Follow up on deaf couple who died in fire along with their granddaughter

We told you yesterday about the 10-year-old girl and her grandparents who died in a fire early in the morning. WKBN-TV takes a look at how the Youngstown, Ohio deaf community is handling the loss of Bill and Judy Schmidt.

Three Die in Fire before rape trial

A fire killed a 10-year-old today--just "hours before a man suspected of raping her was scheduled to go on trial" according to KDKA-TV . The DA says the fire happened under "suspicious circumstances." The girl lived with her deaf grandparents--who also died in the Youngstown, Ohio fire. KDKA-TV has a video report with more details.

Deaf man shot by neighbor

The family of a deaf man says he was called "deaf and dumb" before being shot by a neighbor in front of his four-year-old daughter. WJAX-TV in Jacksonville has a video report. No captions but you can read the story here.

Gally panel on race

A Black Lives Matter panel will convene at Gallaudet University Tuesday. The president of Howard University, a Washington Post reporter, and leaders in law enforcement and civil rights will take part in the discussion. This isn't the first such meeting. The school started its Black Lives Matter program series back in February. Gallaudet University's Counseling and Psychological Services will provide support during and after each event in this series. The goal, according to the school, is to "provide a safe environment for all in the campus community in the exploration of difficult and critically important issues." For more information click here.

Hearing K-class learn some sign

Kindergardeners in a Texas school learned sign to help them prepare for deaf students who would be joining them. KFDX-TV in Wichita Falls has a video report.

Former school worker sentenced for sex crime

A one-time teaching assistant in Hawaii will spend a long time behind bars for sexually assaulting a deaf 14-year-old student at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind. Alfie S. Lumabas, who is deaf himself, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the attack. He pleaded guilty earlier this year. KHON-TV has a video report.

Suit over Online Course Captioning

A deaf student is suing the American Heart Association for failing to caption video in an online course. Ian Deandrea-Lazarus says he was required to take the course as part of his degree requirements at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. WROC-TV has a video report.

Hospital Settles over ADA complaint

A Connecticut hospital has agreed to pay a deaf patient $45,000 for failing to provide adequate interpreting services. St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, located in the Hartford area, also agreed to train staff members and change its policies. The complaint, filed with the Department of Justice Read more details here.

Calling a police officer a 'pig' in sign can get you prosecuted

Linley Hassan was taken to jail after calling a police officer a pig in sign language at a McDonalds in northern England. The Telegraph reports Hassan pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and was ordered to pay a fine. Read the full story here.

Proposed TN law could change who terms in abuse cases

A Tennessee state senator has introduced a bill that would prevent law enforcement officers from using family members as interpreters in child abuse situations. It would also allow the use of volunteer interpreters. The House Civil Justice subcommittee will take a look at Republican Ferrell Haile's bill today and the Senate Calendar Committee will take up the bill Thursday. Some Deaf advocates are concerned the bill could lead to the use of unqualified interpreters. Read the bill here.

Brain Stem Implants in Texas

Brainstem Implants are being studied as an option for parents whose children are not able to have a cochlear implant. KTAB-TV has a video report. No captions but you can read the story here.

Football Association Sued For Discrimination

A Minnesota family are suing the "Spring Lake Park Panther Youth Football Association over their deaf son’s participation in the league" related to the payment of interpreters. WCCO-TV has a video report.

DeafNation visits Austin

DeafNation Expo hits Austin this Saturday (March 28). Join the trade show for exhibitions and entertainment at no charge. You'll find it at the Austin Convention Center. Find out more here.

Telecom slapped with large fine

UK regulators have fined a British multinational telecommunications company 800,000 pounds for not getting a new texting service up and running for the deaf by last year's deadline. British Telecommunications (BT) claimed technical difficulties prevented it from making the deadline. Read more here.

Program for deaf students in Michigan is closing

A Michigan school district is closing its program for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, reports the Press and Guide. Students will be mainstreamed, and one parent complains, "It's horrible. (My son) potentially could be the only deaf child in the school.” An online petition has been started, asking the Michigan Office of Special Education to intervene and reinstate the program. The petition has more than 2,000 signatures. Read the full story here.

Finding Beauty in Images from the Bayou

Tate Tullier calls Louisiana his home. "Known for its scenic rural areas and ghostly swamps" it's "the perfect place for an aspiring photographer to grow up" reports the Daily Reveille. LSU's student media profiles the deaf photographer and Gallaudet University graduate here.

