Free Implants

Cochlear Americas says it will replace a cochlear implant free of charge that was stolen from 12-year-old Daniele Marrufo at a recreation center in Denver. The company plans to send two of the devices, valued at $10,000 apiece. The left one was stolen and the right one was broken and needed replacing. Daniele had left his implant inside one of his shoes while swimming atthe Link Recreation Center.

Fight Set for Oct

Deaf Ultimate Fighter Matt Hamill will take on former mentor Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz on October 23. Hamill has a four win streak and a record of 8-2 since signing with the UFC. His last fight saw him take a decision win over Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine, after which Jardine was cut from the UFC. Hamill has strong wrestling credintials, holding a gold medal from the 2001 Deaflympics in freestyle wrestling and a silver medal from the same competition in Greco-Roman wrestling. Hamill hold six out of his nine wins by knockout.

Texas Docs Avoiding Terps

There is a video report from KGBT-TV on the failure of doctors to provide sign interpreters in Harlingen, Texas is here. There is text and closed captioning as well.

Prof Profile

A Gallaudet professor is profiled in the summer edition of the NCAA's Champion magazine. Kitty’ Baldridge's profile is titled “The consummate teammate." Baldridge is the Director of General Studies Program and Associate Professor of Physical Education at Gallaudet. She coached women’s basketball at Gallaudet for 29 years. Read more here.

Implants & Infections

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says children considered for cochlear implants should have up-to-date vaccinations at least 2 weeks before surgery. The medical association points to the increased risk for infections from the surgery, especially otitis media and meningitis. After the device is implanted, the AAP says children should be monitored carefully and treated promptly at the first sign of infection. There are an estimated 1 million Americans who are potential candidates for cochlear implants. The FDA has set a one year minimum age for receptients, even though devices have been successfully placed in younger infants. Details of the new policy recommendation are in the August issue of Pediatrics.

More About the Video Captioning Law

The House-passed version of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act has a provision that would give the FCC up to $10 million a year for its Telecommunications Relay Fund. The money would go toward specialized equipment that low-income deaf-blind Americans need to access the Internet. The bill's focus is ensuring closed-captioning for video on the Internet. The measure would establish an FCC advisory committee to examine closed captioning, video description; and access to emergency information, programming guides, menus and user interfaces. It will require most video devices to include the capacity for audio descriptions of video content and for closed captioning of audio content. Consumer-generated content would be exempted from the law while government-made video is already covered by a previous presidential order. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

ADA Remarks

President Obama spoke about the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on the south lawn of the White House yesterday. Here are some exerpts from his speech:

Today, as we commemorate what the ADA accomplished, we celebrate who the ADA was all about. (A movement) began when Americans no longer saw their own disabilities as a barrier to their success, and set out to tear down the physical and social barriers that were. It grew when you realized you weren’t alone. It became a massive wave of bottom-up change that swept across the country as you refused to accept the world as it was. Sit-ins in San Francisco. Demonstrations in Denver. Protests in Washington, D.C., at Gallaudet, and before Congress. People marched, and organized, and testified. And laws changed, and minds changed, and progress was won. Equal access -- to the classroom, the workplace, and the transportation required to get there. Equal opportunity -- to live full and independent lives the way we choose. Not dependence -- but independence. That’s what the ADA was all about. (Applause.)

But while it was a historic milestone in the journey to equality, it wasn’t the end. here was, and is, more to do. We’re expanding broadband Internet access to Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing. And to promote equal rights across the globe, the United States of America joined 140 other nations in signing the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities -- the first new human rights convention of the 21st century.

Read more here.

Implant Stolen

The cochlear implant of a 12-year-old boy was stolen from the Link Recreation Center in Denver. Daniele Marrufo left his implant inside one of his shoes while swimming. The device is worth nearly $10,000. The thief may have thought it was a Bluetooth device. The boy's parents are offering a $100 reward for the cochlear implant, made by Cochlear America.

Internet Video Bill

The House has passeed a bill to make the Internet and mobile phones more accessible. The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act requires captioning of online video. The vote was 348 to 23. A similar bill is working its way through the Senate.

Suit over Terps

A deaf man in Brownsville has filed a lawsuit against a Texas state agency. Sergio Ayala says the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for failing to provide him with interpreters during his periodic food stamp eligibility interviews. The commission had taken away those benefits and Ayala says his family had to go hungry. Officials at the agency had no immediate comment on the suit. He is also suing two Rio Grande Valley doctors. Ayala says he was told during a visit that an interpreter was coming but waited for hours at the doctor's offices and no one arrived. He eventually returned with a friend who interpreted for him.

Sign in Space

A space station astronaut has given the first sign language address from space. Tracy Caldwell Dyson recorded a six-minute video for deaf children from the International Space Station. She spoke of about life as an astronaut. This is the first time ASL has been used on the space station, according to NASA. Dyson says she was on the track team with a deaf college student who taught her to sign. Watch her video from space below.

