Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Receives $28.5 Million

The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind is getting a new $28 million campus in Decatur. The project will span 160-acres to accomodate independent living educational programs for K-12 students and adults. The new location will be a satellite campus for the orginal location in Talladega, founded in 1858. The institution's Cyber Security curriculum created through a partnership with The University of Alabama in Huntsville, The National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Gallaudet University will be expanded. There are plans to create a Resource Center for Deaf Education as a satellite of the federally-funded National Deaf Education Center in Washington, DC. Read more here.

Alabama man charged with kidnapping deaf child

An Alabama man is behind bars and facing kidnapping charges according to the Gadsden Times. Darrell Wade Watkins is accused of taking a deaf 4-year-old girl out of his family's year. Read about it here.

Deaf Football Team tries something new

The Alabama School for the Deaf football team is trying something new—they are playing with the Alabama School for the Blind. WIAT-TV has a video report on the Silent Warriors.

Deaf Space Camp

This year's Deaf Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama brought together 20 students from all over the country recently. WAAY-TV has a video report.

Mom: School took away Terp

A mom in Huntsville, Alabama says her school district has taken away her 8-year-old son's sign language interpreter. Ryann Brown told AL.com, "He cannot benefit from any type of hearing aid or cochlear implant so he fully relies on sign language to communicate. Taking away his interpreter would provide him with no access to language in the classroom." Read the full story here.

A "deaf culture war" in Alabama

Rep. Margie Wilcox  

A bill in the Alabama legislature had pitted "the deaf culture and the 'hearing deaf' culture," against one another, advocate Leigh Leak says.  According to AL.com, HB 253, proposed by Rep. Margie Wilcox, aims "to help deaf kids who are falling through the cracks" but "advocates in the 'hearing deaf' culture are afraid the bill will force children who use spoken language to learn American Sign Language." They complain the opt out option for children with cochlear implants is too weak. Read the full story from AL.com here or look at the bill itself here.

Roll Tide!

Issues related to the deaf community at the University of Alabama is featured in an article in the student newspaper of the school. Read what The Crimson White has to say about accessibility and education here.

Deaf catcher drafted for pro ball

image from Facebook

A deaf high school catcher was picked in the Major League Baseball draft yesterday. The Atlanta Braves selected Troy, Alabama's
Chase Smartt in the 35th round, according to AL.com. Find out why the Braves are high on Smartt--only the second player taken straight out of an Alabama high school this year. Read the details here.

Alabama Conference starts this weekend

The Alabama Association of the Deaf Conference starts this Sunday in Florence. For more information, click here.

An aspiring filmmaker

A former Miss Deaf Alabama is directing a film. What Desiree Dorsey is doing after graduating from college. Read more details at the WBRC-TV website here.

NASA's Deaf Engineer

image from NASA

Vicky Garcia spoke to deaf kids at a special space camp today. It takes place each year in Huntsville, Alabama at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Read about why she does it--even though she says, "I hate public speaking" here.

Arrest in ALA murder

Prosecutors in Mobile, Alabama have arrested Myles Xavier Smith for killing a deaf woman. WALA-TV has a video report.

Deaf Woman Killed in Alabama

A deaf woman died from a gunshot wound at a apartment complex for the deaf in Mobile, Alabama early this morning. WALA-TV has more on the story here, WKRG-TV has more on the story here and the Mobile Press Register has a report here.

protest over lack of interpreter for trial

A deaf couple protested outside an Alabama courthouse this week after filing a complaint over the kind of interpreting they received during a recent trial. They say it was a violation of ADA law to not be given a certified interpreter when Donald Boilard's wife took the stand to testify in an assault case as a victim. He served as her interpreter. The prosecutor said getting a certified interpreter would have meant a delay in the trial and he blames the deaf couple for not wanting to put the trial off. Read the full story here.

Helen Keller Fest

The annual Helen Keller Festival starts today (June 26) in Tuscumbia, Alabama and continues through Sunday (June 30). There will music, exhibits, vendors and a stage presentation of The Miracle WorkerFind out more here.

Deaf Space Camp

Deaf students interested in space got a closeup visit to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama last week. One student from the Maryland School for the Deaf told a local TV station, "It’s been my first time flying as a pilot in the orbiter, it’s been my first time doing a lot of things.” WHNT-TV has a video report posted below on DeafNewsToday.com (no captions) or you can read the story here.

Terp Shortages in Alabama

WTVY-TV reports on how interpreter shortages are affecting schools in southeastern Alabama.

Sports Standouts in Alabama

There are six new members of the Alabama School for the Deaf Hall of Fame. The Talladega school welcomed basketball star Roxanne Dawes, Stanley Jordan, Larry Potter, Jerry Smith, Charles Thorn and Tommy White.

Roxanne Dawes led the Lady Warriors in scoring every year with more than 1600 total points, a school record, during her time at the school. She worked at the Texas School for the Deaf for two decades.

Stanley Jordan was selected as a First Team All-American and All-County in 1976 and 1977 for his football play. He led the nation’s schools for the deaf in the most total tackles in 1977.

Larry Potter was a basketball standout. He was named to the Deaf All-American Second Team in 1958 and voted to the All-Tournament Team twice

Jerry Smith scored 10 touchdowns and 10 two-point conversions for a total of 80 points in just two seasons of football. He earned a Deaf All-American honorable mention in 1972.

Charles Thorn was one of the greatest nose guards ever to play for the Silent Warriors. He earned All-Southern First Team and All-American First Team honors in defense in 1951. Charles passed away in 2002.

Tommy White was named to the Deaf All-American First Team in 1966 and 1968 in basketball. He was on the All-County Team in 1968 and the Mason-Dixon All-Tournament Team three times.

interpreters make concerts come alive

Read how interpreters are making an impact at Bayfest in Mobile, Alabama here.

School Prez Leaving

The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind is losing its president. Terry Graham says he plans to retire February first. He's been a part of the school for 35 years, serving as the president the last ten. A search for the next president will begin soon.