Was Deaf woman's death part of a Suicide Pact?

The Hollywood gossip site TMZ is reporting that LA police believe the death of Wendy Blackstone, who is deaf, might have been part of a suicide pact with her sister--who is a well-known producer for TV shows like Jerry Springer and Sally Jessy Raphael. Read the full story here.

Zoombie Walk Driver pleads 'not guilty'

The deaf man accused of plowing through a crowd during San Diego's "zombie walk" last year is pleading not guilty. Matthew Pocci faces a felony reckless driving charge that could put him behind bars for as much as three years. He says he feared for his safety because people surrounded his car and some sat on the hood. Pocci's nephew, sister and girlfriend were in the car when Pocci panicked, knocking one woman to the ground, breaking her arm. He'll be officially be booked tomorrow and due back in court in May. Here's a video report from KSWB‑TV (no captions but you can read the story here).



Here's cell phone video of the accident.

TV producer gave 'inconsistent statements' about deaf sister's death

A TV producer gave "inconsistent statements" to police after her sister was found dead, investigators have told KABC-TV. We first shared the story with you on Wednesday here. Now, more details care coming to light about what happened in the Los Angeles-area home share by a Jerry Springer producer and her deaf sister. Here's KABC's video report.

Why ISIS is pitching its cause to the deaf?

Members of the terror group ISIS put out a video recently, calling on the deaf in the West to join their cause. We first told you about the video nearly two weeks ago in a post here. KERO‑TV in Bakersfield, California spoke with a deaf advocacy group and a psychiatrist to find out why the believe this is happening. (The captions don't seen to be working, but you can read the story here).

6 Weeks in Jail with no terp

A deaf homeless man spent six weeks in a Virginia jail-without an interpreter or access to a TTY. That's the claim in a lawsuit filed by Abreham Zemedagegehu. He didn't even know why he was behind bars for 24 days, the suit says. Zemedagegehu is from Ethiopia and cannot write in English. The iPad prosecutors claimed hie stole was found while he was in jail-and they still convicted Zemedagegehu. Read the full story from the Washington Post here.

More on the death of the 'Springer' Producer sister

Los Angeles Police believe the death of Wendy Blackstone was staged, according to a new report from TMZ. Wendy Blackstone is deaf and her body discovered by her sister, TV producer Jill Blackstone. The sisters lived together in the Los Angeles area. LAPD says she appears to have died from carbon monoxide from a BBQ grill. Read the full story here. Jill Blackstone has produced TV shows for Jerry Springer among others.

TV producer arrested for Murdering her Deaf Sister

A TV producer who worked on shows like Jerry Springer, Sally Jessy Raphael, Dr. Drew and Rosie was arrested on murder charges in California, according to numerous reports. Law enforcement authorities say Jill Blackstone found the body of her deaf sister, according to TMZ. However, the DA decide not to pursue changes against her at this time--though the case remains open. Read more here or watch a KTLA video report (no captions).

Deaf Couple forced to leave home after dispute with neighbor

A deaf couple in Cleveland are struggling with a neighbor who was once the head of the US Secret Service and is the former Cleveland Brown security chief. At issue, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer: pets, trespassing, dirty looks and surveillance cameras in an otherwise peaceful cluster of townhouses in Beachwood, one of the region's more wealthy suburbs." Here's a video report or you can read details here.

Suit against apartment owner settled

A New Orleans apartment owner will pay $75,000 for ignoring deaf renters. A lawsuit filed by Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center said that NOLA Apartments hung up on callers using telephone relay. The company run by Craig Tolbert has hundreds of units. Read more about the lawsuit here.

DeafNation in Orlando

DeafNation Expo hits Orlando this Saturday (March 21). Join the trade show for exhibitions and entertainment at no charge. You'll find it at the Osceola Heritage Park. Find out more here.

Idaho School For The Deaf And Blind Makes A Splash

Deaf-Blind students in Idaho hit the slopes and the pool on consecutive days. KMVT-TV has a video report.

Melissa's Implants

Born deaf in both ears, Melissa used a hearing aid for years but continued losing her hearing. She eventually decided to get a cochlear implant and here's the video results.

Deaf Woman meets Implant in College Show

image from TerryGallaway.com

The one-woman show You Are My Sunshine comes to Missouri's Columbia College Friday night. Terry Galloway "explores her experience as a deaf woman learning to hear at the age of 60" according to the student newspaper. It's free program starts at 7:30 p.m. in 's

Luke Adams: A unique college hoops career

Luke Adams is a Texas Tech walk-on guard who stands at only 5 feet 7 inches. CBS Sports says the cochlear implant wearer "gets carded at the campus bookstore. They questioned him being in the athletes' line to return his books for the semester." His college sports career is coming to a close but not his career. Find out why in a CBS Sports video profile of Luke Adams.No captions but you can read the story here.

