Deaf girl fitted with bionic ear speaks her first word

The BBC tells the story of a toddler who now wears a "bionic ear" - read the story here.

Police: Con Man Jailed

An Iowa man is behind bars for taking as much as $200k from a deaf woman. Police say Austin McDaniels, who also deaf and went by other names like Randall Rogers and Barry Minter, pretended he was an attorney and convinced the woman that she was in legal trouble for the way she was selling TTY machines. A woman named Chris Story has been charged with being part of the scam. Prosecutors say McDaniels gambled away most of the money he received. He could get up to 20 years in jail.

Bloomberg's Terp

The ASL interpreter for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is getting serious social media attention. The passionate style of Lydia Callis has, according to New York magazine, given "New Yorkers a legitimate reason to smile". Here's a video of her at work.

Accommodations at MIT

A look at what MIT could do to better meet the needs of ASL users among its students, faculty and staff here.

"Inhuman treatment" in Canada

A deaf prisoner is accusing Canada's correctional facilities of inhuman treatment. Michael Mickelson is now out of jail, but he says during his near decade of incarceration the system failed to accommodate his deafness. Mickelson is an ASL user and says his requests for interpreters were routinely denied. This meant, according to Mickelson, he did not have confidentiality with his attorney and was unable to contact his family, and that his parole was denied for not taking part in a rehabilitation program - something he could not do without an interpreter. Mickelson also says he was placed in solitary confinement after he was not able to defend himself against accusations because he did not have an interpreter. The West Coast Prison Justice Society in British Columbia says the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms requires correctional facilities to treat "offenders with disabilities" with "equitably”. The Correctional Service of Canada has not yet responded to the grievance filed by Mickelson. Read more about the case here.

Deaf Boys Film banned at Film Fests

A sex abuse film that points the finger at the Vatican will be shown in U.S. theaters starting next month (Nov 16). Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney put together Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God. It follows the abuse of deaf boys at a Milwaukee Catholic church to a Vatican coverup. The Venice and Rome film festivals banned the film, due to Vatican influence. Father Lawrence Murphy taught at the St. John’s School for the Deaf in Wisconsin and is believed to have molested hundreds of pupils for more than two decades. Murphy never faced any discipline from the church - even after his abuse became known. The five students interviewed in the film use ASL to explain what they endured. You can see a preview here.

Hearing loss doesn't hold back young singer

11-yearold Elizabeth Sara Merrick will sing this morning at the New England Walk4Hearing in Brighton. She was born with mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears and got her first hearing aids when she was four. The fifth-grader's sister is seven years old and also hearing impaired. Elizabeth got in the public spotlight last year when she testified before state lawmakers in support of a bill that requires insurance companies to cover up to the cost of hearing aids for children. The bill passed and was signed into Massachusetts law by the governor this summer. For more information on the walk, click here.. Here's a video sample of what she can do.

Break the Silence on Hearing Loss

Its a silent problem on college campuses. Read the story about hearing loss among university faculty here.

Deaf football player shines in Florida

A junior varsity football player is featured in this video report from WBBH-TV. The starting cornerback for Gulf Coast High School in Naples, Florida is deaf. Read the story here.

NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral

Deaf police officers fight crime in Mexico

Read about what police in Oaxaca are doing with the help of the deaf community here.

Deaf Runner at TX meet

A cross-country meet in Texas this weekend includes a deaf runner and a blind runner. Cameron Jackson, who is deaf, and Nick Barrera, who is legally blind, both will run for Ryan High School, located in Denton, just outside of Dallas. During tomorrow's District 5-5A meet, Barrera will depend on sounds to find his way rather than a guide rope while Jackson will run without his hearing aids. Several SEC and Big 12 are interested in having Jackson run for their teams. He posted the best 5,000-meter time in nation this summer at the Boswell Pioneer Trail run - nearly eight seconds faster than the previous national best. The second place finisher was nearly 15 seconds behind Jackson.

Protestors Demand Reinstatement

WJZ-TV reports on the Gallaudet protests in the video posted below on DeafNewsToday.com. Or read the story here.

