Investigation into county court not using interpreters

A county in Eastern Pennsylvania apparently violated ADA law when it failed to provide a certified interpreter for a deaf defendant last month. When Steven Gonzalez appeared for arraignment in Northampton County for charges of theft and receiving stolen property, there was no one who signed. Read the full story from the Lehigh Valley Live here.

Child dies from third story fall

A toddler died at a home for deaf women in Seattle this week. The 2-year-old fell out of a third story window at the apartment building run by Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services. KOMO-TV and KING-TV have video reports.

Sentencing in Fatal DUI

A Georgia judge sentenced a man who killed a deaf cyclist to 15 years, with five years in custody, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Damon Thomas Latuch hit Joseph "Deaf Joe" Gathambiri with his truck and killed him. Latuch pleaded guilty to first-degree vehicular homicide. He agreed to pay $9000 to Gathambiri's family. Read more about the story here.

Controversy over Terps at Oregon Hospital

"Foreign language agencies are notorious for poor reputations in hiring of ASL interpreters. They don't know how to screen because they don't know the language. The outcome is deaf people receive poor and low-quality services," Western Oregon University C.M. Hall told the Statesman Journal. The newspaper looked into allegations that patients at some Oregon hospitals are not getting needed interpreters. Read the full story here.

City Agrees to Pay for Boy's Terp

A Pennsylvania boy will get the interpreter he needs to play soccer. The city of Greensburg had said 'no' to the 8-year-old's family until they filed a federal lawsuit. Read more at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review here.

Proposed law would begin to open the US military to the deaf

Congressman Mark Takano

A bill in the US Congress would allow the deaf to serve in the Air Force. California congressman Mark Takano, a Democrat from California, put the proposed legislation before the House Armed Services Committee. H.R.5296 has the support of the NAD (National Association of the Deaf) and covers people who use hearing aids or cochlear ear implants. If approved, changes would begin with a pilot program, which would be expanded if all goes well. Co-sponsors include four other Democrats: Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts, as well as John Garamendi and Henry Waxman of California. Read the proposal here.

Meet the Implant Pioneers

They are known as the "Electronic Couple" by helping to create the first cochlear implant. The Guardian deems them the husband and wife who "helped the world to hear." Read the full article here.

Lawsuits may be coming over 'zombie walk'

Legal action may be taken against the city of San Diego over what happened at last month's Zombie Walk. It coincided with the yearly Comic-Con event and was marred when a participant was hit by a deaf driver. San Diego's KGTV has a video report below (captions available).

Captioning Protest in NY

Protesters gathered this weekend at Regal Theatres in Rochester, New York to give attention to captioning. Although the movie theater provides captioning enabled glasses, the protesters say the glasses don't do the job. WHEC-TV has a video report.

Deaf Fest in New England

The Second Annual New England Deaf Festival takes place this coming Saturday (Aug 16) in Pulaski Park in Three Rivers, Massachusetts. Admission is only $5. There will be crafts, exhibits, and a car show. You'll find more information here.

Captioning increases video engagement

Adding closed captioning to videos increases traffic, page views, and search rank. A study by Discovery Digital Networks found after two weeks of adding closed captions, they documented more than a 13 percent rise in views in just two weeks. Over the lifetime of the video, the captioning increased views by more than 7 percent. Read more here

New Captioning Rules Proposed for Movie Theaters

The Justice Department wants to require movie theaters to show movies with closed captioning. Attorney General Eric Holder writes in the proposal:

These individuals are often shut out from the movie-going experience; this exclusion occurs even though the vast majority of motion pictures released by the major domestic movie studios include closed captioning and to a lesser extent, audio description. (They) cannot fully take part in movie-going outings with family or friends, join in social conversations about recent movie releases, or otherwise participate in a meaningful way

The requirement would kick in six months after the final rule is published. You've got until the end of next month to comment on it. Read the proposed rule change here.

Interview with 'Zombie Walk' Driver

A deaf man who forced his car through a crowd at San Diego's Comic-Con, injuring a woman, gave an interview about the ordeal to iDeafNews. KGTV has a video report below, or you can read the Channel 10 report here. Below that is the iDeafNews interview with the driver.  He said:

I could not trust anyone. The zombie people surrounded by car. This is how it started… There was a back door that was opened where my girlfirend's sister was sitting. I got scared. That's when I plowed my car through the crowd. I had to do this to save my family.

Inside News: "Zombie Walk at Comic-Con Convention" A Deaf Driver & His Story with Captions from i DEAF NEWS on Vimeo.

