Complaint: Fort Myers doesn't provide captioning of online meetings

A south Florida man has "filed a complaint against the city of Fort Myers for failing to provide closed captioning for the hearing impaired," reports WINK-TV. Here is a video report from the TV station.

A proposed law to punish fake service animals

An Arizona State Senator is introducing a bill that would punish anyone who claims their pet is a service animal-but only if the owner confesses to faking it. KPNX-TV (News 12) in Phoenix has a video report.

Driver's License Test for Deaf in Korea

South Korea has developed a driver’s license test for the deaf. The Korea Road Traffic Authority exam "projects navigation information onto the windshield," according to The Korean Herald. Read more here.

What Video Game Subtitling Got Wrong In 2017

Has your gaming experience been ruined by poor subtitles? If so, you are not alone. Max Deryagin, a professional audiovisual translator, subtitler and captioner based in Russia has posted a list of what he found lacking in the video game subtitling of 2017. Take a look at some of the ridiculous examples he gathered here.. like microscopic subtitles, extremely long lines of text, and poor contrast.

the teeny-tiny font in Star Wars Battlefront II

A Look at a Deaf Studies Journal

The editor of the "Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education" sat down to speak with the The Oxford University Press blog "to discuss her background, the developments in deaf education, and the challenges scholars face in the field." Read the Q&A here.

At rural MN hospitals, deaf people struggle for interpreters

We told you yesterday about the Minnesota hospital that had settled a complaint with a deaf man. Minnesota Public Radio has a report on his case-and about the "dozens of complaints filed against Minnesota hospitals in recent years." Read the story here.

Hospital agrees to settlement over Terp Refusal

Fairview Health Services has agreed to a pay a deaf man an undisclosed amount of money for failing to provide him with a sign language interpreter while his infant daughter underwent medical tests at Hibbing hospital in Hibbing, Minnesota. Matthew Svatos wasn't able to take part in the decision because the hospital refused to pay for an interpreter. Read more about the case in the Star-Tribune here.

Deaf NFL Player Honored

image from NFL.com

The first deaf offensive player in the NFL is having a great season. Falcons fullback Derrick Coleman was selected as a first-team alternate for the Pro Bowl, according to the Tennesseean.

Deaf man robbed, shot in San Antonio

A 39-year-old deaf man was shot and robbed last night at a Church's Chicken in San Antonio. My San Antonio has more information here.

Hospital Refuses to Provide Interpreter during Brain Surgery

A deaf man went into brain surgery this past weekend-and the hospital refused to provide an sign language interpreter for the mother. Prince George’s Hospital Center administraters did offer video relay, but the family says the VRI service wasn't working properly. ADA law clearly states that VRI is an acceptable substitute for an in-person interpreter only when it is working properly. The hospital refused to address the situation with Fox-5 DC, which has a video report below. The closed captioning on the video isn't very good, so here is a link to the story in text.

Gene-editing restores hearing loss in mice

Scientists say a gene-editing technique that has successfully restored the hearing of animals could be used in humans. The CRISPR injection causes damaged hair cells to grow back. The tool only works with genetic form of deafness. Details of the study are in the journal Nature. The LA Times has an article about the research here.

Suit: Discrimination by NJ Cops

Deborah Mendola is suing a New Jersey town for discrimination. She was arrested after police arrived in response to a call about dispute between neighbors. They did not bring an interpreter and did not request one even after they were unable to settle the situation. Read the full story at NewJersey.com here.

Protests over Police Shooting of Deaf Man

Protesters gathered at the City Hall in Oklahoma City Sunday in support of Magdiel Sanchez. The deaf man was shot and killed by police in his own front yard. The officers face no criminal charges. KFOR-TV has a video report.

A Mother's Letter to her Deaf Child

The Guardian has printed a letter written by a mother about the difficult decision of whether to give her deaf child a cochlear implant. She writes in part:

It is not an easy decision, a cochlear implant, and I hope you will forgive us for our decision. Giving a cochlear implant to a child who has never heard sound is a controversial and sensitive subject. The surgeons advise against implanting them after the age of four, as the likelihood of being able to interpret and make use of the sound is greatly diminished. We can’t wait until you are older to ask what you want, we have to choose for you.

Read the entire letter here.

Football is Helping Deaf Students to Grow

Phoenix Day School for the Deaf is prepping students for life through its football program. Athletic director Jesse Bailey tells The Arizona Republic:

Sports gave us a way to learn to fight, and it absolutely helps us in the real world. I played football, basketball and ran track for four years, and these sports taught us that we have to communicate and trust each other. All those qualities help you grow as a person and improve your social skills.

Read the full article here.

Teens attack Deaf Student at School

Atlanta teens have been caught on camera beating a deaf classmate. The group face suspension for attacking Jaqueline Flournoy at Maynard Jackson High School. Flournoy says they made derisive comments about her speech and boyfriend. WSB-TV has a video report.

Deaf-owned Restaurant Expanding

When Mozzeria opened in San Francisco's Mission District six years ago, it became the city's first deaf owned restaurant. "The entire staff at Mozzeria is deaf and nearly everything in the restaurant was created by people who are deaf, including restaurant’s artwork," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Now, owners Russell and Melody Stein plan to franchise their business in a unique way. Read more about it here. Below is a commercial for the restaurant.

Standardizing Astronomy Signs

The International Astronomical Union has just released a list of 47 common astronomy terms, according to Science.com. The signs are offered in a number of different languages. The team of scientists and educators says it's the "first international comparative compilation of its kind for this particular subject matter." Read more about it here.

Multiple Suits for Lack of Captioning

A deaf man is suing a dozen media outlets for not having closed captioning on their videos in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Represented by CK Lee, several companies have already settled out of court. Some are calling it a shakedown. Read more from Forbes here.

No charges for Police who Killed Deaf Man

The Oklahoma City police officer who shot and killed a deaf man for not following the officer's command will face no chargess. We told you about what happened back in September: Magdiel Sanchez was shot outside his home. Officers say they did not hear witnesses yelling, “He can’t hear you." Read more from the Associated Press here. Below is a video report about the shooting from CBS News.

45 years in Prison

In October, we told you about a San Antonio woman convicted of murder for shooting a deaf man on her porch in 2016. Yesterday, Michelle Chase was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Read more about it here.

Fallout from Fake Interpreter

Why would Police in Tampa, Florida use a fake interpreter? How could the police not know she was a fake? That's what many in the community want to know, after an "interpreter" signed gibbersih during a news conference last week. WFTS-TV in Tampa has a video report.

Tampa Police use Terp who Signs Gibberish

The Tampa, Florida Police held a news conference this past Tuesday (Nov. 28) to inform the public about the arrest of a suspect in a series of killings. Anyone watching that news conference would have been confused by the "interpreter" because she was "signing" nonsense. That's according to Rachelle Settambrino who is deaf and teaches ASL at the University of South Florida. Settambrino told the Tampa Bay Times, "She waved her arms like she was singing Jingle Bells." A rap sheet for someone who has gone by the same name given by the interpreter and who lives in Tampa suggests the woman in question may criminal history. Read more about it here.

You can now text 911 in LA

If you live in Los Angeles County you may be able to send a text to 911 when there is an emergency. The new service is being rolled out and it's already available in 170 communities including Long Beach and Glendale. If the message does not go through, the FCC requires all U.S. phone carriers to send a note to the customer saying the text failed. One significant limitation: It's not available during roaming and only texts using written English are accepted.
For a list of which communities in LA offer the service, click here.