The Gallaudet Mistake

Why do Gallaudet's students resist the idea of immediately returning McCaskill to her previous position? Read one opinion from the Huffington Post here.

Another Gally TV report on Protests

Here's a video report on the protests from WJLA-TV. Read the story here.

Both sides in gay marriage debate protest at Gally

WTTG-TV has a video report on how booths sides of the gay marriage debate came together today to demonstrate at Gallaudet University. You can read the story here. DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Gally Protest Planned for This Morning

A group of black ministers say they will protest at Gallaudet this morning. The pastors represent both sides of the gay marriage debate, but are coming together to demonstrate against the school's decision to put chief diversity officer Angela McCaskill on leave for signing a petition about the issue.

Hurwitz defends controversial Decision

Gallaudet's president is speaking out about a demonstration planned at the school Thursday in support of suspended diversity officer Angela McCaskill. She signed a petition to put Maryland’s same-sex marriage law on the November ballot. President Alan Hurwitz defends his action in the statement and says his concern is that the school have a "safe environment" for the students. Here is the entire release:

Since placing Gallaudet University's Chief Diversity Officer on paid administrative leave, Gallaudet University has been called upon by several external organizations to immediately reinstate Dr. Angela McCaskill in her position as Chief Diversity Officer. We recently became aware that several of those external organizations plan to hold demonstrations at Gallaudet University starting this week. As much as I understand the views that some outside organizations have about the immediate return of our Chief Diversity Officer to campus, at the same time we need to move forward at a rate appropriate for our entire community. I'd like to reiterate that while this has become an issue beyond our campus, as President of Gallaudet University, my number one concern is our university community - our students, faculty, and staff and so many others who support us. I act on their behalf, not with any agenda other than their well-being. I will continue to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that this campus remains a safe environment for our entire campus community. The university administration has been conducting very productive meetings with student organizations including groups that represent students of color, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, as well as faculty and staff leadership. The university's Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board is also developing strategies for moving the community forward. I would like to commend our students - as well as our faculty and staff - who have shown remarkable maturity and restraint under the complexities of the situation. I know our community will extend the same measure of civility and respect we have shown each other to those outside the campus community who choose to express their concerns and perspectives.

Report: Services 'being cut'

Hearing services are being scaled back in England, according to a new report. Read more from the BBC here.

Biz Event

The Business Convention and Expo of the Deaf takes place in San Diego this Thursday through Saturday (Oct 25-27). Read more about it here.

Gally Rally over Petition controversy

Angela McCaskill is getting support from two ministers who support same-sex marriage. Reverends Delman Coates and Donte Hickman say they will lead protest rallies every week until the Gallaudet Diversity Officer is reinstated. McCaskill was put on leave after supporting a petition drive led by same-sex marriage opponents. Both men have appeared in TV ads supporting same-sex marriage. They issued a joint statement saying it is not acceptable that Gallaudet disciplined her “for merely exercising her right as a citizen in our democracy.” There are television ads running for both sides of the issues that refer to the situation. The first rally will be held this Thursday (October 25) at Gallaudet University.

Deaf-blind music teacher Honored in Ireland

Read about Orla O’Sullivan unique teaching method here.

1st Ark Deaf Retirement Community

KARK-TV offers a video report on the first retirement community in Arkansas built especially for the deaf here.

11-year-old Sings Despite hearing loss

Read the story in the Marshfield newspaper  here.

Behind the App

A Chicagoland newspaper takes a look at the man behind the new Engage app here.

Aussies share life in pictures

The deaf community in one Australian town is celebrating National Week of Deaf. Ballarat’s deaf community shares its stories in the video below, posted on DeafNewsToday.com or read the details here.

New Captioning Support

Encoding.com says it has come up with an automated closed captioning system for digital video. The system will work on a variety of platforms. The demand for universal closed captioning support has increased dramatically because of new rules that apply to major distributors through the Video Accessibility Act. Find out more here.