Gally student Sues NPR

A Gallaudet student is suing NPR for discrimination. Catherine Nugent, who is deaf, was an intern at the national radio news organization last year. Nugent says she expected to be learning about marketing. Instead, the business administration major was told to train employees as to how to sign--even though she does not have ASL teaching certification. The suit says she "was tasked with developming lesson plans for, and teaching, a summer-long daily ASL class for NPR staff." Nugent's lawsuit says she realized she was being "misled" about her internship when it became clear that Nugent was hired, not to learn, but to promote the network's diversity as part of a public relations strategy "to build enthusiasm in the media for its new outreach programming targeting deaf persons.. NPR failed to meet its legal obligations in focusing" on this. NPR fired Nugent after she persisted in asking for accommodations, rather than providing her with interpreters or interpreting software. NPR declined comment. See the full lawsuit here.

Kickstarter Campaign For Broadway Show

Deaf West Theater is launching a Kickstarter Campaign in an effort to raise $25,000 and bring their version of the Broadway rock musical Spring Awakening to the stage. If successful, DWT would present the Tony Award winning musical in a way that would connect the deaf and hearing worlds byperformed simultaneously in Spoken English and ASL. DWT did the same thing a few years ago with Big River. The Kickstarter page is here and below in an introductory video about the effort.

5 Reasons to Celebrate the 24th Anniversary of the ADA

President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA law 24 years ago tomorrow (July 26). Joe Entwisle offers 5 Reasons to Celebrate the 24th Anniversary of the ADA in a piece he wrote for the Huffington Post. He writes:

This July 26 is certainly a day for our nation to take stock of and celebrate our achievements. It is also an occasion to continue to push forward on progressive change and achieve the ADA's intended purpose: To fully integrate workers with disabilities into the broader fabric of community and make America a true leader in inclusivity and diversity.

Read the entire post here.

State Terp Contracting Leaves out Deaf

Deaf Oregonians are upset with how terps will be hired in the state. The very people who are supposed to benefit from the services are saying they've been left out of the process, accruing to the Statesmen Journal. Read the full details here.

A surprise in a hospital maternity ward

Two deaf sisters gave birth in an Ohio hospital’s maternity ward less than 24 hours a part, according to a local paper. “This is not something we see every day,” the nurse manager of maternity and pediatrics is quoted as saying. Read the full story here.

TN Hospital Sued by Patient's Family

A Tennessee hospital is being sued for failing to provide an interpreter to a deaf family. Harry Sheffield's family claims Erlanger Medical Center tried to communicate with him through written notes and video relay instead of hiring an interpreter. Things got worse, according to the lawsuit, when Sheffield's wife was admitted to the same hospital following a car accident, compounding the problems. Read more about the case at the website of the Disability Law & Advocacy Center, a Nashville organization that's helping the family. See the entire lawsuit here. Erlanger denies the allegations and plans to fight the lawsuit in court.

Judge Orders school to Accommodate Deaf Student

A judge is ordering a Yakima, Washington school to accommodate a deaf student while his case is heard. Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences accepted his application for enrollment and then withdrew it when administrators realized Zachary Featherstone was deaf. The judge granted the preliminary injunction because Featherstone is likely to win his case. The decision means Featherstone can start school August 4th along with other students. You can read the judge's decision here.

Debate over School for Deaf and Blind

The head of the West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind is fighting with her staff over changes to their jobs. WHAG-TV has a video report posted below.

Deaf Toddler gets Brain Stem Implant

A two-year-old boy just had his brain stem implant turned on. A cochlear implant didn't work for Alex Frederick of Michigan. So his parents and doctors decided to try a brain stem implant. The procedure costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. It isn't approved for use in the U.S. yet, but is undergoing trials. ABC news followed Alex for half-a-year and provides a lengthy video report with captioning, which is posted below.


ABC News | More ABC News Videos

Force for Deaf Education Passes

Rober Parara
Photo from NTID website

Deaf educator Robert Panara has died at the age of 94. He passed away of natural causes this past weekend in Rochester, New York. Panara taught at both Gallaudet University in Washington, DC and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, which he helped to found in Rochester. He also started Connecticut's National Theater of the Deaf.  Parana's full story is told in the book Teaching from Heart and Soul: The Robert F. Panara Story, starting with his loss of hearing at the age of 10 because of spinal meningitis.  NTID President Gerry Buckley says, "Bob's legacy is indeed vast. Thousands of students and graduates have been influenced by his genuine love of teaching and his generous sharing of his beliefs, values and knowledge." NTID plans a memorial for Panara in September. Read more at the NTID website here.

Former school employee arrested on molestation charge

She once worked for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Now she's facing charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor. WTEV-TV has a video report.

Terp suit filed in New Jersey

Some New Jersey authorities are getting sued for allegedly failing to provide interpreters for deaf drivers during traffic stops. John Buccieri Jr. filed the suit against the Toms River Police Department, the New Jersey Attorney General, and the Ocean County Jail. When Buccieri was pulled over a couple of years ago, according to the lawsuit, the officer did not get an interpreter for him--and neither did officers at the police station after he was arrested. Officials at the jail did where he was held overnight also failed to provide an interpreter. Read the full story at the New Jersey Law journal.