WFD

The first World Congress of the Deaf was held in 1951. It later became the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and now has about 130 member countries representing 70 million deaf people internationally.

ADA History

On this day in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the American Disablity Act into law.

Matlin Called a "Diva"

Marlee Matlin is accused of acting like a "diva" at the World Deaf Expo this past week by a local paper. The Las Vegas Review-Journal says Matlin refused to have her photo taken with Bonita Leek who is with Miss Deaf International. Leek is quoted as saying Matlin "doesn't have the greatest reputation" in the deaf community. Later, Matlin tweeted, "Just had lovely talk with the CEO of Miss Deaf International. glad we cleared the air. And thanks to their hard working staff." Read the story here and see the tweet here.

Signs of the Times

A new DVD coming out tomorrow explores the origins of umpires’ gestures in baseball. The documentary is titled Signs of the Times and focuses on hearing-impaired outfielder Dummy Hoy and umpire Bill Klem. Klem's plaque in the National Baseball Hall of Fame reads, “Credited with introducing arm signals indicating strikes and fair or foul balls.” The film's director says origins of baseball signs are unclear and says it was Klem's own testimony late in life that got him associated with it. Hoy's part is also murky. He apparently asked his minor league third-base coach to use hand signals to relay the umpire’s calls. That's when his hitting improved and soon he was on his way to the major leagues. Deaf advocates say umpires simply copied the idea and this is obvious when you compare baseball signs to ASL. Yet there are few newspaper articles about Hoy using signs during his career and the practice was not widely used until after Hoy retired from the game.

ADA Proposal

The Justice Department is making 4 proposals related to ADA law. The new requirements would include requiring movie theaters to show at least half of its films with closed captions and enhanced 911 capabilities. The Department set a six-month comment period and plans to hold public hearings on the subject.

ADA's Impact

ADA is a success. That's the finding of a online survey of disability leaders. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has fulfilled much of its promise, the respondents said, but the findings also uncovered new challenges. A University of Texas professor led the research covering 870 participants from more than 400 communities in all 50 states. More than 90% of survey respondents believe that the quality of life for people with disabilities in communities across the US but they also pointed out that there are opportunities to be realized and challenges to be overcome. Most of the group said the ADA legislation has had more influence on their lives than any other social, cultural or legislative change in the last 20 years.

DeafNation World Expo 2010

Hospital Fails to Provide Terp

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center will make changes to settle a discrimination lawsuit. Kenton Hermans says the New Hampshire hospital failed to provide an interpreter two years ago when he was a patient. Hospital workers tried to get a friend of his to interpret so they would not have to call a qualified sign language interpreter. The medical center has agreed to provide training on ADA law for its employees and pay Hermans $5000. The hospital did not admit wrongdoing in settling the case.

Mount Vernon & ADA

There are major changes coming to George Washington's home to comply with ADA law. A hearing-impaired visitor had complained to the Justice Department about the lack of services for the disabled at the residence located west of the Potomac River in Virginia. Specfically, the complaint mentioned that films shown at Mount Vernon were not closed captioned. The group that maintains the home have agreed to make $400,000 in alterations to bring the national landmark into full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Among the changes which should be completed within a year: all centerpiece films in the main theaters will include closed captioning and ASL tours will be offered to visitors. More than a million people come to Mount Vernon each year.

ADA Study

A major survey of the impact of ADA law will be released today in Washington. It was put together by AmeriGroup's Jim Carlson and Dr. Lex Frieden from the University of Texas at Houston.

Lawsuit Against Bus Company

A bus company in Melrose Park, Illinois is accused of failing to take a group of 55 hearing-impaired students from the Illinois Service Resource Center (along with their famiies) on a trip to see the Illinois School for the Deaf. In a lawsuit filed against Sleepless in the City Bus Service, the families accuss the company of taking their money in advance - $1,750 - and then never showing up. The group waited for 4 hours and not being able to get in touch with the Bus Service, called another company which cost $3,100. Sleepless in the City has repeatedly refused to refund the money.

Attack in Miami

A deaf woman raped in the garage of a Miami Metrorail station this morning. She was walking near the Martin Luther King Metrorail station at around 2am. Security cameras in the area may have caught the attack.

Implant Anniversary

This month is the 30th Anniversary of the first pediatric cochlear implant. The FDA approved the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles to conduct a clinical trial in July 1980 for 3 patients under the age of 18. William House developed the single-channel device in the 1960s and it had been successfully implanted in adults. The same device was then used in preschool-aged child the following year leading to national trials. In the late 1980’s, The Institute became the first US center to give a multi-channel device to a young child.

