Medical Professionals

Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses (or AMPHL) began 2001 with three deaf veterinarians and three medical students. The association now includes as physical therapist and psychologist among others.

Race Drivers Help School

A video about how NASCAR works with the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind.

Bison Victory

Gallaudet's football team beat Maritime College in the final minute of play Friday night in Throggs Neck, New York. The Bison scored the game-winning touchdown with 53 second left on the clock and then stopped a Privateer drive to claim victory. That gives Gallaudet 6 wins and 4 loses on the season. The Bison finish third in the conference with a 3-2 mark.

Cali School Football

KPIX-TV has a video report on the California School for the Deaf in Freemont on the football field with rival Riverside as part of the school's 150th anniversary. Freemont won the game 41-6 (no captions).

Flu Vaccine

Here's an ASL video about where to get the H1N1 swine flu vaccine and what to do if you are sick with the flu from OIC Movies.

Signing in History

The earliest British account of signing dates back to a wedding in 1575, where the groom used signs during the ceremony. Samuel Pepys's account of the great fire of London in 1666 refers to a 'dumb' boy who describes the fire using "strange signs". This 'home signing', as it is known, was an ad hoc gesturing system developed by deaf children which would not have been passed down generations or across deaf communities.

Zambia Interpreters

Officials in Zambia are considering placing new restrictions on sign language interpreters after reports of abuse and profiteering from some in the deaf community. The Zambia Agency for Persons with Disability director, Charles Mwape, says the government effort will lead to issuing licenses to sign language interpreters.

Meanwhile, Zambia's Ministry of Community development is asking the Ministry of Health to train HIV/AIDS counselors and nurses in sign language so that they may better serve the deaf.

Deaf Veterinarians.

The American Veterinary Medical Association has posted a new story about deaf veterinarians.

Search for Vandals

Police in Eastern Ohio are looking for a couple who stole equipment for deaf students worth hundreds of dollars from Colerain High School. The pair can be clearly seen on surveillance cameras this week during an event at the school. After vandalizing the facility, the two were seen leaving in a large white van. They took advantage of unlocked doors for the school function.

Hot Cake Flipper

The Illinois School for the Deaf will host a pancake feed tomorrow morning in the gym. Guinness Book of World Records holder Chris Cakes will make an appearance. He holds the record as the fastest pancake flipper in the world. The money will help the school’s eighth grade.

Details on School Assault

We now know more details about what happened at the Maryland School for the Deaf that lead to the arrest of 4 students. Police say a 16-year-old student was held down by other students at the Frederick facility while others pushed objects up his rectum including a small plastic bottle of hand sanitizer and a soft-drink bottle. About a half-dozen watched. A second juvenile told police he was injuted while fighting off and fleeing from students who tried to take off his pants.

One adult, 20-year-old Tyler Dilks, and three junveniles are now facing charges of fourth-degree sex offense, second-degree assault and conspiracy. Dilks has a January 12th trial date.

Hearing Aid Rally

WCVB-TV offers a video report on the effort to make insurance companies pay for hearing aids in Massachusetts. Here's a link to the text of the story.

Tampa Head Start

WTVT-TV in Tampa files this video report on parents who've gotten funding for high-tech center that will promote speech and literacy for the deaf children.

Hearing Aid Bill

A proposed Massachusetts law would require insurers to pay part of the cost of hearing aids for children. The bill would also require coverage of hearing aid replacements since they often need replacing every three years. Families rallied in support of the measure at the State House yesterday. State insurers are opposing the bill through efforts by the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans.

Deaflympics Host

The man who ran Deaflympics this summer in Taiwan is moving up. Emile Sheng is set to become the new minister of the Cabinet-level Council for Cultural Affairs. Sheng grabbed the attention of government officials with his success in hosting the games. He will also oversee the
major activities to mark the 100th founding anniversary of the Republic of China in 2011. Sheng holds a doctoral degree in political science from Northwestern University in Illinois.

Causes of Hearing-Loss

A CNN report on hearing-loss (no captioning).

Sexual Assault Arrests

Four students will be charged with sexual assault of a male student at the Maryland School for the Deaf last week. Frederick police say three of the suspects are minors and one an adult who lived in the same dormitory as the victim. He was treated and released from a hospital.

Implant Film

The director of a controversial film will be among those gathering to discuss the documentary at Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego this Saturday night. Sound and Fury has been out for a decade but it still divides the Deaf community. The movie shows how one family deals with cochlear implants. The film has recently been updated by director Josh Aronson.

Unexpected Death

The man leading the deaf studies program at the California State University Northridge has suddenly died. Lawrence Fleischer, better known as Larry, is one of main reasons the program even exists. He was 64 years old and had been a faculty member for more than decade. There are nearly 500 majors enrolled in the deaf studies program at CSUN.

Fleischer had just spoken at the ASL Teachers Association conference in Phoenix the day before his death. His daughter is an assistant professor of ASL and Deaf Studies at Utah Valley University.

Orioles Victorious

The Maryland School for the Deaf football team won again this weekend -47 to 0. The victory over the Model Secondary School for the Deaf gives the Orioles nine wins against a single loss. The team had to cancel two games last week. There was an outbreak of flu at St. James School and the replacement opponent couldn't field enough players.