Kidnapping at Deaf Couple's Home a Hoax

Someone called the sheriff's dept. in Palmdale, Calif. to report a kidnapping this morning. It turned out to be a hoax, according to KABC-TV. Read the full story here.

Dog Saves Boy from Fire

A pit bull saved the life of a deaf teen, according to fire officials in Indianapolis. Ace licked the face of Nick Lamb, who was home alone and sleeping without his implants when a fire broke out. Below is a video report from the Indianapolis Star, provided by KTVU-TV. No captions but you can read the story here.

Deaf councilwoman determined to get interpreters

Marisa Salzer will finally get the interpreters she requested. Salzer is a member of the Montesano, Washington city councilwoman and her requests for sign language interpreters during council meetings was ignored--until she complained to the state Human Rights Commission. KOMO-TV has a video report. Below that video is a report from KING-TV. Both videos have captioning.

Terp: No contest to child molestation charges

Adam Frogel mug shot

A one-time sign language interpreter has pled no contest in California to inappropriate sexual contact with two high school students. Adam Frogel worked for Sunbelt Staffing Company out of Florida when he was hired by the Salinas Union High School District as a contract educational interpreter. School administrators say they called police in March when Frogel's activity came to light. Read more about his arrest at the Salinas Police Dept. website here and his plea in the San Jose Mercury News here and the Cal. Coast News here.

Field of dreams for deaf players

The Mike Bush Fantasy Baseball Camp for the deaf and hard of hearing is underway in St. Peters, Missouri. Here's a video report from KSDK-TV. No captions but you can read the story here.

new Kansas University Prez has ties to Gally

Lynne Murray
image from Baker University

The new president of Baker University has roots at Gallaudet. Before coming to the Baldwin City, Kansas school, Lynne Murray worked in development positions at Gallaudet, having earned her Doctorate in special education administration from Gally. Find out more about what led Murray to her new position in the Lawrence Journal-World.

FCC votes on requiring more captioning

The FCC voted unanimously yesterday to require closed-captioning be added to online video clips--if  those clips have already aired on TV. However, the rules do not apply to video that has never aired on TV. That includes shows airing only on Netflix or YouTube. The FCC also set up a timeline for broadcasters. They must add captions by January 1, 2016. A year from then (January 1, 2017) broadcasters must have captions on all montages.  Programming that aired live on TV (or nearly live) must be captioned by July of that year.

DC newspaper offers editorial against captioning rules

The Washington Times has posted an editorial titled EDITORIAL: Captioning cat videos; The FCC wants every cute ‘meow’ thoroughly documented. The opinion piece comes as the FCC prepares to vote tomorrow on proposed captioning rules covering online video. The Times argues against the new rules, arguing,

"Federal intervention isn’t needed. The Internet is the great equalizer, inviting the blind, deaf and disabled, the lame and the halt, to participate in a global conversation with nobody needing to know the age, race, sex or handicap of participants. Government busybodies can’t resist the opportunity to tell people what to do. Two years ago, a federal judge cited the Americans with Disabilities Act, the law that tells supermarkets to install ramps enabling the wheelchair-bound to shop like the rest of us, to force Netflix, the video streaming giant, to caption its programming. This would have happened, anyway."

Read the full post here.

Aussies debate whether to allow deaf jurors

Should Australian courts allow deaf citizens to serve on juries? That's what a professor at the University of New South Wales is hoping to find out during a mock trial that will take place in Sydney. The topic became a national issue when a Queensland judge ruled a deaf woman could not sit on a jury. You can read about that here. Two of the 15 jurors in the mock trial will be deaf. Read more details about the study in the Guardian here. The deaf started sitting on juries in the U.S. 24 years ago.

Driver hits boy on bike

A deaf teenager was struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bike a week ago. Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan are now on the lookout for a two-door red Chevy pick-up truck. WXMI-TV has a video report posted below. No captions, but you can read the story here.

Saltdogs celebrate the deaf community

Lincoln, Nebraska's minor league baseball team held a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Night this week. KLKN-TV has a video report on Saltdogs posted below.

News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, NE; KLKNTV.com

New Rules for Federal Contractors are Providing Opportunities

Federal contractors are looking for ways to get the deaf into jobs more than ever before. That's because new rules kicked in this past March in an effort "to reduce high unemployment rates for veterans and people with disabilities, and strengthen contractors’ affirmative action and nondiscrimination policies." Contractors with more than 100 employees (like Royal Dutch Shell, AT&T and Dell) are expected to have 7 percent of its workforce made up of "veterans and individuals with disabilities." Read more about the impact these Labor Department guidelines are having in a story posted in the Buffalo News here.

‘Toxic’ culture at Scotland’s national deaf school

There's a “toxic culture bullying, lack of transparency and incompetence" at Scotland's national deaf school, according to senior staff. The Edinburgh News reports on a battle among administrators overs recent grievances following the conviction of a school worker for indecently assaulting an underage teen at the school in 2009. The paper quotes staff as saying, “The grievance and the issues surrounding it are still ongoing. This is about the wider governance of the school. It’s a toxic organisation – it’s in crisis and has been for quite some time. The staff want the grievance to be heard. We’re not interested in meetings." Read more here.

