Basketball in Buffalo

WKBW-TV in Buffalo takes a look at what the St. Mary's School for the Deaf basketball teams are doing for the school's students.

A new TV Show by and About Deaf People

Sundance TV’s streaming platform Sundance Now just debuted a new show called This Close . It stars Josh Feldman and Shoshannah Stern and is about two deaf best friends living in Los Angeles. "The six-episode show is adapted from 'Fridays,' their rom-comish web series that so impressed Sundance the channel decided to make 'This Close' the debut offering for its new digital streaming service. The director said, “We did a lot of two shots so that you could see both Josh and Shoshannah signing together. It makes it feel like they are in a bubble of their own.” Read more about the new show in the New York Times here. Vulture calls the show "charming" and you can read the review here. Below is the trailer for This Close.

Deaf School Counselor Arrested: Accused of Child Molestation

A man who worked with students at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont is facing child molestation charges. Ricardo Tafolla Rose has been a counselor at the school. If you know someone who might have been a victim, you are asked to call the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division Special Investigations Unit at 800-835-5247. KRON-TV has a short video report.

Protestors with disabilities handcuffed, dragged out of Congress

As we reported yesterday, there is a bill in Congress that would "undermine" the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to the ACLU and other advocacy groups. People protesting that proposed law were "dragged from Congress on Tuesday" according to Vice and other media outlets. Here is video of showing U.S. Capitol Police "forcibly removing demonstrators, several of whom had disabilities." Read more in Vice News.

More protesters being pulled out of the Rules committee meeting pic.twitter.com/V6HEIhhZmI

— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) February 13, 2018

pic.twitter.com/UJMPsedtjT

— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) February 13, 2018

Protesters made it all the way into the Rules committee hearing inside the Capitol. Cops coming in now to take them away pic.twitter.com/N4eblrbpiL

— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) February 13, 2018

Proposed Law in Congress would "Undermine" ADA Law

President George H. W. Bush Signs the ADA bill into law in 1990 

A bill in Congress could completely change the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The House of Representatives bill H.R. 620 (the “ADA Education and Reform Act”) would "eliminate any incentive for businesses to comply with the ADA" until someone complained and the business was sent a legal notice, according to The Hill. The bussiness would have half a year to make some progress on changing the barrier. The ACLU says the bill would "undermines the  very  purpose of the  landmark civil rights law" and actually "harms people with disabilities. Read more about the proposed law in The Hill here, the ACLU here, and read the bill for yourself here.

Captioning at Broadway Shows

A free smartphone app is giving Broadway audiences closed captioning during performances. The GalaPro app works in airplane mode. The text shows up on a user's phone with a black screen to avoid disturbing other patrons. Read more about from NPR here.

Longtime Gally administrator passes

image from Gallaudet Archives

A Gallaudet University administrator and scholar who wrote and edited books about deaf people during the Holocaust and the portrayal of deaf people on-screen, has died of cancer. John Schuchman was 79 years old. A CODA, Dr. Schuchman's first language was ASL. He wrote  Hollywood Speaks: Deafness and the Film Entertainment Industry as well as Deaf People in Hitler’s Europe. Read more about him from the Gallaudet website here and from the Washington Post here. During his 34 years at Gallaudet, he served as a dean, vice president of academic affairs and provost.

Biographical Drama About First Deaf MLB Player Being Filmed

image from promo for film "I See the Crowd Roar"

The story of professional baseball player William “Dummy” Hoy is being shot in Kentucky. Title The Silent Natural is set in the 1880s. The director, David Risotto, already produced a documentary about Hoy. He told WKMS-FM, “I promised the family that I would use deaf actors to portray him and any other deaf role." Read the full story here. Below is a promo for the documentary Risotto made called I see the Crowd Roar.

Oklahoma Teacher Pay Raise Measure

Teachers at Oklahoma's School for the Deaf and School for the Blind were about to be left out of an effort to give teachers in the state a $5000 raise. But lawmakers have announced that the proposed legislation has been changed to include them. Read more here.

