Not So Scary Halloween Party

Anthony Smith

A New Hampshire comic book store is holding for Hear in New Hampshire this Saturday (Oct 12)called the Not So Scary Halloween Party. A comic book poster created by a local artist will go on sale with all the money going to the nonprofit. The agency provides educational, therapeutic, and support services to children with hearing loss and their families. Anthony Smith will be putting in an appearance. He's the five year old whose story was told around the country when Marvel Comics created a superhero for him called Blue Ear--a sidekick who uses his special blue hearing aids to help others. There's more info on the event here.

New Boss at Deaf Center doesn't sign well

The Vermont Association of the Deaf is not happy with who's been hired to lead the Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing which is headquartered at Brattleboro's Austine school for the Deaf. The advocacy group says William Gurney, the new president and CEO, is not deaf and doesn't know sign language. He's presently an associate superintendent in the Keene School District of New Hampshire. Mary Essex of the Vermont Association of the Deaf says the entire process of hiring Gurney was flawed. She wrote in a letter to the Board of Trustees:

"VCDHH has so many resources and is capable of being a strong asset to the state of Vermont. We seek to collaborate our resources and work together as a team to improve the quality of life for all deaf and hard of hearing Vermonters."

Essex says parents of students and alumni were not told of the change. Gurney is taking over for Bert Carter, who is moving to the Willie Ross School in Massachusetts. The school has hired an ASL teacher for Gurney.

Sign Language Puts College Grads On Path To Job Security

New Hampshire public radio takes a look at the job prospects for graduates who plan to use ASL in their careers here.

Four Year Old Hero

We told you Wednesday about a boy who inspired a Marvel Comics hero. Boston's WHDH-TV has a video report (posted on DeafNewsToday.com) or read the story here.

Deaf Boy Inspires New Comic Hero

Read the story of how a 4-year-old New Hampshire boy inspired the creation of a new Marvel Comic book hero here. Video included with no captioning.

Hospital Settles Suit

A New Hampshire hospital will pay a fine to settle a lawsuit over interpreting. Besides paying a $25,000 feral fine, in the next 90 days, Cheshire Medical will start a program to make sure interpreters are present when needed in medical situations. The hospital has also agreed to make two staff members available to help find interpreters 24 hours a day, come up with a list of potential freelance interpreters, and keep records of requests for the service. The lawsuit stems from a visit two years ago by Laura Waldren, who came to the hospital for a visit and needed an interpreter. The hospital was aware of her visit two days before she came but no interpreter was provided. A few days later, no interpreter was provided for her during an emergency room visit. The staff tried to use a video interpreting system, but it failed to work. Waldren's mother interpreted for her and the same thing happened during a follow-up visit. Ironically, the hospital settled a lawsuit six years ago by agreeing to have patients sign a waiver, if they agree to see a doctor without an interpreter.

New Year: New Law

A new New Hampshire law requires insurance companies to help pay for hearing aids. It took affect yesterday and provides as much as $1,500 in coverage per hearing aid every five years.

Hospitals Agree to Make Changes

Federal prosecutors say Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New Hampshire has agreed improve its services for deaf clients. Two people had filed complaints about not getting proper medical help at the facility because they were not provided sign language interpreters. They will receive a $35,000 settlement from the hospital. In September, Nashua's St. Joseph Hospital made a similar committee wiht prosecuters. In July the city’s other hospital, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, did the same thing following complaints about a failure to provide interpreters. None of the hospitals are admitting liability.

Hospital Settles Claim

A New Hampshire hospital has settled a complaint of ADA violations related to its failure to provide interpreting services for deaf patients. While St. Joseph Hopsital and SJ Physicians did not admit wrongdoing, the Nashua facilities agreed to wipe out the $10,000 medical bills of Sheila Coombs and Gary Catania over the matter. The two are deaf and were not provided interpreters during their medical treatment between 2005 and 2008. The hopital and its medical practice has also agreed to insure deaf and hard-of--hearing patients get the services they need. To do this, there will be staff training, a new program developed and video relay will be used.

Hospital Fails to Provide Terp

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center will make changes to settle a discrimination lawsuit. Kenton Hermans says the New Hampshire hospital failed to provide an interpreter two years ago when he was a patient. Hospital workers tried to get a friend of his to interpret so they would not have to call a qualified sign language interpreter. The medical center has agreed to provide training on ADA law for its employees and pay Hermans $5000. The hospital did not admit wrongdoing in settling the case.

Hearing Aid Assessories

A 10-year-old has a way to make hearing aids more attractive. Hayleigh Scott wanted to make girls and women less self-conscious about wearing them. So she has created various assessories which can be attached with clasps. The New Hampshire 5th-grader attends Hollis Upper Elementary School and you can find out more about her unique gifts at Hayleigh's Cherished Charms.

Saved From Fire

A New Hampshire man saved his mother from an apartment fire yesterday. Kent Clark of Manchester was also able to get his fiancée who is also deaf and his infant daughter to safety. He woke up early in the morning to find his bedroom filled with fire and smoke. Clark passed his daughter out through a window but when he searched for his mother, Marlene Clark, he found her hair on fire. He was able to get her outside but she was unconscious with significant facial injuries. The cause of the blaze was determined to be improperly disposed cigarettes. The family lost everything in the fire.

Hospital Agrees to Pay

A New Hampshire hospital has reached an out-of-court settlement with several people who complained about how the hospital handles deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. Concord Hospital has agreed to pay $100,000 for failing to have appropriate services, including sign language interpreters. Concord has agreed to establish a program to enhance effective communication for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The hospital admitted no liability in the case.