Montana School gets new leader

Donna Sorenson is going to be the next superintendent at the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind. She's served as the outreach director for the school and has a degree from Gallaudet University. Read more about the appointment here.

Services for deaf under fire in New York

Members of the Deaf community in New York State, including the Empire State Association of the Deaf, want state lawmakers to pass a measure that would "require sign language interpreters to be licensed by the state and also would create a statewide commission to oversee their activities," reports the Times Union. Republican Joseph Robach introduced the bill, but it has stalled in the state senate. Read more in the Times Union here.

Vote Looms on Captioning Web videos

The FCC will make a decision on whether online video must include closed captioning this coming Friday. The vote is expected to be close, because two commission members are likely to vote in favor of the change and two others are likely to vote against it. Chairman Tom Wheeler supports the change and is quoted by Fox News as saying, “The commission previously adopted closed-captioning requirements for full-length video programming online. I propose...we go further and require captioning for video clips that end up on the Internet. Those who hear with their eyes should not be disadvantaged in their ability to access video information on the Internet.” Commissioner Mignon Clyburn is likely to cast the deciding vote Some business groups, like the National Association of Broadcasters either want the implementation to be slowed or object to it entirely, complaining about the technical difficulties of implementing it. Read more at Fox News and The Hill.

What Gally's high rate of forcible sexual assault may really mean

A review of reported sexual assaults on college campuses leads the Daily Beast to comment, "Gallaudet University’s high rate of forcible sexual assault may actually be a sign the campus is doing something right." Gallaudet spokeswoman Catherine Murphy says one reason the university has higher numbers than other schools is that “our students are more likely to go somewhere on campus and report [assault] than go to a hospital because they have direct access to someone who speaks American Sign Language." Read more here.

Signs Restaurant opens soon

A unique new restaurant opens in downtown Toronto July 23. Signs Restaurant says it is Canada’s first restaurant mostly staffed by deaf servers. The restaurant offers "upper casual dining" and it's  slogan is “where noise meets silence.” Customer will be asked to order in sign language. A book illustrating how to sign menu items will be available. The owner is Anjan Manikumar who learned ASL after watching deaf customers visit restaurants where he worked. Signs will have a hearing hostess greet guests and explain the set up. Check out the restaurant's Facebook page here. Below is a video about the restaurant.

Gally expands LGBTQA Resource Center

Gallaudet now has its first full-time staff member to coordinate an expanded Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and Ally, according to the Washington Blade. Find out more about what's available at the resource center here.

NAD in ATL

The 52nd Biennial National Association of the Deaf Conference is underway in Atlanta. It runs through Saturday at the Atlanta Hilton. For more information, click here.

Wonderful Moments in Captioning History

Buzzfeed has collected a series of screen shots showing outrageous closed captioning mistakes. Take a look here.

Deaf Student Sues Medical School

Zachary Featherstone is suing Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences for not providing him interpreters and captioning devices. You can see the lawsuit here. A hearing is scheduled for July 22 in Yakima. KPLU radio has an audio report and a written article about the lawsuit here.

Terp rules for Michigan

The state of Michigan is getting some new laws about sign language interpreters. They new rules go effect next Monday (July 7) and relate to what kind of interpreter hospitals, physician offices, schools and courts can employ--not only their certification but also how VRI (video remote interpreting) services are handled. Patients will be able to refuse a VRI interpreter if they deem it inadequate and want a interpreter in person. Read the rules from the Michigan Department of Civil Rights' Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing here.

Shakespeare in Rochester

NTID will be bringing Shakespeare to the Highland Bowl Amphitheater in Rochester, New York starting this Saturday (July 5). The Rochester Community Players will perform A Midsummer Night's Dream featuring RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) theater community. This is not an interpreted performance, it is a simultaneous performance, NTID theater instructor Luane Davis Haggerty tells the Democrat & Crhonicle. "Each actor has their own character, but they are performing a single role in agreement. One actor (the voice actor) plays the role as you would expect and the other (signing) actor plays the subtext, the hidden emotion or the inner conflict." Read more here.

Gallaudet has more sex offenses of any college in the area

Gallaudet University had highest total of reports of forcible sex offenses on campus during 2012 of any school in the DC area, according to a study by the Washington Post of federal crime data. The number was 18, followed by George Washington University with 10, and American University with 7. The newspaper reports that "Gallaudet also had the highest rate of reported forcible sex offenses among all colleges the The Post analyzed: more than 11 per thousand students in 2012." Read more here.

Deaf student sues school district

The family of a deaf high school senior in the St. Louis area is suing her school district for half a million dollars. Find out why in this video report from KSDK-TV (the TV station has no captions on the video).