DeafNation World Conference and Expo

The DeafNation World Conference and Expo taking place in Las Vegas this week is expected to draw more than 20,000 people from all over the world. The event includes
workshops, new product exhibitions, entertainment and more. Admission is free through tomorrow at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

Implant Study Gets $3 Million

University researchers are getting more than $3 million in federal money to test modifications in cochlear implants. The grant will go toward examining the fitting approach used for cochlear implants. The funding comes from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and will involve faculty at Arizona State University and University of Texas. The researchers will use feedback from patient trials to determine the usefulness of their ability to adjust the device.

FaceTime Relay App

IWRelay has released a mobile video relay app for Deaf and hard of hearing iPhone 4users. IWRelay VRS connects Deaf mobile phone users with video relay interpreters through the phone's FaceTime feature. Check here for more information.

Deaf Rugby Team

A look at the rugby team for the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in the CBS video below.

Getting to Know.. ADA

This coming Sunday marks the 19th anniversary of the day the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by then President HW Bush (July 26,1990). This is a good time to remember what ADA does and does not do for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

ADA is a civil-rights law prohibiting discrimination based on disability. ADA is not an entitlement program and does not deal with financial compensation, employment services or advocacy services.

Here’s a breakdown of what each section of the Americans with Disabilities Act covers:

Title I – employment by private employers with 15 or more employees
Title II - state and local governments, including access to programs and public transportation.
Title III - physical accessibility, access to goods and services and private transportation services.
Title IV - telecommunication standards, including relay services for people with hearing and speech disabilities and closed captioning.
Title V - funding of ten regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers. The DBTAC’s provide ADA advise and ADA training. For more information call (800) 949-4232.

Here’s what ADA does NOT cover:

• Private businesses with less than 15 employees
• Churches, private clubs and Native American tribes are excluded.
• Housing (housing is covered by the Fair Housing Act)
• Airplane rides (While ADA cover airports, it does not cover passengers once aboard a plane. That area is covered by the Air Carrier Access Act)
  
  Related Laws:
  
• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 covers access to federal programs
  
• The Architectural Barriers Act covers physical accessibility of federal buildings.
  
• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act covers K-12 public schools.

ADA Enforcement: The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (or EEOC) enforces the employment provisions of the ADA

What Qualifies: A hearing impairment is a disability under the ADA if it substantially limits a major life activity (or used to do so) or if an employer treated the individual as if though his or her hearing impairment was substantially limiting

Devices: The use of hearing aids or other devices that improve hearing must be considered in determining whether the individual has a disability under the ADA. Even someone who uses a mitigating measure may have a disability if the measure does not correct the condition completely and there are still substantial limitations.

Complaint Time Limit: You have 180 days to make a complaint against someone for violating ADA law. The only exception would be an opportunity to file a complaint under state or local law. This could extend the filing window to 300 days after the alleged discrimination. A complaint must be filed with the EEOC before filing a lawsuit in federal court.

More Questions: Got a question about ADA law? Call the Justice Department's ADA information line: 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). Or you can access the department's ADA law homepage.

Captioned-Radio Display Ready

Captioned-radio will be demonstrated at the White House as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new technology was developed by National Public Radio. The NPR Labs team will show government officials its prototype car dashboard featuring a captioned-radio display. The driver’s view shows GPS maps while the passenger’s view shows real-time text of audio broadcast over the radio.

$15 Million for Broadbant

Communication Service for the Deaf is getting a $15 million in federal money to promote the use of broadband among the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The money comes from the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Communication Service for the Deaf is a nonprofit based in South Dakota. Among other ways of getting the word out, the group will create an online support center through a sign language proficient staff in support of video, real-time text-based communications, and other specialized broadband technologies. The project is expected to create 60 jobs in South Dakota.

Researcher Dies

The neuroscientist whose work on how bats navigate led to implanted devices has died. Robert Galambos was 96 years old. He died of heart failure at his California home last month. His groundbreaking research into bat navigation revealed the way nerves get messages about sound to the brain. The findings led to the development of cochlear implants for humans.

Report on Video Relay Changes

WDBJ-TV in Roanoke disputes Sorenson's claim that FCC changes in video relay would have a "dire impact" on the deaf community. The video report is below and the text of the report is here.

Internet Video Captioning Law

It appears more likely that Congress will create new closed captioning rules related to online video. Before the August recess lawmakers are expected to pass a measure that would revise and expand what must be done to make content or equipment accessible for persons with disabilities. The Senate bill is S3304 and the House bill is HR3101. Both are through the "markup" process. There are differences in the bills that will have to be worked out. The Senate proposal calls for Internet video to use TV-type captioning while the House legislation would require captioning using Internet protocol. Despite the differences, both Chambers are likely to pass a final compromise before adjourning for the August recess - partly to commemorate the 20th anniversary of ADA on July 26.