Honored for longterm work in AZ

An Arizona group is honoring Sherry Appleby for her long-term commitment to advocating on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing. Appleby works with the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing. The Hearing Healthcare Providers of Arizona says the group is honoring Appleby with the Roger Andrus Memorial Award for spending 45 years working as a hearing aid dispenser and for her 30 years of service on the Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialists,. She's only the third person to receive the Roger Andrus Memorial Award since its inception 12 years ago.

New TV Ad on Maryland Gay Marriage refs Gally Controversy

Gay marriage supporters in Maryland have made a TV ad that plays on the Gallaudet controversy over the suspension of the chief diversity officer. The Marylanders for Marriage Equality counters one made by Maryland Marriage Alliance. The new ad features a well-known couple in Prince George's County politics, Glenn and Jolene Ivey. Glenn Ivey was once Prince George’s top prosecutor. In the commercial, they say the anti-gay marriage ad was misleading and that Angela McCaskill should be reinstated to her position. “As a former state’s attorney, I know Question 6 would actually strengthen protections for religious freedom and individual views," saying Glenn Ivey. Here's the new TV spot.

Mobile Medical Alert

Rescue Alert has created a mobile medical alert system to work with Android phones. The app connect the user to the closest 911 center. Like other medical alert devices, the subscriber simply presses a button and is directly connected with a Certified EMD response center attendant The silent alert requires only minimal typing to explain why 911 services are needed. The 911tm dispatchers know the location of the user, so the alert works outside the home. The RA-911 medical alert costs $10 a month. You'll find more information here.

Signed Stories

The UK television network ITV is offering a new app with animated storytelling for children in BSL and ASL. Signed Stories also offers subtitles and narration for a variety of contemporary stories, folktales and fairytales. The free app is available for use on the iPad and iPhone. A video dictionary and games are included with downloads. Find out more here.

Deaf Rockers Perform in Tempe

Beethoven’s Nightmare will perform twice today in Arizona at the Tempe Center for the Arts. The proceeds will benefit the Arizona Deaf Youth Ambassadorship Program and Apache ASL Trails. The band of deaf musicians made up of Ed Chevy, Bob Hiltermann and Steve Longo, formed at Gallaudet University. There is more information read.

Hearing on Plans for School

The future of the Iowa School for the Deaf will be discussed at a hearing Monday. Internet access will allow discussion from several different locations. The Iowa Board of Regents is considering consolidating services now provided at the Iowa School for the Deaf and the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School located in Vinton. The Board of Regents is scheduled to next meet December 5. Any decision the Board makes will have to first gain the approval of the state legislature.

BMW ad features Deaf Employee

Scott Carpenter oversees the detail department at the BMW dealership in Chattanooga. In a new commercial for the carmaker, he uses sign language promote getting the cars serviced by a BMW-certified technician. Watch the video on DeafNewsToday.com.

BMW Spot 4 HD from MMLabs on Vimeo.

Deaf university roiled by gay marriage controversy

Associated Press takes a look at reactions to the McCaskill controversy on the Gallaudet campus here.

Bus trouble for deaf students

New York's WABC reports on the problems faced by some deaf students in the video posted below. Or you can read the story here.

NBC News takes a look at the work of Starkey Hearing and its impact on a New York 15-year-old. Watch the video report by Chelsea Clinton on DeafNewsToday.com.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

First for GA School

Students at a high school just east of Atlanta voted a deaf student into the Homecoming court. Alexis Burse is Miss Junior at Monroe Comprehensive High School in Monroe, Georgia. A video report about the 16-year-old from WALB-TV is posted on DeafNewsToday.com. WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Should Minorities Be Empathetic to McCaskill?

A Huff Post hang out with a variety of views on the suspension of Gallaudet's Diversity officer, Angela McCaskill, including Shane Windmeyer who spoke last week at the school's coming out day. Watch the video below on DeafNewsToday.com or read a summary of the comments here.