Bringing Hip-Hop to the Deaf

The Great Big Story visits with Matt Maxey in the video below. Matt learned to sign when he was 18 years old by signing along with rap artists. Now, he terps hip-hop for artists like Chance the Rapper and D.R.A.M.

The Cheesecake Factory Settles Lawsuit

The Cheesecake Factory will pay Oleg Ivanov back pay and damages, after the restaurant chain refused to provide him with a sign language interpreter and other accommodations. Ivanov is deaf and worked at the Cheese Factory in downtown Seattle. The EEOC issued a statement, which said in part:

image via WikiMedia Commons Anthony92931

We are pleased that The Cheesecake Factory has agreed to work with the EEOC to help dismantle barriers that individuals with disabilities face in the workplace. The changes will help future deaf applicants and employees at The Cheesecake Factory.

You can see the news release here.

Not on the Radar: Sexual Assault of College Students With Disabilities

Sexual assault policies at colleges typically don't address the needs of deaf students, among other groups. That's according to a new federal study from the National Council on Disability. Wendy Harbour, the director of the National Center for College Students With Disabilities, who was part of putting together the report, said:

Sexual assault has become a topic of concern on campuses and with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, but seldom has the conversation included consideration of the needs of college students with disabilities.

The report finds undergraduates with a disability are more likely to be sexually assaulted than their counterparts. The report titled “Not on the Radar: Sexual Assault of College Students With Disabilities” is the very first federally-funded on the subject. It concludes that many school are not in compliance with ADA law, ignoring the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. For instance, many colleges lack procedures for communicating with assault victims who are deaf or hard of hearing. You'll find the full report on the National Council on Disability website here.

Deaf Camp Vandalized

image from Aspen Camp of the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Facebook page

Someone has vandalized the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Colorado. The camp rented out its cabins to Airbnb guests this past weekend while Aspen hosted the X-Games, according to KUSA-TV. But one of the groups caused about $4,000 of damages to the camp's common area. Read more at KUSA here. You'll find the camp's Facebook page here with more information and an ASL video.
.

Dad Sues School Systems over Treatment of Deaf Son

Jeff Beck is suing Sumner County Schools in Tennessee over the education of his deaf son. WTOL-TV has a video report. No captions but you can read the story here.

Toledo News Now, News, Weather, Sports, Toledo, OH

Proposed Florida Terp Law

image from myfloridahouse.gov

The Florida House unanimously approved a bill today that would require the state officials to hire a qualified sign language interpreter at televised hurricane briefings. The bill was motivated by having a man incompetantly attempt to interpret evacuation orders just before Hurricane Irma. The bill is sponsored by Richard Stark and you can read the text of the bill here.

What you need to know about emergency cellphone alerts

Following a false alarm in Hawaii that a ballistic missile was on its way, state and federal officials are reconsidering how emergency cellphone alerts are set up. CNET has gathered some of the basic information about the system here.

City Council says "no" to paying for Interpreter

Cleveland's City Council is refusing to pay for sign-language interpreters at its meetings. Rico Dancy asked for an interpreter back in October, according to Cleveland.com. The City Council provided interpreters for three meetings but now has told him he isn't deaf enough to justify an interprter. Read the full story here.

Arrest in Hit-and-Run Death of Deaf Man

Prosecutors are identifying the man who led Jersey City police on a chase in a stolen SUV on Tuesday. They say Oriental Hamlet of Jersey City is facing charges of aggravated manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident. Hamlet hit and killed Umar King who worked for FedEx worker and was a comedian on the side. Two other suspects feld on foot. Below is video with survellence footage of the SUV when Hamlet crashed. No captions but you can read the story at the Daily Mail here.

Deaf space professionals inspire Deaf Students

Deaf professionals from the space industry visited students at Austin's Texas School for the Deaf this week. KHOU-TV has a video reporter.

