The Man Behind Closed Captioning

Here's a video about Bill Castner, an electrical engineer whose helped invent the first closed captioning device. Ironically, there is no captioning provided by the the TV station that produced the clip, KAKE-TV in Wichita, Kansas.

Implant Called Magic Device

USA Today calls the Cochlear Implant a "magic device" in an article posted here.

The Issue of Deaf Culture

The Boston Globe offers an interview with Professor Harlan Lane author of People of the Eye: Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry here.

Service Animals in WA State

The Washington State legislature has passed a bill that would change the definition of what qualifies as a service animal in the state if the governor signs it into law. Sponsors of the bill say it would put the state more in line with federal law on what animals are allowed in restaurants and grocery stores. The restaurant industry is pushing the legislation, saying it will prevent people from claiming everything from ferrets to monkeys as service animals. As it stands now, state law defines a service animal as any animal trained to aid a disabled person.

Seattle Ferries Get Video Screens

Video screens are now in operation on 2 Seattle ferries and at 2 ferry terminals to help deaf passengers. The state ferry system calls this a "visual paging project." It's the result of a lawsuit filed by John Waldo. He complained that the announcements on the public-address systems should be accessible to riders with hearing loss. The state settled the suit out of court by agreeing to create a display system. Designed by Four Winds Interactive, the screens went into operation for the first time today on two Bainbridge Island ferries (the Wenatchee and the Tacoma) and two ferry terminals ( the Colman Dock and the Bainbridge Island terminal). If all goes well, the video screens will eventually expand across the ferry system.

Fake Service Dogs

Here's a video about how some people are getting service dogs when they shouldn't. You can read the article here.

My Name is Julius

A new film called My Name is Julius tells the story of Julius Barthoff, who become a lifelong advocate for the deaf. At age 99, the Massachusetts man won the Oticon Focus on People award, which recognizes individuals who provide positive models of people with hearing loss. The film was put together by Olin College of Engineering professor Caitrin Lynch who teaches anthropology. Barthoff became deaf after a bout with diphtheria in his infancy. He was trained to be a lawyer but was not able to practice law due to his disability. Barthoff died a year ago this month. Find out more about the documentary here.

Celebrity Deaf in One Year

Actress Jane Lynch says she has been deaf in one ear since childhood. The 50-year-old Lynch stars on the music-focused hit TV show Glee.

German Sign Language

Gallaudet University offers a class in German language. Read an article about the class here.

147 Years Ago Today

On this date in 1864, President Lincoln signed the charter to found Gallaudet University.

Deaf Expo Saturday

The DeafNation Expo comes to Warren, Michigan (Detroit area) tomorrow. For more information click here.

Hamill Review

The new film about a deaf wrestler titled Hamill will be shown in Philadelphia Saturday. Read a review here.

Kennedy Center Debut

Jazz singer Mandy Harvey has been selected to make her debut at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on May 5 in Washington, DC. The Denver native will receive the International Young Soloists Award and $5,000 to help her music career. Harvey is deaf and has recorded and self-produced two albums.

ASL Bill Rejected

Virginia's governor has decided not to sign a bill passed by the state legislature that would allow ASL meet a high school foreign language credit and be accepted at state colleges. The measure was passed by the House in a 95-3 vote and breezed through the Senate by a 34-6 margin. Governor Bob McDonnell reportedly wanted some language changed in the bill and will reconsider it later. Lawmakers could approve the changes as soon as next week.

Sign Idol

Students will have a chance to show off how well they can sign at the University of Rochester next Tuesday. Sign Idol is open to undergraduates and high schoolers from the Greece Central School District. During the competition, students will interpret the lyrics to songs using ASL. The event is sponsored by the American Sign Language Club.

Summit Fri & Sat

The National ASL & English Bilingual Early Childhood Education Summit II starts tomorrow at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.

Video Relay in Chicago

Chicago's WGN-TV offers a video about how virtual interpreters help deaf hospital patients. Read the story here.

Quebec Child Missing

A search is underway in Quebec for a deaf toddler. Three-year-old Adam Benhamma disappeared from a family gathering Sunday where he was playing with other children. Police are using dogs and helicopters in the search, but they haven't ruled out the possibility that he could also have been abducted.

The Listen Carefully Campaign

The Starkey Hearing Foundation is launching an awareness campaign featuring Miley Cyrus. The Listen Carefully campaign includes a series of public service ads and a contest where the winner will spend time with the singer before she performs at the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s Annual Awards Gala in Minneapolis this July. Cyrus recently took a trip to Haiti on behalf of Starkey, where she helped to give out hearing aids. For more information on the campaign, click here.

New NAD Leader

This is the first day on the job for the new CEO of NAD. Howard Rosenblum takes over for Nancy Bloch. She began her role at NAD in 1992 as the first female CEO in the organization's history. Rosenblum served as an senior attorney for Chicago's Equip for Equality for 9 years. Prior to working at Equip, Rosenblum spent 10 years at a private law firm that specializes in disability rights. When he first became a lawyer some 20 years ago, he was the only profoundly deaf attorney in Illinois.