Gally demands same-sex marriage opponents pull ad

Gallaudet's problems related to the suspension of its diversity officer are getting deeper. A TV commercial about Maryland's same-sex marriage law includes footage of Angela McCaskill who was removed from her post for signing a petition to put the same-sex marriage law on the November ballot. Gallaudet claims the Maryland Marriage Alliance has no right to use the footage without its permission. Katherine Murphy, Gallaudet's executive director of communications and public relations says the school holds the copyright and is having its attorneys notify the group that it is demanding the video be taken down from the Internet and not used in television ads. For its part, the Maryland Marriage Alliance says it is a fair use of the footage. The video is posted below on DeafNewsToday.com.

What did the Dalai Lama say?

A captioning error made it appear that the Dalai Lama used an obscenity during a Brown University event Wednesday. Read about it here.

Why you can Trust Deaf New Today

Former CNN anchor and current journalism professor Stephen Goforth launched Deaf News Today (DNT). 

When did you start DNT?
I started Deaf News Today in 2001 after taking an HTML class while I was working at CNN. Our instructor suggested creating a website based on what we had learned. Using what you learn is a great way to internalize new material. I decided to create a news site focused on gathering information relevant to those in Deaf Culture and those connected with it.

What's the goal of this website?
 I hope it provides clear and concise news coverage about deaf-related issues. I hope to provide objective news reports--that is, news reporting that doesn't take sides on issues but just presents the facts and lets the reader decide for themselves.

Why a site about news related to the deaf—instead of a hobby or pastime? 
I'm keeping this deaf news site going for the deaf man in his 70s who spend the summer living with me--for the times I saw him struggle through daily interactions with the hearing community who often misunderstood or ignored him. I'm doing it for my friend who chose to let her child have a cochlear implant and for my deaf friend who decided to have her implant removed because it just wasn't working for her. It's for my CODA friend (child of a deaf adult)  who worked hard to build a new sign language interpreting agency in order to serve the deaf community in which she grew up. I'm doing it for my deaf friend who works in church ministry, sharing his faith with other signers. I'm doing it for the hopeful faces I saw at Gallaudet’s graduation ceremonies, and those at deaf church services, at ASL classes I attended and deaf comedy events. It's for the audiologists and parents and students who write regularly, glad for the effort to keep them updated on issues of interest. It's for those who work with the deaf every day--and for those who don't know anything about Deaf Culture. I'm doing it because it really is making a difference in people's lives--because information is power and I want to empower those around me to make a positive impact.

What if there are questions about a post or if we find a mistake?
If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to write us at DeafNewsToday@gmail.com.





More about Stephen Goforth here.

Middle East Restaurant

Reuters takes a look at a restaurant run and staffed by the deaf in the Gaza Strip here.

Diversity Officer Demands Gally Take Action

WRC-TV in Washington reports on the controversy surrounding Gallaudet's Diversity Officer in the video below, posted on DeafNewsToday.com

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

More options for deaf journalists

Read the story from the Columbia Journalism review here.

Video of McCaskill news conf

Here are some quotes and the video from the news conference of Gallaudet University's diversity officer who is on administrative leave for signing a petition asking that that Maryland’s same-sex marriage law be put to a vote. Angela McCaskill spoke through an interpreter yesterday in Annapolis:

“The students are watching. The world is watching. I ask that the administration makes the right decision and rights their wrongs." 

“I’m dismayed that Gallaudet University is still a university of intolerance, of management by intimidation, which allows bullying among faculty, staff and students." 

"I was shocked, hurt, insulted, I was humiliated. Not only for myself, but for the students at Gallaudet University. They deserve better. They look to us for guidance and we give them this? It is utterly wrong."

"I view the president's email as a termination of my position. The content did not allow for any resolution. " 

Here's a video of the news conference, which includes Congressional leaders:

News Conf on Gally controversy

Angela McCaskill says she wants her job back. At a news conference today, Galluadet's chief diversity officer said she signed the petition to give Maryland residents a chance to vote on same-sex marriage and to spur campus dialogue. But the president of the school put her on paid leave. After nearly a week of silence on the matter, President Alan Hurwitz released a statement today defending his action, saying, "I placed her on paid administrative leave as a prudent action to allow the university—and Dr. McCaskill—the time to consider this question after the emotions of first reactions subsided." Hurwitz said he was acting on behalf of the students and that he hopes for a resolution which will "require that she and the University community work together to respond to the concerns that have been raised." Read more here. WUSA has a video report on the news conference and statement, posted on DeafNewsToday.com.

