BSL and social media

There was a time when sign language users had to go to a local club to shoot the breeze, share advice or have any kind of conversation, reports the BBC. But social media, particularly Facebook has changed everything. It's a look at the impact of Facebook on British Sign Language in the video below. You can read the story here.

Panama City Police: Woman neglected deaf children to go "to the club"

A Florida woman is facing charges she left her three young children--two of whom are deaf--unattended this past weekend while she “went to the club,” reports the Panama City News Herald. Read the full story here.

First Day for New Gally Prez

Bobbi Cordano
(image from Gallaudet.edu)

Roberta “Bobbi” Cordano officially becomes Gallaudet's 11th president today. The Board of Trustees picked the Minnesota foundation executive from a group of three finalists. Cordano is 51 years old and deaf. She attended Wisconsin's Beloit College before earning a law degree University of Wisconsin at Madison. She succeeds T. Alan Hurwitz. Read more about her in the Baltimore Sun here
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Q&A with new Gally Prez

The new president of Gallaudet University is from Minnesota and the Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the state. Incoming president Bobbi Cordano sat down with the Star Tribune to explain her vision for the Washington, DC school. Read the interview here.

Deaf Rapper MC Geezer

A London Rapper is making his mark. Deaf Rapper MC Geezer tells the BBC, "I go out there and speak the truth about what it's like to be deaf and be in the deaf community. It's not easy but we survive it." Here's a BBC video about what he's doing.

Cali Jury decides against Deaf Workers Discrimination claim

A California jury says it wasn't discrimination when a company called Placer ARC refused to provide an interpreter for former deaf employee. Placer ARC helps people with developmental disabilities in Sacramento maintain independent living. Homeyra Kazerounian, an Iranian immigrant, and the EEOC said in a lawsuit he needed a sign language interpreter but none was provided, according to the Sacramento Bee. Read the full story here.

Curtis Pride gets special role with MLB

Curtis Pride
(image from MLB.com)

Major League Baseball has made Curtis Pride as an ambassador for inclusion. Pride will keep his job with Gallaudet University where he's been the baseball coach since 2008. Deaf since birth, Pride played in major leagues for more than a decade.

deaf couple raising $20,000 to adopt a deaf 4-year-old from China

Catrina Ballou-Nowrey and Billy Nowrey hope to adopt a 4-year-old from China. Find out more about the New Jersey couple in this video from the Asbury Park Press.

Profile of a Sign language interpreter

Kim Bates
(image from ku.edu)

Why does Kim Bates interprete for Kansas University? In middle school she had a deaf classmate and wondered "If he has an interpreter who’s signing to him in class, then why aren’t we learning some signs to talk to him?” Find out more about Bates in an Lawrence Journal-World article here.

Deaf-Blind Harvard Law School Grad Skiing in SoCal

Haben Girma is Harvard Law School's first deaf-blind graduate spend time in San Diego yesterday learning to surf. Check out the video below from KNSD-TV. She told the NBC station, "I've been preparing for surf lessons by thinking about all the different ways people can communicate without using their voices or using hearing or vision. So thinking about tactile ways to communicate different surfing position, getting familiar with surfboards and getting familiar with the surf communicate." You can read more about Haben here, when we told you about the White House honoring her in November.