Researchers: Kids with Implants Learn Words Faster

German researchers claim children with cochlear implants learn words faster than those with normal hearing. Niki Vavatzanidis tells News Medical that children typically need about 14 months to spot mislabeled objects, but children with an implant were able to do so after only 12 months. Another researcher said, "Children with cochlear implants could help us understand the general processes of language acquisition and determine which single steps are age-dependent." Read the full story here.

Deaf Man Killed by Stolen SUV

The driver of a stolen SUV hit and killed a deaf man in Jersey city, New Jersey Tuesday. A friend of the victim told WABC-TV, "He was a gentle person. He would give his jacket off his back. Support you in anything. Kind-hearted person, loving person." There's more on the story in this video or read details here.

5 years ago today: Gally Prof dies in fire

Image from Gallaudet University

It was on this day (Jan. 23) in 2013 that Gallaudet lost one of its professors. Laura Snyder-Gardner and her teenage daughter, Marry Ann, died in a fire in the northern Virginia town of Falls Church. They had moved from Florida to the DC suburb just a couple of years before. Neighbors say the neighborhood was rocked by a loud noise before the fire broke out. Gardner was 48 years old and had worked at Gallaudet since 2009. She served as an assistant coach of the girls' soccer team at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf last year.

Airline changes it Service Animal Policy

Delta Airlines plans to impose tighter restrictions on animals brought on board its airplanes. Many people have started bringing their pets with them when the travel, pretending they are service animals to take advantage of ADA law. Starting in March 1, Delta will require advance documentation before boarding animals to certify the owner’s need and the animal’s training. The annoucement also says:

Delta has seen an 84 percent increase in reported animal incidents since 2016, including urination/defecation, biting and even a widely reported attack by a 70-pound dog. In 2017, Delta employees reported increased acts of aggression (barking, growling, lunging and biting) from service and support animals, behavior not typically seen in these animals when properly trained and working.

Read the full details of the change from Delta here.

The deaf six-year-old hoping for an Oscar

Profoundly deaf six year old Maisie Sly is the star of The Silent Child, a short film which could be vying for an Oscar. Find out more about it in this BBC video.

Lawsuit Claims School Failed to Accommodate Deaf Students

image from dcc.edu

Two deaf students are have filed a lawsuit against a Louisiana community college for not providing them with interpreters. Lee Em Bruce and Ronneka Smith says they tried to work with officials on campus but were not accomodated, so they've filed a suit against the Delgado Community College. Read the full story here.

Deaf School Leaders Want to Drop ASL Requirement for Superintendent

A deaf school wants to change a rule requiring it's leader to know sign language and have experience working with deaf children. The South Dakota Board of Regents is asking the state legisalture to make the change over the objections of parents and educators so that it will be easier to combine the leadership of the state deaf school and the state blind school. Read the full story in the Argus Leader here.

Deaf University Student hit by Truck

A deaf student at National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester was hit by a truck last night. WHAM-TV says the student had "serious injuries" and offers this video report.

Spotting Implant Users Who are Falling Behind

Some deaf children with cochlear implants still lag behind their hearing peers in educational development. Researchers are now using brain MRIs to "construct a machine-learning algorithm to predict language development," reports WTTW-TV. They hope the results will make it easier to spot the children with implants who are falling behind. Read the full story here.

Changing Netflix Captions on Your iPhone

image from Netflix video

You can customize the font, size, color, and the background pretty easily on most devices. But on an iPhone, the process is different. The same is true for an iPad and Apple TV. You can read a step-by-step guide as to how to do it
here.

IRS Warns of Video Relay Scam Targeting Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Every day scammers come up with new ways to steal taxpayers’ identities and personal information. Some scammers pretend to be from the IRS with one goal in mind: to steal money. Be aware that con artists will use video relay services (VRS) to try to scam deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Don’t become a victim. Deaf and hard of hearing taxpayers should avoid giving out personal and financial information to anyone they do not know. Always confirm that the person requesting personal information is who they say they are.