10k Down under

Australia has it's 10,0000th cochlear implant recipient: 45-year-old Christina Dougall of Runcorn in Brisbane got hers turned on yesterday. Here's a video about her.

A proposal for fixing captions

The general manager of a site where fans help translate TV shows and movies explains how she thinks the "sorry state of captioning" can be improved in an Atlantic article here. Tammy H. Nam writes, "Closed captioning for all is a fantastic goal, but until there’s accurate closed captioning for all, there's still work to be done."

Teacher goes extra mile for student

A deaf student's grades started slipping when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. But one of her teachers at Brooklyn's Williamsburg Charter High School didn't want to see her miss her shot at going to Gallaudet University. Find out what Speech and language pathologist Dena Levin decided to do in the full story. Read the full story here.

Deaf Boy's Dog Stolen

A Missouri man took a toddler's dog that his mom was training to help keep him safe. KYTV has a video report posted below. No captions, but for a text version of the video, click here.

The Google Gesture app

A new Google app promises to translate sign language in real time. No release date has been set yet, but Google Gesture is being developed at Sweden's Berghs School of Communication. The effort has already attracted the attention of the tech community by winning an award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The user wears a band on his or her arm which picks up muscle movements and interpreted by the app, which turns them into audible words. Here's a video explanation.


30 Google Gesture from Berghs School of Communication on Vimeo.

Deaf linguistics Prof Promoted

Carol Padden
Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications

Carol Padden will be the new dean of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of California at San Diego. Padden was honored with a “genius grant” (MacArthur Fellowship) four years ago and has been a part of the faculty in the Department of Communication for more than 30 years. Starting in October, she will "lead an academic division with more than 9,000 undergraduates, 600 graduate students and faculty spanning 10 academic departments and 16 interdisciplinary programs and research centers."  Padden is well-known in the Deaf community for her research in language emergence, sign language structure, and cultural life in deaf communities. She has published two textbooks on ASL and two others about the history of the deaf community. Read more about the appointment here. Below is a video about her MacArthur Fellowship.

New Twist in Deaf Babysitter Story

Mariah Berry mug shot

Two weeks ago we told you about a babysitter who let a baby drown while she was on Facebook. A Florida judge sentenced Mariah Berry, who has an IQ of 65 and is deaf, to 15 years behind bars--even though he had said a no contest plea from Berry would result in him giving her a sentence of no more than six years. Because of that unexpected sentencing change, Berry's lawyer wants another day in court. Read the full story in the Orlando Sentinel here.

Generating respect for BSL

"It's hard work being a self-employed BSL teacher, but I love it," Ayesha Gavin says. Gavin, the owner of Ayesha Communications, writes in the Guardian, "I see people develop confidence when communicating, enjoying themselves and knowing that one day they may become a qualified professional and gain a great career. To any deaf people aspiring to be teachers, know your rights and fight for them. Deafness may hold you back but only if you let it." Read more here.

Florida State Univ. ADA violations

Florida State University has settled with the Justice Dept. over an ADA violation. An online employment application form for the FSU campus police asked about disabilities--which is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Such questions can only come when there is a conditional offer of employment. The Florida school has agreed to change its hiring process so as to not discriminate and to better train its employees. You can read the Justice Department announcement here.

First Brain scan for cochlear implants users

Macquarie University photo of the research team

For years, scientists have not been able to look at what a cochlear implant does while it's in the brain. The implant material and its signals interfere with brain scans. But researchers at Australia's Macquarie University say they've figured out how to get a clear view of what's going on with a brain scan. The world's first Cochlear Implant (CI) MEG scanner is a joint project between the ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders (CCD) and Hear and Say Queensland. Lead researcher Blake Johnson says, “This is the first study of its kind and will form the proof of concept for a larger scale studies investigating brain changes following cochlear implantation in preschool children, and the impact of an enriched auditory environment.” Read more here.

Texas man get prison time for killing deaf principal

The man who killed deaf principal Mark Gobble was sentenced to prison yesterday. Gobble led the Texas School for the Deaf until an Austin man, Roman Turullos-Gonzalez, hit Gobble (who was jogging on the sidewalk)--and drove away. KTBC-TV has a video report but there are no captions.

International development, deaf services and inclusion

The graduate program in international development at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. focuses on "how deaf communities can be marginalized in international work when resources such as sign-language interpretation are not provided." Read how one Gally student learned "firsthand how global development work can inadvertently leave out the needs of the deaf" in a Washington Post article here.

Push in Congress for Inflight Movie Captions

Sen. Tom Harkin

Senator Tom Harkin decried the lack of captioning on inflight movies on the Senate floor this week. Harkin, the architect of ADA law, told his colleagues:

I have been trying for some time to get the airlines to provide closed captions on the movies on their airplanes. I can't understand why they don't do it. It doesn't cost anything. You can go to any movie now that's released and if you're hard-of-hearing or deaf, you can go up to a counter free of charges and get a pair of glasses that fit over your own glasses and you can read all the closed captions and follow the exact movie. Maybe you don't think it's a big deal, but if you're hard-of-hearing or your deaf, it's a very big deal.

