspects for their involvement in enticing Deaf-Mute to engage in robbery or burglary, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Tuesday.
Police in 21 provincial regions have uprooted 61 such criminal gangs and rescued 70 Deaf people during a recent joint campaign, according to a statement released by the MPS.
The suspects deceived the students from Deaf schools via social networks on the pretext of offering job opportunities or going traveling, when in fact the purpose of the approach was to force them to commit crimes such as robbery or burglary, the statement said.
Yang Erdu, a most-wanted suspect, together with other prime suspects, was captured by police during the campaign, according to the statement.
China issued an action plan for fighting human trafficking (2013-2020) last week, urging greater measures to crack down on abduction-related crimes and appropriately relocate the victims of human trafficking.
Facebook has opened up doors to a new world for the Deaf.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- One billion people use Facebook around the world. Its reach is undisputed and unparalleled, but its impact on one specific community has opened up doors to a new world for the Deaf.
Christina Teani, 34, of South San Francisco is a teacher for special needs students. She understands putting in that extra bit of effort because she was born with what she calls “an invisible disability” unable to hear without wearing a hearing aid.
“You can often feel like that sometimes you are not good enough, you don’t feel like you’re part of a group,” Teani explained. “Human relationships are all about intimacy, getting to know people, feeling like you belong in a group and if you’re not able to connect, you emotionally feel left out.”
But her life has changed, much like it has for her Deaf friend, Sarah McBride of Palo Alto.
“With Facebook, I’m able to communicate with my friends through chat,” she said.
These women say the social media site has opened up a whole new world to them, offering up not only quick chats with friends, but the ability to share memories through pictures and videos especially satisfying for them because it’s one of the first times they’ve been able to communicate the same way the hearing community does.
So when the opportunity came up to visit the company that made it happen, they didn’t hesitate. Together with friends, they took tour of Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park to celebrate the changes they’ve experienced in their lives.
“That’s what I like about Facebook," Teani said. "We’re all on the same playing field we haven’t had before.” ... Read The Full Story.
Deaf Awareness: Schools for the Deaf are closing, If only it were just TV.
On Monday, March 4th, the television show ‘Switched at Birth’ did something on mainstream TV that had never been done before. It ran an episode in sign language. Some viewers thought at first that the sound on their television was broken.
The show is an ABC Family drama that revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth, one of whom is Deaf.
According to ABC Family, it is the first television series to have multiple Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing series regulars, and scenes shot entirely in American Sign Language.
Marlee Matlin guest stars. Because of this, the series not only exposes the American public to the Deaf community, it also has the power to educate us about important related issues: last week’s ASL episode focused on the failure of the American education system to serve many Deaf students who find themselves there because their own schools have closed.
The main story of ‘Switched at Birth's’ ASL episode focuses on the closing of such a school, and the protest created by the students to keep it open. Many students who are Deaf want to study in a school designed for them, where they can communicate directly with teachers and counselors, interact directly with their peers and participate fully in extracurricular activities – things most hearing students take for granted... Read The Full Story.
WATCH: Florida School for the Deaf and Blind takes anti-bullying stand.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FL -- Since the implementation of the Jeffrey Johnston "Stand up for All Students" Act, which was passed in 2008, all schools in the state are required to have anti-bullying policies in place.
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The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine is just one district working to eliminate bullying. Students from elementary through high school are learning about the importance of being respectful, responsible and cooperative.
"She was teasing me like 'I didn't know the words, I didn't know the English language," said student Julia Kadzis.
"In my last school, I had no friends. No one would talk to me really," explains freshman Gracie Delong.
"I've had lots of experiences with bullying here and in the world, and I've tolerated it," said senior D.J. Snell.
Students at FSDB recall their own personal experiences with bullying. "They kept bullying me because I'm a Deaf person," Snell said.
"No one would talk to me really, no one would sit next to me at the lunch table," said Delong. "And the same group of girls would bully me because they didn't think I could see certain things." ... Read The Full Story.
The Kojo Nnamdi Show: The Legacy Of Gallaudet's 'Deaf President Now' Movement, 03/07/13 Full Hour.