The tour's first deaf golfer is not giving up on his chase

Kevin Hall has spent 14 years on the PGA Tour. At one time, he won the Big Ten Championship while golfing for Ohio State. Now he toils in the sport's minors. He tells Yahoo Sports, "Golf is what I do, but in the grand scheme of things, God is using me to serve as an inspiration to others." Read the full story here.

Deaf Studies Archive receives grant to digitize rare videos

More that 60 video tapes decumenting the ASL poetry and literature movement in Rochester will be lost unless they are digitized—and now the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester has the funds to transfer the video. "The digitized videos will be one of the largest collections of online publicly accessible rare ASL literature in the country," according to the NTID. Read more about the project here.

How Biotech is Trying to fix Hearing Loss

"At least half a dozen biotechs are working on potential breakthroughs in the way hearing loss is treated. But it’s unclear if the drugs they’re developing will be ready in time to help hearing-impaired boomers, some of whom are in their 70s," the Boston Glove Reports. David Lucchino, chief executive of Frequency, told the paper:

“There’s a fundamental transformation happening in hearing regeneration. We’re figuring out how to hot-wire the hair cells in the inner ear that die off during a lifetime of being exposed to noise.”

Read the full article here.

Gally wins Helmet Bowl

Gallaudet University in Washington, DC has won Helmet Tracker's Helmet Bowl competition. The company searches for new uses of technology to help equipment managers do their jobs more effectively. Read more about how Gallaudet won here. Below is a video report from Fox5dc recorded before the final results were announced.

Civil War pivotal in deaf history

"The (American) Civil War dramatically changed the course of deaf people’s lives. In many ways, the national crisis empowered many to believe in their own abilities," writes Harry G. Lang, a professor at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Lang explains out it brought "the nation's deaf population out of society's shadows. Read about it in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle.

Denver woman’s lawsuit Leads to Captioning at Pepsi Center

The owner of Denver’s Pepsi Center has made an agreement to settle a lawsuit over captioning. If a judge approves, the Kroenke Arena Company would be required to provide captioning on the video boards inside the arena for nearly all the sporting events. Kirstin Kurlander, who is deaf, filed the original suit and is quoted as saying, “I am happy that Kroenke and the Pepsi Center have agreed to provide captioning at the Pepsi Center so deaf and hard of hearing patrons will finally have equal access to the games at that arena.” Read more from the Denver Post here.

Deaf Girl to Sign the National Anthem Before the College Championship Game

12-year-old Carly Ortega will sign the national anthem at the college football championship game Monday night. The Zac Brown Band play the Star-Spangled Banner before the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama's Crimson Tide face off. Carly told WSB-TV that she is doing it in honor of her mother who recently died of cancer but admits, "I’m going to be nervous and pretty scared."

This Deaf School "needs an overhaul"

image from lalsd.org

The Louisiana School for the Deaf needs an overhaul, says a member of the state's top school board. The Associated Press quotes, Kathy Edmonston, a member of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, as saying, "A couple of issues brought up by the folks that I have been working with from the deaf community feel like the kids are not getting a quality education at the school." Read the full story here.

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.

US Deaf Education

Two professors tackle the issue of English literacy in the Deaf community in this TEDx video recorded at Ohio's Kent State University.

Remote Implant Options Approved

The U.S. government has given the world's largest cochlear implant maker permission to have follow-up programming sessions remotely. Cochlear Limited says the FDA approval will enable remote care for Nucleus Cochlear Implant recipients and clinicians. A Colorado audiologist says, "This approval will open the door for so many cochlear implant patients who have trouble accessing continued care because they can't travel to an implant center." Read more about the effort here.

Should oralism be promoted within the deaf community?

Should oralism be promoted within the deaf community? The BBC has a video debate here.

When a deaf singer gets death threats from other deaf people, something’s wrong

Freelance journalist Josh Salisbury makes a plea in the Guardian that deaf people "need to move beyond the oralism v sign language split." It was that divide, he tells readers, that has led to the social media backlash against America’s Got Talent finalist Mandy Harvey. Salisbury writes:

It also risks promoting a myth of a militant deaf community, acting as jealous gatekeepers of what it really means to be deaf. A casual observer reading the story about Harvey could be forgiven for thinking that the deaf community, in America or elsewhere, is far more intolerant than it really is.

