Center in Turmoil

The future of a Philadelphia center is in question after losing its permanent director and most of its staff has quit. Services are on hold at the Center on Hearing and Deafness in West Chester after some 14 years. Board members are promising that classes in independent-living skills will go on but there is no one to teach them and the Center is more often closed than open. The director resigned after months of frighting with the board. The interim director cannot sign and has difficulty communicating with staffers, most of whom are deaf.