" Harkin wants to add a measure to a Transportation bill that would require airlines to study the idea. Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who chairs the committee, says the idea will be considered. Read more here.

ASL Tablet App Headed for Beta Testing

A few months ago we told you about a tablet app that understands sign language called MotionSavvy. You can read that post here. MotionSavvy was created by a group of student researchers from Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Since then, the MotionSavvy team has been working in San Francisco as part of a business startup accelerator called Leap Motion. It's for companies building on the gesture-based technology. The team got on the radar of the Silicon Valley tech world by taking third place in ZVRS competition and are about ready to start testing the tablet app. Hundreds of people have signed up to be part of the beta test. After a year of testing, the product may be ready for the consumer market. MotionSavvy may cost around $600 (and that price tag includes a Windows tablet) and there may be a monthly fee. Apps for smart phones are planned as well. Here's a video introduction from i DEAF NEWS Mobile.

FL Deaf patient claims discrimination

When John D'Ambrosio suffered a heart attack in 2011 but failed to get a live interpreter during his stay in the hospital. He sued the Florida hospital. D'Ambrosio and two others filed a lawsuit but a judge has thrown it out. They are now appealing that decision. Find out the full story in the video report below from WKMG-TV.

NJ Judge: No Terp? No Problem

Kelly Romano did not have her rights violated when police failed to provide her an interpreter after stopping her in Boonton, New Jersey. That's the decision of a state Superior Court judge. It all started in 2012 when Romano was arrested for suspected drunk driving. Romano wanted an interpreter but didn't get one. The Star-Ledger reports Romano's lawyer says she may appeal.

CODA: I want to give my parents a better life

Image from KPIX-TV video

Meuy Phan's school counselor describes her as "just a little firecracker. She speaks her mind, she doesn’t hesitate and she’s not shy.” But Phan tells KPIX-TV in San Francisco she is scared to leave her parents and go off to college. Get the full story in the video below or read it here.

FCC orders captioning on 16 programs that wanted exceptions

The FCC has started dismissing petitions by program producers who want exceptions to the Commission's new captioning rules. On Monday, the FCC told a group of 16 that they have 90 days to get closed captions on their video in accordance with the FCC's rules.  Among them:

• Zomboo’s House of Horror Movies - Reno 
• Seeking the Lost - Jasper, Alabama 
• The Bridge - Harlington, Texas 
• Unionville Missionary Baptist Church Services - Macon, Georgia 
• Ten O’Clock Worship Service, Panama City, Florida

Read the full list of program producers here. The FCC has said it will gives exemption from the rules if the captioning would be "economically burdensome."

10 Dumb Things the Hearing Say to the Deaf

1. “You don’t look deaf!”

There is no way to look deaf. You don’t need to ever tell a deaf person, “you don’t look deaf!” because really, how could you look deaf? Carry a grammaphone around? Have ears of some type of better yet, something in American Sign Language (ASL) tattooed on your forehead?

2. “CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?”

A lot of people shout at us. But think about that for a second. Shouting at a deaf person. Shouting at someone who can’t hear? Okay, it’s true that many deaf people can hear in various degrees, but shouting is almost always simply an exercise in rudeness and condescension, not to mention futility.

See the full list here on Meriah Nichols' blog A Little Moxie (with help from Captain Picard). Nichols says she compiled the list based on the answers to the question given by hundreds of other deaf people.

Baseball Mascot signs with deaf boy

The Dayton Dragon's minor league baseball team surprised a young fan by signing with him before a game. Seven-year-old Hunter Samworth and his family were at the Dayton, Ohio game Saturday when they met the green dragon named Heater. Watch what happened in the video below.

Deaf babysitter gets 15 years

Mariah Berry mug shot

Mariah Berry let a baby drown in a bathtub while she was on Facebook in another room, according to Florida prosecutors. Today, a Sanford judge gave the 20 year old 15 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter. Read more at the Orlando Sentinel here.

Video Explaining Deaf Child’s Transgender Identification Goes Viral

A California couple has posted a video about how their deaf daughter who told them she was boy. They decided to get Ryland cochlear implants--and made the decision to change Ryland’s identity. The Whittington family video has more than 3 million views. ABC News offers this video report.


ABC US News | ABC International News

Deaf Actor Gets His Chance To Be Wicked

Actor Russell Harvard is playing a hit man on the TV show Fargo. The FX series is based on the the 1996 Coen brothers film of the same name. NPR quotes Harvard as saying, "The character is not really specific about being deaf, or having any related deaf issues. It's just Fargo, period." According to NPR, show creator Noah Hawley says he..

got the idea for a deaf hit man from spending time in Austin, where he lives part time in a neighborhood near the Texas School for the Deaf. "As I was formulating the show, I kept seeing sign language around everywhere," he says. "It's such a compelling and visual means of communication, but it's also a language that most people don't speak. So it creates an amazing amount of privacy, for deaf people to be surrounded by hearing people and be able to communicate in a way that no one can really understand."