Why is ISIS recruiting deaf people?

This past weekend we shared with you the video produced by ISIS (or the Islamic State) in which two men sign to each other and tell viewers to join the ISIS jihad. Why are they doing this? In a piece published by the BBC the Limping Chicken's Charlie Swinbourne writes, "Few organisations and groups in the UK make signed and subtitled videos to communicate clearly with deaf people, so the fact that IS have made a fully accessible video could make them seem more deaf-friendly than many who are closer to home." Read his full commentary here.

The Power of Deaf Women

Marlee Matlin appears in a new (short) video about the "power of deaf women" sponsored by DeafNation. If you want to submit a woman's story, click here.

More on the woman discriminated against at a post office

We told about the deaf woman who couldn't get service at post office yesterday. Now, WKMG-TV in Orlando has put together a video report on what happened to her and why it was "humiliating and degrading."

Inside San Francisco's Deaf Owned And Operated Pizzeria

Find out "how two determined entrepreneurs overcame the obstacles of running a business for the hearing world" to create a popular San Francisco restaurant. Read the article here.

Islamic State puts out video directed at the deaf

There's a new ISIS recruitment video out--and it shows two armed and deaf Islamic State fighters using sign. The subtitles indicate it's an attempt to demonstrate how "normal" life can be for anyone living under ISIS rule. The video suggests anyone who is deaf can join the jihad in the Middle East.

Deaf Woman: BOA refused to answer my email

A Minnesota woman said Bank of America discriminated against her because she is deaf. Kathryn Letourneau claims the bank refused to answer her email after initially doing so. While not admitting guilt, Bank of America has agreed to pay Letourneau $155,000. KSTP-TV has a video report below.

Deaf Woman Refused Service at Post Office

Lisa Curley says a friend was refused service at a Florida post office because she is deaf. Curley posted the story on Facebook this week and it has gotten many shares and likes. One of the employees allegedly wrote a note to the unnamed woman saying USPS employees didn't have to talk to deaf people and she she should "get an interpreter." The postal service says it is investigating. You can read the FB post here.

Samsung's Hearing Hands Ad

Samsung is promoting its new video relay call center in Turkey with a creative ad that gives a young deaf man a unique morning. The ad is called "Hearing Hands."

Guilty of Murder

A New York deaf man will find out on April Fool's Day if he will spend the next 25 years in prison. That's the sentence that Bismark Lithgow could get for murdering his girlfriend. A New York jury found him guilty yesterday of stabbing her and hiding her body in a 55-gallon drum. Police found it in his bedroom. “Several of us cried when it was over,” a juror told the New York Times. Read more here.

Deaf Student Allegedly Sexually Assaulted

The parents of a 12-year-old deaf boy says their son was sexually assaulted by another student in a Lodi, California public school. They aren't happy with how the school system is handling the case. KTXL-TV spoke with the victim's mother (no captions but you can read a text of the story here.

Contamination at Deaf School

Warning signs have been put into place around a school for the deaf and "large areas of the campus have been fenced off" according to the Press Enterprise. About 2,900 tons of soil at The California School for the Deaf at Riverside is contaminated. It contains "unsafe levels of lead, arsenic and two kinds of pesticides that have been banned for decades because of their toxicity." Find out the whopping price tag for this project here.

Shakespeare honor goes to Gallaudet

credit: Shakespeare First Folio, 1623.
Folger Shakespeare Library.

Gallaudet University has the honor of being selected as the host site for one of the world's most treasured books--Shakespeare's First Folio. The book contains 36 of Shakespeare's plays and was printed in 1623. It will travel nationwide as part of an exhibition that will visit all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Visitors to the Gallaudet exhibition will be given a variety of programs from which to choose. The a unique cross-cultural experience will combine "classic English literature, theater, American Sign Language (ASL), and the deaf community." Project Director and English professor Dr. Jill Bradbury says the school is "delighted to be selected as the D.C. host site for First Folio! Our goal is to promote a deeper understanding of Shakespeare's role in deaf theater history and to educate a broad swath of the U.S. deaf and hard of hearing community about the First Folio." Read more about this unique opportunity here
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