Read the full story here.

Study: How the Brain Decodes Pitch may improve Implants

How cochlear implants convey pitch to users could be improved based on a new study out of the University of Washington. The research is focused on where in the inner ear a sound activates. You can read more about it here. Details of the study are in the Journal of Neuroscience here.

The Impact of Proposed Tax Code Changes on the Deaf

Congress is looking at ways to change the tax code and the bill currently before the House would impact the Deaf Community in several ways. Among the things that would no longer be tax deductible: the cost of buying, training and maintaining a service animal and improvements to a property rented by a person with a disability, such as special lighting. Another provision "would reduce the progress made over the last few decades to improve public access for people with disabilities." Read more here.

Inspired by Implant to become an Audiologist

J. Connor Sullivan

J. Connor Sullivan got his cochlear implant when he was still a teenager. He was so affected by the change in his life, Sullivan became an audiologist. He writes about what happened after the surgery:

Once I returned to school, as a freshman at the University of Oklahoma, my life was changed in more ways than I could imagine. I had made great strides with my hearing through my Cochlear Implant since my activation day. Not to mention, since getting my Cochlear Implant, my purpose for my life had revealed itself. That spring in 2011, I decided to pursue a doctorate in audiology so I can work with people who have hearing loss like myself.

Read the full article here.

The first deaf-led theatre company in the UK

Paula Garfield was frustrated with the barriers facing deaf actors. So she did something about it: Garfield started the first deaf-led theatre company in the UK. Fifteen years later, Deafinitely Theatre is still going strong. She writes:

Over the years I became disillusioned with the world of acting, and theatre more generally, having experienced a lack of deaf awareness and bullying from others in the industry. One year-long tour took a particular toll on me. As the only deaf member of the company I was ignored and poorly treated by my fellow actors and made to feel that, as a deaf person, I should be grateful I’d been offered the work in the first place.

Read her full story in the Independent here.

Beauty blogger uses ASL

Beauty Blogger Catherine Martinez

A beauty blogger is using sign language in her tutorials. Catherine Martinez says she wants to maek her video's more accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing, having been inspired by a deaf classmate at NYU. Read the full story here.

Big Grant for Deaf Teacher Training

The Dept. of Education is giving a Texas school nearly $150,000 to start a program combining educational psychology and deaf education. The
will use the $147,000 grant to train a dozen "new school psychologists that specialize in deaf education, and 27 teachers of the deaf in how to apply principles of educational psychology in their work with children." There's more information from the school here.

America's deaf team

At Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the Bison football team is tackling lessons beyond the field. CBS News has a video report on America's Deaf Team.

Deaf Singer Gets Death Threats

Some people in the Deaf community sent Mandy Harvey death threats for her appearance on NBC's America's Got Talent. She says some activists objected to her "promoting a 'hearing' activity." Harvey got worldwide attention after working her way to the show's finals. She tells the BBC, "I used to get some pretty strongly-worded letters and death threats. I got a lot of backlash from certain people in that community because I was promoting oralism." Read the full story here. Below is a video of one of her AGT appearances.

Woman raped, robbed near Gallaudet

A woman was robbed and sexually assaulted across the street from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC this past weekend. Fox-5 in DC has a video report.

Discrimination Against Deaf People In The US

Two leaders in the Deaf community sat down with KCUR, public radio from Kansas City, Missouri, and discussed the "history of persecution against people with deafness in this country — and the milestones along the path to equal rights." Gallaudet University history professor William Ennis and Deaf International co-founder Debbie Buchholz. She says:

image: http://dicommunitychurch.org

I believe that people in the minority will have to fight, probably for the rest of their life. But that it's critical not to give up but to keep fighting because everyone has a right to receive the same things. And so it's important for people to realize that this is not over. Even though it's better, it's not over.. There's so many deaf people that want to work, so many deaf people who were criticized for not having a job and they're actually looking. And they're applying within and they're being turned down because just that piece of being deaf scares employers. And so they want to work and they are looking for positions. And if the accommodations were right and proper, they would all be able to work.