Read the whole interview here.

Fatal Fire purposely set

A fire took the lives of two deaf people in Ohio--and three people are charged with deliberately setting the blaze. Associated Press has more on the story here.

Real-time Skype language translator

Microsoft says it has developed a new tool that allows users to turn Skype into a real-time voice and text translator. Skype Translator should be out before the end of the year. Here's a video introduction (the Google captions contain some mistakes).

Mother: Not seeing my deaf daughter is "heartbreaking"

Karen Talosig wants her daughter with her in Canada. But the Filipina woman may not get her wish--because her daughter is deaf. And she's been waiting for four years. The CBC has the full story in the video posted below. No captions, but you can read the story here.

Judge: No to deaf juror

An Australian judge is refusing to allow a deaf woman to serve on a jury. Queensland judge James Douglas says his ruling is based on a law that bars sign language interpreters from sitting in jury rooms. According to ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) reports that a Deaf Services Queensland representative says this isn't the first time this has happened.

Terp Soccer Suit

Parents of a deaf Pennsylvania boy are suing the small town of Greenburg for not giving him an interpreter during soccer games organized by the city. The names of the parents and the 8 year old are not revealed in the lawsuit. But the mother is an interpreter, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Read more on the suit here.

Implants and Developmental Delays

Children with cochlear implants are more likely than hearing children to have developmental delays--as much as five times more likely. That's according to a study by Indiana University researchers. they say the difficulties include memory, planning and conceptual learning. Study coauthor William G. Kronenberger said:

William G. Kronenberger

"Cochlear implants produce remarkable gains in spoken language and other neurocognitive skills, but there is a certain amount of learning and catch-up that needs to take place with children who have experienced a hearing loss prior to cochlear implantation. So far, most of the interventions to help with this learning have focused on speech and language. Our findings show a need to identify and help some children in certain domains of executive functioning as well.We are now looking for early markers in children who are at risk before they get implants." 

Details are in the Journal of the American Medical Association Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery. Read more about the study here.

ASD gets new Prez

Jeff Bravin

The American School for the Deaf has named it's new president. The West Hartford, Connecticut school is appointing Jeff Bravin as its 13th executive director. Bravin has been a part of the school for more than a decade, including serving as the assistant executive director and chief operating officer. Read more from the school's website here.

The Signglasses project

If you are deaf, you know it can be difficult visiting a place like a planetarium. Trying to keep your eyes on the interpreter while taking in the exhibits and videos can be difficult. That's where a team at Brigham Young University hopes to help. The Signglasses Project is designed to address this issue using Google Glass. Find out more in this video. . Professor Mike Jone

Team loses big--over whistle

A deaf soccer team in the UK gave up 164 goals this year because they could not hear the referee's whistle. The Birmingham Deaf Football Club has asked referees to wave flags when they blow a whistle--something that's in the rules. But they either forget or don't want, according to the Birmingham Mail. LEaving them with a record of 25 wins and only one victory. Read more in the here.

Deaf boy discovered tied to pole

The AFP / Punit Paranjpe photo that has caused a stir

A deaf boy tied to a pole during most of his day in India is causing a stir after it was reported by the French news agency AFP. His grandmother says she wanted to keep nine-year-old Lakhan Kale safe while she is at work. But when an India newspaper ran pictures of Lakhan, which you can see here, government officials moved him into an institution.
Read the full story here.

Students get K-9 Companion

A 2-year old retriever mix is the newest "teacher" at Berkeley, California’s Center for Early Intervention on Deafness. KPIX-TV has a video report posted below. The captions were not working correctly at the time of this post, but you can read part of the story here.

Valedictorian's Speech

An Atlanta-area deaf high schooler gave a moving speech at his graduation. But Evan Mercer didn't' get to address his fellow students during the ceremony because he is deaf, but because he is the valedictorian of the Harrison High School Class of 2014. WXIA-TV has a video report below. No captions but you can read the story here. The second video is Evan's entire speech (which comes with Googles sometimes helpful automated captions).

Rush Limbaugh implant update

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh

We told you earlier this month about talk show host Rush Limbaugh getting a new cochlear implant. You can read that story here. This week, during his radio show, Limbaugh explained how he's adapting to the new device. He says:

I want to pass off a somewhat funny but instructive little cochlear implant story, because that's why I'm here. I had to come out for another tune-up of the new implant I got on the right side. I had the appointment yesterday after the program. Yesterday I had come across on a website a five-minute video that purported to help people understand how those of us with cochlear implants hear things. I took the video to my appointment and I played it for my audiologist.

Find out what happened next in the transcript here.

Deaf man assaulted during robbery

A deaf man was beaten at a Houston Denny's during a robbery. Five armed men entered the restaurant yesterday morning, demanding money and valuables. KHOU-TV has a video report posted below.

