Marlee Goes Extreme

Marlee Matlin talks about her part in helping the Extreme Makeover project at the Oregon School for the Deaf in this video.

Help from Hollywood

Famed horror movie director Rob Zombie helped to design the haunted house for the Oregon School for the Deaf. Here's a video interview with him about it.

Makeover at Deaf School Airs Tongiht

The work done by the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on the Oregon School for the Deaf will be unvieled on tonight's show. It airs at 8pm Eastern, 7pm Central on ABC. See a video preview with Marlee Matlin here.

Clarke Selling Buildings

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech in Northampton, Massachusetts is looking for someone to buy or lease some of its buildings. The oral school started in 1867, but has gone from more than 40 students living on campus in 1995 to only 7 now. The real estate has some value because the campus is close to Smith College and downtown Northampton.

The Sound of Music

The Oprah Winfrey Show featured a Sound of Music reunion this week. Members of the movie cast gathered to reflect on the hit film and Oprah spoke with people who say their lives have been changed by it. One of these was Kaitlyn. She was born profoundly deaf, but at age 5, she received her first cochlear implant. "The very first music I ever heard was Julie Andrews singing 'The Hills are Alive,'" Kaitlyn says. "It was an awakening experience for me. It was as if someone put a 30-piece orchestra and stuck it inside my head. I was overwhelmed after living in a life of silence." When it comes to her favorite things, Kaitlyn's is music. She's now mentoring sign language interpreters who work in the theater. "The Sound of Music changed my life," she says.

Hospitals Agree to Make Changes

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

Film Festival

The first WORLDEAF Cinema Festival will take place at Gallaudet University from November 4-7. New films with connections to the the deaf community, workshops for aspiring filmmakers and actors and an awards night involving a competition of more than 170 films. Marlee Matlin will be a presenter. One of the keynote speakers will be Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. Other speakers include the stars of Hamill, a film that's based on the life of deaf wrestler Matt Hamill.

Deaf Agency Owners Plead Guilty

The owners of a deaf service agency in Maryland has plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud yesterday in a New Jersey courtroom. John T.C. Yeh and brother Joseph Yeh owned Rockville-based Viable. They admitted trying to defraud the FCC's Video Relay Service program by paying people to make fake calls. They submitted about $55 million in claims to the federal agency, asking for reinbursment. Other charges were dropped in return for the guilty pleas. The brothers face 20 year prison sentences at their February 9th sentencing. 24 other people from around the country also faced charges. At least 11 pleaded guilty in the past year. John Yeh has been a part of National Asian Deaf Congress and National Deaf Business Institute. A trustee of Gallaudet University, he was selected by Deaf Life magazine as Deaf Person of the Year in 2008. New York's Snap!VRS agreed to aquire Viable last year, pending the outcome of the investigations and prosecutions.

Switched at Birth

A new pilot TV show in production for ABC Family will featured a deaf character. The drama called Switched at Birth tells the story of two teen girls who discover that they were accidentally switched at birth. One grew up in a wealthy family while the other lost her hearing as a child due to meningitis and grew up with a single mother in a poor neighborhood. The families meet and try to learn to live togehter. ABC Family put out a wide casting search for the role of the deaf gilr, looking for deaf and hard of hearing actors for the part. Newcomer Katie Leclerc was selected. She has a rare disease that affects hearing and balance. She is fluent in American Sign Language. The network is currently casting two more deaf or hard of hearing actors for other roles in the series.

School Gets Large Cash Gift

The Kentucky School for the Deaf is getting more than $50,000 from several funds to provide new programs and equipment for the campus. Contributors include the Perkins Reserve Fund, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the Hudson-Ellis Foundation and the Kentucky Humanities Council. Middle and high school students at the school will get job training in visual communication arts with an academic focus on language arts. Some of the funds will go to the audiology department for a state of the art digital hearing aid analyzer.

New State Deaf School Opens

Deleware's governor attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Rhode Island School for the Deaf. Construction began two years ago on the new facility. The 23 classrooms will house students from preschool through 12th grade. attend the school which now has 23 classrooms. There are two science labs and a newly renovated gymnasium.

Extreme Makeover Tonight

An Extreme Makeover show featuring the Oregon School for the Deaf will air tonight on ABC. The special Halloween-themed show focuses on the school's popular annual haunted house. The Makeover team renovates the 12,000 square foot basement where the Nightmare Factory is usually held. Marlee Matlin also surprises the students during their free trip to the Starkey Hearing Foundation in Minnesota.

Big Apple = Big Noise

A new study shows New York can damange your hearing. Researchers checked noise levels at 60 places and most of them reached above 70 decibels. Sound levels over 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss, but even lower levels can harm hearing if these levels persist. And low, but steady noise levels can lead to other health problems, including stress, risk of heart disease and sleep disruption. Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health is presenting the study at the International Conference on Urban Health at The New York Academy of Medicine.

Student Drop Off Mistake

A deaf 5th grader in Omaha, Nebraska was dropped off at the wrong bus stop. Jayman Washington's family had moved to a new place three miles from the old location. School policy requires bus drivers to wait until the student is inside the house before leaving, but the bus driver took off as soon as Jayman was out the door. School authorities are refusing to say whether any disciplinary action would be taken against the driver.

Hospital Refuses to Help Deaf Woman

A deaf Chicago woman says a local hospital is refusing to keep its promise to provide her with cochlear implants. The hospital calls it a misunderstanding. Here's a video report from the Chicago Fox station. Read the story here.

Cruise Ship Lawsuit

A lawsuit filed against Norwegian Cruise Line has been settled. Five deaf and four wheelchair-bound passengers who took cruises in the Hawaiian Islands accused the cruise line of ADA violations. If a judge approves the deal, Norwegian will pay $100,000 in damages and $40,000 in civil penalties to the U.S. Government. Plus, the Cruise Line will offer sign language interpreters and written transcript of the emergency drill. Wheelchair-bound passengers will get accessible bus transportation to the cruise ship and on shore excursions.

Football Champions

The Wisconsin School for the Deaf has won the 8-man football championship for Great Plains Schools. Wisconsin beat Oklahoma 46-42 with an last minute interception deciding the outcome.

Interview with Deaf Fighter

Ultimate Fighter Matt Hamill is interviewed in this video after beating Tito Ortiz.

Jury Duty Challenge

A Syracuse, New York man had to fight for his right to serve on a jury. David Branfield was dismissed from duty a few months ago when Oswego County court officials found out he is deaf. After Branfield complained, court officials acknowledged his dismissal was a violation of ADA law. Branfield was put into a new jury pool last month. He wasn't selected, but had he been picked, court officials say Branfield would have been accomodated by letting him read the transcript on a laptop as it is written by the court reporter.

The Nightmare Factory

The Oregon School for the Deaf's Haunted House is now open. Read more about The Nightmare Factory here.