Since its founding in the mid-19th century, Gallaudet University has been an academic and cultural hub for the Deaf community. But until 1988, the university never had a Deaf president.
Twenty-five years ago this week, students launched a protest on the Northeast D.C. campus, dubbed the "Deaf President Now" movement. The protest resulted in the school's first Deaf president, and helped spur passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act two years later. Kojo explores the legacy of student protests at Gallaudet.
Guests - Gregory Hlibok: Former Gallaudet University Student Body President and student leader of the Deaf President Now movement in 1988; Chief of the Disability Rights Division in the Bureau of Consumer and Governmental Affairs at the Federal Communications Commission
Gallaudet University uses all-sign language episode of ‘Switched at Birth’ to air new commercial.
WASHINGTON -- Gallaudet University is taking advantage of a special episode of ABC Family’s ‘Switched at Birth’ Monday night, as a commercial for the university will air during an episode of the show that is told entirely in American Sign Language and based on real-life events that happened at the school itself.
The all-sign language technique for the episode is a first for a scripted series on mainstream television, according to the network, which will air Gallaudet’s commercial twice during the hour. The episode takes place on the 25th anniversary of the Deaf President Now movement at Gallaudet in March 1988, when students and faculty protested after the university instated a hearing president over two Deaf candidates.
‘Switched at Birth,’ which wraps up the first half of its second season next week, follows the chaos that takes place when two high school girls find out they were sent home with the wrong families as babies in the hospital. One of the daughters is Deaf, resulting as a driving plot force in the series. The show, which debuted in June 2011 to more than 3 million viewers, has attracted around 1.7 million people per episode this season.
In Monday’s episode at 8 p.m., the fictional Carlton School for the Deaf is on the brink of closing, so the students protest, inspired by the real-life circumstances at Gallaudet in the 80s. The whole hour will be in sign language, with accompanying subtitles... Read The Full Story.
On ABC Family, an Episode in Sign Language - Nytimes.com: On Monday night, ABC Family did something that no commercial television outlet in the United States had ever done: it broadcast an entire episode of a show in sign language, with closed captioning turned on by default.
Advocates for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing cheered the move, and they wondered: would viewers tune in specifically for the almost-silent episode of the series, ‘Switched at Birth,’ one of ABC Family’s most popular? Or would viewers turn it off, potentially perturbed by the lack of audio? There was a normal musical score, and a scene at the beginning of the episode with audible dialogue, but the rest of the dialogue was in sign language.
Broadly speaking, neither outcome came true. The show’s overnight Nielsen ratings were down, but only slightly. Most fans of the show stayed with it 1.6 million, according to the overnight ratings. The series this season has averaged 1.7 million viewers.
In the show’s target demographic, women 12 to 34, 748,000 viewers tuned in, down just a little bit from the season average of 777,000. About a quarter of those viewers usually record the show and watch it later, so the final ratings won’t come in for a while.
“Switched at Birth” features several Deaf or hard-of-hearing characters, so every episode incorporates sign language in some way. But Monday’s episode went further... Read The Full Story.
‘Switched at Birth’: ABC Family’s The teen soap Switched at Birth explores self-expression and the communication gulf between the hearing and Deaf communities. List of Switched at Birth characters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Switched_at_Birth_characters
Buying old Deaf School won’t hinder library upgrades with levy money, Columbus library sticking with plan for new branches.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Metropolitan Library’s decision to buy the former Ohio State School for the Deaf won’t interfere with planned renovation or replacement of almost half of its branch libraries.
“These are the libraries that we are committed to,” said Pat Losinski, library director.
Two years ago, facing cuts in state funding, Columbus Metropolitan and other libraries cut staff, froze pay and closed doors on Sundays.
But with the passage of a 2.8-mill permanent operating levy in November 2010, the 21-library Columbus system quickly restored services and started planning upgrades of out-of-date or overcrowded branches.
The library makeover has been aided by near-record-low interest rates, said Steve Prater, the library’s director of property management. The library recently issued bonds totaling $98 million.