Read the entire interview here
.

What's wrong with Language Gloves?

image from UCSD academic paper
published in the PLOS One journal
describing a gesture-recognizing glove 

What's wrong with wearable technologies like the sign-language glove? Linguist and writer Michael Erard writes that the effort is "rooted in the preoccupations of the hearing world, not the needs of Deaf signers." The gesture-recogniztion glove overlooks the "intricacies of the language, as well as the needs of signers." Despite it's high cost and irrelavancy to signers, the technology has won prize money for its creators and "college students were gaining accolades and scholarships for technologies based on an element of Deaf culture, while Deaf people themselves are legally and medically underserved." Read more in the Atlantic about Why Sign-Language Gloves Don't Help Deaf People here.

On Deafness and Music

"When I got a cochlear implant seven years ago, after being profoundly deaf for my entire life, hearing friends and acquaintances started asking me the same few questions: Had I heard music yet? Did I like it? What did it sound like?" That's how Rachel Kolb started her essay On Deafness and Music published in the New York Times. You can read it here.

Growing Up With Deaf Parents

"Many CODAs act as interpreters for their parents from a young age, and this can mean taking on responsibilities generally reserved for adults.. In sign language, there are ways you can express or say things that seem better or more appropriate in English.. We sometimes sign something because it really captures what we're thinking." Read more in a VICE Austrailia here.

Virgin Photoshops Implant out of Ad

here are the two photos in question

Virgin Active South Africa health clubs is apologizing after removing the cochlear implant from a model in a promotional photograph it posted on Instagram. Simone Botha Welgemoed got the implant before she was two years old. The ballerina was crowned Miss Deaf South Africa fives years ago and is an active deaf advocate in that country. In response to the controversy, a Virgin spokesperson said:

“We issued an immediate apology to Simone. We had a good heart-to-heart meeting with her. We 100% accept that the action of photo-shopping the image is not in line with our values as a business, nor in keeping with the welcome we extend to everyone. We got it wrong and we realise that.

Making Room for Deaf Performers in Hollywood

The New York Times takes a look at the struggles deaf actors have had in Hollywood in an article that focuses on Millicent Simmonds, who stars in the film Wonderstruck. Read it here.

Website ADA Compliance put on the Federal Gov.'s Back Burner

The Department of Justice has put the issue website compliance with ADA law on its "inactive list." New regulations had been scheduled to start next year but the issue has been set aside for now. The Pepper Hamilton law firm tells its clients, "There is no longer an imminent expectation that the DOJ will provide new guidance regarding what type of private website formatting or accommodations must be provided to users in order to comply with the ADA. In fact, the DOJ’s newly professed lack of interest appears to weigh against an assumption that the ADA applies to websites." You can read more here.

Marlee Matlin honored in Israel

Oscar Winning Deaf Actress Marlee Matlin took her first trip to Israel recently. She was honored for disability advocacy and spoke with i24 News about life in Hollywood and her Jewish roots.

Wonderstruck's Deaf Breakout Star

Sorenson VRS has put together a video about Millicent Simmonds. She's the deaf actress starring in the movie Wonderstruck. The video has no audio but there are captions.

New Leader for DEAF Inc.

DEAF Inc. based in St. Louis has a new leader. Ernest E. Garrett III will take the reigns of the nonprofit working to improve interactions between the Deaf community and the hearing community. Garrett is the former superintendent of the Missouri School for the Deaf. He was the first deaf superintendent of the school. Read more about him here. Below is a video announcement about the appointment.

Meet the Child Star of Wonderstruck

Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds has made a big impression since her breakout performance in the new movie Wonderstruck. In the film, she plays a 12-year-old deaf girl living in the 1927 New Jersey who runs away from home. People Magazine offers "5 Things to Know about Millicent" here and offers a video interview here.