Deaf man left for dead after hit-and-run

Police in Virginia Beach are on the lookout for a driver who left a deaf man for dead after hitting him near the Naval Air Station Oceana. Chris Valerio was riding his moped at the time. WAVY-TV has the story in this video report.

Jail time for deaf man's murder

A man and two women convicted in the fatal stabbing of a deaf man are going to prison. The trio planned to rob Michael Shull in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2012. Shull had only recently graduated from the North Carolina School for the Deaf. The video below is a report from WSOC-TV.

What it sounds like to have an implant

Ever wondered what it would be like to have a cochlear implant? An Arizona State University has created a video that contains audio simulating the experience for hearing people. Michael Dorman is director of Cochlear Implant Research Lab.

Fritz: His Art and Movie

A new movie tells the story of a hard-of-hearing New York artist named Fritz. The filmmakers say they discovered the 70-year-old "when he is at his lowest, shortly after the death of his girlfriend." Fritz the Movie shows his artistic efforts despite a "tumultuous relationship with his brother Vince, who thinks his dreams are unrealistic and stupid." Find out more at the film's official website here or watch the trailer below.

TV Dramas for the Deaf

There is something of a "scene" emerging around the world, reports the BBC. The news agency points out that, besides the teen drama Switched at Birth on ABC Family, there are two other "dramas with signing at the core." Sweden's Inte Varre an Andra (No Worse Than Others) and Norway's MokkaKaffe ("Rubbish Coffee") involve the deaf. Find out more about these shows and why they are popular in the BBC article See Hear: Could deaf dramas be TV hits?

Redbox Suit Tossed

A judge is dismissing a lawsuit against Redbox over captioning. Francis Jancik sued for equal access under ADA law to the company's DVD, Blu-ray and video streaming services. Jancik pointed out it is hard to know whether a movie includes captions or not, the way Redbox operates. But Redbox claims it isn't responsible, since the company is a distributor and not the creator. The judge agreed, saying the situation was like a bookstore--which is not responsible for the content of the books it sells being offered in Braille. Read more in the OC Weekly.

Fernandes to lead NC school

Jane K. Fernandes will become president of Guilford College starting July 1. You may remember that in she was appointed president of Gallaudet University in 2006. But after prolonged protests from students and faculty, the Board of Trustees decided to withdraw the offer. Fernandes told the Chronicle of Higher Education, "It was very difficult for me to recuperate." Read the full interview here.

How Technology Threatens Deaf Identity

New York writer Patrick deHahn says, "When cochlear implants are no longer visible, the solidarity of a deaf community may be lost." He writes in an opinion piece for The Atlantic:

The Deaf subculture is able to separate itself from the lowercase “d” deaf group by spotting speaking individuals with hearing aids and cochlear implants. When no one is able to see these hearing devices, internal implant adoptees will likely be seen as purely hearing people. This isn’t going to improve the divide in the deaf population. If anything, hidden hearing technology could further estrange the two groups.

Read more here.

Single punch Kills Man

A deaf man is on trial in London for hitting another deaf man with one punch--and killing him. A British Sign Language Pride event was over last summer and both men went to the same pub, the White Swan. Matthew Powe is now on trial for murder, but Powe claims he hit Vitalis Katakinas in self-defense. Read more of the story in the UK's Daily Mirror.

School ordered to pay nearly a half million in legal fees

A former deaf medical student at Creighton University should get nearly half-of-a-million dollars from the school to cover his legal fees, says a federal judge. Michael Argenyi sued the Nebraska school for discrimination after it refused to allow him to use interpreters--even when he was willing to pay for their services himself. We told you here that a federal jury sided with Argenyi last fall, but  he was not awarded any financial damages because the jury decided the failure to give Argenyi assistance was unintentional. His lawyers appealed that verdict by requesting that a judge weigh in on the matter. Now, a federal judge is ordering the school to pay Argenyi $478,000 to cover his legal fees. Administrators at the school may appeal that decision. You can read the full ruling here.

Fake Terp is Back

The man who pretended to be a sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's memorial service is back in the spotlight. A company out of Israel called Livelens is paying Thamsanqa Jantjie to appear in an advertisement for the Tel Aviv-based startup. The National Association of the Deaf expressed "outrage and disappointment that any company would think it appropriate to hire and portray any individual who has become synonymous with mockery of sign language interpreting." Read more from NAD here and more on the story from NBC News here. You can see the advertisement below.

1st Deaf Medical School Grad in WV

Mark Leekoff is making history this weekend. He'll graduate from the West Virginia University medical school and become a neurologist. Leekoff was one of the first kids in the U.S. to get a cochlear implant and tells WTTG-TV, “I'm an ambassador for the deaf community and myself. Through medical school, I have educated people about my hearing loss and everybody's embraced that.” The TV station's video report is posted below.

DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG