An Online Deaf Studies Library to be built

Professor Bryan Eldredge

A professor in Utah hopes to build what he says is the first online deaf studies library. Bryan Eldredge directs the American Sign Language and Deaf Studies at Utah Valley University. Eldredge has a $50,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to help make it happen. Students and those studying the deaf community will be able to read ebooks, articles, papers, take a look at photographs, and view other technology without having to travel to Orem, Utah. Eldredge says, “We have a limited slice of history because most of deaf history took place before we had video, and few deaf people could write in English,” Eldredge explained. “More and more ASL-based documents and videos will be a part of the holdings, so this will be a resource for both the deaf world and for those studying it.” Read more about the effort here.

Museum adds Loop

Washington's Bellevue Arts Museum is adding a hearing loop to its guest services and auditorium. The device sends a signal from a microphone directly to a compatible hearing aid. It's one of more than a dozens places in the Seattle-area with the service. There is more information here.

ASL Virtual Tours

A global positioning system has added sign language to its virtual tours. The GPS Ranger is a handheld device with a four-inch LCD screen. It uses a tool developed by BarZ Adventures of Austin, Texas that allows captioning and American Sign Language options to accompany virtual tours. The technology was launched along with a multimedia tour of the Texas capital with the help of CSD (Communication Service for the Deaf). The tour is available from the The Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau for $11.95. It will become available in other cities as well.

Spy Museum Makes Changes

Washington’s International Spy Museum says it has cut a deal with the Justice Department over compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The changes were sparked by a complaint to the Federal Agency four years ago. Since then, the Spy Museum has spent some half a million dollars getting its facilities up to speed. This includes adding closed captioning to video presentations and offering sign language interpreters on request. When visitors approach a videotape or film they can access the closed-captioning by touching a small device worn around the neck.

Kansas Musuem

A museum in Kansas is teaching the public about sign language and the Deaf culture the William Marra Museum of Deaf Culture is located in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe. The facility is the result of a cooperative effort between the Kansas Educational Foundation for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Kansas School for the Deaf. One of the goals of the museum is to help deaf children appreciate their rich culture.

Life as a Deaf Person

The Deaf Cultural Center in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe has opened a window into the life of a deaf person for hearing individuals. The Center’s museum has set up an exhibit like a studio apartment with items deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals would use. This includes a strobe-light alarm and an alarm clock that vibrates.

Special Exhibit

The Horry County Museum in Conway, South Carolina is hosting a special exhibit on the history of the deaf community from the 1800s until the present. The exhibit is in honor of National Deaf History Month (between March 13 and April 15). It’s an effort supported by the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind's Coastal Regional Outreach Center.