Fake Deaf quadriplegic Tweets

Touching tweets from a deaf quadriplegic man were fabricated, according to Gawker. David "Dave on Wheels" Rose supposedly died shortly after he became an Internet hit. Read more hereat Gawker.

Missouri Institute Moving

St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf is selling its 108,000-square-foot St. Louis facility and moving its 50 employees and students to a yet to be determined new location. The campus has been apprised at more than $20 million. The facility is run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and does not use sign language. Instead, it focuses on oral education for deaf students.

DeafNation Seattle

The DeafNation Expo returns to Seattle (Oct 20) this Saturday. Read more details here.

NYT on Deaf-owned Restaurant

The New York Times looks at Mozzeria, a restaurant owned by a deaf couple in San Francisco here.

Terp Complaints

Students say interpreters aren't doing their job in El Paso. Read the story or watch a video about it here.

Deaf advocate fights for services

Deaf advocates in Dallas, Texas are trying to let the deaf know their rights. Read the story here.

Gally Volleyball results

Gallaudet won a close soccer game 4-3 this past weekend against Morrisville State. It was a 4-3 victory for the Bison Women team. Morrisville State tied the score at 3 all but with only 10 seconds left, Gally forward Louisenie Philostin netted her second goal of the game. Meanwhile, on the men's side, the Morrisville State College men’s soccer team won 5-1 over Gallaudet. Below is posted on DeafNewsToday.com a video of the Gallaudet Women's team scoring the winning goal.

Deaf Quadriplegic Dies After Inspiring Battle

Read the story about how David Rose became a Twitter Sensation here. Among his Tweets, “I do not even consider myself deaf, I am just "visually oriented," lol. I see everything I need to instead of hear it.”

Gally's Winning Streak Broken

Gallaudet roared to a 17-0 start against Norwich University today but faltered at the end of the football game. The Bison were outscored 34 to 7 in the final 39 minutes. It's Gallaudet's first lost at home and in the team's conference after reeling off four wins. Gally has a record of 4 and 2 on the season, 2 and 1 in conference.

WaPo Takes Side on Gally Controversy

The Washington Post has come out against the Gallaudet University decision to suspend its Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Angela McCaskill. You can read the Post's editorial here. It reads in part:

Firing, or threatening to fire, a diversity officer for off-campus political activity strikes us as inconsistent with “open sharing of thoughts and ideas.” After all, if Ms. McCaskill does oppose gay marriage, then she holds the same view that President Obama did, at least publicly, until five months ago. Would he have been unfit to serve as a diversity officer at Gallaudet?

UK short film on Deaf Student

A video made by Oxford undergraduates about the life of a deaf student with a cochlear implant has more than 12k views. It's called Hearing... but not as you know it is a product of the student TV channel of St John’s College. It's about third year Physiology and Psychology undergraduate Helen Willis, who lost her hearing to meningitis at the age of two. The video is posted below on DeafNewsToday.com.

Both Sides Of The Gay Marriage Debate at Odd with Gally

WJZ-TV files this video report on the debate over the suspension of a Gallaudet University official, posted on DeafNewsToday.com.

News Conference Set

Angela McCaskill now has a lawyer and they plan to speak to the news media Tuesday in Annapolis.  J. Wyndal Gordon (shown here) is representing McCaskill. She's an administrator at Gallaudet University who was placed on leave for signing an anti-gay marriage petition. Gordon says his client is not anti-gay and will explain why she signed the petition at the news conference. He's also working to get her reinstated.