Train Strikes Woman

A Baltimore woman was hit light rail train Friday night. The 40-year-old deaf woman is expected to survive. She walked in front of the northbound train at Pratt and Howard streets near Camden Yards, but didn't hear the train because her back was toward it.

DeafNation World Expo

The 2010 DeafNation World Expo starts today in Los Vegas. Admission is free to all events. Find out more here. Keynote speakers include Bernard Bragg International Deaf Entertainer, Donalda Ammons International Deaf Sports Leader, and Mark Wheatley EU of the Deaf. Marlee Matlin will make a special appearance on Wednesday.

Lawsuit Settled

Ventura County, California will pay a woman $45,000 for not hiring her because she was deaf. A judge approved the deal Friday. Lee Ann Unchangco had been a social worker in Los Angeles for some 8 years but when she applied for the same position in Ventura County during 2005, Unchangco was turned away despite receiving high marks in her interview. During a second round of interviews, it was made clear to her that she would not be hired because she is deaf – despite the fact she had a decade of experience in the same position that earned her high praise in Los Angeles County. The EEOC investigation concluded the county admitted the only reason Unchangco wasn't hired was because she is deaf.

Deaf School Director Suspended

State officials have suspended the director of the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton. There are reports of physical conflicts between staffers and students. Disability Rights NC says girls living in the residential school say a male dorm director has spyed on them at inappropriate times. Director Janet McDaniel is accused of not reporting the problems or taking action to rectify the situation. The advocacy group says she tried to cover up the problems. McDaniel makes more than $97,000 in salary to oversee the 97 students at the facility and will continue to be paid during an investigation. State legilators have already approved moving control of the school from North Carolina's health department to the Department of Public Instruction.

Expo in Vegas

DeafNation Expo is in Las Vegas from tomorrow through the 23rd.

Internet Access Bill Moves Forward

Congress is a step closer to passing a new law requiring captioning on Internet video and smart phones to work with hearing aids. The Senate Commerce Committee has put its stamp of approval on the bill 3304, the Equal Access to the 21st Century Communications Act. While the committee may still make changes, the sponsors of the measure are prepping for a full Senate vote. Opposing the bill is the Consumer Electronics Association which says it would put an undue burden on media makers.

FaceTime Relay

Video relay service provider ZVRS says it will begin using Apple's FaceTime app. The iPhone 4's face-to-face chat capability is already popular among deaf users. However, it's use is limited to phones operating over Wi-Fi networks.

Man Serving 10 Years May Be Innocent

Dallas Police police insist the deaf man they locked away for assaulting a 5-year old girl is guilty - even though fingerprint evidence found at the scene of the crime matches a man wanted in nearly a dozen similar crimes. Stephen Brodie is now serving a 10 year sentence for the sexual assault. But his supposed confession came during 18 hours of questioning in which he also admited to committing crimes investigators made-up. Brodie showed no knowledge of the crime scene. Police failed to use an interpreter for nearly half of their interrogations and did not find any physical evidence linking Brodie to the crime. Brodie has maintained his innocence following the interviews and says he simply gave up after hours of badgering from police officers. The DA's office is now formally investigating the possibility. Brodie contracted spinal meningitis at an early age which left him deaf.

Cause of Rare form of Hearing Loss Discovered

University of Michigan researchers say fruit flies have helped them identify a gene mutation that causes a rare form of hearing loss called Auditory Neuropathy. This mutation is called DIAPH3 and appears to cause an over production of a specific protein called diaphanous protein leading to hearing loss. Details are in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences or you can read more about the research here.

Controversy with Implants

The student newspapaer at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas offers a look at the cochlear implant controversy here.

NAD: Day 4

Here is an ASL video about volunteers at the 50th Biennial NAD Conference in Philadelphia.

Ride to Alaska for Kids

A group of 14 riders will make a charity motorcycle ride to Alaska starting Saturday. The 11,000-mile round-trip the World’s Longest Group Motorcycle Benefit Run. The ride has been made for 9 years in order to raise funds for the SKI-HI Institute which is part of Utah State University and helps children who are deaf and those who are blind. The institute partners with the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine.

Review of "The Silence"

In a review of a new BBC thriller The Silence, a Guardian Newspaper reviewer says the series has a "storyline that leaves the viewer wanting more." Deaf actor Genevieve Barr' plays a woman who has a cochlear implant and is trying to come to terms with her new hearing. She has to "spend her days at hearing-therapy sessions, tediously reading out childish sentences and being berated for using sign language. The Silence becomes a clever portrayal of the realities of adapting to a new cochlear implant interwoven into a classic murder drama." Read more here.

Implant Maker Expands in India

Cochlear Ltd is setting up shop in India. The Austrialian company will have offices in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Cochlear has been selling implants in the Indian market for some 15 years and plans to sink about $15 million into promoting its products in the country. It dominates the cochlear implant market worldwide and has hired more than 50 people in India.