Meet Deaf Artist Bex

image from Convo Relay youtube video

Bex is a "28-year-old San Francisco Bay Area resident who believes people with disabilities face discrimination and lack of access – despite the existence of the Americans with Disabilities Act – and that people with disabilities incur additional costs that create barriers to art training," the Huffington Post reports. She says, “There is a very strong sense of abjection in my work. I believe it rises not just from being queer, but also from being disabled, as well as Jewish – the implicit knowledge that just by having the audacity to merely exist, you are loathed."  Read the full story here with a review of Bex art and some samples here or visit her website here.

Scientists say Protein may be key to Gene Therapy for Deaf Patients

Researchers say they've "developed a better way to test a specific protein that is essential for hearing" and it has to do with particular genes. They tell Oregon's Fox 12, "There's a lot of interest in this particular gene because it seems to be at the epicenter of the focus of general hearing loss. It seems to be a bit of a one trick pony in that it exclusively controls hearing and balance."

KPTV - FOX 12

Wonderstruck & the Deaf Community

Todd Haynes, director of the new film Wonderstruck did research to understand the history of Deaf culture in the U.S. He tells NPR:

It really wasn't until a leaven article that came out in 1960 that talked about sign language and described all the integrity of this language. And a new era of appreciation for what sign language was was ushered in. And I think you see in "Wonderstruck" both sides of that divide is played out in the two stories that parallel the film because Ben, the little boy in the '70s, also becomes deaf in the course of the film.

"In the movie Wonderstruck, children in different time periods embark on quests to find themselves," reports NPR. "Director Todd Haynes explains the film's artistic choices and its significance to the deaf community" in his NPR here.

Deaf Actors Sign and Sing on Broadway

NBC News spoke with Sandra Frank, lead actress in the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, a show that combines deaf and hearing actors in single roles.

Billboard campaign aims to connect deaf to religion

A Christian group in Western Michigan has launched a billboard campaign to reach the deaf with their message. But the billboards have caused some confusion. WOOD-TV has a video report.

Woman who shot deaf man convicted of murder

Bexar County Sheriff's Office

A San Antonio woman could get life in prison now that jurors have convicted her of killing a deaf man. Michelle Chase shot him on the porch of her home last year. Read the full story from My San Antonio here.

Arson at Resource Center for the Deaf

"A local resource center for the deaf has been targeted, damaged, and defaced for the fourth time this year," reports KATU-TV. Read the full story here.

Deaf comedian shares his experiences with hearing loss

image from djdemers.com

D.J. Demers says, “So many people out there don’t realize how common hearing loss is. I want to normalize it and let people in the hard-of-hearing community know that they’re not alone.” He spoke at Indiana University as part of his “Here to Hear” tour. He is giving stand-up comedy shows to students at 20 universities in 30 days. You'll find the locations here. Read more about his stop at IU in the school's student newspaper here.

Opinion: How Congress is hacking away at ADA law

Law professor Samuel Bagenstos is concerned about a bill before Congress called the "ADA Education and Reform Act. He writes in a Reuters' commentary:

Rather than protecting legitimate business interests, the bill pending in Congress would give a reprieve to enterprises that have had 27 years to comply with the law but have not yet done so. That is a betrayal of the basic promise of the ADA – that people with disabilities would be treated as equal citizens, with full access to America’s civic and economic life.

Bagenstos once led the Department of Justice’s disability rights enforcement as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Read his full commentary here.

Deaf West brings "Our Town" to Life

image from www.pasadenaplayhouse.org

Deaf West Theatre is putting on the show "Our Town" Pasadena Playhouse through Oct. 22 in Pasadena, California. Our town first debuted in 1938 and was honored with a Pulitzer Prize that same year. It's the story of a fictional town called Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire in three acts: The first act describes the daily lives of the townsfolk, the second act is about love and marriage, and the last act concerns death. What makes these performances unique is that Deaf West splits some roles between speaking and signing actors. There's a review of the show in the LA Times here and and more information about performances
here.