Gally Controversy Update

Some 15,000 people have signed an online petition calling on Gallaudet to bring back Angela McCaskill, its chief diversity officer. She was suspended for signing another petition calling for a vote in Maryland on gay marriage. McCaskill had just heard a sermon at her church on gay marriage when she responded to a call to sign the petition, as many fellow members did. Many groups on both sides of the issue are upset that Gallaudet opposes diversity in opinions. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins Gallaudet even called for the school's president, Alan Hurwitz, to resign. Thousands have "liked" a post on the FRC Facebook page calling on Gally to “Reinstate Dr. McCaskill.” Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley supports same-sex marriage has called for the school to reinstate McCaskill along with a the pro-gay marriage group Marylanders for Marriage Equality. Hurwitz has ignored the outcry and not released any comments since the controversy began. Read more about what happened in the school newspaper, the Bluff and Blue here.

Local TV report on Gally Suspension

WUSA reports on the controversy over the Gallaudet's Chief Diversity Officer going on paid leave because she signed a petition that would give Maryland voters a choice on a gay marriage referendum. Watch the video below on DeafNewsToday.com or read it here.

Possible Grounds for Suit Against Gally

Gallaudet's chief diversity officer could sue the school for suspending her, according to research by BuzzFeed. A D.C. law protects people from interference with the right to sign a referendum petition.  Angela McCaskill is on paid administrative leave for signing an online petition against gay marriage. BuzzFeed reports:

Under the D.C. Code, it is a criminal violation for "[a]ny person who ... by threats or intimidation, interferes with, or attempts to interfere with, the right of any qualified registered elector to sign or not to sign any initiative, referendum, or recall petition." The sentence for violating the provision can be up to a $10,000 fine and a year in prison.

A Gallaudet spokeswoman says the school does not "have a policy against political participation.”

Deaf with a Capital D

An Iowa mom explains her role in the Deaf community. Read her story here.

United Nations Rights Treaty

Ted Kennedy, Jr urges the US Senate to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Read more here.

One of the youngest in Britain to get surgery for hearing loss

The UK's Mail looks at one of the younger recipients of a cochlear implant here.

Gally controversy over Gay Marriage

Gallaudet has suspended its chief diversity officer for signing a petition against a gay marriage proposition that's on the ballet in Maryland (Question 6). Both sides of the issue have come out against President Hurwitz's decision to punish Angela McCaskill. They say what she does in her private life should not be held against her - even if it appears to be at odds with her official duties for the university. Someone teaching for the university discovered her name on the petition - signed by some 200,000 people - and then complained to Hurwitz. McCaskill is the first deaf African-American female to earn a doctorate from Gallaudet. Some on campus say the situation is pitting the LGBT community against the Black community on the DC campus.

Here is a summary of Question 6:

Civil Marriage Protection ActEstablishes that Maryland’s civil marriage laws allow gay and lesbian couples to obtain a civil marriage license, provided they are not otherwise prohibited from marrying; protects clergy from having to perform any particular marriage ceremony in violation of their religious beliefs; affirms that each religious faith has exclusive control over its own theological doctrine regarding who may marry within that faith; and provides that religious organizations and certain related entities are not required to provide goods, services, or benefits to an individual related to the celebration or promotion of marriage in violation of their religious beliefs.

Closed-captioning Milestones

Closed captions are called “closed” because video viewers can decide whether to turn them on or off. On the other hand, open captions are visible at all times.

• 1971 - A preview of closed captioning is demonstrated at The First National Conference on Television for the Hearing Impaired in Nashville
• 1972 - Closed captions is embedded within the normal broadcast of the ABC show Mod Squad at Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University).
• 1972 - The French Chef becomes the first TV program to include open captioning on PBS. Later the same day a rebroadcast of ABC News includes open captions.
• 1973 - The Captioned ABC News becomes the only timely newscast accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
• 1976 - The FCC adopts standards for the transmission of closed captioning on TV and requires license holders to transmit emergency messages in a visual format.
• 1979 - The National Captioning Institute is created
• 1980 - The ABC Sunday Night Movie, The Wonderful World of Disney and Masterpiece Theater are among the first closed-captioned television series broadcast for viewers with caption decoders
• 1982 - Real-time captioning debuts
• 1990 - The Americans With Disabilities Act is passed, requiring all federally-funded public service announcements to be closed-captioned.
• 1990 - The Television Decoder Circuitry Act requires TV sets 13 inches or larger to be capable of showing captions within three years.
• 1990 - Wheel of Fortune became the first game show to be closed captioned.
• 1992 - FCC adopts technical standards for closed captioning on cablesystems.
• 1996 – The Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires the FCC to develop rules for closed captioning of television programs
• 2010 - By order of the FCC, 100% of all new analog and digital Spanish languageprograms must be closed-captioned

Sources: The Closed Captioning Institute, Federal Communication Commission

NY Job Fair

WHEC-TV in Rochester takes a look at NTID's job fair today (captions included).

Netflix Captioning Agreement

Netflix has settled its lawsuit with NAD over captioning. The on-demand Internet streaming company has committed to getting all TV and movie content captioned by September of 2014. In the meantime, the company has agreed to providing a list of its available close-captioned content. Read a statement from the NAD on the agreement here.

Mysterious Hearing Loss

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) should be treated as an emergency within the first two weeks. That can make a big difference as to how much hearing is retained since the hair cells in the inner ear (or cochlea) die in this condition. The early regiment is usually a round of steroids. Symptoms include a sudden loss of hearing, sometimes accompanied by a popping sound, ringing in the ear and dizziness. The worst problem is that these symptom are similar and often mistaken for a viral infection which will typically clear up on its own over the course of a couple of weeks.

Most of the time, the cause of SSHL is unknown. In cases where doctors know the causes, they say it includes head injuries, loud noises as well as meningitis, measles, and mumps. A build-up of pressure in the inner ear can rupture an inner membrane. In the unknown cases, most physicians would point to a virus or obstruction as the most likely culprit. SSHL hits some 6000 people every year in the US.

Matlin's Column

Marlee Matlin wrote a column for the Chicago Sun Times about "curing" deafness. You can read it here.

Marlee Signs

A new Apple app features actress Marlee Matlin teaching users to sign. Marlee Signs shows the Academy Award winner hopes to make the fundamentals of American Sign Language easier for people interested in learning more. There is a “Slow Motion” setting for watching the videos at a slower pace and a section called “Spell” which, of course, spells out words using sign. The app is free though specialized lesson packs will cost you $3.99 each. Except for the first lesson in each pack, which is free. You'll find it here.

Rat out Captionless YouTube Video

If you find a broadest program on YouTube without captions, Google wants to know about it. There is now special complaints form to turn them in. An FCC rule just came into effect this month (see previous posts) requiring all content that previously aired on TV to have captions when posted online. You'll find the form here.

First UK School for Deaf

The first school for deaf children in Britain was established in Edinburgh in 1760. It later moved to Hackney in London, where it became the London Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb in 1792.

Suit over Hearing Loss

A Houston woman is suing Avaya Inc, owner of Nortel Networks, for letting her go. Esther McHenry says it has to do with her hearing loss. McHenry also claims she was mistreated before being let go.

Captioning falls short

Critics of new FCC rules on Internet captioning are the topic of a Washington Times article here.

NC top educator tours deaf school

Read the story here

Changes to State Schools coming

The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind will get a dramatic overhaul after the State Board of Education put its stamp of approval on a 10 year plan to revamp the programs. More than half of the 19 buildings on campus will be torn down to replace those that are deteriorating and an updated curriculum will be included in the estimated $80 million effort. The school serves about 125 students in Romney.

Offensive Signs

BSL users drop signs considered offensives. Read the story here.

Film Fest

The Irish Deaf Film Festival takes place in Dublin this coming weekend (Oct 12-14). For more info, click here.

DeafNation: Pleasanton

DeafNation comes to Pleasanton, California this Saturday. Pleasanton is just outside of San Francisco. For more information, click here.

Indiana athlete shines in DC

A look at one of the star athletes at Gallaudet University here.

interpreters make concerts come alive

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

Deaf football player has sweet homecoming

Read about a Cincinnati high school linebacker here.

Dogs for the Deaf

Marlee Matlin and hearing dog trainers visit NBC's The Doctors in this video report from Oregon's KOBI-TV. Watch the video posted on DeafNewsToday.com or read the story here.