“That’s allowing us to accelerate the work,” Prater said.
Library officials on Wednesday announced plans to purchase the former Deaf school, allowing access to a parking lot that would be converted into an outdoor patio along the rear of the Main Library.
Renovation costs of up to $11 million, in addition to the $2.1 million purchase price, would be necessary if the library moves its administrative offices into the turn-of-the-century building. More likely, the library would sell the Deaf school portion of the property, possibly to a school... Read The Full Story.
WATCH [ASL/CC] - Official Deaf Women in Film Exclusive Interview of Tia Albert, Professional Makeup Artist.
Learn about Tia Albert, her experience in doing makeup and special effects and what she's learned from it. Great tips for hearing filmmakers and Deaf professionals involved.
ASL Performance Artist: Sherry Hicks and Catalene Sacchetti-Manganelli
Executive Producers: Wayne Betts Jr., Sherry Hicks
Producer: Azora Telford and Terrylene Sacchetti
Co-Directors: Terrylene Sacchetti, and Jules Dameron
Director of Photography: Ruan de Plessis
Story and Storyboard: Terrylene Sacchetti
Translation: Sherry Hicks and Terrylene Sacchetti
Editor: Bethany Guajardo and Terrylene Sacchetti
Green Screen Camera: Eric Hann
Featuring: Sherry Hicks, Catalene Sacchetti-Mangarelli, Mikayla Jauregui-Palmquist & Kaia Jauregui-Palmquist & Bebe, and the little four-legged one.
Shadowed Parents: Terrylene Sacchetti & Ruan de Plessis.
Special Thanks: Electra Flink and Helen Garfinkle, Chris Held & Domingo Gaitan and their Bebe, the tiny spirit of a dog.
Artist statement: This is for all those who have been and are bullied- may this inspire you to find courage and dialogue rather then bully!
This work is offered as a labor of love for all to take in and enjoy Katy Perry's "Firework". Thank you Katy Perry for writing this song of empowerment for all girls, women, and humans. Its my absolute my pleasure to set it on fire with American Sign Language and collaborate with Catalene, my inspiration, deafened koda "sister" who is an amazing young talent! In this piece Sherry Hicks features Catalene.
Thanks everyone who worked on this project making it all possible! The expertise of the crew's talents is top notch and absolutely amazing. I'm grateful and honored to share this work with all of you. Enjoy this collaborative piece blending ASL and music constituting in what I call "musically inspired ASL storytelling". A few moments in time captured on high-quality film with the finest of artists creating every step of the way! Enjoy and let your eyes take in the beauty of A S L!
Best, Sherry ox 3/1/2013
Used for Educational Purposes Only 2013, Open Captioned.
Good Morning America interviews with Marlee Matlin in Landmark 'Switched at Birth' Episode.
LOS ANGELES -- Actress discusses taking a risk in using American Sign Language and subtitles on ABC Family's ‘Switched at Birth.’
Deaf actress Marlee Matlin came by Good Morning America March 4 2013 to talk about the landmark new episode of Switched at Birth, which will be the first in history to be aired on television entirely in American Sign Language.
Marlee Matlin, who is Deaf in real life, appeared with a translator, who facilitated the interview between her and Robin Roberts.
Matlin said it’s been an amazing journey for her, because she began in the business 28 years ago trying to get her language, American Sign Language, across to anyone watching television or movies. She said it’s going to be beautiful to show and highlight to the whole world the culture of American Sign Language.
The clip they showed of tonight’s Switched at Birth episode was extremely powerful. I’ve never seen the show, but Marlee Matlin and actress Lea Thompson were sitting at a dining room table signing to each other about how to get reporters to a high school presentation of Romeo And Juliet.
The clip was completely silent. There wasn’t even background noise. The silence, plus the American Sign Language used by both actresses discussing something as everyday as a high school play, was really striking and wonderful. It’s going to be a great episode... Read The Full Story.
‘Switched at Birth’: ABC Family’s The teen soap Switched at Birth explores self-expression and the communication gulf between the hearing and Deaf communities. List of Switched at Birth characters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Switched_at_Birth_characters