School hits Century Mark

The Arizona School for the Deaf will celebrate its 100 year anniversary throughout this homecoming weekend. Tucson's Mayor will take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new school museum this afternoon. Saturdays events include a Homecoming volleyball and football games. The Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind serves more than 2,300 students across the state.

Runner: I am Deaf

Patrick Rizzo could be the top American in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this Sunday (Oct 7). The deaf runner is originally from Chicago, but now lives in Boulder, Colorado. Three years ago he came in 10th overall - and he won the Chicago Half Marathon. He did well at the Olympic Trials earlier this year. He began losing his hearing at the age of 15 from an allergic reaction to metal poisoning from his braces. Rizzo tells the Chicago Sun-Times "I hope to get more involved in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community... If anyone has any suggestions on groups, organizations, or schools where I could possibly influence others who are going through the same stresses that I went through, I’d love to become more involved. I have just recently, after 15 years deaf, come to terms with accepting that I’m never getting my hearing back and just letting people know that I AM deaf."

Judge: Discrimination against Deaf Applicant

An Arizona judge says a Phoenix company discriminated against a deaf job applicant, according to the EEOC. He ruled yesterday that Creative Networks did not accommodate Rochelle Duran because the company refused to pay for interpreting services beyond $200 for its orientation and training. Ironically, Creative Networks is an subsidiary of ResCare, Inc. which provides services to disabled clients.

Zombies take over Deaf School

The Iowa School for the Deaf was invaded by zombies yesterday. And we have the video to prove it! Posted below on DeafNewsToday.com. The annual Zombie Walk is sponsored by the school's Wellness Council.

Internet captioning rules Kick in

Certain types of Internet video are now required to include captioning. The FCC deadline was September 30th based on the 21 Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. The new rules apply to programming shown on broadcast television and then made available over the Internet without substantial changes. The rules will soon apply to other types of video including live or near-live events, programs edited for the Internet, and eventually for archived internet content. For more on these new rules, click here for an earlier post.

Amazon Quietly Begins The Long Road To Closed Captioning Its Streaming Video Library

A look at captioning on Amazon's videos here.

Dad: "It was heart-wrenching"

Family stops signing at home to boy who now works as a firefighter. Read the story here.

Implant Surgery Documented thru social media

Cochlear Implant surgery was shown on Instagram live Tweeted for the first time yesterday. The social media platforms allowed the public to see 79-year-old Eleanor Day go through the procedure at Seattle's Swedish Medical Center under the care of Dr. Douglas Backous. You see the results compiled on Storify here. Day began losing her hearing 20 years ago, becoming completely deaf five years ago. Doctors will hold a live chat about the surgery a week from today (Oct 10) which you can join here and they will turn on her implant Sunday, Oct 14.

Canadian Implant

A British Columbia paper looks at a boy's implant surgery. Read the story here.

3 Apps Add Captioning

HBO Go, Hulu Plus, and Max Go have just added captioning to their apps for both Android and iOS. These popular ways to watch TV shows on smart phones now allow users to read on-screen text to see what each character is saying. The captioning is available in multiple languages. The apps also added the option to share videos to Facebook and Twitter, so users can share with others what shows they are watching.

Deaf school gets last laugh

Thanks to Taylor Swift a deaf school is getting $50k. She had agreed to play for the school that received the most Facebook votes. Some pranksters got the idea of voting for Boston's Horace Mann School for the Deaf. When thousands of votes for the deaf school rolled in, the contest organizers took the school out of the running. When she found out what had happened, Swift decided to give the school $10k herself. That was matched by corporate sponsors Papa John's Pizza, Cover Girl, American Greetings and textbook rental company Chegg totaling $50k. VH-1's Save the Music program donated another $10,000 in musical instruments. Students at the school will get a free ticket to her next Boston show.

DeafNation Chicago

The DeafNation Expo visits Chicago this coming Saturday (Nov 3). Read more about the event here.

A Terp's Story

Why one woman moved to Maryland and became an interpreter here.

Battle for Service Dog in No-Pet Condo

A south Florida man says he's fighting his condo board to keep his service dog. Read the story here.